User blog:ARTaylor/15 Years of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Today marks the fifteenth anniversary of the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Based on the record breaking book, the film is the concluding part of the epic trilogy. The story follows the remnants of the Fellowship as they continue their quest to destroy the Ring of Power and prevent the forces of Mordor from taking over Middle-Earth while seeing the rise of the long-lost King of Gondor.

The film went on to become one of the most critically and financially successful films of all time. It was the second movie to cross the billion dollar mark and remains the twenty-first highest grossing film ever. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and winning each one. This makes it the record holder for greatest Oscar sweep and ties with Ben-Hur and Titanic for most Oscar wins. It is also the first fantasy film to ever win Best Picture.

The films features the talents of John Rhys-Davies as the Fellowship dwarf Gimli and Ent leader Treebeard.