As Gilbert led the film's cast and crew onto the stage to take a bow, Noel glanced at his watch and realized that three hours had already passed.
He was a little surprised—he had been so immersed in the film that he hadn't even noticed the passage of time.
That proved the movie was completely engrossing. Time had slipped away unnoticed, and not once did he feel bored.
Only now did Noel realize he really needed to use the restroom. But he couldn't bear to leave—there was still an interaction session coming up, and he didn't want to miss it.
Many moviegoers had noticed that The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was longer than the average film. Yet, some felt it still wasn't long enough—they simply hadn't had enough of it.
After the audience had finished chanting for the sequel, The Two Towers, applause started to ripple through the theater.
Then, that applause grew into a thunderous ovation.
Gilbert and the cast took five consecutive bows, and it was only after three or four minutes that the applause finally began to subside.
The key was that this applause wasn't some orchestrated marketing ploy—it was genuine, heartfelt appreciation. The sheer quality of the film had won over every single person in attendance.
Elijah Wood spotted his parents in the crowd. They proudly gave him a thumbs-up, filling him with joy.
Billy Boyd clutched his head and shouted, "My God! I can't believe it—I can't even imagine it. What have we done? What have we just accomplished?"
"We've made an extraordinary movie, Billy," Sir Ian McKellen responded, clearly in high spirits.
Working with Gilbert on The Lord of the Rings had been the best decision of his acting career bar none. Gandalf would forever be one of his most iconic roles—bar none.
Orlando Bloom and Anne Hathaway watched as fans below screamed for them and gushed over their performances. The sheer sense of fulfillment that rose within them was indescribable.
Every actor on that stage realized that The Lord of the Rings—and the two upcoming sequels—would make them the most talked-about stars in Hollywood for the next three years.
In contrast, Gilbert appeared much calmer.
He had already prepared himself mentally. After all, the film had been wildly successful in his previous life. If this adaptation had failed, it would have been entirely his fault.
But judging from the response, the film was an overwhelming success.
Reporters raised their cameras and microphones, eager to step forward for interviews. As planned, the cast and crew still had to interact with the audience and special guests.
However, just as the applause died down, the chant for The Two Towers began once more.
Ridley Scott was completely convinced. Never before had he seen a film end only for the audience to immediately and desperately call for the sequel.
And judging by the quality of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, even Ridley Scott himself was now eagerly anticipating the next installment.
This premiere had begun at 4:00 p.m., with the red carpet event lasting over fifty minutes. The film had officially started at approximately 4:55 p.m.
By the time the credits rolled, it was already close to 8:00 p.m.
Yet, the fans were in no hurry to leave. The post-screening interaction lasted for over an hour before they finally, reluctantly, began to disperse.
If they could, they would have celebrated all night—this was a true festival for movie lovers.
Hutchinson and Noel stepped out of the theater, finding the city illuminated by a sea of lights.
At that moment, they spotted the Lord of the Rings protesters outside, still holding their demonstration.
Since the protest had gone on for so long, many had lost their stamina and left. Only about four hundred people remained, still standing their ground.
As the leader of the protest, Russell was now so hungry that he was feeling lightheaded.
By all logic, the premiere should have ended hours ago. But they had waited outside for over four hours, and yet, not a single person had emerged from the theater.
One of the protesters made a guess: "Russell, do you think the movie was so bad that something happened inside?"
Russell shot him a glare. "Are you an idiot? If something had happened in there, the cops at the entrance would have gone in already."
The protester scratched his head, embarrassed. "Oh, yeah… that makes sense."
After waiting a little longer, what had felt like an eternity to them, the premiere finally ended, and the audience started filing out of the theater.
Russell gave instructions, "Stay sharp! Let's start chanting and protesting!"
"Yes!"
But before the protesters could even begin, the exiting moviegoers were already reacting—negatively.
"F**k you guys, you bunch of dumbasses…"
"How can you protest a movie this good? Do you even have a conscience?"
