20 years ago,Lord of the Ringsactor John Rhys-Davies made three predictions about the future of the trilogy, and all of them actually came true. From 2001 to 2003,The Lord of the Ringsmoviesdominated screens around the world as Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy adaptation revolutionized an entire franchisebased on J.R.R. Tolkien’s original works.
The films elevated the careers of many of its starring actors, including Elijah Wood, and they have since left a mark on cinema. However, in an interview atThe Lord of the Rings: Two Towers’Hollywood premierein 2002,John Rhys-Davies actually predicted all of this, and much more. Check out his fullLord of the Ringsprediction below:
Three prophecies I made the second week being there:
John Rhys-Davies isbest known for playing Gimli in theLord of the Ringsmovies, the stubborn dwarf character of the fellowship, and has appeared in all three films. As a result, it appeared that the actor knew exactly what would come to pass from hisLord of the Ringsrole, asall three of Rhys-Davies’ predictions actually came true.
Lord Of The Rings Was Bigger Than Star Wars (From A Certain Point Of View)
Box Office Figures Show LOTR Earned More Than Star Wars
Rhys-Davies sayingLord of the Ringswas going to be bigger thanStar Warsin 2002 was a bold claim.Star Warsalready had a massive fanbase as the original trilogy was released in the 1970s and 1980s, and it was gearing up for a modern resurgence following the release of 1999’s prequel,Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
$775,398,007
$549,001,086
$482,365,284
$1,806,764,377
$1,046,513,456
$656,695,615
$902,891,983
Total
$2,606,101,054
However, whileStar Warshas an impressive legacy, Rhys-Davies' prediction was correct, as thebox office figures showLord of the RingsbeatStar Warsin 2002.Episode II - Attack of the Clones was releasedin May andgrossed $656.7 million worldwide. Meanwhile,The Two Towersreleased in December, and grossed $921.7 million worldwide, earning nearly $270 million more.
Furthermore,theLord of the Ringstrilogy altogether earned an impressive $2.94 billion at the box office worldwide,while the originalStar Warstrilogy only earned $1.8 billion. Cultural changes in cinema and inflation are a factor to consider. However, evenStar Wars’prequel trilogy only earned $2.6 billion.
$894,291,662
$921,711,177
Return of the King(2003)
$1,123,837,908
$2,939,840,747
As a result, when you examineStar WarsandLord of the Rings’box office grosses, the latter franchise actually earned considerably more. This means Rhys-Davies’ prediction that the trilogy would be bigger thanStar Warscame true. Yet,in terms of cultural impact and overall earnings,Star Warsis the bigger franchiseas it’s more accessible to wider audiences.
Two Lord Of The Rings Films Were The Highest-Grossing Movies
John Rhys-Davies Predicted LOTR’s Commercial Success
The second prediction that Rhys-Davies made was that theLord of the Ringsmovies “were going to be the biggest grossing pictures of the year.” Once again, the Gimli actor was technically correct in his guess, astwo out of three of the films in the Peter Jackson franchise were the highest-grossing movies in the year that they released.
The Two TowersandReturn of the Kingwere the highest-grossing movies of 2002 and 2003.
Unfortunately, according to figures byBox Office Mojo,The Fellowship of the Ringlost out on the number one spot toHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonein 2001, becoming the second-highest grossing movie worldwide that year. However, subsequentLord of the Ringsmovies–The Two TowersandReturn of the King– were the highest-grossing movies of 2002 and 2003.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonegrossed $974 million at the box office in 2001.
While it’s disappointing that all threeLord of the Ringsmovies didn’t reach that box office milestone, it makes sense.Harry Potterwas a much more modern franchise which had a very successful run of booksthrough the late 1990s and early 2000s, and they appealed to a much broader demographic, whileLord of the Ringswas an older idea.
However,Lord of the Ringsquickly proved its worth in the year that followed, shooting up to first place asThe Two Towersbecame the highest-grossing movie worldwide in 2002. The films even kept this spot when the third installment released the next year, demonstrating a dedicated viewership, andthus proving John Rhys-Davies was (mostly) correct in his prediction.
20 Years On, The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Is Considered A Masterpiece
Peter Jackson Carved Out A Legacy With Lord Of The Rings
Rhys-Davies’ third prediction about the franchisewas that “in 20 years time, when you look back, you’ll say Lord of the Rings is a masterpiece,” and the actor has never been more right.Since its release,TheLord of the Ringshas proved ever-popular, spawningThe Hobbittrilogy, as well as Prime Video’sThe Rings of PowerTVseries.
Earning an impressive 800 nominations and 475 awards, the movies evidently resounded and became one of the most awarded film series in history.
The fact is thatPeter Jackson’sLord of the Ringsmovies are brilliantly made movies; they have fantastic stories, stunning visuals, and well-developed characters which entice viewers in. Earning an impressive 800 nominations and 475 awards, the movies evidently resounded and became one of the most awarded film series in history.The Two Towersalone were nominated for six Oscars.
While there are obviously some changes to the book, as an adaptation, many considerThe Lord of the Ringsto be a faithful Tolkien-inspired trilogy worth watching. Expertly exploring themes of environmentalism, the battle of good versus evil, greed and innocence, and the strength found in the most ordinary people, there is something for everyone inLord of the Rings.
“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.” - Samwise Gamgee
Now, over 20 years on,The Lord of the Ringstrilogystill holds up today. Not only are the films’ universal themes forever relevant, but the use of good practical effects instead of CGI, and the amount of dedication and passion poured into the movies is inspiring. John Rhys-Davies was right –TheLord of the Ringsis definitely a masterpiece.
