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The Frodo Franchise: The Lord of the Rings and Modern Hollywood
"Once in a lifetime." The phrase comes up over and over from the people who worked on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. The film's seventeen Oscars, record-setting earnings, huge fan base, and hundreds of ancillary products attest to its importance and to the fact that Rings is far more than a film. Its makers seized a crucial moment in Hollywood—the special effects digital revolution plus the rise of "infotainment" and the Internet—to satisfy the trilogy's fans while fostering a huge new international audience. The resulting franchise of franchises has earned billions of dollars to date with no end in sight. Kristin Thompson interviewed seventy-six people to examine the movie's scripting and design and the new technologies deployed to produce the films, video games, and DVDs. She demonstrates the impact Rings had on the companies that made it, on the fantasy genre, on New Zealand, and on independent cinema. In fast-paced, compulsively readable prose, she affirms Jackson's Rings as one the most important films ever made.
399 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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August 11, 2011Finally… a book about the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy of films. I’m sure I’m not the only possible reader who felt I’d already suffered LOTR information overload. However Kristin Thompson’s book really does offer new and interesting insights into the business of modern film blockbusters, using LOTR as a case study.
In New Zealand “The Frodo Franchise” has been published by Penguin, but in America it is a University of California press book. As an academic book, it is an incredibly easy read but anyone coming to this expected a popularist account of the filming will be disappointed. Kristin Thompson has co-authored with David Bordwell two of the most influential university film studies books “Film Art” and “Film History”. Despite Thompson’s academic credentials she freely admits to being a big fan of Jackson’s films, and this is the driving force behind her research into the LOTR’s commercial success. Her enthusiasm for the films helps leaven the text whenever it gets caught up in minuet of the distribution deals or the ongoing publicity drive.
While there is fascinating material throughout this book, the first chapter will probably be of most interest to film fans. Finally there is a detailed description of exactly how it was that a virtually unknown director got to run the biggest film project in the history of cinema. By describing Jackson’s relationship with all of the New Line executives… and some of the details of the Miramax two week turnaround deal which Jackson managed to secure… suddenly the story of Jackson’s successful pitch to New Line made sense. Thompson maps out a scenario where good preparation and good luck meant Jackson met the right people at the right time. The fairy tale story of Jackson being asked why he was pitching to two movies when there were three books does seem to be true, but Thompson shows that New Line was making sensible a calculated business decision.
By the end of “The Frodo Franchise” you have an increased awareness of the money-making monolith which is the Hollywood studio system. But there is also an increased respect for the New Zealand film makers who managed to work within the system and yet create something with such an original voice.
In New Zealand “The Frodo Franchise” has been published by Penguin, but in America it is a University of California press book. As an academic book, it is an incredibly easy read but anyone coming to this expected a popularist account of the filming will be disappointed. Kristin Thompson has co-authored with David Bordwell two of the most influential university film studies books “Film Art” and “Film History”. Despite Thompson’s academic credentials she freely admits to being a big fan of Jackson’s films, and this is the driving force behind her research into the LOTR’s commercial success. Her enthusiasm for the films helps leaven the text whenever it gets caught up in minuet of the distribution deals or the ongoing publicity drive.
While there is fascinating material throughout this book, the first chapter will probably be of most interest to film fans. Finally there is a detailed description of exactly how it was that a virtually unknown director got to run the biggest film project in the history of cinema. By describing Jackson’s relationship with all of the New Line executives… and some of the details of the Miramax two week turnaround deal which Jackson managed to secure… suddenly the story of Jackson’s successful pitch to New Line made sense. Thompson maps out a scenario where good preparation and good luck meant Jackson met the right people at the right time. The fairy tale story of Jackson being asked why he was pitching to two movies when there were three books does seem to be true, but Thompson shows that New Line was making sensible a calculated business decision.
By the end of “The Frodo Franchise” you have an increased awareness of the money-making monolith which is the Hollywood studio system. But there is also an increased respect for the New Zealand film makers who managed to work within the system and yet create something with such an original voice.
February 28, 2012
Actual rating 3.5 stars
It's not often you find a book that delves so deeply into the machinery of film-making. It turns out that the whole business is like an iceberg; most of it is hidden, and we just enjoy the benefits -- or otherwise -- of the bit that's visible. The whole book is written much like a long, long essay; I think that unless you have some level of interest in the mechanics of film distribution and marketing there are parts which might be a bit of a slog to get through, but overall it was interesting and turned up lots of little nuggets of information that I hadn't known about.
It's incredibly thoroughly researched -- I needed something to read on the train, and I still had some of The Frodo Franchise left; imagine my disappointment when I discovered it was only page after page after page after page after page of references...
January 4, 2026
[12/22/25 - 01/04/26] [The Voice of Nick Narration]
[⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️] [06/16/25 - 07/13/25]
Fascinating and richly detailed. Of course I loved the parts about making the films, but I was surprised to end up so invested in tracing money pumped into and out of the films, gaining a whole new appreciation for this series I love. The accounts of how LOTR innovated in internet marketing, DVD special features and other technologies were particularly exciting. This book is a treasure, and I’m glad I found it.
