ELIJAH WOOD, THE LORD OF THE RINGS

6. Lord of the Rings
theonering.net
Launch Date April 1999

What You'll Find Soon after Peter Jackson announced the start of shooting on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, an online fellowship of fans began publishing whatever information they could find about the production. Today, it is a well-trafficked hub for the latest on Tolkien-themed events and fan gatherings as well as news about the still-in-the-offing film version of The Hobbit.

Why It's Essential In a word — access. After a bumpy start, the founders developed a cozy relationship with Jackson and the films' producers, even visiting the New Zealand set during filming. And while The Hobbit is still just a golden gleam in New Line's eye, this is the go-to spot for the newest developments on the project.

Official Site lordoftherings.net
Once impressive and filled with awesome content (including behind-the-scenes footage and on-set reports), the understandably dated site now has the decaying majesty of the Argonath kings. — WK