Finance Minister Michael Cullen has toppled the most powerful man in Hollywood, film-maker Peter Jackson, in a new list of the most influential New Zealanders. Prime Minister Helen Clark, into her third term as most powerful politician in the country, held on to the No 1 slot for the second year in the NZ Listener’s annual list of 50 formidable Kiwis. Dr Cullen, controller of the nation’s purse strings, snatched second place from Jackson, who slipped to No 5, showing how fickle power can be. Just six months ago, Jackson was named the most powerful man in Tinseltown by Premiere magazine, pushing aside the likes of Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise. [More]
Day: November 6, 2005
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – When Peter Jackson unveiled the first “Lord of the Rings” movie in 2001, it ushered in a torrent of attention on New Zealand and its film industry, kicking it into high gear and showing that the country was a viable place for Hollywood to make its movies. Four years later, with Jackson’s “King Kong” just more than a month away, the director’s shadow still looms large over the film industry in the remote country of 4.1 million people. “He’s important because of the films he makes himself, he’s hugely important because of the infrastructure he’s developed to enable him to make the films himself,” New Zealand Film Commission chief executive Ruth Harley said at the annual American Film Market in Santa Monica. [More]
It’s a love story set in Middle-earth. When New Line’s “The Lord of the Rings” films went into production, fans searched for news of the movies and dissected themes of the beloved J.R.R. Tolkien books on the Internet — largely through the Web site TheOneRing.net. The site and its users caught “Rings” director Peter Jackson’s eye. Jackson and his crew not only read the site every day, but also started sending contributions to it. Out of that collaboration grew a documentary all about “Rings” devotees, also known as “Ringers,” said Cliff Broadway, site contributing editor and writer-interviewer on Ringers: Lord of the Fans, due on DVD Nov. 22 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. [More]
Praise keeps rolling in for RINGERS — “The film is plain fantastic!” Check out the new review of RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS featured at CountingDown.com. And keep your eyes here on TORn for news about the special L.A. premire event on Nov. 16th! [More]
I have finally added the rest of Alan’s photos he sent along from his cross-country trip around the USA. Follow this link to read his latest reports from San Fran, Seattle and Portland…tons of pictures too! [More]
Turimel writes: I took these very cool pics of Alan Lee in Beaverton, OR. He’s drawing a picture of Sam on a concrete stepping stone. That stone will be placed in the Elanor Garden, which is just up the street from the bookstore where Alan appeared. [More]