20 Behind the Scenes LOTR Photos of the Trip to Mordor

Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor

Aug 13, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

Let's not beat around the bush, we have all at one time or another imagined what it might have been like to join the Hobbits on their intrepid trip to Mordor. To battle the Orcs, team up with the Elves and fight alongside the Dwarves. And while that dream might be a bit out of reach considering the fantasy nature of the whole story, we have been lucky enough to find on the internet a treasure trove of behind the scenes moments from that eponymous journey to return the ring.

So put on your favorite Lord of the Rings costume and if you work the angles just right you might be able to photograph yourself into some iconic moments straight from the behind the scenes of Lord of the Rings. And if not, just enjoy a cool collection of rarely seen shots from the making of the movie, that's fine too.

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POV: what me and the gang look like after a weekend at Coachella, having not bathed even once and being exposed to the dry desert elements for almost a whole week. But in all seriousness how cool is this, the makeup alone must have taken hours.
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We believe they call this a gaggle of Gandalf's. Otherwise, known as Gandalf (pictured center) posing with his stunt crew. Though one has to wonder how and why they employed an absolutely ginormous Gandalf. Maybe he stood in for shots that made Gandalf look much taller than the other Hobbits.
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