The Lord Of The Rings Archive News Page 1

The soundtrack ‘Last Goodbye’ for the final Hobbit film arrives.

November 22, 2014

Source: http://insidemovies.ew.com/

When it came to finally bid farewell to Middle-earth after 16 years and six epic films, Peter Jackson gave the last word to one of the original members of the Fellowship. Billy Boyd, who portrayed hobbit Pippin in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, collaborated with Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens to write “The Last Goodbye,” the song that will play over the credits when The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies opens on Dec. 17.

“We had to get the song just right, to send the audience out of the movie theater in the most perfect way we could,” says Boyd, in an e-mail. “But I don’t think it was until I was sitting on the long flight down to New Zealand that I started to really think about what the song would be. Luckily all the Middle-earth movies were on the flight so I could remind myself of them as I flew south.”

Boyd, who fronts the band Beecake, landed in Wellington and watched The Battle of the Five Armies alone before the musical themes began to percolate in his mind. “After seeing the film, I went to my room and I started to put down some ideas, and along with Fran and Philippa, we started to sculpt the song we thought the movie needed,” he says. “A lot of ideas took us to dead ends or we found the tone wasn’t just right. I think we discovered very quickly this wasn’t just a song to end The Battle of the Five Armies—it was a song to say goodbye to Middle-earth.”

“The Lord of the Rings films were such a special time for me in many ways—working with Pete, Fran and Philippa, being in New Zealand, being part of Professor Tolkien’s work or even just the incredible friends I made,” says Boyd. “And being asked to go back to that, to work in that wonderful fantasy world again and to be singing the song that says goodbye to Middle-earth for everyone involved and the fans who took this beautiful journey with us is truly a great, great honor.”

The final trailer shows dramatic war-torn scene.

November 9, 2014

A dramatic new trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies has sparked excitement online. Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson is behind the third film in a popular trilogy based on JRR Tolkien’s timeless masterpiece, The Hobbit.

Unlike the first two films in Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, which each had several trailers and a wide variety of behind-the-scenes video blogs, we haven’t gotten much of a look at the Battle of the Five Armies just yet — we’ve only seen a comparatively simple trailer released at the San Diego Comic Con. However, we’re now getting a bigger taste of Jackson’s vision for the final movie with this full trailer. As expected, it strikes a far darker tone than the films that preceded it.

Peter Jackson has spent years making JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth into a CGI spectacular – and the director has revealed that he intends to end things with a bang. The final installment in The Hobbit trilogy, entitled The Battle of the Five Armies, is set to culminate in an epic, 45-minute battle scene. We haven’t seen such a lengthy fight since 13 Assassins. However, if you are troubled that 45 minutes of sword-swinging might become a bit boring, Peter Jackson is quick to reassure that the sequence will be designed to avoid losing the audience…“We have a rule that we’re not allowed to go more than two or three shots of anonymous people fighting without cutting back to our principal characters,” says Jackson. “Otherwise the audience just ends up with battle fatigue.”

Waiting for Bilbo, Thorin & the Company of Dwarves?

November 9, 2014

As fans prepare for the epic conclusion to Bilbo’s adventure and the gift giving season, Warner Bros. Consumer Products is teaming up with Lego, Yahtzee and Fish Brewing to offer fun games and refreshing drinks that will get everyone in the spirit. Should fans be working on any premier party stories or a holiday round-up, they’ll consider including the below:

YAHTZEE: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Collector’s Edition

“The Hobbit” fans can now unlock the secret door to Smaug’s lair with America’s #1 dice game with a Middle-earth twist!

LEGO: The Hobbit – The Lonely Mountain

Fans can enter the lair of Smaug and evade the fire-breathing dragon with LEGO’s The Hobbit The Lonely Mountain! In the game, Bilbo Baggins™ has been sent to look for the Arkenstone inside The Lonely Mountain. This 866-piece set, the first to feature Smaug, comes with five minifigures: Bilbo Baggins, Balin the Dwarf, Dwalin the Dwarf, Ori the Dwarf and Gloin the Dwarf.