"I'm gonna report all of you—bunch of sh*theads."
Some particularly riled-up fans even started throwing water bottles at the protesters. A fight was about to break out, but thankfully, the police were still present.
The LAPD, who were being paid to do their job, did it well. They prevented any physical altercations.
"???"
Russell was dumbfounded as he watched the very people he had expected to agree with him turn against him.
Wait, what was happening?
Weren't they supposed to be the ones criticizing the movie? Weren't they supposed to be the ones throwing things in anger?
Why? Why was this happening?
Several media outlets captured the scene, already knowing exactly what angle they would take with their reports.
They would title it: Fans Defend The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Even Clashing with Protesters—The Film's Quality Has Completely Won Over Its Audience.
This premiere was packed with talking points. So much had happened, and there were so many ways to cover it.
This summer's most exciting and explosive film had immediately revealed its extraordinary presence.
Inside the theater, Gilbert was still mingling with the celebrity guests, with Anne Hathaway by his side.
"Gilbert, you've done an incredible job," Ridley Scott praised.
"Thank you,Scott. I appreciate the compliment," Gilbert replied politely.
"No," Ridley Scott shook his head. "I'm not just being polite—I'm speaking the truth.
"Thank God my Gladiator didn't have to compete with this movie. Otherwise, I would've been screwed."
The two exchanged a smile. Gilbert could see that Ridley Scott was speaking sincerely.
After that, Gilbert chatted with Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon.
Leonardo made an exaggerated expression. "Oh my God, Gilbert, I totally regret not fighting for the role of Legolas."
Gilbert laughed. "Leo, if you had wanted to play Legolas, I definitely would have picked you. You wouldn't even have needed to audition."
"Forget it, it's all in the past now," Leonardo shrugged.
Ever since Titanic, Leonardo had lost interest in commercial films unless the script was truly outstanding and could move him. It seemed he was on the path to becoming an Oscar-chasing actor.
Recently, he had been working closely with Martin Scorsese on Gangs of New York, and there was a strong trend of him becoming Scorsese's go-to leading man.
Matt Damon's situation was a bit different. Gilbert asked, "Matt, I heard you took a spy film called The Bourne Identity?"
"Yeah," Matt Damon nodded. "I found the script really interesting. It's different from the usual spy movies, so I decided to take it."
Gilbert patted Matt Damon on the shoulder. "Nice. I have high hopes for The Bourne Identity. Jason Bourne will become an iconic spy character."
After chatting with the two rising Hollywood stars, Gilbert moved on to Tom Cruise and his wife.
"Hey, Tom, Nicole…" Gilbert greeted them with a smile and jokingly said, "I heard from the costume department that we're missing one of the Elven Queen's dresses?"
Nicole Kidman blushed slightly. That dress was just too beautiful, so she had taken it.
But Gilbert didn't dwell on the matter. Instead, he asked Tom Cruise, "Tom, what do you think of the film?"
Tom Cruise was full of praise. "I have to say, Gilbert, this is the best movie I've ever seen. Only you could successfully bring what was considered the hardest book to adapt onto the big screen.
I heard there are still protesters outside, but I think they're going to be very disappointed—the film is going to be a huge success."
Gilbert raised an eyebrow and asked his assistant, Anna, "Are the protesters still there?"
"They are," Anna replied. "Right now, the fans are confronting them, but the police are keeping order, so there hasn't been any violence."
"They've been protesting for so long—they must be hungry by now. We prepared plenty of snacks and refreshments for the premiere. Arrange for someone to bring food to them," Gilbert instructed.
Anna nodded and went to make the arrangements.
Tom Cruise chuckled. "Gilbert, you really are a good guy. I think even the protesters will appreciate your kindness."
Gilbert just smiled. It was a simple gesture—whether they accepted it or not was up to them.
Soon, under Anna's arrangements, the premiere staff brought trays of snacks and drinks to the protesters.
The protesters looked at each other, unsure whether to accept or refuse. Their eyes turned toward their leader, Russell.
