Nearly 1,700 Danes have bought tickets to watch all three Lord of the Rings films back-to-back in theaters, 25 years after the first movie premiered. The marathon screenings, which run almost 12 hours, have exceeded expectations at Vue cinemas across Denmark.
A Quarter Century of Middle-Earth Magic
It has been 25 years since the first Lord of the Rings film hit theaters worldwide. In 2001, the movie struck like lightning from a clear sky, captivating not just fantasy fans but moviegoers across the board.
The adventure following hobbit Frodo, who must destroy the evil Sauron’s ruling ring, became the second highest-grossing film that year with earnings of 889 million dollars. The complete trilogy received no less than 17 Oscar statuettes. The final film, The Return of the King, alone won 11 Oscars, making it the most awarded film alongside 1959’s Ben-Hur and Titanic.
However, the trilogy’s real achievement may not be the many statuettes or the combined earnings of nearly three billion dollars. Perhaps it is instead that it continues to gather hundreds of Danish Lord of the Rings lovers in the country’s cinemas.
Record Breaking Ticket Sales for Marathon Screenings
Vue, the former Cinemaxx, marked the 25th anniversary in January by hosting a series of marathon screenings of the trilogy at three of their theaters. Surprisingly, 1,688 Danes have bought tickets over the last three weeks, Vue reports.
Alberte Jensen, supervisor at Vue, notes that sales are both larger than last year and bigger than they had expected. She adds that with those sales figures, they will gladly repeat the marathon next year. Vue also says the pattern repeats in Germany, where they have far more theaters and strong demand to see the fantasy works.
The films are shown in extended editions. People watch almost 12 hours of film with a 15-minute break between each movie.
An Annual Tradition for Devoted Fans
For some, it might be a bit too much orcs, hobbits, ringwraiths and magic to take in. But not for tattoo artist and event organizer Bjørn Severin. He sat ready in the Fisketorvet cinema last week and devoured the films. He did the same last year, though then there was an hour break between each film rather than just 15 minutes. Something that did not suit 48-year-old Bjørn Severin’s taste.
For him and his girlfriend, it is an annual tradition to watch the films. According to Bjørn, it is amazing to dive into this world for an entire day, take it out of the calendar and live in Middle-Earth for 12 hours.
The Best Trilogy Ever Made
When asked what makes these films worth returning to 25 years later, Bjørn explains that it is, in his opinion, probably the best fantasy story ever written. Contrary to several other attempts at filming literary works, this is also the best trilogy ever made, he says, highlighting Howard Shore’s music as something essential in the trilogy.
Bjørn believes that everything was in place for these films. You can see that you are dealing with a film crew, directors, producers and actors who all loved the source material and were determined to make the best film possible.
Director Peter Jackson spoke about what a wild time the production was for the entire film crew. Bjørn Severin thinks that Lord of the Rings could never be made today because no studios would give such great creative freedom to a director. He believes we will never see a trilogy like Lord of the Rings again. Therefore, we should enjoy them while we can.
A Different Cinema Experience
At Vue’s theaters, audiences get a completely different experience than watching any other film in the cinema, at least according to Bjørn Severin. Every time he has been to a Lord of the Rings marathon, there is a hall with 300 people with no talking, no mobile phones, no disturbances.
People are more concentrated and less noisy at a 12-hour screening of Lord of the Rings than they are at a two-hour screening of a Marvel film, Bjørn says. He has no doubt that he will attend another marathon next year if a cinema shows it.
Life Lessons from Middle-Earth
When asked how these Lord of the Rings films have affected his life, Bjørn reflects that when something is so big, it is a bit difficult to describe. It is a fantastic story that contains everything a young guy might like. Beautiful girls, lots of monsters and above all friendship and heroes who overcome adversity. These are things he has carried with him, he says.
He refuses to believe that anyone has become a worse person from reading or watching Lord of the Rings. You can only become a better person from it.
Streaming Success Continues
It is far from only in cinemas that Lord of the Rings continues its victory march. Last year, a number of streaming services suddenly noticed that the 25-year-old trilogy had climbed into the top 10 of most streamed content. And one does not simply manage that without enduring appeal.
The marathon screenings at Vue continue until February 7, giving hundreds of fantasy fans the chance to experience the complete journey through Middle-Earth on the big screen.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Peter Jackson on Lord of the Rings 25 Years Exclusive
The Danish Dream: Best Cinemas in Denmark for Foreigners
