The 2000 Super Bowl was held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, featuring a matchup between the AFC champion Tennessee Titans and the NFC champion St. Louis Rams.
Of course, for audiences who weren't particularly interested in the game itself, the main attraction of watching the Super Bowl was often the halftime show and the spectacular commercial lineup.
Ever since Gilbert started premiering movie trailers during the Super Bowl, it had become a battleground for summer blockbusters.
Ridley Scott's Gladiator was set to kick off the summer movie season with a May 5th release, and its trailer also made an appearance during the Super Bowl.
The film's distributor was somewhat anxious, worried that Gilbert's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring might share the same release window as Gladiator.
The two films, in a way, belonged to a similar genre—they were both epic tales. If they ended up competing head-to-head, the outcome would be unpredictable.
Even though The Fellowship of the Ring was currently being met with skepticism, people couldn't ignore the fact that this was Gilbert, the man who had repeatedly created miracles. Who could guarantee he wouldn't do it again?
Aside from Gladiator, Warner Bros.' The Perfect Storm and Fox's X-Men: First Class also aired trailers during the Super Bowl.
It was worth noting that Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was set for a July 6th release in the summer season. However, this film did not advertise during the Super Bowl—perhaps because Super Bowl ad slots were prohibitively expensive, and Sony, its distributor, wasn't willing to spend that much.
Ever since the last incident, where Lord of the Rings book fans had physically attacked Doug Walter during a protest, Noel had been considering less aggressive methods of demonstrating his opposition.
But the reality was clear—whether the protests were extreme or peaceful, The Fellowship of the Ring was still moving forward toward release as scheduled.
This made Noel curse Disney, Warner Bros., and Gilbert at the top of his lungs.
"They're destroying a classic! This is a crime! They should be jailed for this!" Noel shouted at a fan gathering.
His sentiment was echoed by countless other book fans. However, as he continued calling for more protests, a creeping doubt settled into his mind—did any of these demonstrations actually work?
Noel prided himself on being a critical thinker. He understood the history of protests and knew that they rarely achieved anything. The only real way to effect change was through force.
But what was he supposed to do, attack Doug Walter again? And what about Robert Iger?
Gilbert was all the way in China—there was no way to even get close to him.
With all these conflicting emotions, Noel still tuned in to watch the Super Bowl.
After a relatively uneventful first half, the game reached halftime, signaling the start of the much-anticipated commercial segment. Noel was finally about to see the first trailer for The Fellowship of the Ring.
Following a series of ads for various products, it was finally time for the Hollywood movie previews.
Noel wasn't quite ready yet—his can of Pepsi was still unopened—when the trailer began playing, catching him completely off guard.
Others were also eagerly awaiting the preview. Unlike Noel, who watched with a skeptical and critical eye,Ruiz and Evans in New York were filled with excitement and anticipation, eager to see The Fellowship of the Ring trailer.
Though The Lord of the Rings was widely regarded as one of the most challenging novels to adapt into a film,Ruiz and Evans believed that if anyone could do it, it was Gilbert.
This blind faith was something Gilbert had cultivated since his directorial debut in 1991, with each of his successes reinforcing the belief that he could accomplish anything.
Similarly, members of the Gilbert Film Club at UCLA—Zhao Jack, Irene, Doug, Zoe, Sarati, and Lewis—had absolute confidence in Gilbert's ability to pull off this massive adaptation.
Looking at Hollywood's history, one could notice an interesting trend.
Films based on third-rate novels often found success at the box office, whereas those adapted from first-rate novels tended to struggle financially.
This peculiar pattern had become a defining characteristic of Hollywood's approach to book-to-film adaptations.
Movie studios weren't ignorant of this trend. They had studied it extensively. But with so many third-rate novels out there, how could they determine which ones were hidden gems?
Gilbert, however, had a different perspective. He believed that the poor track record of first-rate novel adaptations wasn't due to the source material itself, but rather the unwillingness or inability of directors and screenwriters to properly adapt them.
Otherwise, how could franchises like Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, and The Lord of the Rings—all based on first-rate novels—achieve such massive success?
There was a gap in talent. That was the real issue.
"It's here, it's here, it's here! Evans, the trailer is starting!"Ruiz excitedly called out to his friend, urging him to sit down and watch.
The trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring didn't keep fans waiting for long.
It was the first Hollywood movie preview to air during the Super Bowl.
On screen, amidst roaring flames, a metal-clad hand emerged, holding a ring. Strange inscriptions, unreadable to the two viewers, were etched onto its surface.
For some reason, Ruiz suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of excitement. He had a strong premonition that this film was going to be extraordinary.
As the shots transitioned, Gilbert's name appeared on screen, followed by the names of several lead actors. Then, the scene darkened.
In the dimly lit visuals, vast armies marched toward a distant volcano. These were two highly disciplined and well-equipped forces, and even without having read the original novel,Ruiz and Evans could easily tell them apart.
