Short answers, pulled from the story.
Peter Jackson began developing his adaptation of The Lord of the Rings in 1995. He had already studied every failed attempt to bring Tolkien's work to the screen before starting his own project.
Ian McKellen was Peter Jackson's first choice for the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. The production team also considered Patrick Stewart, Morgan Freeman, and Christopher Lee for various roles.
Principal photography for The Lord of the Rings trilogy lasted 438 days from the 11th of October 1999 to the 22nd of December 2000. Pick-up shots continued until 2003.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy won 17 Academy Awards out of 30 nominations. The Return of the King won in every category in which it was nominated at the 76th Academy Awards.
Howard Shore composed, orchestrated, conducted, and produced the music for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The score was primarily played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded in Watford Town Hall.
The anime prequel film The War of the Rohirrim was released in 2024. It was directed by Kenji Kamiyama with Miranda Otto reprising her role from the live-action films.