Although Gandalf and Saruman both engaged in close-combat wizard duels, most of the action scenes were actually performed by stunt doubles.
Ian McKellen and Christopher Lee only needed to step in for close-up shots to showcase their weathered faces.
After all, the combined age of these two elderly gentlemen exceeded 120 years, and Gilbert certainly wouldn't risk their physical well-being.
Even so, Ian McKellen had gone through extensive horseback riding and swordsmanship training beforehand, which left him utterly exhausted.
While filming their fight scene, Ian McKellen complained to Gilbert, "I originally thought that after all my training, I would be performing most of the action myself. But in the end, I'm just striking poses in front of the camera."
Gilbert chuckled and replied, "Gandalf, the training was to help you present a better performance on screen. You're a treasure of the crew—we can't afford to let you get hurt."
Injuries were a common occurrence on set. Even Anne Hathaway had an accident during a horseback riding scene, suffering a fall that required a week of recovery.
Orlando Bloom also got hurt during a fight scene when a mistimed move resulted in a blow to his brow bone, leaving him with a visible wound.
For Orlando Bloom, who played the role of a heartthrob, this was quite a significant setback. Fortunately, he healed quickly.
As for Legolas, the role itself was designed to showcase his cool demeanor, so most of his action choreography was centered around making him look stylish and impressive.
In terms of acting, Orlando Bloom was fairly expressionless—not much better than the typical pretty-boy actors of later years.
However, one thing the production team did well was never forcing Orlando Bloom to act beyond his capabilities.
Instead, they played to his strengths, ensuring that his primary responsibility was simply to look cool.
In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, most of the major action sequences were concentrated in the latter half of the film—especially the battle scenes within the Mines of Moria, which were primarily shot in the studio.
In fact, aside from the first film, a substantial portion of the footage for the second and third movies was filmed in the studio as well.
Since all three films were shot simultaneously, the production schedule was structured to capture as many major scene sequences as possible at once.
Another interesting aspect of the film was that all full-body shots of the four Hobbits were performed by four dwarf actors.
To maintain continuity, the props department created hyper-realistic headpiece models of Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin.
These headpieces were so lifelike that, if someone stumbled upon them at night, they might easily get spooked.
One time, Anne Hathaway decided to play a prank. She put on one of these Hobbit headpieces and hid in a dark corner of the set, waiting for Gilbert to pass by.
The moment he did, she suddenly jumped out and yelled, "Hey! You can't pass unless you leave something behind!"
Gilbert was startled by the unexpected sight. "Whoa! Oh my God, Arwen, why are you wearing Frodo's head?"
"Hahaha!" Anne Hathaway tried to take off the headpiece but found that she couldn't remove it.
She laughed and said, "I saw this prop and thought it looked fun, so I decided to try it on. Well? Did I scare you?"
Gilbert clutched his chest. "You definitely gave me a fright. But… are you sure you can get that thing off?"
Anne Hathaway tugged at the headpiece for a while but couldn't loosen it. Now she started to panic. "This thing is way too tight! I can't get it off—what do I do?"
Gilbert burst into laughter. "That's what you get for trying to scare me! You've been punished!"
Despite teasing her, Gilbert quickly called over the props master to help Anne Hathaway remove the headpiece.
Once freed, Anne Hathaway took deep breaths of fresh air and clutched her chest. "Ugh, I was nearly suffocated by the smell inside that thing. Never again!"
Gilbert reached out and playfully patted her on the head, warning her, "Next time, be careful. What if you put it on and really couldn't take it off?"
Anne Hathaway smiled sweetly. "Well, you're here, aren't you? I trust you wouldn't let anything bad happen to me."
Gilbert rolled his eyes. "There are so many people on this set that I have to manage—I can't always be looking out for you. You need to take care of yourself."
"Got it, Mr. Director," Anne Hathaway responded in a playful, sugary voice. With her delicate features, it was hard for anyone to stay mad at her.
Gilbert was no exception. He merely offered a few words of caution before letting the matter slide and returning to the set.
Anne Hathaway linked her arm around Gilbert's as she followed him back.
She never forgot her agent's advice—to always present her best side to Gilbert and ensure that he paid attention to her.
Her agent's exact words were: "Gilbert has been in the industry for years. He's seen every trick in the book. But Jacqueline, you need to understand—winning Gilbert over is important.
You don't necessarily need to become the next Naomi Watts, but Gilbert will make countless films in the future, and he'll need actresses for all sorts of roles.
If you can make sure he thinks of you when the time comes, you'll have hit the jackpot."
So Anne Hathaway kept the agent's advice in mind. She maintained her beauty and started speaking in a softer, more delicate tone—an unconscious habit.
Fortunately, she acted normally during performances without that delicate voice; otherwise, Gilbert would have scolded her.
But privately, Gilbert actually enjoyed Anne Hathaway's way of speaking. And aside from her slightly large lips, her beauty was indeed remarkable.
