Triple Win at 2004 Oscars! Three Writers Bag Awards for Third Film – Shocking Details!

Translating J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic saga, “The Lord of the Rings,” into film was a colossal endeavor, eventually requiring three films to fully encapsulate the story. The monumental task was accomplished by a trio of screenwriters, who were acknowledged for their labor on February 29, 2004. On that evening, the adapted screenplay Oscars were presented to Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and director Peter Jackson, the creative minds behind the series finale, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

That night, Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens all received their inaugural writing Oscars. However, for Jackson and Walsh, who have been partners in life and work for years, the accolades didn’t stop there. The film was a powerhouse at the awards, amassing a total of 11 wins, equal to the record set by “Ben Hur” (1959) and “Titanic” (1997). After dedicating over six years to the franchise’s creation, the trio finally got to experience the thrill of victory, having previously been nominated in 2002 for their work on the first installment, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.”

It’s noteworthy that the last time a trio of screenwriters had won in this category was back in 1957 for “The Bridge on the River Kwai.”

Walsh, who has been working alongside Jackson since the 1980s and is the mother of their two children, also earned a unique distinction that night: an Oscar for the original song. Alongside Howard Shore and Annie Lennox, she won for the movie’s song “Into the West.” For Jackson and Walsh, the celebration continued when they, along with producer Barrie M. Osborne, received their third Oscars of the evening as the film was named the best picture of the year.

After the envelope was opened by presenters Sofia Coppola (who would later win her own writing award for “Lost in Translation‘s” original screenplay) and Francis Ford Coppola, the triumphant trio quickly ascended the stage to express their gratitude.

“We grew up adoring these books,” Boyens admitted, referring to the J.R.R. Tolkien series. “We had no inkling that we’d age in the process of transforming them into movies.” Over the years, Boyens has contributed to numerous scripts for Jackson’s films, including “King Kong,” “The Lovely Bones,” and eventually, the three-part adaptation of “The Hobbit.” This was her second nomination and, so far, her only win.

Jackson expressed his gratitude to his and Walsh’s children, stating, “for tolerating Mum and Dad’s constant work on this film their whole lives, since they’re only 7 and 8 years old.” He also extended his appreciation to the cast for mastering the “rather awkward text.” Jackson’s work had been recognized by the academy for nearly a decade, beginning with his initial original writing nomination in 1995 (alongside Walsh) for “Heavenly Creatures.” In 2010, he received another nomination, this time for best picture, for “District 9.” However, all his other nominations so far have been tied to the “LOTR” series.

The other nominees in the category seemed to stand little chance against the “Rings” sweep that night. “American Splendor’s” Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, who also directed their film, were first-time nominees; “City of God’s” Bráulio Mantovani was also a newcomer to the nominations; Brian Helgeland, the writer of “Mystic River”, who had previously won an Oscar (with Curtis Hanson) in 1998 for the adapted screenplay “L.A. Confidential”, and Gary Ross, writer-director of “Seabiscuit,” left the event empty-handed once again. He had previously been nominated in writing categories for “Big” (1989), “Dave” (1994), and had an extra nomination with “Seabiscuit” in the best picture category as he had also produced the film.