The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a 2002 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson, based on the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The film is the second instalment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and was produced by Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh and Jackson, and written by Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair and Jackson. The film features an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban and Andy Serkis.
Set in Middle-earth, the story focuses on the continuing quest of the hobbit Frodo Baggins and his Fellowship of the Ring to destroy the One Ring. Frodo and Samwise Gamgee discover they are being followed by the mysterious Gollum. Aragorn, the Elf archer Legolas, and Gimli the Dwarf encounter the besieged Rohan kingdom, whose once great King Théoden has fallen under Saruman's deadly spell.
The Two Towers was acclaimed by critics and fans alike, who considered it to be a landmark in filmmaking and an achievement in the fantasy film genre. It became a major box office success, earning over $926 million worldwide, and received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, winning two for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.
The film was followed by a sequel, The Return of the King (2003), which was also critically and commercially successful. The Lord of the Rings film series is one of the highest-grossing film series of all time.
Published on February 26, 2024