Exclusive Q&A w/Script Excerpts: Part II
Matthew Bass

More info from Leo's contact, including stuff about the snowstorm on Caradhras, whether or not the levitating Elves rumor is true, how Fellowship will open, how extensive Farmer Maggot's involvement is, and much more.

Warning!! There are major spoilers below! Read at your own risk!!

1. There was one report I read which seemed to indicate that Saruman would be responsible for the snow on Caradhras. Is there any basis in fact to this rumor?

YES this rumor is completely true. As the Fellowship is climbing up Caradhras, there are a few grumblings, mainly from Gandalf and Gimli, about the mountain's own wrath. A bit later on, as they're still trekking, Saruman is given mention. Legolas (running on top of the snow: I wonder how they shot that?) says (and I quote):

SARUMAN'S VOICE sweeps by in the wind.

LEGOLAS
(urgent)
This is no ordinary storm.
There is a fell voice on the air!

We cut to:

EXT. SUMMIT OF ORTHANC - DAY

SARUMAN standing on the uppermost BATTLEMENTS, his
STAFF raised above his head . . . his eyes are closed as he
CHANTS at the MOUNTAINS in a STRANGE TONGUE.

We see/hear Saruman's voice sweep past the terrified Fellowship. Then: AVALANCHE! it's sooooo cool! The "tall guys" have to throw themselves over the hobbits, then mountains of snow just collapse all around them. Bloody incredible.

2. Since Bombadil is cut, how do the hobbits get their swords?  My old source said that they were provided by Aragorn in some manner.

Aragorn gives them each a small sword before they depart from the Prancing Pony. He says "Here, strap these on."

3. What is Farmer Maggot's involvement in the films?

Frodo and Sam are walking in a field (we've seen spoiler photos of this) and then Merry and Pippin come running by, arms full of vegetables. Farmer Maggot yells: (quote) Come back here! I'll skin you alive!

Here's one of my favorite parts of the script:

MERRY
(looking behind him)
I don't know why he's so upset, it's
only a few carrots.

PIPPIN
And those three bags of cabbages what
we lifted last week.

MERRY
My point is, he's over reacting.

That sums up Farmer Maggot's involvement. The Hobbits depart for Bree alone, and without any of his aid whatsoever.

4. In one of the E! On-set reports, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan (Merry and Pippin) described a scene in which there we thieving from Farmer Maggot's fields. I was told this was their introduction scene. True? False? Details?

No, in my script we first meet M & P at Bilbo's party. They really are the comic relief duo in this film. They sneak to the cart of Gandalf's fireworks and light the huge red dragon one. Funny stuff.

This comes AFTER the party. HOWEVER: the script may be different from the film. Already I've noticed one difference: in the script it goes

STRIDER
You're scared?

FRODO
Yes.

STRIDER
Not scared enough.

But in the trailer it's "Frightened" not "scared." Therefore the quotes and even the sequence of the scenes should be taken w/ a grain of salt. Maybe PJ will cut it with the vegetable theft coming BEFORE the party. Who can say?

5. How many large battles are there in FotR? I mean, I'm talking about armies...

The biggest battle is the Last Alliance. This is not shown in a full out battle scene but is viewed in flashbacks several times in the film (I believe four or five). The script provides no real descriptions of the battle besides the obvious (Isildur cuts the ring, Elendil dies, Gil-galad dies, not in that order but you know...). There are enough cuts to these flashbacks that I think the epic size of the battle will be realized.

Then there's the Uruk-Hai armada descending upon the Fellowship. That's scary stuff, but it also allows us to see how could our taller heroes are at what they do. It should be a pretty incredible three-against-one-hundred type of thing. A smaller, similar skirmish involves the Fellowship being chased into Lorien by Moria Orcs. See the next answer for more.

6. How are the Lothlorien elves handled? As per the book?

Just as the weary fellowship is about to turn and fight, the air is full of arrows from Lorien archers. Pretty incredible stuff. (Oh and there are no magical levitations involved in getting the hobbits up in the trees: the Lorien elves reach down and snatch them up). The elf that picks up Frodo is Haldir. After the Moria Orcs are killed, the Fellowship meets with Haldir and the elves. This is a funny scene, and involves GORGEOUS Elvish:

HALDIR
Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion.
(Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil)

LEGOLAS
Govannas vin gwennen le, Haldir o
Lorien.
(Our Fellowship stands in your debt,
Haldir of Lorien)

HALDIR
A Aragorn in Dunedain - istannen le
ammen.
(And Aragorn of the Dunedain - you are
known to us)

GIMLI
(heavy sarcasm)
Ah, the fabled courtesy of the Elves -
speak in words that all can
understand.

HALDIR eyes GIMLI warily.

HALDIR (cont'd)
And what is this? We have not had
dealings with the Dwarves since the
Dark Days.

GIMLI
You know what this Dwarf says to that -
(DWARVISH unsubtitled)
Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!

ANGLE ON: ARAGORN pulling GIMLI to one side.

ARAGORN
(undertone)
That was not so courteous.

I like that scene. The descriptions of Lorien physically go just by the book: even the interior of the palace goes as written by Tolkien. In general, Galadriel is beautifully written. It is her voice over that starts the film (she speaks Treebeard's words, though).

7. Another good question would concern how the film opens.

It begins with an Elvish speech voice over by Galadriel with subtitles. They are lines spoken by Treebeard in the book. She says (translated):

The world is changing: I can feel it in the water, I can feel it in the earth...I can smell it in the air. Much that one was - is lost...for none live now who remember it.

The screen changes to a map of Middle-Earth focused on Lothlorien, it pans up to Hobbiton. Then the title is supered on the screen; THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Gah...!!! Dec. 19 is so FAR!

Then we cut to Bilbo writing in his diary "concerning hobbits." Cute.