To a 12-year old, these guys are the scariest thing ever.

With his novel about hobbits, orcs, wizards, elves, and a magic ring, J.R.R. Tolkien single-handedly spawned a whole subsection in every bookstore in the world: fantasy would not have been the same without him; it probably wouldn't even exist. One surefire test of your geekdom is to see how many times you've read the three tomes: I have to confess, I rank pretty high.

Now Peter Jackson, N.Z. director of Bad Taste, Heavenly Creatures, and Brain Dead is filming the entire trilogy as CGI-heavy blockbuster with a star-studded cast. Liv Tyler, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, and Elija Wood as Frodo all are putting on funny ears and a fake-medieval wardrobe. Some of the characters will be digitally reduced to suit their halfling roles. The first film, The Fellowship of the Ring,is scheduled for release on Christmas 2001, with The Two Towers and The Return of the King to follow in 2002 and 2003 respectively.

The risky gambit of making all three movies before the success of the first is secured is not entirely new: Back to the Future II and III were filmed at the same time, as well as the next two Matrix sequels. Clearly, the producers are hoping for a gigantic blockbuster hit that can transcend the ghetto of fantasy geeks and role-playing nerds. One of the major changes to the book, the expansion of one of the female characters (Liv Tyler's role), is clear proof of an attempt to appeal to a larger audience.