FISH BREWING: Series of Beers Based on The Hobbit Trilogy

Inspired by The Hobbit Trilogy, this all-new series of beer from Fish Brewing is a collaboration of bold imperial style beers selectively tailored to emulate the characters from the films – Gollum (Smeagol), the Dragon Smaug, and the vicious Orc Chieftain, Bolg. Each alcoholic beverage boasts a 10% ABV and is packaged in 22-oz bottles. Must be 21 +

‘Hobbit’ Third Installment Gets New Title

April 25, 2014

Director Peter Jackson has announced the news that his third installment of The Hobbit trilogy has got a new name. The original name of the third film was thought to be ‘The Hobbit: There and Back Again’, however, the film has been retitled as ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’. Peter Jackson has announced the news on his official Facebook page and has explained the reasons behind it.

“Our journey to make The Hobbit Trilogy has been in some ways like Bilbo’s own, with hidden paths revealing their secrets to us as we’ve gone along. ‘There and Back Again’ felt like the right name for the second of a two film telling of the quest to reclaim Erebor, when Bilbo’s arrival there, and departure, were both contained within the second film. But with three movies, it suddenly felt misplaced—after all, Bilbo has already arrived “there” in the ‘Desolation of Smaug,’ Jackson wrote.

As Jakson says, at one of the meetings with studio executives the idea of renaming the third installment in the trilogy was brought up for discussion. During the talks, they decided ‘to keep an open mind until a cut of the film was ready to look at’. After watching the first cut, all agreed that it was necessary to change the title. And so the third film of The Hobbit gets a new name.

Lego: The Hobbit officially announced for 2014.

November 28, 2013

Warner Bros. has officially announced LEGO The Hobbit.

LEGO The Hobbit is being developed by TT Games. The game will be on sale in spring. In the action adventure from TT Games, gamers will be able to relive the events of films The Hobbit :An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug.

Users will be allowed to play for different characters including Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo, Thorin Oakenshield and his companions. According to the information from the Warner Bros., each comes with his own unique ability. For example, Bombur can use his belly as a trampoline.

During the adventure gamers will visit locations such as Bag End, Hobbiton, The Misty Mountains, Goblin-town, Mirkwood, and Rivendell. Players will be able to discover loot from enemies, create magic items, build immense new LEGO structures. Along the way, players will solve countless puzzles, partake in Treasure Quests and battle with Orcs, Trolls and fouler things.

The game will be coming to Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Vita, Wii U, 3DS, PC, and Mac.

Trailer for second Hobbit movie released.

June 15, 2013

The first trailer for the second film in Peter Jackson’s trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, hit official websites at 5am on Wednesday. The movie will be released on December 13.
In the trailer for the new Hobbit appears dragon Smaug (but fans will have to wait a little longer to hear Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular dragon Smaug).

Also Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel, the non-Tolkien elf created just for the movie, is featured in the trailer.

Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Martin Freeman (Bilbo), Hugo Weaving (Elrond), Luke Evans (Bard the Bowman), and Mikael Persbrandt (skin-changing Beorn) all enter the cast.
Jackson was originally intended to divide “The Hobbit” into two parts, but later the filmmaker decided to create a trilogy. The first part An Unexpected Journey was premiered in Wellington last year and has grossed over $1 billion at the box office. Premiere of the final part of the trilogy There and Back Again is scheduled for December 2014.

Legal Battle Brewing between Tolkien Estate and Warner Bros.

March 13, 2013

According to reports, an $80 million lawsuit has been waged between the Tolkien Estate, the legal body which manages the property of J.R.R. Tolkien, and Warner Bros., the studios responsible for producing the Lord of the Rings film franchise.

It is currently understood that the Tolkien Estate has launched litigation proceedings against Warner Bros. for apparently overstepping their contractual copyright entitlements to merchandise falling outside the scope of the initial agreement.

