Blanchett puts on New Line's 'Rings'
Thesp joins cast of Wood, Tyler, Holm
Blanchett, who will play Galadriel, elf queen of Lorien, joins cast members Elijah Wood, Liv Tyler, Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee and John Rhys-Davies.
New Line maintains the shoot will break new ground with three features lensing at one time in an integrated fashion. Budget is said to be at least $130 million.
Pics are based on J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel trilogy. Houghton Mifflin is publishing a new paperback edition to coincide with the start of shooting, and a limited-edition boxed set of hard-cover tomes also is due.
Helmer is Peter Jackson ("Heavenly Creatures," "The Frighteners"), who will also co-write, along with Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Stephen Sinclair.
Jackson will co-produce along with Barrie M. Osborne and Tim Sanders. Exec producers are Saul Zaentz and Miramax co-chairs Bob and Harvey Weinstein.
In a statement, New Line topper Michael De Luca praised Tolkien's story and said the project "is proving to be a wonderful adventure in its own right. Like Frodo, the hero of this saga, we're on a film quest."
