The Lord Of The Rings Archive News Page 2
Peter Jackson has a birthday
31 October, 2005
Today is a birthday of the director of the excellent Lord Of The Rings trilogy!
Peter Jackson was born as an only child in a small coast-side town in New Zealand in 1961. Since early childhood he enjoyed taking photos, and when a friend of his parents bought him a super 8mm movie camera, the then eight-year-old Peter instantly grabbed the thing to start recording his own movies, which he made with his friends.
Now he’s 44, and he’s known all over the world for some high quality movies, especially Lord of the Rings, which brought him to the greatest fame.
Happy Birthday Peter!
Hobbit motel opens at Waitomo
May 17, 2005
Inspired by the Lord of the Rings trilogy, two hobbit motel rooms are the latest to be built at Woodlyn Park. The park’s motel also has a Bristol Freighter plane and train carriages for people to stay in. The hobbit units come complete with round leadlight windows and a round door. They are dug out of a hillside and sheep graze on their grass roofs. The self-contained units can accommodate up to 10 people and have specially designed furniture and decor to fit with the rustic hobbit theme.
Owner Billy Black said there was a queue of people wanting to stay in the units, despite it being a traditionally quiet time of year. Construction took three people four months, he said. “People can’t believe it – they just love it.”
‘Gollum’ to direct film in Dundee
April 28, 2005
A ?5 million film production, directed by a Lord of the Rings star, is to be partly shot in Dundee in August.
Andy Serkis, who played the part of Gollum in the fantasy trilogy and will play two parts in this winter’s blockbuster King Kong, will direct a film about drug addiction called Addict.
Addict is an autobiography by Stephen Smith, who spent years addicted to amphetamines and was homeless in various cities in the UK. He spent several months in the Kirkton area of Dundee during 1978. Plans to turn Stephen’s book into a film were first mooted six years ago when Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz developed the idea and offered Robbie Williams ?1 million to play the lead role.
Tom Shippey & Douglas Anderson on “The Lord Of the Rings at Fifty”
January 23, 2005
Award-winning J.R.R. Tolkien scholars Tom Shippey and Douglas A. Anderson will participate in a panel on “The Lord of the Rings at Fifty” at Illinois Central College’s Performing Arts Center, East Peoria, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 29.
The presentation, sponsored by the college’s English department, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Professor Mike Foster.
Return of the King Extended Edition now Available!
December 14, 2004
ROTK Extended Edition is out just in time for Christmas! Don’t miss you chance at seeing this fuller and more realized version of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film… if you can’t get it at a store near you, the New Line Cinema store is offering it for only $29.99.
Rings trilogy on show in Sydney
19 November 2004
An exhibition of items from the movie trilogy Lord of the Rings will be held at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum from December 18 to March 31. It will include props, costumes, artefacts and film footage from the blockbuster film trilogy. The exhibition will explore both the thematic and technological aspects of the films, including the chance to discover the secrets behind the trilogy’s award-winning special effects.
Admission is $19.50 for adults and $9.50 for children, with concession, senior and family entry also available. Entry also includes general admission to the museum. The Powerhouse Museum will be the only Australian venue for the exhibition, which has attracted record crowds internationally.
Extended ROTK on sale in December
28 September 2004
Lord of the Rings fans won’t be bored at Christmas as the long version of the final film is released on 14 December.
Director Peter Jackson has added 50 minutes of extra scenes to the film, making the extended Return of the King more than four hours long!
The longer version promises the return of Saruman, the mouth of Sauron and a cameo appearance from Jackson himself.
The film comes on two discs or videos and the DVD version has two more discs full of extra features too.
Rings stars reunite for kids film
26 August 2004
Two of the stars of the Lord of the Rings trilogy are getting back together to make a new kids’ film.
Sir Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis, who played Gandalf and Gollum, will give their voices to two characters in a new animated film, called Flushed Away. It’s about a pampered rat who gets washed away from his penthouse flat and has to survive in the sewers. Rumours also say X-Men star Hugh Jackman is in talks to join the cast, though this hasn’t been confirmed.
Sir Ian is set to play a villainous frog, while Andy will play Spike, his hench-rat. Flushed Away is being made by Aardman Animation, the team behind Chicken Run and Wallace And Gromit.
It’s the second kids film that Sir Ian is involved in, as he’s set to give the voice to Zebedee in the new film of 70s cartoon The Magic Roundabout.
Liv Tyler expecting first child
22 June 2004
Lord of the Rings” actress Liv Tyler, the daughter of rocker Steven Tyler, is pregnant with her first child, her spokesman said. The 26-year-old actress and her rock singer husband, Royston Langdon, — who is with the group Spacehog – are expecting their new arrival late this year. “Roy and I are both overjoyed and look forward to the arrival of our child,” Tyler was quoted as saying. The raven-haired actress’ representatives could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. Tyler and Langdon, 32, married in March 2003 at a ceremony on the Caribbean island of in Barbados attended by Tyler’s dad, the former Aerosmith frontman, and her mother, former music groupie Bebe Buell.
