No Galadriel, No Epic: Jackson Had Very Different Plans for 'The Lord of the Rings' Legendary Prologue
And fans of the books might have actually liked that approach.
"The world has changed. I feel it in the water..." — we all hear Galadriel’s voice the moment we read that line, instantly recalling the majestic prologue of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Seven minutes of pure exposition, crafted literally at the last minute before filming began.
Book vs Film: Two Different Beginnings
Tolkien’s epic starts quietly — in the peaceful Shire on Bilbo’s birthday. Wars, Rings, and the Last Alliance are only detailed in Appendix B. Jackson knew this: film isn’t a book. The audience won’t flip pages for context. They need to understand immediately what the Ring is, where the evil comes from, and why everyone must hurry to Mordor.
New Line Studios insisted: without a powerful introduction, viewers would get lost. Jackson initially resisted — believing it could all be shown through dialogue. Even Ian McKellen, our Gandalf, was against it. But the studio stood firm — and rightly so. Otherwise, the movie would start straight with Gandalf arriving in the Shire, with no hint of the ancient dramas of the Second Age.
Two Minutes or Seven?
This is where backstage magic happens. New Line wanted just two minutes for the entire historical overview: Sauron, the Rings of Power, the Last Alliance… Jackson realised it wouldn’t work. He squeezed it as much as possible and still delivered seven minutes. It was the last piece edited into The Fellowship of the Ring — it could have been cut right up to the final stages. Ironically, the studio insisted it stay. Today, it’s hard to imagine The Lord of the Rings without that very opening.
The Ring — The Hero of the Prologue
Jackson’s genius was filming the prologue as a mini-movie. The Ring isn’t just a MacGuffin; it’s the main character. The prologue unfolds in three acts: the Ring’s creation, its loss, and its return to the world via Sméagol. There’s even a twist — the Ring is found by a hobbit immune to its power. The audience is hooked, ready to relax and celebrate Bilbo’s birthday in the Shire.
What Could Have Been Different?
Alternative versions were discussed. For example, the battle between Gil-galad and Sauron could have been shown in more detail — in the film it lasts mere seconds. Anarion, Isildur’s brother, was cut entirely. Most notably, the voiceover could have been Gandalf or even Frodo. But Jackson decided: no one sounds as eternal as Galadriel. Her voice seems to echo through the ages.
And that was the right call — compare it to the alternative from The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age game, where Gandalf reads the same speech. The atmosphere is different — and not quite right. What would we have lost?
Without That Prologue, Middle-earth Would Feel Less Rich
If Jackson had cut or trimmed that prologue to just a vague two minutes, Middle-earth would seem poorer. The scale would be missing, and the ancient breath of the story would be lost. Today, that scene stands as a masterclass in drawing the viewer into the world. It’s a tiny bridge between the Second Age and the idyllic Shire.
So thank you, Peter Jackson. Thank you for making the start of The Lord of the Rings great at the last minute — just as we all remember it, whenever we hear: "The world has changed…"
