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There and Back Again: The Unofficial Oral History of The Lord of the Rings Films
Not yet published
Expected 20 Oct 26The definitive, unofficial oral history of the making of the iconic and beloved Lord of the Rings film trilogy—featuring interviews with the cast and crew, who give the inside story of the landmark series twenty-five years after its original release.
Celebrate the beloved, influential, and truly epic Lord of the Rings films with this essential read following the making of the trilogy, as told by the cast and crew. Journalist Sam Moore weaves together interviews with everyone from stars like Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, and Andy Serkis, to the writers and brilliant crew who revolutionized filmmaking special effects and brought to vivid life what was thought of as a project as impossible to adapt as the hobbits scaling Mount Doom.
Twenty-five years after the first film’s premiere, There and Back Again takes readers behind the scenes into director Peter Jackson’s battles with Harvey Weinstein to get the trilogy made, the groundbreaking motion capture special effects that helped bring Gollum to life, and how the cast became a true fellowship that remains bonded to this day, complete with matching tattoos.
Through Sam Moore’s insightful and entertaining interviews with almost a hundred cast and crew members, There and Back Again is the definitive account of the making of these modern movie classics, which was almost as thrilling as the films themselves.
Celebrate the beloved, influential, and truly epic Lord of the Rings films with this essential read following the making of the trilogy, as told by the cast and crew. Journalist Sam Moore weaves together interviews with everyone from stars like Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, and Andy Serkis, to the writers and brilliant crew who revolutionized filmmaking special effects and brought to vivid life what was thought of as a project as impossible to adapt as the hobbits scaling Mount Doom.
Twenty-five years after the first film’s premiere, There and Back Again takes readers behind the scenes into director Peter Jackson’s battles with Harvey Weinstein to get the trilogy made, the groundbreaking motion capture special effects that helped bring Gollum to life, and how the cast became a true fellowship that remains bonded to this day, complete with matching tattoos.
Through Sam Moore’s insightful and entertaining interviews with almost a hundred cast and crew members, There and Back Again is the definitive account of the making of these modern movie classics, which was almost as thrilling as the films themselves.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 20, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Pretty fabulous. These movies have probably the most extensive and accessible behind-the-scenes footage of any film, ever, and I regularly run into people who say they watch the ultra-charming docu-style BTS as often as they watch the trilogy itself. So while I kinda wonder about the utility of this book once it comes out (especially because you can find plenty of blogs and other books documenting more or less the same stuff), I can say I really enjoyed reading it, just could not stop once I started. Lots of new info, some familiar info.
Super thorough, from the long history of failed filming attempts by other filmmakers to the fan forum marketing campaigns, and it sets itself apart from the stuff fans "already know" by being comprised of interviews with mostly the crew and extras. Maybe those aren't the people with the most star power or name recognition, but they know a heinous amount of insider details that really highlight how much time, passion, blood, tears, stress, and joy went into making these ridiculously impossible films.
The book also has the advantage of being, you know, not ultimately another promotional vehicle for the films, so there are some parts that are honest in the way I craaave from this kinda stuff. Like an editor saying he still thinks the final cut of Helm's Deep, over 10 mins longer than his original cut, is too long; the piles and piles of wasted footage, effort, time, and money whose cutting from the final film disappointed and discouraged the teams involved; high-level crew saying they still can't even watch the films in their entirety; the weird post-film tension between Serkis and the animation team; honest reflections on the pressure and danger put upon the cast & crew.
Good book. God, do I wanna rewatch the movies.
(also corniest possible title that is guaranteed to KILL this book's searchability. bad move, editor/publisher)
Super thorough, from the long history of failed filming attempts by other filmmakers to the fan forum marketing campaigns, and it sets itself apart from the stuff fans "already know" by being comprised of interviews with mostly the crew and extras. Maybe those aren't the people with the most star power or name recognition, but they know a heinous amount of insider details that really highlight how much time, passion, blood, tears, stress, and joy went into making these ridiculously impossible films.
The book also has the advantage of being, you know, not ultimately another promotional vehicle for the films, so there are some parts that are honest in the way I craaave from this kinda stuff. Like an editor saying he still thinks the final cut of Helm's Deep, over 10 mins longer than his original cut, is too long; the piles and piles of wasted footage, effort, time, and money whose cutting from the final film disappointed and discouraged the teams involved; high-level crew saying they still can't even watch the films in their entirety; the weird post-film tension between Serkis and the animation team; honest reflections on the pressure and danger put upon the cast & crew.
Good book. God, do I wanna rewatch the movies.
(also corniest possible title that is guaranteed to KILL this book's searchability. bad move, editor/publisher)
Displaying 1 of 1 review