Another interesting thought-piece that I stumbled on in my Middle-earth wanderings across the internet. In this article, Tolkien scholar Michael Martinez tackles the eternally vexing question of textual fidelity and why he feels that the divergences between novel and film are beneficial. (more…)
News about Benedict Cumberbatch via Yahoo.co.uk:
I’m fairly obsessed with The Hobbit’s Benedict Cumberbatch, I have been since I first saw him take on the role of Sherlock Holmes in BBC’s ‘Sherlock’. This is why it’s great to hear that Benedict will be awarded for his talent at the upcoming Britannia awards.
Benedict whose credits include ‘The Fifth Estate’, ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’ and ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’, as well as obviously ‘Sherlock’ and the upcoming ‘Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug’, where he’ll be playing the titular dragon antagonist Smaug, will be receiving the award for British Artist of the Year at the Britannia Awards in Beverley Hills. (more…)
Posted in Benedict Cumberbatch, Hobbit Cast News, Hobbit Movie, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
For the last year or so I’ve been enjoying these clever and funny toons by PeckishOwl and now we’re sharing them with you. So without further ado, meet the Oakentoons 
October 10th to 13th TheOneRing.net will be in the Big Apple, for New York ComicCon. We’ll be at Booth 3008, so we hope you’ll come by to say hello, chat with us and maybe buy a shirt or try to win something! We’ll also be giving a panel on Sunday at 12noon – ‘An Unofficial Sneak Peak at The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug‘. The panel is currently scheduled to be in room 1A14, but that may change, so check back nearer the time.
Of course. we can’t come to the city that never sleeps and NOT throw a party! So on Thursday 10th October we will be holding our annual ‘Ringers Take Manhattan’ event! This year, we’ll be at a different venue – the charming Oak Cellar at Jake’s Dilemma, 430 Amsterdam Avenue (just down the road from where we were last year). As ever, we’ll have a generous finger food buffet, and your ticket will also include your first drink and two tickets into our raffle for the evening.
You can buy tickets for this party here. Tickets can also be bought on the door that night, but will be $5 more expensive then – so it pays to buy in advance! We really hope you’ll join us – we look forward to seeing many of our fellow fans in NYC in October!
[Buy tickets to Ringers take Manhattan]
Posted in Conventions, Events, Fans, Hobbit Movie, Meet Ups, NYCC, Other Events, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: The Desolation of SmaugThis is a cute little Lego animation of part of the Riddles in the Dark sequence from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Thanks to Ringer Adam for the link. (more…)
Posted in Creations, Fans, Hobbit Movie, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
As part of TheOneRing.net’s recent Light the Beacons fundraiser, Heather (AKA: IStoleTheOneRing from the Barliman’s Chat) won a guest spot with the Happy Hobbit team.
What started off as a friendly chat quickly devolved into an exposé… and an attack of a clone! (more…)
Posted in Barlimans, Fans, Hobbit Movie, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Tolkien
There’s still some three months before The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug debuts on our screens (four if you’re unlucky!). Yet wider geek fandom is already looking ahead to what we can expect. In this article, The Digital Times suggests that The Desolation of Smaug may prove the high point of the three (unusual, as middle films in a sequence generally are regarded as the weak link).
The author’s reason? Spiders. Mirkwood. Beorn. Wood-elves. Lake-men. And Smaug. (more…)
Posted in Hobbit Movie, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: There and Back Again
Attention Legolas fans!
Actor Orlando Bloom is currently making his Broadway debut (sans blonde wig, we assume) in a new production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
This is the first time Romeo and Juliet has been staged on Broadway in 36 years — and we have THREE pairs of tickets to giveaway to lucky TORn readers!
Bloom’s co-star is two-time Tony Award® nominee Condola Rashad, and the production is directed by five-time Tony Award® nominee David Leveaux. The play will open on Broadway on Thursday, September 19, 2013 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre; preview performances have been running since Saturday, August 24, 2013.
We know that The Necromancer has a big role to play in The Desolation of Smaug. But just how big will it be? Will Dol Guldur be a relatively minor affair involving only Gandalf and his fellow wizards? Or will other key actors of The Hobbit be somehow drawn into the struggle in the south of Mirkwood?
In this feature, Ringer Captain Salt assembles what we know already form various actor blog posts, video logs and magazine articles and tries to tie it all together. (more…)
Posted in Green Books, Hobbit Movie, Rumors Spy News, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every week we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join the fun!
Jed Brophy and Weta Workshop propbuilder Samantha Swords star in the new short film ‘The Offering’, written and directed by Elizabeth Crummett. ‘The Offering’ is a unique take on the classic damsel in distress story, and features some lively swordplay between Jed and Samantha. Watch it here; you can also follow the production on ‘The Offering’ Facebook page.
UPDATE: Photo of Manu Bennett at the TORn “Hobbit” preview panel.
Gandalf & Saruman at SLCC 2013
SALT LAKE CITY — Once scheduled for a smaller venue in the suburbs, the first ever Salt Lake Comic Con filled Utah’s capital city’s largest convention venue and had it bursting at the seams Saturday. For a time the hundreds waiting outside were not allowed to enter except at a 1-out-1-in rate. Word on the dealer’s floor said it was because the fire marshal closed the space but that rumor was never confirmed.
Reports in the media called the event “record setting” for a first-year convention, and that is possibly true, but such stats aren’t readily available. In any case, it was a massive event with celebrities that included William Kircher (Bifur) and Manu Bennett (Azog) and other pop-culture icons like William Shatner and Adam West.
Azog at Weta booth, Salt Lake Comic Con 2013
TheOneRing.net was part of the fun as well, with staffer (and this writer) Larry D. Curtis (MrCere) attending with the show in his (my) hometown. the SLComic Con invited TORn to present a panel about Smaug and serve on other panels as well, with topics including Fantasy Films, all things Tolkien, Geek Culture and film school.
Bennett and Kircher were kind enough to drop by TheOneRing panel that also included author and TORn friend Paul Genesse. He helped moderate the panel and showed incredible enthusiasm for the material.
TheOneRing also managed a booth on the at time very crowded floor supported by incredible friends at Badali Jewelry and Weta Workshop making its first U.S. appearance outside of the San Diego Comic Con. TORn helped back in a small way to staff the Weta booth and send those with questions about where to purchase The One Ring to Badali’s very nearby booth. Artist David Powell was also kind enough to sign posters of his art for fans.
The Salt Palace Convention Center can be expanded and the SLCC will return next year. TheOneRing.net hopes to be part of the show. Thanks to Dan McBride and Blonde Ninja for their support of the TORn booth. Thanks also to the many financial supports at the event and to Salt Lake Comic Con for letting us be a part of the show. If you attended and would like TORn to return, you can use the contact info here to let them know.
If anybody has images of Bennett and Kircher attending the TORn panel, please send them in! We were busy having a panel and didn’t get any photos.
