In an unprecedented decision regarding a film of its scale and financial aspirations, the Irish media preview of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has been postponed at short notice to the eve of its opening. Generally, films are shown to the press at least a week before they go on release.
The Fellowship of the Ring was scheduled to be previewed by the press at 10 a.m. today at the Savoy 1 cinema in Dublin, and such is the level of interest in the film that its Irish distributors, Abbey Films, restricted admission to one person per invitation - even though the Savoy 1 auditorium seats 770. The average attendance at a press preview in Dublin varies between 20 and 50 people.
Abbey Films now hopes to preview the film on Tuesday, the day before it opens in Ireland and in most countries around the world, and even this cannot be confirmed until Monday. They say the decision has been taken by New Line Cinema, the US company which financed the film. A statement from Abbey Films says "New Line Cinema have decided for security reasons to delay the shipment of Lord of the Rings prints to Europe until the week of its release. As a result there will be no screening of the film on Saturday in Dublin."
Contradicting New Line's plan not to release prints to Europe this week is the fact that there have been at least two screenings of the film in London - one for the international press interviewing the director and the cast last Saturday morning, and the world premiere of the film last Monday night. The trilogy represents a major financial gamble for New Line, which has never made a film with a budget of this scale before.
The trilogy, shot back to back in New Zealand, cost more than $270 million, and advertising, marketing and striking prints will cost millions more. The two other parts will be released worldwide over the next two Christmases. New Line made its name with relatively low-budget comedies such as The Wedding Singer, Austin Powers and Rush Hour, all of which made substantial profits.