Cremorne Orpheum Theatre, Sydney Australia – Wednesday 1st May, 2013
Introduced by: Chris Murray (Creative Director Popcorn Taxi)
Hosted by: Oscar Hillerstrom from Popcorn Taxi
by: Deleece Cook on behalf of theOneRing.net

The cheering began as soon as Popcorn Taxi’s Chris Murray walked out on stage to open the event. There wasn’t a spare seat to be had at The Orpheum Theatre at Cremorne for the exclusive screening of The Hobbit and the live on Stage Q&A appearance with Richard Armitage.

700 smiling excited Thorin Fans were in the audience – and they had come from all over Australia for the event – this is what they had been waiting for hours to see. And it didn’t disappoint. It was a wonderful night of entertainment and surprises – Richard was a talkative guest; relaxed, smiling and laughing through the interview and he tried as best as he could to answer every question put to him from the fans, and from the host Oscar Hillerstrom.

Here’s how the night went – plenty of laughter and cheering and just a great vibe all round!…

Chris Murray: “Good Evening! Do I need to ask how you’re doing? Um, I’ve never been to an underwear sale at David Jones but I suppose this is the closest thing. Ladies and Gentlemen my name is Chris Murray and I am the Creative Director of Popcorn Taxi. It gives me no greater pleasure and enormous privilege to have you here tonight to see on the big screen The Hobbit. But not only that I know why you’re here… Richard Armitage on that seat ladies and Gentlemen”

Mad applause.

Chris Murray:  “Yes, you get the chance to ask him questions – I get the chance to curl into a small ball and rock backwards and forwards in the corner.”

More laughter… Then Chris laid down some house rules regarding soft toys and portraits not coming anywhere near the stage, but he mentioned nicely that questions were welcomed from the audience.
Then the first surprise of the night was announced…

Chris Murray: We are celebrating a fantastic film, and that film is out on Blu-ray and DVD today (mad applause)… “Yes! You should buy it! Warner Bros will love me! But, what’s not on that Blu-ray and what’s not on that DVD is what I’m about to play for you now. We have 12 minutes of a little behind the scenes that you will not see anywhere else. (lots of gasps) After that, you’ll get to meet Mr Richard Armitage.

Mad cheering!

Chris Murray: So enjoy the 12 minutes and relax – get the wetness out of the seats – whatever works for you – and I’ll be back! Please enjoy this event.

The sound of the cheering audience was amazing! Then silence. The lights lowered and the huge screen lit up… and then there was Peter…

Peter Jackson: “You want the Hobbit to be a visual experience that goes several steps beyond Lord of The Rings”

And that familiar drone of singing Dwarves speaking of “Pines and Mountains cold” echoed through the theatre – every eye was glued to the screen… it was more than 12 minutes of magic!

The film covered races and character that we see in the An Unexpected Journey – with snippets of comments from the actors and crew members. It shortly gave a brief explanation of the storyline and highlighted some of the production values and costuming as well.

In no particular order – Here are just some of the presenters on the clip, and what they had to say…
____
Peter Jackson: “When we made Lord of the Rings I was absolutely sure that was going to be a once in a lifetime experience. I never realized that ten years later I’d be doing it all over again – and we actually shot the 266 days on The Hobbit which was exactly the same number of days we shot on Lord of The Rings, so I’ve sort of done the once in a lifetime experience twice now (laughs) not a third time – there won’t be a third time”

Peter Jackson: “10 years ago it was Ian playing the character of Gandalf and no one had seen any of the movies, and now that’s an iconic figure. That’s Gandalf.”

Peter Jackson: “The same creative talent. 20 or 30 of the most senior people were Lord of The Rings veterans”

Peter Jackson: “The thing that’s so incredible about Martin is that he’s always exploring, he’s experimenting, he’s always trying to figure out where Bilbo’s truth is”

Peter Jackson: “One of the scary things about adapting The Hobbit is the fact that there’s 13 dwarves – and differentiating those characters was important.”

Philippa Boyens: “I remember the day when I knew we were back in Middle-Earth. I walked over to the costume room and there was Gandalf. And I suddenly thought… We’re Back.”

Philippa Boyens: (about Dwarves): “In the end Pete fell in love with each and every one of those characters. And as much as there is a little bit of Dwarf in Peter I think there’s a little bit of Peter in all those Dwarves.”

John Howe: “I imagine that Peter will do for Dwarves what he did for Elves because he is going to give them much more density, much more history.”

