|  | The BBC Birmingham Tolkien pages provide you with the basics of what you need to know about the writer himself and The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers.
JRR Tolkien's second book from the Lord Of The Rings trilogy looks set to be a huge film success
when it opens in December, following on from last year's film The Fellowship of the Ring.
Considered by millions throughout the world to be the greatest adventure ever told, JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy chronicles the epic struggle for possession of the infamous One Ring. If returned to its creator, the Dark Lord Sauron, the Ring will give him the power to enslave the world.
Plot details
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers begins in the hills of Emyn Muil, where lost Hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) discover they are being followed by the mysterious Gollum (Andy Serkis).  | | The lost Hobbits Sam and Frodo |
A mercurial creature who has himself been warped by the Ring, Gollum promises to guide the Hobbits to the Black Gates of Mordor if they will release him. Sam does not trust their new companion, but Frodo takes pity on Gollum, who like himself was once a Ringbearer.
Across Middle-earth Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), the Elf archer Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli the Dwarf (John Rhys-Davies) encounter the besieged Rohan kingdom, whose once great King, Theoden (Bernard Hill), has fallen under Saruman’s deadly spell through the manipulations of his spy, the sinister Wormtongue (Brad Dourif).
Eowyn (Miranda Otto), the niece to the King, recognizes a leader in the Human warrior Aragorn. And though he finds himself drawn to her, Aragorn is constantly reminded of his enduring love for the Elf Arwen (Liv Tyler) and the pact they made together.
 | | Eowyn |
Gandalf (Ian McKellen) has been reborn as Gandalf the White following his cataclysmic fight with the Balrog, and reminds Aragorn of his destiny to unite the Rohan people with the last remaining stronghold of Human resistance - Gondor.
Meanwhile, the captured Hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) have escaped from the Uruk-hai on their own, fleeing into the mysterious Fangorn Forest, where they discover an unexpected ally among the ancient trees – Treebeard, a living, walking tree-shepherd, whose forest Saruman has decimated.
In their parallel journeys, the Fellowship will face unimaginable armies and deception while also witnessing ancient wonders and the untapped strength of their people. Together they must stand against the powerful forces spreading from the Two Towers – Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupted wizard Saruman has bred a lethal army 10,000 strong; and Sauron’s fortress at Barad-dûr, deep within the dark lands of Mordor.  | | JRR Tolkien |
The Author
JRR Tolkien spent a lot of his life in Birmingham, and used many of the city's backdrops as inspiration for his world-famous books.
Find out all about JRR Tolkien and his life and family in Birmingham and what sights around the city inspired the scenery in The Hobbit and the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. For information on JRR Tolkien, click here.
 | | Perrott's Folly |
Perrott's Folly
Perrott's Folly is in Edgbaston in Birmingham and has proved as a great inspiration for JRR Tolkien when he was writing The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers. Standing at 94 feet tall, the Folly is bracing itself for the influx of visitors once the film is released. For information on Perrott's Folly and the restoration work that is being done to it, click here.
 | | Legolas |
The Two Towers cast
Find about some of the characters that make up the main roles in The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers.
There will be a lot of familiar faces in the film, as well as some new faces which will all add to the magic of the movie. Legolas played by Orlando Bloom, is one of many who return in The Two Towers. For information on the cast, click here.
Rohan soldiers, Sam and Frodo, Eowyn and Legolas pictures are courtesy of Entertainment Film Distributors |
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