Russell wanted to stand firm, but his stomach was growling. Just then, Hutchinson and Noel appeared and shoved a burger into his mouth.
With their leader eating, the rest of the protesters felt less pressured and soon started devouring the food.
After a full day of protesting, they had barely eaten anything apart from some water—they were starving.
Hutchinson and Noel watched the exhausted fans and said to Russell, "Let's call it off."
"Why?" Russell glared at them, confused.
Hutchinson explained, "We watched the movie, Russell. It's not as bad as we feared. In fact, it's amazing."
"Yeah," Noel agreed. "Russell, I think we were wrong. The Lord of the Rings movie deserves respect. The midnight screening is about to start—you can see for yourself."
Russell had a fiery temper, and their words only made him angrier.
He threw his burger to the ground, pointed at them, and shouted, "You've betrayed The Lord of the Rings! You've betrayed Tolkien!
This movie should never have been made. A Lord of the Rings adaptation should never exist!"
"Russell!" As the president of the fan club, Noel had considerable authority. He spoke more sternly. "I'm telling you—this movie is truly fantastic. Don't be so prejudiced."
"Yeah, I was worried Gilbert would ruin the original work," Hutchinson added. "But he didn't. His adaptation is excellent—arguably even better than the book."
Hutchinson emphasized, "This movie has brought our imagination to life."
"I won't stop protesting," Russell insisted, his emotions running high. "As Lord of the Rings fans, we should reject any kind of adaptation!"
The heated argument between the three main protest leaders naturally caught the attention of the surrounding protesters, who were busy eating.
Seeing the situation unfold, Noel raised his voice to address everyone.
"Everyone, I owe you all an apology. I originally believed this movie would ruin The Lord of the Rings, but after watching it with Hutchinson, I realized it doesn't.
Instead, the film highlights the extraordinary charm of The Lord of the Rings.
Hutchinson and I will officially withdraw from the protest. I'm sorry."
With that, Noel and Hutchinson left the protest group and headed to buy tickets for the midnight screening. However, they quickly discovered that every midnight show at nearby theaters was completely sold out.
Not a single ticket remained—not even for bad seats.
The remaining protesters looked at one another in confusion.
Noel and Hutchinson were the biggest organizers of the protests across North America. With both of them backing out, many protesters began feeling lost.
"Maybe the movie really is good?" one fan murmured.
"Yeah, why don't we go watch it? If it's bad, we can still come back and protest."
"Let's go—we'll check out the midnight screening!"
As one protester left, more and more followed.
Russell's face darkened. A protester asked him, "Russell, what should we do now?"
"Hmph, I won't give up. We continue protesting," Russell said.
"But is there any point in continuing? Our group is falling apart," the protester replied.
"I've made it clear—I'll keep protesting," Russell said, though even he felt unsure.
Was there any point in continuing now that the protest was collapsing? He didn't know.
At this moment, he was like a stubborn crusader clinging to an outdated belief.
As the protesters, onlookers, and media gradually dispersed, the premiere concluded.
Fans across the country had long been prepared.
In major cities, tickets were completely sold out. Even theaters in more remote areas were nearly full.
Chicago was an interesting case. Usually, the "City of Crime" had poor safety at night. But tonight, the streets were eerily quiet—no gangs, no troublemakers.
The reason? All the gangsters had gone to watch Gilbert's movie.
If Gilbert's film could even captivate the unruly gangs, it was clearly something special.
At New York's St. Carlo Cinema, near Times Square, the place was packed. The lobby was overflowing with fans.
"I need two tickets!"
"I need three—seats together!"
Excited moviegoers crowded the ticket counters, urging the cashiers to hurry.
The cinema manager, witnessing this frenzy, was thrilled.
Every year, Gilbert's movies were a major source of revenue for theaters. This year was no exception.
Meanwhile, in nearby stores, shelves were stacked high with Lord of the Rings merchandise, waiting for eager fans to grab them.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was set to be both a box office and merchandise sensation.
...
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