Of course, Gilbert was not a womanizer, always thinking about sleeping with every woman he encountered.
If he were that kind of man, he would have already taken Xu Qing to bed the moment she hinted at it a few times.
After all, he wouldn't have to take responsibility, and she might even enjoy it—so why not?
But in reality, Gilbert ignored Xu Qing's hints and never did anything beyond the scope of work.
The same applied to Anne Hathaway. To Gilbert, Anne Hathaway was just a young fan of his, who happened to be one of his film's leading actresses.
Beyond that, there was nothing else.
Of course, whether Anne Hathaway thought the same way was another matter.
Compared to the reserved Xu Qing, Anne Hathaway, despite being only seventeen, was much bolder in her actions.
One time, during the lunch break on set, Gilbert went back to his resting area for a nap.
Anne Hathaway seized the opportunity while Gilbert was half-asleep and directly snuck in to surprise him.
However, before she could do anything, Gilbert's assistant, Anna, walked in, forcing Anne Hathaway to flee quickly.
Anna didn't report Anne Hathaway's actions to Gilbert.
As a result, when Gilbert showed up on set that afternoon, he had Anne Hathaway's lipstick mark on his forehead, causing everyone to look at him with strange expressions.
It was only then that Gilbert realized he had been kissed while he was asleep.
He quickly identified the culprit—Anne Hathaway. It couldn't have been Orlando Bloom, after all.
During the shoot, Gilbert stared at Anne Hathaway, closely watching her performance, making her nervous.
After this small act of revenge, Gilbert finally let it go.
But Anne Hathaway didn't seem to learn her lesson.
Or perhaps she treated these playful interactions as a unique kind of flirtation between herself and Gilbert, taking pride in it.
One had to admit that Hollywood actresses were far less reserved in these matters compared to those in the Chinese entertainment industry.
Anne Hathaway seemed to want to replicate the success of her predecessors and find a way to move into the Chateau Melon estate.
However, Scarlett Johansson, who had come to China for a visit, noticed Anne Hathaway's little tricks.
She immediately reported them to Naomi Watts and Cameron Diaz, while also sticking closely to Gilbert, not giving Anne Hathaway any opportunities.
Young girls mature quickly. Scarlett Johansson, growing up in a single-parent household, lacked a father figure.
As she grew up, Gilbert naturally became an important figure in her life, filling that paternal role.
But as time passed, this fatherly dependence gradually transformed into something deeper, making Gilbert an irreplaceable presence in Scarlett's heart.
Scarlett didn't feel threatened by the older women around Gilbert, but Anne Hathaway, who was closer to her age, did make her feel a sense of crisis.
Because of this, Gilbert sternly warned Scarlett: "Scarlett, you're still young. You don't understand what real love is. You need time to grow. Don't mix these feelings with romantic ones."
Scarlett was unconvinced. "Then why is Anne Hathaway allowed to do it? She even kissed you—I saw it with my own eyes."
Gilbert sighed. Teenage girls could be truly troublesome.
He gave Scarlett a hug and said, "Scarlett, I've watched you grow up. In my heart, you're like a younger sister—an important person that no one can replace."
"Younger sister?" Scarlett was clearly dissatisfied. She didn't want to be just a sister!
Feeling Gilbert's warmth, Scarlett's mind quickly began working, planning her next move.
On the other hand, Anne Hathaway found herself with fewer opportunities to be alone with Gilbert because Scarlett was constantly watching her.
This frustrated Anne Hathaway—she had been so close!
She needed to find a way to take their relationship a step further. There wouldn't be a better chance than this, she thought.
Emotionally, Scarlett undoubtedly had deeper feelings for Gilbert.
Anne Hathaway, on the other hand, was more drawn to the status and power Gilbert could provide.
Of course, Gilbert was also handsome. If she had to give herself to someone, it was much better to choose him over some old man.
So Anne Hathaway didn't feel conflicted about it.
She was beautiful, and Hollywood's powerful men would inevitably take an interest in her.
So why not choose a handsome one?
She had also heard that Gilbert was a selfish man who didn't like to share, unlike some of the Hollywood elites with peculiar tastes.
That meant she only needed to please Gilbert alone to get what she wanted.
Plus, the Landrani family was famous in Hollywood for being exceptionally gifted in certain areas, so it would be enjoyable for her too—why not?
The thoughts of these two young girls intertwined in complex ways.
Gilbert might not have fully understood them, but their actions made it clear that there was some subtle rivalry between them.
However, it was mostly Scarlett targeting Anne Hathaway.
Perhaps knowing Scarlett's special relationship with Gilbert, Anne Hathaway refrained from fighting back, afraid of upsetting Gilbert.
But before Scarlett could make her next move, Gilbert sent her back home.
Her recent actions had been getting too risky, and Gilbert was worried that something would happen.
If she wanted to do anything, she would at least have to wait until she turned eighteen.
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