Rings' Team Celebrates
Meaghan Miller

Toasting the one-year milestone with a glass of Gibbston Valley pinot noir, producer Barrie Osbourne said celebrations would be left to the weekend as there was still work to be done.

"We're going to have a special meal on-set on Friday," he said.

He could not recall celebrating a year filming anniversary since producing Apocalypse Now.

Jackson's trilogy of the Tolkien novel was set to break a lot more records yet.

"Sure we are making three movies, but we have used more of everything, more sets, than any other movie made," Osbourne said.

Principal filming was scheduled for completion at the end of the year. The first of the trilogy would be released at Christmas 2001, part two would screen in 2002 and the third and final movie was scheduled for release in 2003.

Members of the cast and crew at Queenstown would continue filming in the area until the end of the month.

Cast and crew had to deal with an unscheduled scenery change on Wednesday.

While filming scenes at Deer Park Heights, above Kelvin Heights, it began to snow.

"We got snowed and rained out at Deer Park Heights," Osbourne said.

Further snow was forecast in Queenstown down to 400m, but Osbourne said it would not interfere with filming.

"If it looks good, we take advantage of it," he said.