Lord of the Rings trailer breaks download record

Will Knight ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 19 Jun 2000 13:07 BST

The trailer for forthcoming fantasy trilogy Lord of the Rings has smashed Internet download records after being released onto the Internet in April, it was reported Monday.

The trailer was downloaded 1.7 million times from the film's official Web site on the first day of release, doubling the previous record set by long awaited Star Wars prequel, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.

Although the first instalment of Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, is not due for release until December 2001, anticipation on the Internet has already reached unprecedented levels with both promotional and unofficial Web sites documenting the progress of filming in New Zealand.

The second part of the JRR Tolkien trilogy, The Twin Towers, will be released in 2002 and the conclusion, The Return of the King, a year later.

The trilogy has cost £137m and boasts a star-studded cast including Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf the wizard, Sean Bean as Boromir and Cate Blanchett as Galadriel.

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