The Desolation of Smaug sneak peak just ended and those of us who were lucky enough to see it I think will agree it was fabulous! It started with a short tour by PJ and Jed Brophy of Stone Street Studios that ended in the editing room. There, we were treated to many clips, finished and unfinished, of various parts of the movie in response to fan’s questions. It ended with a finished, trailer-like excerpt of Gandalf and Radagast in Dol Guldur, and maybe a dozen other shorter clips from filming and from the movie itself. Fabulous!
For those of you who missed it, fear not! Our staff is busy compiling detailed commentary complete with screen caps!! So, stay tuned here for much, much more. It will be posted here on the Home Page soon. Our friends at Warner Bros. also remind us that If you missed the Peter Jackson hosted first look at “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” or just want to watch it over again, a modified version will be archived on the Trilogy’s official website www.thehobbit.com/sneak. To access the footage, use your UltraViolet code on your copy “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack or 2-Disc Special Edition DVD.
UPDATE: we’ve just been informed by Warner Bros. that we can post no screen caps of the sneak peek. We apologize for disappointing any of our loyal readers, especially those who weren’t able to see it. We *will*, however, be posting more details and commentary from our staff very soon!
Burbank, CA, February 5, 2013 – From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), arriving on Digital Download on March 12th and on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and 2-Disc DVD Special Edition on March 19th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. All disc versions feature UltraVioletÔ and over 130 minutes of bonus content.The first of a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” which is nominated for three Academy Awards*, is an epic adventure that immerses audiences once again in the fantastical world of Middle-earth. The March 19th home entertainment release will be followed by an Extended Edition in time for the holidays.
In addition, Peter Jackson will host a live first look at “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second film in The Hobbit Trilogy, on Sunday, March 24th at 3:00PM Eastern/Noon Pacific. Content will be streamed live and an edited version will be archived on the Trilogy’s official website. Access to the live event will be limited to holders of an UltraViolet code available by purchasing “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack or 2-Disc Special Edition DVD. Select digital retailers will issue access codes upon purchase of the film. Visit www.thehobbit.com/sneakfor more information.
From the L.A. Times: Warner Bros. has succeeded in blocking the release of a low-budget knockoff the same week that “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” hits theaters. A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order against Tuesday’s scheduled DVD and online release of “Age of the Hobbits” from “mockbuster” factory Global Asylum. Judge Philip S. Guttierez found that Global Asylum’s movie was likely to cause some confusion among consumers. Read More…
For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, Warner Bros. made TV spot #12 available on their facebook page today. This spot is mostly a re-shuffling of previously seen footage, but we do catch a glimpse of wargs being ridden and Gandalf striking the ground with his glowing staff. The length of this TV spot is similar to most of the others, weighing in at 34 seconds. This is just the thing to get you through to the movie openings which start in less than 48 hours! Have a look.
Just when we think we’ve seen the geekiest of Tolkien/Hobbit geekiness, it gets even geekier! Ringer and international attorney, Scott Maucere, couldn’t resist applying his legal expertise to the analysis of Bilbo’s contract with Thorin and his party of dwarves in his legal blog. Per Scott: “here is likely the only legal analysis of Bilbo’s contract you will ever have the pleasure (or pain) to read.” Scott makes it clear that he’s analyzing the contract in the book, not the one in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey but, of course, there are many parallels. One disclaimer Scott makes: “Keep in mind that while I practice international law, Middle-earth most certainly falls outside of my area of experience.” Fair enough, Scott, fair enough. Read more…
Our friend Ethan Gilsdorf, author of “Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks” has been running a series of articles on The Hobbit for The Boston Globe.com. The entertaining pieces include an annotated map of Middle-earth, a Hobbit movie ‘cheat sheet’ and “Hobbit by the Numbers” for those of us who can’t get enough geeky statistics about the making of the three Hobbit movies. Visit ethangilsdorf.com for links to all his articles. Read More...
Thanks to ringer lotrcrazy for alerting us to a recent Foxtrot.com comic that spoofs The Hobbit. Like many of us, the kids are busy prepping their costumes for their trip to the opening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and everything seems to be absolutely perfect – or so they think! Read More…
Tomorrow, December 8, many theaters in the U.S. and elsewhere will be hosting Lord of the Rings movie marathons: all three extended editions of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy in one glorious day! If you don’t have your tickets, you can still get them in the U.S. at AMC, Cinemark and Regal cinemas. If you do have your tickets, you’re probably getting ready for the big day. Like you, some of our discussion board members are also going and have been sharing tips and tricks to prepare for, and survive, the big day. Read some of their recommendations below, and share one or two of your own here. (Thanks to member Chopsta123 for getting the ball rolling).
- some caffeine might help if you’re not used to staying up late, but too much caffeine might make you fidgety. (zarabia)
- bring something you can drape on your chair to ‘claim’ it during breaks but you won’t mind losing if some loser steals it. (Magpie)
- a set of earplugs or tissue to periodically stuff in your ears might be useful. You might say, “It would interfere with the experience” (which it does to some extent), but after years of being in control of the volume on the TV to watch them, it was like an assault on my eardrums when the orcs, wargs, and Nazgul showed up in the theatre again (Lissuin)
- plan something to do afterwards to help you process/unwind — like walking under the stars, if you can manage that. It’s like eating a very fine and heavy meal — you need time to digest it when you get up from the table! (weaver)
- be prepared for the theater to be cold. Many are. But layer so you can adapt if it gets too warm. (Magpie)
- bring outside food (of the healthier sort) if your theater allows it. (lyndomiel)
- get up, move around and stretch between films. (zarabia).
- don’t buy the jumbo drinks. Unless you have scenes in the movies that you don’t mind running to the bathroom for. (Magpie)
- don’t snore to loudly as it bothers the Elves! (Kangi Ska)
For those of you who couldn’t catch The Colbert Report’s Hobbit Week, TheOneRing.net has assembled links to clips from the shows. Steven Colbert, a self-professed Tolkien uber-geek, dedicated this past week to interviewing cast members from the upcoming Hobbit movie. Interviews included Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Sir Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, and director Peter Jackson himself. Follow the links below to see all five spots, but beware that it’s been reported there may be a spoiler or two!
Another TV spot for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey just became available on the Warner Bros. Hobbit facebook page. TV Spot #11, is 34 seconds long and includes even more new Riddles in the Dark footage at the beginning, plus Andy Serkis’ chilling delivery of the the line “Time’s up,” at the end. More dwarf vs. Goblin footage can also be seen in this action packed TV commercial. Enjoy!
Entertainment Weekly revealed one of four ‘collector’s edition covers’ of their upcoming December 14 issue today. The cover features a prominent picture of Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins), and also has a little teaser about a first look at the next film. No details yet on how extensive the ‘first look’ will be. The edition hits news stands on Friday, December 7th, so we don’t have to wait long to find out! Read more…
TV spot no. 10 has now officially been made available on Warner Bros. facebook page. For those of you (like me) who may have lost track of which spot number 10 is, exactly, it has a bit of new footage of the Riddles in the Dark scene between Bilbo and Gollum in the middle, and new footage of Galadriel and Gandalf towards the end. The total length of this spot is 34 seconds. Enjoy!