As reported, the case was sparked into life due to the discovery of the existence of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring online slot game. A product the Estate claims the copyright agreement does not extend to in the existing contract. It is further claimed that the existence of this game has upset many fans of the Lord of the Rings books series, who believe the Estate is responsible for the game’s development and has subsequently stained the iconic status of the author’s works. The Estate is specifically agitated by the online gambling products and has produced a further list of product categories it believes are exempt from the initial contract.

Much of the case rests on the definition of the term ‘tangible’ products and its interpretation in the existing rights contract initially signed in 1969 with Zaents Co, a named co-defendant. It is understood that The Estates main contention seems to be that tangible products only consisted of the products in place at that time such as clothing, toy figures, etc and did not extend to the advanced technology present in today’s digital and downloadable gaming products, which are accessible across the smartphone, tablet and social networking spectrum. This prompted the Tolkien Estate to seek an injunction and launch an $80 million lawsuit.
Warner Bros. has yet to respond to approaches for comment.

Sources

  1. www.hollywoodreporter.com

“The One Expected Party” – a Magnificent Party!

January 24, 2013

You are welcome to one of the best parties of the year – The One Expected Party in The american Legion Hall (Los Angeles, CA). It is 10 hours of excitement, entertainment and fellowship! You may also enjoy free food and drink, games, auctions, slideshows and even a live screening of the 85th Academy Awards. After the television broadcast ends, you are invited to the live stage show! You’ll get your blood pumping when hearing upbeat and modern Celtic music. You shouldn’t miss Charles Ross brings a taste of the magic of “The One Man Lord of the Rings” to our stage. Besides, you can rock away with the legendary Billy Boyd and his Beecake.

Hope you’ll have a great time and your memories will last long!

Tolkien Society celebrates author’s birthday

December 29, 2012

The Tolkien Society is actively preparing for the celebration of Tolkien’s birthday, the author of the famous Hobbit. The celebration is planned on January 3 with world-wide festivities. It’s the 12th such a great annual event.

On January 3, Tolkien fans will unite worldwide to celebrate Tolkien’s birthday. It is celebrated in many UK cities, including Brighton, London, Oxford, Bristol, Milton Keynes, and York. The main celebration will take place at 9pm on the 3rd January 2013.

The Society will be encouraging people to read Tolkien’s 1937 book The Hobbit which was overshadowed by the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. People will be invited to talk about the book, the film and their authors on Twitter, Facebook and other websites.

The Tolkien Society was founded in 1969 dedicated to promoting the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien; J.R.R. Tolkien remains the Society’s Honorary President in perpetuo whilst his daughter, Priscilla, is the Society’s Honorary Vice President.

The Hobbit hits half a billion

December 28, 2012

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is announced to bring more than $500 million to the worldwide box office.

The blockbuster has earned about $180 million in the USA (as it was expected) and $344 million internationally. The total is steadily climbing. It says that the film has become one of the most famous and profitable.

Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. President of Domestic Distribution, said: “We are extremely gratified by the response of moviegoers who love the film and, in many cases, are taking this terrifically entertaining ‘Journey’ to Middle-earth more than once. We anticipate that positive word of mouth and repeat viewings will continue to result in strong returns well into the New Year.”

Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. said: “These fantastic box office numbers demonstrate that the film’s playability has no borders. Peter Jackson has created a truly global event with a film that thrills audiences in any language. Warner Bros. joins our partners at MGM and New Line in congratulating him, his cast and crew, and everyone involved in this film on this milestone.”

World Premiere “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”

November 28, 2012

The long-awaited world premiere of the adventurous film “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” by Sir Peter Jackson took place in Wellington, New Zealand on November 28, 2012. The famous saga “The Lord of the rings” was shot here as well. “The Hobbit” is a prequel to this trilogy. Over 100,000 people gathered on 600 meters of red carpet. There was the film’s director and co-screenwriter and protagonists there. That’s why some fans arrived early in the morning to choose the best place in order to get autographs and photos of famous stars. The release date of the film is December 14, 2012 (USA).