Martin Freeman: (talking about his character Bilbo) “… We join Bilbo as the book of The Hobbit does, as a home faring solitary Hobbit. …certain things struck me about him suggested a certain timidity and a lot of life…”

Elijah Wood: “You’ll get taken on an amazing ride”

Elijah Wood: “To have a chance to return, pop a wig on and feet it kind of feels like I’ve stepped into a time machine. And I get to meet all of these other actors who are coming along for the real long journey and sort of seeing in them a little bit of what we felt like when we started”

Elijah Wood: “A seed is being planted for what eventually comes the time period that we meet in Lord of The Rings”.

Christopher Lee: “Middle Earth seems to be just beginning to rumble and tumble”

Christopher Lee: “The White Council – they represent enormous power. There’s suspicion amongst all of them that there’s this building power of evil – getting stronger and stronger!”

Cate Blanchett: (on Gandalf in the film): “What makes Gandalf the most wonderful hero is the courage against popular opinion. He gets to move on into the darkness that no one else is prepared to go into.”

Hugo Weaving: “Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel, Saruman, they play a role in eliminating those [forces?] from the political landscape.”

Ian McKellen: (on his character Gandalf regarding the appendices) “ Gandalf in The Hobbit; he is off and away doing other business and quite what that is, is not revealed in the novel. In the films we get to see what Gandalf was up to.”

Ian McKellen: “It’s magic. It’s pure magic. And you’ll believe it.”

The sound of the Dwarves was heard and the film ended with the audience cheering and clapping once more.

Then it was time for Richard Armitage to grace the Stage…

Check out the video links below to see what each had to say.

Cate Blanchett clip #1
Cate Blanchett clip #2
Cate Blanchett clip #3

Peter Jackson clip #1
Peter Jackson clip #2

James Nesbitt clip
John Callen clip
Jed Brophy clip

This week on Main the current Middle-earth Conspiracy Theory is asking us, “So why did Tom Bombadil keep himself apart from the wider world anyway?” Share your views here.

On Hobbit Movie board, Roheryn leads us in a look back at our early reactions to the announcement of the cast of The Hobbit. Some funny, some insightful and some just downright weird, join us as we look back here.

Over on Off Topic we remembered the second anniversary of the devastating Christchurch earthquake with our ChCh TORnsibs, “River of Flowers 22 February”.

We’ll share more topics next week and we hope you will come and join in the conversations!  Don’t forget, TheOneRing.net’s message boards have over 9,400 registered Tolkien fans, just like you.  Let your voice be heard!

Not because of the sniping between Gandalf and Saruman (although that in itself is worthy of a separate discussion), but for the superficially strange behaviour of Galadriel. I write “superficially” since I believe when you think about what’s going on more deeply, it reveals a key character trait that most readers (and viewers) overlook.

In the clip, Gandalf and Saruman are at odds facing each other across the table. The two Noldorin elves are distant from the … exchange … but Elrond approaches the two Istari to push home his point about the Watchful Peace.

On the other hand, Galadriel waits, watches and circles. A bit like a hawk striking, she makes her message count: “Let him speak”.

At first this action struck me as deeply calculated, and I found this off-putting.

Then I realised that must be the point. Because Tolkien’s Galadriel is a deeply political animal. A meddler par-excellence, if you will.

This is something that’s often subsumed beneath the idea of Galadriel as one the most potent exponents of _magical_ power in Middle-earth — the wielder of Nenya, creator of the eponymous phial filled with the light of Earendil’s star, and owner of the mysterious Mirror that reveals past, present and future.

And that’s often the default interpretation of elves — ethereal and majestic beings wielding an unknowable and puissant magic. It’s an idealistic interpretation reinforced by the stereotypes that litter scores of lazily written pulp fantasy novels, Dungeons and Dragons and World of Warcraft. And the pretty but vacuous artwork that tends to accompany all that.

But scratch the surface of Tolkien and you’ll find Middle-earth’s elves exhibit their own share of (jealousy-driven) brutal politicking. The end of Finrod’s rule in Nargothrond is one example. The overthrow of Galadriel and Celborn’s lordship over Eregion by the Gwaith-i-Mirdain is another (which we’ll explore further in a moment).

Galadriel’s history is, of course, convoluted and inconsistent. But across all these variations, themes do emerge. One of these, I believe, is that Galadriel desired to wield (political) influence over others.

