Image: WingNut Films The Saul Zaentz Company
About This Quiz
You've read the books, you've seen the movies, but how much do you really know about "Lord of the Rings?" In this quiz, we'll test your knowledge about the most important and interesting facts about the movies and novels. By the end, feel free to call yourself Frodo. You'll deserve it.
How much film was used for the movie?
100,000 feet
1 million feet
6 million feet
In total, the films combined equaled 6 million feet. That's a whole lot of film! But what do you expect from an epic?
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When Frodo's sword glows, it glows _____?
Blue
Frodo's sword glows blue because it was made by the high elves. However, in the film, Gandalf's sword does not glow blue! Apparently, this was because of budgetary reasons.
Red
Orange
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What were the trees in Lothlorien made of?
They were real!
Plaster of Paris
Rubber
The trees in Lothlorien were made of rubber. But they sure did look like real trees. :(
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Arwen and Aragorn were _____?
Siblings
Cousins
Arwen and Aragorn were cousins. Okay, so they were in love. Sometimes this happens with cousins. Don't judge.
Best Friends
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Arwen chooses what kind of life to stay in Middle Earth?
The life of a pauper
A mortal life
Arwen chooses to become mortal in order to say in Middle Earth. She does this to remain with her love, Aragorn.
The life of a spinster
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In the books, Legolas had ____ hair.
Blonde
Red
Unknown
Although Orlando Bloom rocked the blonde locks, Legolas' hair is never described in the books. Was that a creative choice?
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What famous actor turned down the role of Gandalf?
Sean Connery
Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf, because he said he didn't understand it. He even watched the movies later and still didn't understand it!
Al Pacino
Bill Murray
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What was the most difficult role to cast in the movie?
Frodo
Gandalf
Aragorn
Aragorn was by far the most difficult role to cast in the movie. Nicholas Cage turned it down, and then Peter Townsend was falsely cast.
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How did Ian Holm get the role of Bilbo?
He auditioned
He begged and pleaded
He played Frodo years earlier
Ian Holm played Frodo in a radio play for the BBC in 1981. That's what convinced Jackson to cast him as Bilbo.
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How were the films shot?
A year-long break between films
Consecutively
Continuously
There was no break in filming, and sometimes different parts of different films were shot at the same time. There's one famous scene that was shot over the course of a year.
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Who turned down the role of Aragorn?
Tony Shalhoub
Mickey Rourke
Nicholas Cage
Cage turned down the role because of family obligations. Daniel Day-Lewis also turned down the role.
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Who is Shelob?
A spider
Shelob is a spider. Apparently, the creature of Shelob was so scary, that Peter Jackson would avoid her on the set. He didn't like spiders.
An elf
A wizard
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Which of these is one of the three elven rings?
Nenya
Narya
Vilya
All of the above
These are all elven rings! They were forged by an elf-lord named Celebrimbor. Duh.
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What is true about J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis?
They were best friends
They never knew one another
They had a tumultuous relationship
Apparently, the two epic writers had a tumultuous friendship. It was an argument between them that sparked "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Chronicles of Narnia."
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How did Tolkien write the books?
On a Macbook
Handwritten
With two fingers
Apparently, Tolkien wrote all the books using two fingers. (The present writer is very impressed by that)
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How many pages combined is "The Lord of the Rings?
500
750
1,200
"The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is 1,200 pages long. Just a bit of weekend reading, eh?
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Peter Jackson's ______ appears in the movies?
Wife
Daughter
Peter Jackson's daughter appears several times in the movie. In one cameo, she plays a young Hobbit.
Sister
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What is found on Tolkien's gravestone?
A hobbit
Beren
The name Beren is on his gravestone. His wife's is Luthien. This is in reference to the love between a mortal man and an immortal elf.
It's blank
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What is true of Tolkien's work?
There's a country named after it
Mountain peaks on a moon are named after it
Titan, Saturn's moon, has several mountains. These mountains are all named after Tolkien's work. His influence has stretched far!
There's an African town named after it
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Who almost made a movie adaptation of "Lord of the Rings?"
The Beatles
The Beatles tried to make a movie of "Lord of the Rings." They wanted Stanley Kubrick to direct, but Tolkien said no.
Bob Marley
The Backstreet Boys
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How many wizards are there in Middle Earth?
10
5
There are five wizards in Middle Earth, and each has their own color. Not all these wizards appear in the movies.
3
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What language did Liv Tyler speak in the movie?
Elvish
Liv Tyler spoke Elvish. This meant that she had to have an Elvish coach with her at all times.
English
Middle Earthian
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Why did Tolkien write that Aragon falls from the cliff, presumably dead?
He didn't
This was something that Peter Jackson added, which wasn't in the book. He says he did it to create a "darkest hour."
To create fear
To foreshadow
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What is the Silmarillion?
Tolkien's favorite of his books
Tolkien's first book
Tolkien's posthumous work
The Silmarillion is Tolkien's posthumous work published by his son. It's VERY complicated.
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What is the name for the wizards that are part of the race?
Galthospar
Cretins
Maiar
The wizards that are taking part in the race are called Maiar. They can change form whenever they like!
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What is true about Viggo Mortensen?
He used a real sword
He did all his own stunts
He was an excellent swordsman
All of the above
Viggo was apparently an expert swordsman. He used a steel sword instead of an aluminum one.
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Who were used as extras?
Unpaid children
Lighting technicians
Women in beards
Apparently, women in beards were used as extras. Many of the Riders of Rohan were actually ladies with beards on. Time to watch the movie again​.
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Originally, the movies were going to be ____?
2 films
Originally, the series was only going to be two films. When they were getting way over budget, it was even suggested that it be one film. The Weinstein brothers were trying to cut costs.
7 films
A TV series
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Who was a backup for Aragorn?
Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe was the backup if Viggo turned it down. He had just finished filming "Gladiator."
James Spader
Neil Patrick Harris
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Who sustained the most injuries while filming?
Viggo Mortenson
Apparently, Viggo got beat up a lot. He broke a number of toes and even tried to glue a tooth back together.
Peter Jackson
Liv Tyler
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How did Sean Bean get to the set?
By helicopter
By boat
By ski lift
Apparently, the helicopter that others used to get to the set was a no-go for Sean Bean. He chose to take a ski lift instead.
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Where is there a dorm named after Middle Earth?
Harvard
Yale
University of California, Irvine
There's a freshman dorm on the UC Irvine campus that is dedicated to Middle Earth. The halls are named after various towns and regions.
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Who did the illustrations for the Danish version of "Lord of the Rings?"
The Queen of Denmark
The Queen of Denmark actually did the illustrations! She did it under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer.
The Pope
Tolkien
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What is true about Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood?
They did not get along
They became best friends
They never filmed a scene together
Ian and Elijah actually never filmed a scene together. They probably hung at craft services, though.
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When did Tolkien sell the film rights to "Lord of the Rings?"
1969
Tolkien actually sold the film rights in 1969.
1980
Just before filming
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You Got:
/35