Air New Zealand Enters Middle-earth Air Space with Safety Video Inspired by The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
October 31, 2012

LOS ANGELES — Hobbits, Dwarves and Wizards will take flight as Air New Zealand launches its latest onboard safety video, “An Unexpected Briefing” today.

The safety video is inspired by the upcoming fantasy adventure The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), which is the first in a trilogy of films from director and Kiwi Sir Peter Jackson. The video has been created in conjunction with the Academy Award-winning Weta Workshop (The Lord of the Rings films) and features appearances from Jackson, as well as the unforgettable character, Gollum, and descendants of J.R.R Tolkien, author of the timeless masterpiece The Hobbit on which the trilogy is based.

The safety video, which will be rolled out across Air New Zealand aircraft from today, can be viewed at www.youtube.com/airnewzealand
Air New Zealand General Manager Marketing and Communications Mike Tod says “An Unexpected Briefing” is a further reflection of the world class creative talents of New Zealanders.

“This latest safety video inspired by The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is another example of how New Zealand is a hotbed for creative talent. Our partners at Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, which brought Gollum to life inside the aircraft, have helped us demonstrate again that if you want to engage with audiences in a unique way, our nation has immense creative capability,” Mr Tod says.

“Sir Peter Jackson and the team at Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States were fantastically supportive during production of the video. To have Gollum step off the movie screen for the first time and into an Air New Zealand aircraft is incredibly special and Sir Peter Jackson delivers a superb cameo. He should come out from behind the camera more often!”

Two great grandsons of The Hobbit author J.R.R Tolkien, Mike and Royd Tolkien, also make a cameo appearance in the safety video. Royd Tolkien, who features in the video with prosthetic hairy Hobbit feet, says the opportunity to be part of Air New Zealand’s association with The Hobbit movies was too good to miss. “They’ve done a great job of capturing the essence of The Hobbit films and it was a privilege to be invited to participate.”

EXTRAORDINARY LIVE MUSIC EVENT IN THE HEART OF NEW YORK CITY WITH ORCHESTRA AND VAST CHOIR PERFORMING LIVE TO THE FILM!

April 13, 2009


Tickets On-Sale NOW for This Two-Night Only Can’t-Miss Event!

New York, NY. Devoted fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic The Lord of the Rings have read the books, they’ve seen Peter Jackson’s Academy Award-winning films, and now they will have a chance to experience composer Howard Shore’s Academy and Grammy-winning score to The Fellowship of the Ring live at Radio City Music Hall on Friday, October 9th and Saturday October 10th. For this extraordinary event, 300 musicians a 75-piece orchestra and a 225-member choir have been gathered to perform the complete score to 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring live with the motion picture on a massive screen towering above the stage.

Switzerland’s 21st Century Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Ludwig Wicki and featuring The Collegiate Chorale, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and vocal soloist Kaitlyn Lusk, will perform Shore’s epic score synchronized to picture. Shore will introduce each evening’s performances, which take place at 7:30 p.m., in a pre-concert lecture with Doug Adams, author of The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films, and will be available to greet fans at additional events scheduled throughout the weekend.

This once-in-a-lifetime, family-friendly event, held at the most prestigious concert venue in the world, is a milestone affair not to be missed by fans of The Lord of the Rings and classical music lovers everywhere! Tickets go on-sale Friday, December 19th, at noon, and make the perfect holiday gift for a family outing over the Columbus Day weekend. Don’t miss it!

