The film was shot in the same locations as the first part of the trilogy in New Zealand, with many scenes taking place in mountains, parks, and showcasing the country's stunning natural landscapes. Mountains, rivers, and lakes were used for filming. Since New Zealand has very diverse natural scenery, it was possible to capture all the countries and locations of Middle-earth here.

Filming Locations:

Lowlands

In the Movie

Scene where Frodo, Sam, and Gollum stop for a rest after a long journey. Gollum catches rabbits, and Sam plans to stew them. But at that moment, they hear sounds from an approaching army; they carefully creep to the cliff and see the men of Harad.

In Reality

The scene was filmed on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, located on the South Island of New Zealand. Although the area looks quite wild on screen, there is actually a walking trail along the lake, so you can comfortably reach the filming location.

Battle with the Wargs

In the Movie

Scene where a warg pack attacks the column heading to Helm's Deep, aiming to take them by surprise and gain an advantage. But Legolas spots them and manages to form a company led by Théoden. At the end of the battle, Aragorn, unable to free himself from the warg's saddle, falls with it off a cliff.

In Reality

The scene was filmed on a small cliff near the towns of Queenstown and Frankton, so close that both towns are clearly visible from the cliff. The cliff is quite small, with a drop of about one and a half meters, so the cameraman had to find a suitable angle to make the cliff seem larger and hide the settlements below.

Road to Helm's Deep

In the Movie

Scene where the people of Edoras march in a long column to the fortress at Helm's Deep, accompanied by many elderly and children, so the column moves quite slowly. At the head of the column are Aragorn, Gimli, and Éowyn, as well as her father, the King of Rohan.

In Reality

The scene was filmed near a mountain lake located not far from Queenstown. From here, there is a magnificent view of the mountains, as well as a large amount of dry vegetation on dark rocks, and the lake water is quite dark. All this makes the view oppressive and sadly beautiful, matching the mood of the scene.

Road to Mordor

In the Movie

Scene where Frodo and Sam, after several days of traveling through the mountains, reach a point from which almost all of Mordor is visible, but they do not know the direct path there and still have to wander through the mountains considerably before they find a guide and the road to the mountain.

In Reality

The scene was filmed on the slope of Mount Ruapehu in New Zealand. This is a rocky and lifeless slope that is indeed suitable for filming Mordor. If you look at the rock in the real photos and the frame from the movie, you can notice that we have found the exact filming location.