The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a film released on December 19, 2001, directed by Peter Jackson. It is the first part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy of films. The film tells the adventures of the members of the "Fellowship of the Ring" that are contained in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings. The final scene is actually taken from the first chapter of the second volume, The Two Towers. The screenplay was written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson. It was produced as the first of three films based on the novels, filmed simultaneously on location in New Zealand. It had a budget of $180 million U.S. dollars, principal photography took 14 months, and post production continued long after that.