Tickets available online at:  www.ticketmaster.com

Tickets to The Fellowship of the Ring at Radio City Music Hall are available beginning on the first day of sale through Ticketmaster Charge By Phone and all Ticketmaster Outlets, and beginning on the second day of sale at the Garden and Music Hall Box Office. All tickets purchased for Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall events contain a Facility Charge. TicketMaster purchases are also subject to their service charge. The telephone number for Madison Square Garden Event and Ticket Information is (212) 465-MSG1. The Group Sales number is (212) 465-6080. The telephone number for the Madison Square Garden Disabled Services department is (212) 465-6034; for the Radio City Music Hall Disabled Services department, (212) 465-6115 for tickets and information. The TicketMaster information and TicketMaster Charge by Phone number is (212) 307-4111.

Lord of the Rings locations

April 8, 2009

The Department of Conservation, which manages many of the areas used as locations, has a new page on their website about visiting the locations.
The page lists about 20 locations and provides information like:

For additional information, please visit Lord of the Rings Location page

LOTR: Conquest out early next year

December 10, 2008

New action game The Lord of the Rings: Conquest has been given a January release date. Specifically, it’s out on 9th January “internationally” (Europe and Japan, presumably) and 13th January in the US. The game is in development for PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS.

LOTR: Conquest is being developed by the same team at Pandemic who brought us Star Wars Battlefront. It gives you the chance to play as evil types such as Cave-trolls, Oliphaunts and the Balrog, and even your man Sauron.

“Players will finally be able to fight through Middle-earth along the frontlines of good or evil,” said Pandemic boss Josh Resnick.

“And what Lord of the Rings fan hasn’t fantasised about joining Sauron’s army to slay Hobbits?” he added. What Lord of the Rings fan hasn’t fantasised about Liv Tyler doing scissors with Captain Janeway, but that’s another story.

LOTR is CinemaBlend’s No. 1 fantasy film

December 8, 2007

The Golden Compass opens this weekend and makes it’s bid to be the next big thing in fantasy movies. It’s got a lot to live up to if it’s going to make headway with by now, almost spoiled fantasy fans. Fantasy movies are bigger and better than ever, and audiences have learned to love swinging swords, rampaging orcs, deadly dragons, and wily staff-wielding wizards. At Cinema Blend, there are few things we love better than tossing a dwarf.

So, to figure out which fantasy movie is really the best of the bunch Cinema Blend represents audience’s favorite fantasy flicks. The result is the latest CB Top 5.

TOP 5 Fantasy Movies

5. Harry Potter
4. The Neverending Story
3. The Princess Bride
2. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
1. The Lord of the Rings

“The Hobbit”: Peace in Middle-Earth?

October 5, 2007


Last month, in the academic journal Science, paleontologists presented new evidence that they had discovered an overlooked relative of prehistoric man. Officially, they’ve labeled the species Homo floresiensis — unofficially, they’re calling them ”hobbits” — but by any other name what they’ve found are the 18,000-year-old fossilized remains of a three-foot-tall hominid with a recessed chin and a brain the size of a Wiffle ball.

Now the legal battle that’s kept The Lord of the Rings’ prequel, The Hobbit, hung up for years — a bitter feud between Rings director Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema co-chairman Robert Shaye — may finally be nearing resolution. At this writing, no agreements have been announced and details of the negotiations are sketchy, but sources close to the talks tell us that they’re detecting a lot less frost in the air, and that a deal may be reached that could help usher J.R.R. Tolkien’s maiden Middle-earth masterpiece to screens before the end of the decade. ”There has been a detente,” says one insider. There is now the beginning of a discourse between Peter Jackson and New Line that’s running parallel to the litigation proceedings.”

In Hollywood, any movement on this long-stalled project is major news. It was The Hobbit, after all, that first introduced the world to the lovely and terrifying universe of Middle-earth. The novel is set about 60 years before Lord of the Rings, and for many readers who dove into Tolkien’s work as kids, it retains a warmer glow in memory than the daunting and sometimes slow-moving trilogy. The story has precisely the same themes — of loyalty and unexpected bravery — that made the Rings series huge. And by huge we mean gargantuan, with each film earning about a billion dollars worldwide between 2001 and 2003, along with 17 Oscars, including ones for Best Director and Best Picture. In Hollywood, in other words, The Hobbit is that rarest of magical creatures — a sure thing.