Elijah Wood-n’t be in The Hobbit
04 June 2004
Elijah Wood is hoping that the making of another Tolkein epic ‘The Hobbit’ will go ahead now the Lord of the Rings trilogy has finished. He reckons Tolkein fans will be getting withdrawal symptoms by Christmas when there’s no new Lord of the Rings movie being released.
However, Elijah, who played Frodo Baggins in LOTR, would not want a part in the film:
“I wouldn’t want to play Bilbo having already played Frodo – it would be strange for the fans and for me.”
Elijah standing in for Radio 1 DJ
11 May 2004
Film star Elijah Wood is set to turn radio star when he stands in for top Radio 1 DJ John Peel.
Elijah, who played Frodo Baggins in the massively successful Lord Of The Rings movie trilogy, will take over from John the next time he takes a holiday. He was offered the job after appearing on another Radio 1 show and revealing he was a big fan of John’s show.
April 10th: Ringbearers-Day
April 10th, The New York Tolkien Society commences the time honored tradition of Ringbearers-Day. The event schedule has been finalized and posted. It has been confirmed also by the official Ringbearers-Day Sponsor (Games Workshop), for all gaming and hobby enthusiasts that Games Workshop will also be on hand 12pm-5pm running all day painting workshops and Games Demo’s, with a formal presentation/demonstration of the LOTR games and experts will speak of how Tolkien’s works are translated to the gaming table.
LOTR: The musical ‘out in 2005’
March 15, 2004
A musical version of the Lord of the Rings will hit the London stage in 2005, according to its co-producer.
Kevin Wallace says at £8m it’ll be the most expensive musical ever in London’s West End, and will have a cast of 50 to play Orcs, Elves, Hobbits and Wizards.
He said: “I believe we will be able to make a version of The Lord of the Rings that will be a brilliant piece.”
Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the films of Tolkien’s books, is said to be looking forward to the show.
Rings scores Oscars clean sweep
Monday, 1 March, 2004
The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King has won 11 prizes out of a possible 11 at the Academy Awards.
The final part of the Tolkien trilogy achieved a clean sweep, including best picture and director for Peter Jackson. It became the first fantasy film to win best picture – and equalled the record trophy tally at the Hollywood ceremony. The Return of the King’s haul of 11 statuettes equalled the totals won by Ben Hur in 1960 and Titanic in 1998. But those two films did not win every award they were nominated for. The Return of the King also scooped best score, song, film editing, make-up and costume design. Its tally was completed by prizes for best adapted screenplay, art direction, visual effects and sound mixing.
The awards signalled Hollywood’s desire to reward Jackson and his team for making three ground-breaking and hugely popular movies. Accepting the best picture award, Jackson described the achievement as “unbelievable”. He said, “I’m so honoured that the Academy and its members have seen past the trolls and the wizards and the hobbits and are recognising fantasy this year.” He earlier praised his “wonderful cast” and described it as an “incredibly overwhelming night”.
Rings named best film at Baftas
16 February 2004
The Return of the King was the big winner at the Bafta awards, taking home five awards including best film.
The final film in the trilogy was also named The Orange Film Of The Year, which is voted for by the public, just like the first two Rings films.
Rings director Peter Jackson said: “I’m absolutely thrilled, completely thrilled, my heart’s thumping.”
The awards are often thought to give clues as to which films will win at the Oscars, which happen on 29 February.
ROTK could win 12 Bafta awards
19 January 2004
The Return of the King has been nominated for 12 awards at the Baftas, including Best Film and Best Director.
Sir Ian McKellan was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Gandalf, and the film is also in the running for best adapted screenplay.
The Baftas are the most important film awards in the UK, and the winners will be announced on 15 February. Films that do well at the Baftas often do well at the Oscars too, which happen a month later in the US.
But ROTK isn’t the film with the most nominations – that’s Cold Mountain which could win as many as 13 awards. Up against ROTK and Cold Mountain for Best Film are Lost in Translation, Master and Commander and Big Fish. Jonny Depp’s swaggering role in Pirates of the Caribbean has also been recognised, earning a Best Actor nomination.
Smash Hit Exhibition For LOTR Fans
08 January 2004
London’s Science Museum has extended its opening hours to cope with demand as its popular Lord Of The Rings exhibition enters its final days.
The exhibition will remain open until midnight on Friday and Saturday and until 10pm on Sunday so that as many people as possible can enjoy it.
It’s estimated that nearly 240,000 people will have seen it when it finishes its four-month run on Sunday.
It features costumes, props and special effects from the hit movies.
The exhibition was a smash hit even before it opened, selling a record-breaking 14,000 advance tickets.
And last month its popularity was boosted when the final Lord Of The Rings instalment – Return Of The King – was released in the cinema.