Director Peter Jackson says he contemplated undergoing hypnosis to forget his Lord of the Rings trilogy. Jackson is known worldwide for adapting the epic fantasy works of author J.R.R. Tolkien, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In an unprecedented move, the director had the entire trilogy greenlit before cameras ever rolled, allowing all three films to be shot back to back. The films were released each December from 2001 to 2003, bringing Tolkien's vision to the big screen and earning almost $3 billion in box office returns. The third installment, The Return of the King, also tied the record for most Oscars won for a single film with 11, which included Jackson taking home Best Director.
The Lord of the Rings also features a star-studded cast, many of which found stardom through the trilogy. Among the lengthy list of actors is Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis, and Christopher Lee. With the budget to bring the world of Middle-earth to life, a talented cast, and Jackson at the helm, The Lord of the Rings films redefined fantasy epics and introduced hordes of new fans to Tolkein's work. However, Jackson felt as though he missed out on one key aspect of the films.
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Jackson stated that he felt unlucky because he couldn't experience The Lord of the Rings films as a fan like everyone else. Jackson loves the LOTR source material but felt the years he spent working on the trilogy took away from his ability to experience the movies for the first time with fresh eyes like most fans. The director even admits to contemplating drastic measures, having seriously considered being hypnotized to forget his time working on the movies so he could "sit and enjoy them." Check out Jackson's comments about contemplating hypnosis below:
"When we did The Lord of the Rings movies, I always felt I was the unlucky person who never got to see as a coming-out-of-the-blue film. By the time there were screenings, I was immersed in it for five or six years. It was such a loss for me not to be able to see them like everyone else. I actually did seriously consider going to some hypnotherapy guy to hypnotize me to make me forget about the films and the work I had done over the last six or seven years so I could sit and enjoy them. I didn’t follow through with it, but I did talk to [British mentalist] Derren Brown about that, and he thought he could do it."
While Tolkien had a loyal fanbase long before Jackson brought his books to life, the director's Lord of the Rings trilogy extrapolated that too lofty new heights. Fans all around the world praise what Jackson was capable of accomplishing, making it slightly depressing that the man who brought joy to so many wishes he could experience that same joy. However, the true mark of a fan in the creative space is bringing loved material to life in an authentic and respectful way so that others can enjoy it with a similar passion.
Amazon Prime's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set to debut on the streaming service in less than a month. Jackson, who had no involvement in Rings of Power, has stated he is excited to see it, which he can do the same as any other fan. So while Jackson may wish he could watch his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy with fresh eyes, hopefully, The Rings of Power can help ease the director's woes when it premieres on September 2.