Happy 42nd birthday to David Wenham!

September 21, 2007

David Wenham, who was born in Sydney, Australia on September 21, 1965, is 42 years old today. David Wenham played Boromir’s brother Faramir in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, and was cast as Faramir because of his resemblance to Sean Bean. He was also in Moulin Rouge! and most recently Van Helsing, and he’s been voted Australia’s sexiest man alive.

Kiwi director Peter Jackson has won the first round in his fight with Hollywood studio New Line Cinema over profits from The Lord of the Rings.

September 20, 2007

A judge has fined New Line, the film trilogy’s financial backer, $US125,000 ($NZ169,000) for failing to turn over court-ordered documents in the case.

The Hollywood Reporter said Jackson’s lawyers might also be allowed to inspect New Line’s files if the studio did not produce several audits within 21 days.

New Line must also hire an outsider to collect electronic documents, including e-mails, it said.

Jackson sued New Line two years ago over money made, including DVD payments, from the first The Lord of the Rings film, The Fellowship of the Ring.

When Jackson’s suit was filed it did not specify the amount of damages sought, but his lawyers later told The New York Times they believed Jackson was underpaid by as much as $US100 million for all three films, which had made more than $US4 billion.

Tolkien’s son completed father’s unfinished epic

March 25, 2007

All aboard for Middle Earth! Christopher Tolkien, son of the late, legendary creator of The Lord of the Rings, has completed an unfinished story started by his father which is to be published this April.

Mr Tolkien has spent the past 30 years working on The Children of Hurin, which his father began in 1918 and later abandoned. Though excerpts have been published this will be the first time a completed version of the epic story featuring the elves and dwarves of Middle Earth has appeared. It will be published by HarperCollins in the UK and by Houghton Mifflin in the US.

Mr Tolkien said: “It has seemed to me for a long time that there was a good case for presenting my father’s long version of the legend of the Children of Hurin as an independent work, between its own covers.”

Mr Tolkien, 81, who lives in France, has spent much of his life organising, deciphering and publishing stories of his father’s that only appeared handwritten, often on scraps of paper. He has admitted that at times he has been forced to use guesswork to decide upon his father’s intentions.

Despite this he has been a successful editor of his father’s work and in 1977 he oversaw the publication of the novel The Silmarillion. This was followed by Unfinished Tales in 1980, and then the 12 volumes of The History of Middle-earth between 1983 and 1996.

His father’s Lord of the Rings trilogy has sold more than 50 million copies and was made into a hugely successful series of Hollywood films, directed by Peter Jackson. Christopher Tolkien spoke out against the films, saying he believed the novels were not suitable for film adaptation.

Today is Tolkien’s Birthday… and the Toast is “The Professor”

January 03, 2007

Every year on January 3rd, The Tolkien Society reminds us to make a toast to The Professor… for indeed today is his birthday:

On January 3rd Tolkien fans around the world are invited to raise a glass and toast the birthday of this much loved author at 21:00 (9 pm) your local time.

The toast is “The Professor”.

For those unfamiliar with British toast-drinking ceremonies:

To make the Birthday Toast, you stand, raise a glass of your choice of drink (not necessarily alcoholic), and say the words ‘The Professor’ before taking a sip (or swig, if that’s more appropriate for your drink). Sit and enjoy the rest of your drink.

Royd Tolkien backs Peter Jackson for The Hobbit

November 13, 2006

J.R.R. Tolkien’s great-grandson Royd Tolkien (who had a cameo in The Return of the King as a Ranger in Osgiliath) has let everyone know exactly what he thinks about the prospect of someone else other than Peter Jackson directing The Hobbit. Here’s an excerpt:

Before the films were made i held massive reservations and fears that JRRT and LOTR would be used as merely a tool in producing revenue and ultimately a substandard film. But it’s different now, and it’s different because of Peter.