Proud, strong, and self-willed…

“She was proud, strong, and self-willed, as were all the descendants of Finwë save Finarfin; and like her brother Finrod, of all her kin the nearest to her heart, she had dreams of far lands and dominions that might be her own to order as she would without tutelage.” (Unfinished Tales, The History of Galadriel and Celeborn)

When the Noldor leave Valinor in the wake of Melkor and Ungoliant’s destruction of the Two Trees, Galadriel’s desire to achieve greater things is plain:

“Galadriel… was eager to be gone. No oaths she swore, but the words Fëanor concerning Middle-earth had kindled in her heart, for she longed to see the wide unguarded lands and to rule there a realm at her own will.” (The Silmarillion, Of the Flight of the Noldor)

Later, after Morgoth is defeated and the ban of the Valar is lifted, in one version of events, she — and Celeborn — reject their pardon to remain in Middle-earth:

“Pride still moved her when… she refused the pardon of the Valar for all who had fought against [Morgoth], and remained in Middle-earth.” (Unfinished Tales, The History of Galadriel and Celeborn)

This concept is reinforced when later in Unfinished Tales Tolkien writes of the origin of the Elessar:

‘”Will you then pass over Sea?” [Celebrimbor said.]

“Nay,” [Galadriel] said. “Angrod is gone, and Aegnor is gone, and Felagund is no more. Of Finarfin’s children I am the last. But my heart is still proud. What wrong did the golden house of Finarfin do that I should ask the pardon of the Valar, or be content with an isle in the sea whose native land was Aman the Blessed? Here I am mightier.”‘ (Unfinished Tales, The History of Galadriel and Celeborn)

The Lady of three different realms

No less than three times does Tolkien write about Galadriel establishing a realm of her own in Middle-earth.

The first, although possibly under the stewardship of Gil-galad, is a short-lived elven realm on the shores of Lake Nenuial in northern Eriador.

The second, (at least in one version of events) has Galadriel and Celeborn founding of Eregion as a defence and counter against menaces from the east regions of Middle-earth.

“[Galadriel] perceived that there was an evil controlling purpose abroad in the world, and that it seemed to proceed from a source further to the East, beyond Eriador and the Misty Mountains. Celeborn and Galadriel therefore went eastwards, about the year 700 of the Second Age, and established the (primarily but by no means solely) Noldorin realm of Eregion.” (Unfinished Tales, The History of Galadriel and Celeborn)

And the third, after the Noldorin smith Celebrimbor and his Gwaith-i-Mirdain supplanted her power in Eregion, as the Lady of Lorien.

“Galadriel thereupon left Eregion and passed through Khazad-dûm to Lórinand… but Celeborn would not enter the mansions of the Dwarves, and he remained behind in Eregion, disregarded by Celebrimbor. In Lórinand Galadriel took up rule, and defence against Sauron.” (Unfinished Tales, The History of Galadriel and Celeborn)

The latter two realms were organised with clear purpose: to guard the elven lands of western Middle-earth against the Shadow of the East.

From the tale of Amroth and Nimrodel: “In her wisdom Galadriel saw that Lórien would be a stronghold and point of power to prevent the Shadow from crossing the Anduin in the war that must inevitably come before it was again defeated (if that were possible); but that it needed a rule of greater strength and wisdom than the Silvan folk possessed.” (Unfinished Tales, The History of Galadriel and Celeborn)

This is prescient as Lórien, of course, later plays a key role as a bulwark against the growing influence of Dol Guldur on the area around Mirkwood.

So, the question you probably want to hear answered is how The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey compares with LoTR.  From my perspective, it’s pretty favourable – it worked much better for me than RoTK and FoTR, and probably slightly better than TTT.  For context however, this is coming from someone who seriously undermined their enjoyment of LoTR by spoiling themselves rotten – whereas I’ve deliberately kept myself unspoilt for The Hobbit.

The pacing of The Hobbit: AUJ is gentler and more consistent than LoTR – the storytelling unfolds at a much more metered and less rushed pace.  At no point did I feel bored – it felt like a leisurely but appropriate telling of the story.  Also, where story padding is added, it generally feels that it’s actually dramatically required in order to provide additional context for the ‘real’ story, rather than a jarring and illadvised substitution from the books.  For instance, the presence of Radagast is a much-needed and legitimate extension to portray the rise of evil in Mirkwood and Dol Guldur which would otherwise have to be shown as a slightly forced flashback.