すごく面白い、映画の作り方について，けど意外な面白かったのはお金追いかけてる、後このシリーズの早いインタネットやDVDや他のテクノロジー使い方。貴重な資源これ
[⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️] [06/16/25 - 07/13/25]
Fascinating and richly detailed. Of course I loved the parts about making the films, but I was surprised to end up so invested in tracing money pumped into and out of the films, gaining a whole new appreciation for this series I love. The accounts of how LOTR innovated in internet marketing, DVD special features and other technologies were particularly exciting. This book is a treasure, and I’m glad I found it.
すごく面白い、映画の作り方について，けど意外な面白かったのはお金追いかけてる、後このシリーズの早いインタネットやDVDや他のテクノロジー使い方。貴重な資源これ
December 26, 2023
Excuse me while I start this review with a bit of a story just like the online recipes of old. I found The Frodo Franchise in my university library when I was looking for books to help me with my first uni essay. In the end I wrote about something different and didn’t reference or use The Frodo Franchise at all, but I did still read it and found it a fascinating. 13 years later I finally managed to track down a copy and as December is Lord of the Rings season for me (I rewatch the trilogy every Christmas Eve) I’ve finally reread it and I’m very happy to say I still really enjoyed it and even found it more interesting now.
The Frodo Franchise is like a little time capsule. It was published in 2007 and goes from the pre-production of The Lord of the Rings, to post Oscar wins and how the films have had a long-lasting affect on the filmmakers and New Zealand’s film industry. It covers the late 1990s to early 2000s and it is so interesting to see how much filmmaking technology, the Hollywood film industry, and entertainment news and the fascination with celebrity evolved in such a short period of time. A big deal is made about DVD sales and when each film was released on DVD and how such long films with extensive special features even got put onto a DVD as it was still early days for them. In some ways it was the perfect and perhaps only time to make The Lord of the Rings, and to make it in a way that was grounded in reality with locations, sets, and the props, but also pushed the boundaries of computer technology and even created new techniques.
There are fun anecdotes from cast and crew throughout the book, but The Frodo Franchise does often read like an academic text. It’s a deep dive into how Hollywood works in terms of financing a film, distribution, and all the different offshoots that come from a film and turn it into a franchise with video games, books, clothing, and figurines. So while the first chapter is about how the films were made and got financed, the rest of the book was more about the offshoots from the films; the fans and how New Line built a franchise, other ways people could interact with Middle Earth including how the video games inspired by The Lord of the Rings were made, and then the legacy the films had on New Zealand and its film industry. Personally, the section about the video games didn’t interest me as much but it was still kind of interesting as it wasn’t anything I’d really thought about before.
The Frodo Franchise is perhaps more fascinating now than when I first read it, a few years after it was released. The movie and marketing landscape has changed so much in 15 years with there being no mention of Netflix or streaming services in the book as they didn’t exist then. Instead, it was VHS vs DVD and buying your own copy vs renting one from a video store. Then there’s how new the internet was in the early 2000s and how fans websites could give publicity to the films while the studios’ marketing team was still learning the best way to utilise them. Ian McKellen had his own website and when other members of the cast found out, they asked the person who helped build and run it to build ones for them. Considering how easily accessible the internet is and how just about anyone can make a blog if they wish, it’s remarkable to read about how new and basic everything once was.
The Frodo Franchise is a really comprehensive study of one series of films and the impact it had on the entertainment landscape. So many people from different parts of the production were interviewed, as were fans and various other industry professionals, meaning that it feels like this book is a solid resource. Because as well being a book for people who are interested in how The Lord of the Rings was made and became such a major franchise and (along with Harry Potter) kickstarted the fantasy movie boom, it’s also a book for people who are interested in the film industry and its history.
I’m so glad I finally got myself my own copy and read it just before my annual Lord of the Rings rewatch. There’s something special about these films and the people who made them and in The Frodo Franchise, the love of this fantasy world and its story shines through.
The Frodo Franchise is like a little time capsule. It was published in 2007 and goes from the pre-production of The Lord of the Rings, to post Oscar wins and how the films have had a long-lasting affect on the filmmakers and New Zealand’s film industry. It covers the late 1990s to early 2000s and it is so interesting to see how much filmmaking technology, the Hollywood film industry, and entertainment news and the fascination with celebrity evolved in such a short period of time. A big deal is made about DVD sales and when each film was released on DVD and how such long films with extensive special features even got put onto a DVD as it was still early days for them. In some ways it was the perfect and perhaps only time to make The Lord of the Rings, and to make it in a way that was grounded in reality with locations, sets, and the props, but also pushed the boundaries of computer technology and even created new techniques.