Whilst i don’t know the inner relationship between New Line and Peter, what i do know is that they backed him, all those years ago, to produce LOTR. For that part and many more they played, i’m forever grateful.

If Peter hadn’t made LOTR with the respect he showed to my Great Grandfather, i’d not have felt compelled to voice my opinion.

THE HOBBIT in 2007?!

September 5, 2006

The BIG news has finally hit. A Ringer Spy who was recently in the New York offices of New Line Cinema has reported that they clearly saw ‘The Hobbit’ on the film schedule for 2007. Here’s what the spy had to say:

“Please leave my email anonymous as I have some very exciting news to report. I was in New Line’s NY offices to discuss upcoming projects when I clearly saw something very intriguing on a year planner. ‘The Hobbit’ was clearly marked on what looked like July 2007. I couldn’t exactly take a moment to investigate the calendar with my audience in the room, but it definitely said ‘The Hobbit’. Lets hope this is a PJ project!”

The Lord of the Rings: A Source-Criticism Analysis

August 2, 2006

Experts in source-criticism now know that The Lord of the Rings is a redaction of sources ranging from the Red Book of Westmarch (W) to Elvish Chronicles (E) to Gondorian records (G) to orally transmitted tales of the Rohirrim (R). The conflicting ethnic, social and religious groups which preserved these stories all had their own agendas, as did the “Tolkien” (T) and “Peter Jackson” (PJ) redactors, who are often in conflict with each other as well but whose conflicting accounts of the same events reveals a great deal about the political and religious situations which helped to form our popular notions about Middle Earth and the so-called “War of the Ring.”. Into this mix are also thrown a great deal of folk materials about a supposed magic “ring” and some obscure figures named “Frodo” and “Sam”. In all likelihood, these latter figures are totems meant to personify the popularity of Aragorn with the rural classes.

New Lord of the Rings Game is on its way

July 29, 2006

Electronic Arts officially announced today that they will continue to expand The Lord of the Rings universe with The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, The Rise of the Witch-king. As the expansion pack to the fan favorite, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, this Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game will enhance every existing feature and offer players the chance to command the rise of evil in Middle-earth while experiencing the epic battles that took place before those depicted in the New Line Cinema films.

LOTR Concert Summer Series 2006!

May 11, 2006

Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings symphony will reach major milestone this summer when the San Francisco symphony gives 100th performance of the work in July. Performances in Cologne, Germany and Denver, Colorado this month precede busy summer season, with concerts slated in both Europe and America.

Howard Shore wrote his six-movement The Lord of the Rings Symphony for symphony orchestra, adult and children’s choirs, as well as solo instrumentalists and vocalists, totaling more than 200 musicians on stage. Working with conductor John Mauceri, who first suggested that the music of The Lord of the Rings be preserved as an independent work for the concert hall, Shore created a two-hour symphony drawing from the nearly 12 hours of music he composed for Peter Jackson’s phenomenally successful film trilogy. Shore has received three Oscars for the scores and four Grammy awards for the soundtrack recordings. The six movements of the symphony correspond to the progression of the epic through the six books that comprise J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. These movements capture the enormous complexity and limitless imagination of Tolkien’s creation – from the simple, pastoral beauty of the hobbits’ Shire to the magic and mystery of the Elves and the monumental battle scenes – in music by turns explosive, ethereal and, ultimately, transcendent.

LOTR: Film Tourists in New Zealand

January 24, 2006

Tourists are still coming to New Zealand because of The Lord of the Rings more than two years after the last film in the trilogy was released.
The activity has been revealed by German graduate student Anne Buchmann, who is studying the impact of New Zealand films on tourism for a PhD at Lincoln University.

Ms Buchmann’s findings include:

Ms Buchmann attended the extras reunion in Wellington to find out how often they visited locations where they had acted. She found that many would take their friends and families and had revisited the places several times.

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