Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Grabs the Gold Ring with Ringers: Lord of the Fans!
Xoanon @ 2:20 pm EST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Seth Carmichael
Carmichael PR
+1 212-803-5880
visit www.sonypictures.com/ringers

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 14, 2005) -- The ‘Ring’ has now come full circle for the worldwide following of J.R.R. Tolkien and his “Lord of the Rings” fantasy books. Indie production house Planet BB is proud to announce the sale of its feature-length film, RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS, to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. A rousing favorite at film festivals this year, RINGERS was honored the “Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking: Documentary” award at the 2005 Newport Beach Film Festival.

Narrated by Dominic Monaghan (star of ABC’s Lost and the Academy AwardÒ winning Lord of the Rings trilogy), RINGERS garnered outrageous attention from audiences and press alike during its smash festival circuit run. Screenings continuously sold out in Newport Beach, Dallas, and Park City -- with many enthusiasts camping out in Utah’s freezing January weather just to be the first to get tickets.

Premiere magazine proclaimed what eager audiences and fans have waited to hear: "There's a new documentary to take you back to The Shire" -- while The Toronto Star called RINGERS "comprehensive, entertaining and informative pop cultural history." Indie ubersite FilmThreat loudly praised: "It is a documentary that will always be a salient part of “Lord of the Rings” history.... See it, absorb it, love it!"

RINGERS charts the ongoing influence of “The Lord of the Rings” on pop culture, which continues at full speed more than 50 years after the books’ first publication. Filled with exceptional interviews with legendary rock musicians, filmmakers, professors, actors, authors, and true-blue Ringer fans, the film breathlessly weaves together five decades of Western popular culture. Infused with a dynamic rock score, irreverent cut-out animation (á la Terry Gilliam), and even a centerpiece audience Sing-a-long, RINGERS is a genre-busting documentary that shows how a single literary work continues to spark the minds and hearts of millions.

Director/Producer/Writer Carlene Cordova: “I am genuinely thrilled to work with our friends at Sony. Together we will continue celebrating J.R.R. Tolkien’s amazing achievement by telling the story behind the story.” She adds, “This film is about a true creative legacy and Sony definitely gets it. RINGERS is really special; reminding us how one work of art, this one huge book, can influence so many generations."

Executive Producer Tom DeSanto (X-Men and X2: X-Men United) sums up the LOTR phenomenon: “RINGERS is a celebration of J.R.R. Tolkien and how one author’s work has rippled out to affect other artists -- from musicians to moviemakers -- for over fifty years. Whether you are a J.R.R. Tolkien scholar or a person who has never heard of Frodo or Gandalf, RINGERS is a 90-minute ride that rockets you through the “Lord of the Rings” phenomenon.”

The deal was negotiated by Craig Kestel of William Morris Independent and Gary Hirsch for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. SPE is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

ABOUT THE FILM:

RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS is a feature-length documentary that explores how "The Lord of the Rings" has influenced Western popular culture over the past 50 years. Moving beyond “cult classic” and over several different generations, the film unearths countless people gathered under the banner of ‘Ringer’ -- academics, musicians, movie stars, authors, filmmakers, and a plethora of pop junkies. Celebrity interviewees include Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Clive Barker, and David Carradine.

RINGERS features a dynamic rock-driven score with musicians who were influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien. Several indie recording artists have provided new covers of songs from previous “Rings” adaptations. Produced in association with the popular fan-site TheOneRing.net, RINGERS stands as the most comprehensive film document of the ongoing impact of “The Lord of the Rings.”

From the hippie counter-culture to the electronic age; from the Bakshi animated film to Jackson’s epic trilogy; this documentary brings together extensive footage collected over 21 months -- across three continents.

What began as the private amusement of a tweedy Oxford professor has now become a new mythology for the 21st century. RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS shows how an adventure story published in 1954 has had dynamic ripple-effects through Western pop-culture. RINGERS carefully pulls away the veil between Tolkien’s book and the creations of art, music, and community that have been inspired by it.

RINGERS INTERVIEWEES INCLUDE: Writer/Director/Producer - Peter Jackson, Actor - Elijah Wood, Actor - Sir Ian McKellen, Actor - Viggo Mortensen, Actor - Sean Astin, Actor - Dominic Monaghan, Actor - Billy Boyd, Actor - Andy Serkis, Actor - Orlando Bloom, Screenwriter - Philippa Boyens, Author/Interviewer - Cliff Broadway, Author/Filmmaker - Clive Barker, Writer/Director/Producer - Cameron Crowe, Actor - David Carradine, Author - Terry Pratchett, Author - Peter S. Beagle, Author - Terry Brooks, Musician - Lemmy Kilmister, Musician - Geddy Lee, Tolkien Scholar - Dr. Jane Chance, Chairperson of the Tolkien Society - Christine Crawshaw, Author - Colin Duriez, Filmmaker/Critic - Chris Gore, Writer/Publisher - Forrest J. Ackerman, Actor - Bill Mumy, Author/Broadcaster - Brian Sibley, Illustrator/Author - Colleen Doran, Illustrator/Author - Jill Thompson, and hundreds of Tolkien fans!

visit www.sonypictures.com/ringers