There are fun anecdotes from cast and crew throughout the book, but The Frodo Franchise does often read like an academic text. It’s a deep dive into how Hollywood works in terms of financing a film, distribution, and all the different offshoots that come from a film and turn it into a franchise with video games, books, clothing, and figurines. So while the first chapter is about how the films were made and got financed, the rest of the book was more about the offshoots from the films; the fans and how New Line built a franchise, other ways people could interact with Middle Earth including how the video games inspired by The Lord of the Rings were made, and then the legacy the films had on New Zealand and its film industry. Personally, the section about the video games didn’t interest me as much but it was still kind of interesting as it wasn’t anything I’d really thought about before.
The Frodo Franchise is perhaps more fascinating now than when I first read it, a few years after it was released. The movie and marketing landscape has changed so much in 15 years with there being no mention of Netflix or streaming services in the book as they didn’t exist then. Instead, it was VHS vs DVD and buying your own copy vs renting one from a video store. Then there’s how new the internet was in the early 2000s and how fans websites could give publicity to the films while the studios’ marketing team was still learning the best way to utilise them. Ian McKellen had his own website and when other members of the cast found out, they asked the person who helped build and run it to build ones for them. Considering how easily accessible the internet is and how just about anyone can make a blog if they wish, it’s remarkable to read about how new and basic everything once was.
The Frodo Franchise is a really comprehensive study of one series of films and the impact it had on the entertainment landscape. So many people from different parts of the production were interviewed, as were fans and various other industry professionals, meaning that it feels like this book is a solid resource. Because as well being a book for people who are interested in how The Lord of the Rings was made and became such a major franchise and (along with Harry Potter) kickstarted the fantasy movie boom, it’s also a book for people who are interested in the film industry and its history.
I’m so glad I finally got myself my own copy and read it just before my annual Lord of the Rings rewatch. There’s something special about these films and the people who made them and in The Frodo Franchise, the love of this fantasy world and its story shines through.
May 22, 2020
Lack theoretical depth. More like a compilation of news reports and interviews. Informative content though.
June 30, 2013
Not really a making-of, but more of a scholarly examination of the Lord of the Rings movie franchise from inception to its long-term success and influence. As a Jackson fan and a LOTR fan, I really appreciated this book. The author had the benefit of being able to conduct her own interviews with many of the cast and crew, which lends this book a bit of an original voice.
The first third of the book focused on the early period where Jackson and co struggled to get the movies financed; then the pre-production and production periods when the filmmakers were doing their thing, and the fans and the media were going crazy with speculation. There are chunks of making-of type passages here and there, but it's more of an analysis than a narrative. Lots of quotes from articles, and so on.
Then the book starts to focus on the marketing of the movies and the ancillary enterprises: websites, merchandising, home media releases, videogames, etc. This is all still pretty fascinating as it gives another dimension to the now well-known story of how the films got made (well-known to fans, anyway). Finally it spends about 80 pages looking at how the trilogy changed the movie industry, and how it boosted New Zealand's economy and global image.
I have to say I find economics and business-related things incredibly boring, so I did skip over some sections (such as the 5 or 6 pages on finding international distributors for the movies). But mostly this book spoke to, educated and entertained the LOTR fan and the filmmaking geek in me.
If you're one of those LOTR nuts who has watched the extended edition documentaries back to back, several times, then this book might feed your need for more behind the scenes info. It also serves as a great text on the movie business in general, kind of a case-study on the workings of modern blockbuster franchises, from the very first dollar to the billionth. I'd love to see this book updated once the Hobbit trilogy is finished.
The first third of the book focused on the early period where Jackson and co struggled to get the movies financed; then the pre-production and production periods when the filmmakers were doing their thing, and the fans and the media were going crazy with speculation. There are chunks of making-of type passages here and there, but it's more of an analysis than a narrative. Lots of quotes from articles, and so on.
Then the book starts to focus on the marketing of the movies and the ancillary enterprises: websites, merchandising, home media releases, videogames, etc. This is all still pretty fascinating as it gives another dimension to the now well-known story of how the films got made (well-known to fans, anyway). Finally it spends about 80 pages looking at how the trilogy changed the movie industry, and how it boosted New Zealand's economy and global image.
I have to say I find economics and business-related things incredibly boring, so I did skip over some sections (such as the 5 or 6 pages on finding international distributors for the movies). But mostly this book spoke to, educated and entertained the LOTR fan and the filmmaking geek in me.
If you're one of those LOTR nuts who has watched the extended edition documentaries back to back, several times, then this book might feed your need for more behind the scenes info. It also serves as a great text on the movie business in general, kind of a case-study on the workings of modern blockbuster franchises, from the very first dollar to the billionth. I'd love to see this book updated once the Hobbit trilogy is finished.
March 2, 2014
Thompson has collected an impressive amount of hard data in her LOTR-franchise research, but ultimately remains too blinkered by her own obvious love for the films and the people who made them.
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September 16, 2017a behind-the-scenes account of the production of the LOTR films, that is nearly as protracted as the trilogy's conclusion and as lovingly detailed as the props and design of the series. Reading this book is a good way to recapture the climate of enthusiasm during the films' releases.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews