Helm's Deep
In November 1997, famed Tolkien illustrators Alan Lee and John Howe joined the project. Up until then, concept artists had primarily been influenced by "Dungeons &amp; Dragons" in their designs. Some of their famous images of Bag End, Orthanc, Helm's Deep, the Black Gate, and John Howe's Gandalf and the Balrog made it into the film. The last one inspired the opening sequence of "The Two Towers". Jackson sometimes replicated some shots from famous Tolkien illustrations as a nod to fans.