Finale leaves mixed emotions for 'The Lord of the Rings' stars

By RUSSELL BAILLIE and CATHY ARONSON

The stars of the Lord of the Rings trilogy gathered in Wellington for the last time at the weekend in preparation for tonight's world premiere of the finale, The Return of the King.

Before they hit the red carpet, they spoke to local and international press about their involvement in Peter Jackson's epic undertaking.

Elijah Wood (Frodo)

On coming to the end of the trilogy:

* It's sad, you know. I think it's going to take some time to sink in because we still have got a ways to go in terms of the promotion of this film. We'll have the DVD to work on next year. There are some things we'll have to get back together for. But I think it will resonate at its greatest this time next year when we don't have this any more.

Every journey comes to an end and there's going to be a nice sense of accomplishment at the end of it all to be able to look at the entirety of the trilogy now and not to have to wait for another film to come out for it to be a beginning, middle and an end.

On his New Zealand experience:

* I drove from Wellington to Taupo by myself. Just got a car and drove there and it was amazing, beautiful scenery and I drove from the top of the South Island to Queenstown and I drove all along the West Coast to get there. Stunning. Viggo actually did the same drive at the same time. And also Milford Sound - the journey there and actually spending time in Milford Sound was stunning.

Liv Tyler (Arwen)

On coming to the end of the trilogy:

* It's a combination of so sad and so emotional - we watched the movie yesterday and cried for the last hour. But it's also really exciting because we've really accomplished so much.

On her New Zealand experience:

* I adore coming here and getting to spend time here. I'm constantly amazed at how beautiful it is. Every time I come back I see more and more beauty in it.

On Peter Jackson:

* I find Peter to be an incredibly sensitive, strong and compassionate person - I don't feel I can't communicate with him because he's just a guy. He doesn't have an ego as a director. He's willing to listen and admit to his mistakes, not that he really ever makes any. A lot of times you meet directors and it's their way is the only way and he's really hired all of us to become these characters. In that sense he created this world where we could all become these people and conduct us.

Orlando Bloom (Legolas)

On coming to the end of the trilogy:

* The really sad thing is like it's a huge Christmas gift every year. You get to see your mates and you get this brilliant gift - the movie you've been in and that's not going to happen any more and I can't quite believe it.

On his New Zealand experience:

* I'm really excited to be in New Zealand. We have to go to L.A. in a couple of days, which is really sad because I love New Zealand. I'd love to buy here but I don't know how realistic it is at this stage in my life but it may be worth having one plot to have and build on one day.

On Peter Jackson:

* I think Peter Jackson is a [expletive] genius. Excuse my language. I think Peter Jackson is a visionary genius. He's just a very humble gracious loving kind of guy and he's got an incredible appetite for life and a zest for living.

Sean Astin (Sam)

On coming to the end of the trilogy:

* It's been stressful leading up to five years' worth of mental concentration on this moment in time. So the week leading up to it, there has been a lot of anxiety, needless anxiety because there's nothing that can be done about anything. So it's like, you know, a kid waiting to go to the high school prom or the high school sporting match and a couple of days before you're thinking about it.

On his New Zealand experience:

* It's amazing how much this country has embraced the films. I'm afraid people are going to get sick of it. You've been with it, it's everywhere, it's all over the place and I keep thinking, but it's finite, tomorrow there's a premiere and then on to other things, so it's got its own natural life cycle.

My wife and I continue to flog each other for our stupidity in not having already purchased property here and so we should, we absolutely should. I really love the South Island, I really love it near Queenstown. I hope so, if we're smart we'll do it.

On Peter Jackson:

* Well the way Peter worked on this film the actual physical film was the cheapest resource going, so there were a lot of takes. So it wasn't like doing a movie with a particular budget where you do two or three takes you have to nail and then move on.

This was more like, "We're in this emotional moment and where going to start peeling away the layers and we're gonna keep peeling it away until we get there and then we're gonna rub that thing until it's just raw and bloody and there's no more and you're spent".

Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf)

On coming to the end of the trilogy:

* If I felt I wasn't going to come to New Zealand again, and that is what I've enjoyed so much about the job, I would be absolutely miserable. I expect to be back so it's not a goodbye - it's a goodbye to this particular character maybe. That's fine, we've done Gandalf now. We've already drifted apart.

On his New Zealand experience:

* It feels a little bit like coming home and it's all very familiar and nothing has seemed to change, which wouldn't be true of other cities. There's a certain sense that Hobbiton is in good hands.

On Peter Jackson:

* Nobody else could have done this film.

Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn)

On coming to the end of the trilogy:

* It doesn't feel like the end. I know there will probably be an extended version. I don't think it's over for a while. I may never feel like it's over in a way because I have a relationship with this country, the landscapes and way of living, but also the people I made the movie with, we are always going to be pals one way or another. These movies have been more than the usual movie experience.

On his New Zealand experience:

* I thought about buying here but I should have got in early. But you don't have to own a piece of land in a country to come back to a country.

Herald Feature: Lord of the Rings