Gandalf shatters Saruman's staff, robbing him of his power. Gandalf opposes Gimli's call to kill Saruman, saying that the wizard has no power anymore and will pose no further threat. They find Treebeard at the tower of Orthanc in the center of Isengard, where Saruman (Christopher Lee) has been trapped. Away in the west, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Théoden (Bernard Hill), and Éomer (Karl Urban) ride through the forest of Fangorn to Isengard, where they meet Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) feasting among the wreckage. Gollum arrives and urges them to move on. The days are growing darker the closer they get to Minas Morgul and Mordor. Sam awakes and sees that his master has not slept. In the present, on the outskirts of Mordor, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) are resting in an alcove. He dwindles into a hunched, furtive, slinking creature known by the unpleasant noise he makes in his throat - "Gollum." He takes solitary refuge in caves beneath the mountains, where under the influence of the Ring he lives to a very great age. Suffering terribly from loneliness and shame, Sméagol takes solace in his love for the Ring, which slowly tortures his mind. Sméagol is ostracized from his community and driven away. The squabble turns into a fight Sméagol strangles his friend with his bare hands and pries the Ring from Déagol's clenched fist. Sméagol demands the Ring, saying that it's his birthday and it should be his present. Sméagol sees him fondling it and as they both succumb to the Ring's power they begin to quarrel. He collects it and climbs out of the water. Déagol is dragged into the river by a powerful catch and discovers the One Ring glinting in the river bed. In the opening scene, a flashback, two hobbits, Sméagol (Andy Serkis) and his friend Déagol (Thomas Robins), are fishing the River Anduin near the Gladden Fields in the North of Middle Earth.
It premiered on 1 December 2003 at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington and was theatrically released on 17 December 2003 in the United States and on 18 December 2003 in New Zealand. It was preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.Ĭontinuing the plot of The Two Towers, Frodo, Sam and Gollum are making their final way toward Mount Doom in Mordor in order to destroy the One Ring, unaware of Gollum's true intentions, while Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the rest are joining forces together against Sauron and his legions in Minas Tirith. The film features an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Karl Urban, John Noble, Andy Serkis, Ian Holm, and Sean Bean. Osborne, Jackson and Fran Walsh, and written by Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Jackson. The film is the final instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and was produced by Barrie M. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson, based on the third volume of J.