Leicester Square packed for Rings premiere

LONDON - Lord of the Rings fans have crowded into Leicester Square in a bid to catch a glimpse of those who turned J.R.R. Tolkien's tale of the Middle Earth into movie magic.

Shot in New Zealand, directed by dishevelled New Zealander Peter Jackson -- today described as Hobbit-like in tabloid newspaper The Sun -- Lord of the Rings will have its long-awaited world premiere in the heart of London's cultural West End.

Its stars, Jackson and a range of British glitterati were expected to attend the film's long-awaited unveiling, although secrecy which has surrounded the multi-million-dollar project from the start has extended to the guest list.

Supermodels Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer, Jodie Kidd, fashion designer Stella McCartney, and actor Jude Law were reported by The Times to be among the invited guests.

Secrecy was intended to ensure maximum media hype for The Fellowship of the Ring, the first in the three-part adaptation of Tolkien's mammoth novel.

Only a glowing Newsweek review last week has given much more than a glimpse of what was expected on screen. British critics finally saw a first press show this morning in London.

Usually films hold their press previews well before the premiere, but Lord of the Rings studio New Line Cinema has kept everyone guessing until the big day.

Select critics have seen high-security screenings in America.

Newsweek said it had "real passion" and rated it above its most obvious box office rival, the already released Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Starring Sir Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood and Christopher Lee, the Lord of the Rings trilogy cost £210 million ($736 million) to make, surpassing Titanic and Pearl Harbour.

Australian Blanchett, who played elf queen Galadriel, was expected at the premiere, despite giving birth to her first baby last Wednesday.

The first big chunk of the footage from The Fellowship of the Ring was shown during the Cannes Film Festival in France last spring.

Websites have offered rumours and snippets about the film, while its official website claims to have had more than 500 million hits.

Set designers from New Zealand have reportedly been in London for two weeks rebuilding three Middle Earth-style locations for the post-premiere party at Tobacco Dock, in East London.

The Fellowship of the Ring will go on general release on both sides of the Atlantic on December 19.

Editing on the second movie, The Two Towers will begin shortly for release in December 2002. The Return of the King was due out in late 2003.

- NZPA

Feature: Lord of the Rings

Special report: A long expected party