Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Weta Limited release Doctor Who Collectibles - Xoanon @ 16:06 PST
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Today Weta Limited announced they will be creating, in collaboration with BBC Worldwide, a line of Collectible statues based on the popular television series, Doctor Who.

Doctor Who is produced by the BBC and is the longest-running science fiction television series in the world. It follows the adventures of a time-traveller called ‘the Doctor’, who travels time in a phone box, solving problems and righting wrongs.

The Weta Collectibles line will incorporate key moments from Doctor Who. The initial series will consist of four pieces, all of which capture a nostalgic scene from the series. Each piece will be made at 6th scale and made out of high quality polystone. Weta Sculptors Ben Hawker, Dan Cockersell, Eden Small and Gary Hunt created the pieces in collaboration with Weta Model Maker David Tremont.

Selected pieces will be on display for the first time ever at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con from 25 – 29 July, meaning that Comic Con attendees will be the first to view the range. The Weta Limited stand is number 2615. The official images of the pieces will be revealed the following day, on 26 July.

The first episode of Doctor Who launched on BBC Television on 23 November 1963. There have been more than 600 episodes, 150 stories and two television movies. The show has become a television favourite for fans worldwide and has influenced generations, including David himself. He says he has been a fan of the series since a child, and when the opportunity came up to create Weta Collectibles based on the series he couldn’t believe his luck. “I started watching the series when it first aired back in the sixties”, he says. “It was inspiring to watch. The images scared the heck out of me as a child, but at the same time they were so fascinating, too. I really learned the meaning of ‘watching from behind the couch.’ In fact, it was the Doctor Who series amongst others that inspired me to get into model making in the first place.”

David says the series set the benchmark for television drama. “Doctor Who pushed the boundaries with their imagination, it was so very different from anything else I had ever seen”, he says. “It’s a very unique, very exciting story. I mean, who else could have thought of travelling time in a phone box!?”

Weta Limited Manager Jamie Wilson said the opportunity to work on Doctor Who merchandise is exciting for all involved. “Doctor Who is such an iconic series, with a huge following all over the world”, says Jamie. “We have chosen memorable moments from the series that capture the power, emotion and transformed them into dynamic collectible pieces. We hope the fans will enjoy these collectibles as much as we have had making them.”

Pricing, purchasing dates and edition size announcements will be made at a later date.

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