How 1 Iconic LOTR Scene Changed Due to Viggo Mortensen’s Surfing Accident

Peter Jackson is giving fans a sneak peek into the making of The Lord of the Rings trilogy ahead of its theatrical re-release. The filmmaker recently revealed how Viggo Mortensen’s surfing accident altered one of the most iconic LOTR scenes. The news comes as a surprise to fans who are all set to re-watch the fantasy trilogy with remastered visuals and behind-the-scenes insights.

Peter Jackson details why he had to change one Lord of the Rings battle scene

Peter Jackson had to change a key battle scene in The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring after Viggo Mortensen’s surfing accident.

In an exclusive clip by Entertainment Weekly, the Academy Award-winner recalls a hilarious incident involving Viggo Mortensen. The actor, who portrayed Aragorn, had arrived on set with a black eye. Consequently, Jackson had to change up the filming process of the epic battle scene in Fellowship of the Ring.

“The thing with these movies, of course, is we shot all three of them at the same time and then in a mixed-up kind of way,” Jackson explained. The Lord of the Rings director explained how they would shoot Fellowship on Monday and jump to Two Towers on Tuesday. By Wednesday, they would be back to Fellowship and filmed the Return of the King on Thursday.

Jackson continued, “So in the mines of Moria scene, too, the other thing I remember, we all show up to shoot that scene. And Viggo had been out with the Hobbits during the weekend, and he’d been surfing, and he had sustained an injury surfing, like the board had flipped in the air and whacked him in the face.”

As a result, he shot Viggo from the side, avoiding that gabe black eye. Jackson has asked viewers to watch the scene closely when the cave troll joins the attack. They will be able to spot that Viggo’s only shown from one side.

Fathom Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures have announced that filmmaker Peter Jackson has recorded special introductions for the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, hitting theaters on January 16-18 and 23-25. Tickets are now available at Fathom Entertainment and participating theater box offices.

Source: Comingsoon.net