This was an alliance army made up of humans and elves.
Meanwhile, watching the same footage, Noel's jaw dropped in astonishment. He was completely dumbfounded.
"My God, this scene is exactly as I imagined it. Is this real?"
Noel could hardly believe it—Gilbert had actually brought to life the very scenes he had envisioned in his mind.
Doubt crept in. Hesitation. Even… a spark of anticipation.
Noel wanted to shake off this feeling. He shouldn't be feeling this way. He was a purist, a guardian of the sacred Lord of the Rings novel.
He rejected any form of adaptation because he believed it would ruin the grandeur of the original masterpiece.
But after seeing this trailer, he began to wonder—could this film actually be good?
That thought took root like a virus, infiltrating his mind, making him waver.
Before he could regain his composure, the screen changed again.
A massive horde of orcs came charging over a hill, flooding the battlefield like a dark tide.
A close-up followed—horrifying creatures with grotesque, menacing faces and razor-sharp fangs, as if they were ready to tear everything in their path to shreds.
Yet, waiting for them was a hailstorm of arrows, followed by the clash of swords and shields.
Noel had completely forgotten about the can of Pepsi in his hand. A sudden, overwhelming urge overtook him—he wanted to see this film immediately.
A mere trailer had nearly won him over.
But he quickly pulled himself back, convincing himself that Gilbert had likely poured all his efforts into crafting a mesmerizing trailer, while the actual film would undoubtedly be a disaster.
But was that really the case?
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, another question surfaced—was he truly certain?
If this had been any other top-tier Hollywood director, even Steven Spielberg, Noel would have been absolutely convinced of his assumption.
But this was Gilbert—the man whom The New York Times had hailed as a once-in-a-century filmmaking genius.
Many critics had already placed Gilbert's name alongside legends like Charlie Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock.
In modern cinema, no filmmaker had ever been deemed worthy of comparison to those two titans—until Gilbert.
Did people know what his nickname was?
They called him "Little Hitchcock." And it wasn't meant as an insult, but as the highest form of praise.
Everyone knew that people often used past greats to downplay the achievements of the present. Yet, Gilbert was one of the rare exceptions—his talent had been universally acknowledged, not just in America but across the world.
The only thing he lacked was a few more awards and a bit more time to solidify his box office legacy.
Could a director of this caliber truly fail at adapting a film?
Noel wasn't sure. But he refused to believe otherwise.
Unlike Noel's hesitation and skepticism,Ruiz and Evans had no such reservations.
As the trailer reached its climax, the two of them stared at the screen, anxiously awaiting the film's release date.
"Give me a date, I'm begging you… come on, come on…" They gripped each other's hands tightly, filled with excitement.
Finally, the release date was revealed—July 6th.
Ruiz and Evans erupted into cheers, hugging each other in celebration.
In just a few months, they would finally get to see this film they had been eagerly anticipating.
It wasn't just them—fans of Gilbert who didn't normally care for this genre also found their curiosity piqued by the trailer.
Unfortunately, they would have to wait until July.
This was a deviation from Gilbert's usual pattern. Except for Chicago, all his previous films had premiered at the start of May.
This suggested that The Lord of the Rings had faced an extremely tight production schedule—otherwise, it wouldn't have been delayed until July.
After the release date appeared, one final scene played.
A golden ring tumbled off a cliff, accompanied by a solemn narration:
"Some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the Ring passed out of all knowledge…"
In the background, a soft, ethereal female voice began to sing. It was barely audible, like a whisper carried by the wind.
Noel didn't quite catch the lyrics, but it seemed to be in Elvish. The melody was hauntingly beautiful.
For a long moment, he sat in stunned silence.
Every trailer that followed, promoting other summer blockbusters, felt dull and lifeless in comparison.
After The Lord of the Rings, who cared about anything else? He only wanted to see The Lord of the Rings.
Noel refused to admit that a mere trailer had swayed him. He needed to see more—that's what he told himself.
But deep down, he knew.
And it wasn't just Noel. Countless Lord of the Rings fans had seen the trailer that night.
Many who had initially scoffed at the film found themselves staring at the screen, eyes wide with disbelief. Their expressions shifted from condescension to awe.
The scale of the scenes in the trailer was ten, a hundred times more epic than they had ever imagined.
Had Gilbert truly created Middle-earth?
Doubt crept in.
Had their protests been misguided?
Could the final film actually be as incredible as this trailer?
After the Hollywood previews wrapped up, the Super Bowl halftime show took an unexpected turn.
This year, there were no musicians or bands performing.
Instead, it was a runway show.
Nearly a hundred Victoria's Secret Angels, dressed as elves, strutted across the stage, putting on a breathtaking spectacle for both the stadium audience and millions of viewers at home.
On the grand battlefield of the Super Bowl—an arena of raw masculine energy—an army of impossibly long-legged, stunningly beautiful "elves" suddenly appeared.
The effect?
Indescribable.
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