<P> The first film has around 540 effect shots, the second 799, and the third 1,488 (2,730 in total). The total increases to 3,420 with the extended editions . 260 visual effect artists began work on the series, and the number doubled by The Two Towers . The crew, led by Jim Rygiel and Randy Cook, worked long hours, often overnight, to produce special effects within a short space of time . Jackson's active imagination was a driving force . For example, several major shots of Helm's Deep were produced within the last six weeks of post-production of The Two Towers, and the same happened again within the last six weeks on The Return of the King . </P> <P> The trilogy's online promotional trailer was first released on 27 April 2000, and set a new record for download hits, registering 1.7 million hits in the first 24 hours of its release . The trailer used a selection from the soundtrack for Braveheart and The Shawshank Redemption among other cuts . In 2001, 24 minutes of footage from the series, primarily the Moria sequence, was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, and was very well received . The showing also included an area designed to look like Middle - earth . </P> <P> The Fellowship of the Ring was released 19 December 2001 . It grossed $47 million in its U.S. opening weekend and made around $871 million worldwide . A preview of The Two Towers was inserted just before the end credits near the end of the film's theatrical run . A promotional trailer was later released, containing music re-scored from the film Requiem for a Dream . The Two Towers was released 18 December 2002 . It grossed $62 million in its first U.S. weekend and out - grossed its predecessor with $926 million worldwide . The promotional trailer for The Return of the King was debuted exclusively before the New Line Cinema film Secondhand Lions on 23 September 2003 . Released 17 December 2003, its first U.S. weekend gross was $72 million, and became the second film (after Titanic) to gross over $1 billion worldwide . </P> <P> The first two films were released on standard two - disc edition DVDs containing previews of the next film . The success of the theatrical cuts brought about four - disc Extended Editions, with new editing, added special effects and music . The extended cuts of the films and the included special features were spread over two discs, and a limited collector's edition was also released . The Fellowship of the Ring was released on 12 November 2002, containing 30 minutes more footage, an Alan Lee painting of the Fellowship entering Moria, and the Moria Gate on the back of the sleeve; an Argonath - styled bookend was included with the Collector's Edition . The Two Towers, released on 18 November 2003, contained 44 minutes extra footage and a Lee painting of Gandalf the White's entrance; the Collector's Edition contained a Sméagol statue, with a crueller - looking statue of his Gollum persona available by order for a limited time . </P>

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