
Tolkien: a creator of worlds
April 14, 2018 at 1:09 am -It seems that, with those Tolkien biopics gradually approaching, more and more people are taking an interest in the biographical details of Tolkien’s life. If that’s your thing, you might enjoy this pretty solid overview from Simon Whistler. (I didn’t know about the tarantula incident, for example, a minor controversy that you can get more…

Hall of Fire chats FOTR this weekend: Many Meetings!
April 14, 2018 at 12:20 am -Awaking from a sickly sleep, Frodo finds finally himself in Rivendell — a place of relative safety. Much to his delight and relief, Gandalf is there too. “What happened at the Ford?” said Frodo. “It all seemed so dim somehow; and it still does.” “Yes, it would. You were beginning to fade,” answered Gandalf. “The…

Today in Middle-earth, April 12
April 12, 2018 at 1:00 am -The following event(s) took place in Middle-earth on April 12th: Gandalf reaches Hobbiton (3018)

“The Fall of Gondolin” Officially Announced!
April 10, 2018 at 1:28 pm -It’s official…”The Fall of Gondolin” by J.R.R Tolkien, edited by Christoper Tolkien, and illustrated by Alan Lee, is indeed being published. It will be released on August 30, 2018. While rumored, the release still comes as a very welcome surprise given that many expected “Beren and Lúthien” to be Christoper Tolkien’s final release. “The Fall…

Today in Middle-earth, April 8
April 8, 2018 at 1:00 am -The following event(s) took place in Middle-earth on April 8th: The Ring-bearers are honoured on the Field of Cormallen (3019) The Ring-bearers revisit fair Ithilien (3019)

There is a cornucopia of Tolkien stories coming this year
April 7, 2018 at 4:46 pm -Tolkien fandom finds itself with an embarrassment of riches in 2018. The Tolkien Biopic has wrapped principal photography and is currently in post-production. There will be a new book out featuring Gondolin, edited by Christopher Tolkien. The most recent update about the Amazon Studios’ TV series is now confirmed to be a 5 season commitment….

Middle-earth March Madness – CHAMPION 2018
April 6, 2018 at 9:09 am -It’s been an interesting couple of weeks… Since March 19, characters from Middle-earth, and other roles played by the same actors, have been battling it out to claim the title Champion of Middle-earth March Madness 2018. We started with four brackets comprising roles from The Lord of the Rings movies, other roles by those same actors, roles…

Inside Amazon’s Five Season, $1 billion ‘Lord of the Rings’ Series
April 5, 2018 at 4:05 pm -The Hollywood Reporter has published a new article detailing how Amazon beat out Netflix for the rights to produce a new television series based on ‘The Lord of the Rings’. They are committed to producing at least 5 seasons at an estimated cost of $1 billion US. While there is still no start date,…

April Fool’s posts unveiled
April 4, 2018 at 11:00 pm -I’m sure it comes as no surprise that on Sunday morning, April 1st you woke up to a bunch of internet websites doing their best to fool you into thinking their words were true, and TORn is no different. We did post two separate stories that were lacking in the veracity department. One post claimed…

Middle-earth March Madness – FINAL! Vote now to decide this year’s Champion!
April 4, 2018 at 12:24 pm -Last two standing – here we are at the Middle-earth March Madness FINAL for 2018. Two – well, not men… – enter, one leaves; who will be Champion this year? In the Final Four, we saw Samwise Gamgee take on Gollum, and Gandalf face Elrond Half-elven. Both Sam and Gandalf have been Middle-earth March Madness Champions before…

Middle-earth March Madness – The Final Four are Chosen!
April 1, 2018 at 2:37 pm -Just two rounds remain in this year’s Middle-earth March Madness – we’re down to the final four, facing off against each other in the Semi-Finals! Who has the strength to rule over all? Let’s take a look back at the Quarter Finals – where none of the battles was as tight as might have been predicted….

TORn to explore subscription-based business model
April 1, 2018 at 9:53 am -In a big shake-up for the largest fansite of the author J. R. R. Tolkien, TheOneRing.net (TORn) founders have announced they are about to begin beta-testing a subscription service to better align with the business model of Amazon.com for the upcoming Lord of the Rings TV series: a “TORn-Prime,” if you will. “It’s something we’ve…

Is Guillermo Del Toro finally going to bring his Middle-earth to the fans?
April 1, 2018 at 5:35 am -When Amazon Studios first announced their big production deal last November for a Lord of the Rings television series, there was just one thing missing, a big name attached to the project. There was no Producer, Showrunner or even a Writer or team of Writers to indicate the direction these stories might take and give…

The Great Hall of Poets
March 31, 2018 at 4:11 am -Welcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our regular monthly feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. Each month we will feature a small selection of the poems submitted, but we hope you will read all of the poems that we have received here in our Great Hall of Poets. So come and join us by…

Hall of Fire chat this weekend: Flight to the Ford
March 30, 2018 at 10:20 pm -This weekend, we resume our Fellowship of the Ring read-through in Hall of Fire with Frodo still struggling toward the safety of Rivendell — and still pursued by Sauron’s minions. With a great effort Frodo sat upright and brandished his sword. ‘Go back!’ he cried. ‘Go back to the Land of Mordor, and follow me…

The Elite Eight – Middle-earth March Madness 2018!
March 29, 2018 at 10:13 am -And then there were eight… It’s Quarter Finals time in this year’s Middle-earth March Madness – and Round 3 was a decisive round indeed. The people have spoken, and made it clear that alter-ego interlopers shall go no further; every duel in the last round was won easily by the Professor’s creations. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Holmes…

Middle-earth March Madness – onwards to Round 3!
March 26, 2018 at 2:19 pm -Sweet Sixteen – the lucky few who have made it through Round 2, to fight again in this year’s Middle-earth March Madness. Let’s take a look at how things stand, as you get ready to vote in Round 3… Division I has had more than its share of tough choices, with beloved characters facing each…

March 25 is Tolkien Reading Day
March 25, 2018 at 3:53 pm -In 2003, The Tolkien Society established an annual tradition, designating one day of the year for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien worldwide to celebrate their love of Tolkien’s writings by, well, reading them! March 25 was chosen for the celebration as it is the date in The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King,…

Today in Middle-earth, March 25
March 25, 2018 at 1:00 am -The following event(s) took place in Middle-earth on March 25th: The Captains of the West come to the Black Gate (3019) The Host is surrounded on the Slag-hills (3019) Downfall of Barad-dûr and the passing of Sauron (3019) Frodo and Samwise reach the Sammath Naur (3019) Gollum seizes the Ring and falls in the Cracks…

Middle-earth March Madness – Round 2 begins!
March 23, 2018 at 1:16 pm -Who has made it through to the second round of Middle-earth March Madness 2018? There were some tough battles in the first round – and difficult choices for voters to make! Frodo vs Pippin; Gandalf vs Bilbo; Kili vs Nori… Whilst we may have a pretty shrewd idea who might win in such contests, it’s…