Claire sends us a news story from the Empire Awards. Ian McKellen got an Empire Icon award and Andy Serkis received an Inspiration Award. There’s more on the BBC’s website and Empire’s own website.
Month: March 2010
WhiteLadyEowyn writes: My dear Baggins and Boffins, ladies and gentlemen all: The organizers of A Long-Expected Party, held at Shaker Village, Kentucky in 2008, have heard your calls! They are proud to present ALEP2: There and Back Again, taking place from Wednesday, September 28th to Sunday, October 2, 2011. The setting will once again be the beautiful Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, located in central Kentucky. You can check out the website and make your reservations here: www.alep2.us. Remember, space is very limited on the number of attendees, so don’t hesitate to register!
Speaking with Digital Spy at last night’s Empire Film Awards, Andy Serkis dished out several small but interesting tidbits about The Hobbit films.
He revealed that he met with Guillermo del Toro last year (during the time he spent in New Zealand on his Tintin shoot) and talked through some visual concepts with him. Further, Guillermo also showed him some “fantastic pre-visualization stuff”, and he believes that shooting on the Hobbit films, which “looks like it’s going to be a very exciting shoot… should kick start by the end of this year”.
On the classic question about whether the films are going to differ visually from the Lord of the Rings, he says “I think Middle-earth will still feel like Middle-earth. Obviously, Guillermo’s got a particular take on how he envisions it, and that’s why he’s there. Peter, as producer, and the writing team want a fresh pair of eyes on the story. But at the same time… fans aren’t going to think “Oh my God, where are we!” There’s a familiarity to it, but there’s a fresh pair of eyes on it.”
Asked whether Bilbo has been found yet, his answer was a spontaneous “No”.
Lastly, on the aspect of the films being in 3D, he said “I don’t know what’s going on with that debate really. We’ll have to wait and see. It’s an interesting question… I don’t know!”
Watch the entire video over at Digital Spy.
TheOneRing.net has received rock-solid information from an absolutely reliable source that the MGM financial situation is indeed what is behind the delays of the start of “The Hobbit.”
The venerable film studio behind James Bond and about 4,000 other titles is reported to be in about $3.7 billion in debt but holds the distribution rights for two “Hobbit” films that are under contract to be made by Warners Bros. The two studios have an agreement in place to produce and distribute the film but financial difficulties for MGM, including the potential sale of the studio and its holdings, including rights to the films based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien, has delayed the films.
The source inside the production has told TheOneRing.net that all of the wrangling with MGM is indeed a significant part of possibly pushing the films back.
“At this stage we are all working and hoping for the best case scenario. Without a doubt, the MGM situation carries great importance.” Continue reading “Source says the MGM situation of ‘great importance’ to two potential ‘Hobbit’ films”
Come join the discussion board members as they suggest wild answers to this week’s Middle-earth Conspiracy Theory: Just why did Fatty Bolger remain in Crickhollow when Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin went on their adventure?
The great folks from Red Carpet Tours (redcarpet-tours.com) have sent along this report and imagery from the Hobbiton set near Matamata, New Zealand:
At last – work on the set at Hobbiton is under way in earnest ! A team of 60 people have begun building Hobbit holes. Three of those under construction are new and rather large. Does that mean we’ll be able to step inside them? Check out the photos below.
Click an image for a larger version