After Peter Jackson redefined fantasy cinema withThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy, he returned to try and make lightning strike twice withThe Hobbit. However, Jackson didn’t always intend to direct the sequel trilogy, as Guillermo del Toro was once attached to the director’s chair.Cate Blanchett, who appeared in both trilogies as the elf Galadriel, remembers when del Toro was in charge of the project and wonders what the unique director would have brought to the franchise. The horror auteur behindPan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone,Cronos,andBlade IIwould have brought his fantastical gothic vision to theLord of the Ringsfranchise.
Cate Blanchett spoke toGQto look back at her most iconic characters throughout her career. While discussing her vital role inThe Lord of the Rings, the actress was asked abouther time appearing inThe Hobbitand if she ever worked with del Toro during his brief time on the movie. The director spent a year planning his vision for the film, but reports suggest thatdelays from the studio prevented del Toro from staying on board, and he left the movie in May 2010. Blanchett said she signed on to appear in the film while del Toro was still attached. Teasing what could have been, she said:
“They’re both such special directors and really particular, and you can totally see the crossover. But yet they make things, and create worlds in their own unique ways. It would have been equally as special, but just different.”
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Cate Blanchett Joined The Lord of the Rings Because She Loves Horror Movies
On the surface, the connection between horror movies andThe Lord of the Ringsmight seem non-existent. Aside from the infamous Frodo jump scare, Peter Jackson’s trilogy is far from scary. However, before Jackson became known as the director who earned 18 Oscars for bringing J.R.R Tolkien’s novels to life on the big screen,he was an acclaimed horror director.
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Cate Blanchett revealed that she wanted to work with Peter Jackson onThe Lord of the Ringsbecause she loved his back catalog of horror films. In a previous interview, Blanchett mentioned that she was amassive fan of Jackson’s 1992 hitBraindead(also titledDead Alive). During the conversation withGQ, Blanchett expanded on her appreciation for Peter Jackson’s horror movies. The actress gushed, saying:
“I was there to work with Peter Jackson. I was such a huge fan of his work, and his reverence, and his love of the ugly side of things. I grew up on horror, and so all of that Braindead stuff. I mean, I just absolutely loved it. And it was so funny as well as being so revolting and creepy.”
Cate Blanchett doesn’t just appear inThe Lord of the Rings, she opens the entire trilogy. AsThe Fellowship of the Ringopens, Galadriel provides an aural history of Middle Earth, detailing the forging of the rings and the rise of Sauron. Blanchett revealed that the now iconic voiceover was in the original script. However, she also said that she never fully understood how important and iconic it would become among the fan base. She explained:
“I think it was in the original scripts, but I don’t think I fully computed that it would be the first thing. Because when you first pick up a script to read it, you’re reading the story.”
The Lord of the Ringsfranchise is streaming onMax.