Also, the lighter humour and tone of The Hobbit feels much more suited to Peter Jackson’s style – whereas I found myself wincing at many of the incongruously lighter moments in LoTR.  I am glad to say that The Shire is presented much more naturalistically than the rather over-the-top utopia of the LoTR films (especially in the absence of The Scouring to balance it out!) – and there are thankfully no sequences remotely approaching the many “jumping on the bed” endings of RoTK (with the possible exception of needlessly belching dwarves…)

Much of the improved consistency over LoTR can be ascribed to Martin Freeman turning in a pretty much perfect performance as Bilbo, alongside Andy Serkis hitting new highs in his portrayal of Gollum and Ian McKellen growing further into Gandalf.  In fact, almost all the performances are very strong, with the possible exception of the entirely CGI creation of Azog, who unfortunately comes across needlessly one-dimensionally, complete with some very clunky dialogue (bizarrely exaggerated by being subtitled into English) – think Gothmog, but worse.  The contrast is particularly shown up by Barry Humphries turning in a wonderfully charismatic performance as the similarly CGI Goblin King, as well as the spot-on interpretations of the Trolls.

A slightly unexpectedly major overlap with LoTR is the score – beyond the fantastic ‘Lonely Mountain’ theme which underpins the whole film, I didn’t spot any new thematic material at all beyond all the original leitmotifs from LoTR.  Whilst the various themes have been reorchestrated (including a fantastic cymbalom introduction for Gollum’s theme), there really feels like very little new material at all – and in some places (Rivendell, The Shire, The Ring) the audio cues sound taken almost verbatim from the various LoTR scores.  Given that arguably one of the best things about the Star Wars prequels was the vast range of new thematic material that John Williams produced as a prequel in and of itself to the original SW scores, it seems bizarre that the main new theme here was apparently composed by Donaldson/Roche/Roddick/Long rather than Howard Shore.

Outside the content of the film itself, there is of course the question over its presentation in HFR 3D.  The 48fps presentation is unquestionably jarring at first – in my case however, I managed to stop getting distracted by it after about 25 minutes (coinciding with the story really getting going at Bag End).  It’s unfortunately true that the strangely smooth motion does evoke the impression of a shot-on-video 1980’s BBC drama – and this impression is made only worse by the way the 3D glasses mute the colour and vibrancy of the footage.  I actually took off my glasses briefly during Rivendell and was blown away by how vibrant and bright the print was.  Putting glasses on again made it feel slightly as if I was watching it through a fish tank.

The strangest side-effect of the 48fps video however is that certain rapid movements (e.g. Bilbo tying up his dressing gown in preparation to flee Bag End) end up looking as if they’ve been inexplicably artificially sped up, as per the Benny Hill show.  I think this is because when we normally see fast movements on film, they are very obviously motion-blurred.  But if you see movement which is unexpectedly fast without any motion blur, your brain almost thinks it’s more plausible that you’re watching normal movement that has been ‘sped up’.  Either that or PJ is doing something very strange with the framerate in some of the earlier shots in Bag End.  On the plus side, the higher frame-rate added much more detail to the various spectacular fight set pieces – a major complaint of the fight choreography of LoTR for me was that the action was so kinetic and motion-blurred that you often couldn’t really see what on earth was going on.  HFR fixes this problem admirably, which arguably helps with the immersive experience.  (That said, I haven’t seen The Hobbit: AUJ at 24fps yet, so I may be guessing wrong on this).

The 3D is impressive at points – especially in the jawdropping VFX of the Stone Giants’ thunderbattle, and a welcome cameo for Sauron (in a pleasantly understated manifestation as opposed to the boggling eye of RoTK).  However, elsewhere the 3D really doesn’t contribute very much (unlike Prometheus, Thor, Hugo, Avatar or other more 3D-aware films) – and does detract noticeably from the clarity of the image, especially in combination with 48fps.  My recommendation would certainly be to see it at first on a really good 2D 24fps screen – and then follow it up in HFR 3D a bit later.

To conclude: The Hobbit: AUJ is a more than worthy successor to the LoTR films – and learns from many of their mistakes and avoids many of their disappointments whilst standing true to all their positives.  In the end, one of my key metrics for a good film is whether it sucks me in enough for the drama to send shivers up and down my spine… and I’m happy to say that both the sacking of Dale and Thorin’s final showdown managed that big time.  The set pieces are bigger and more spectacular than ever, and the film captures both the essence and the detail of the book.  What more could you ask for?  In IMDB terms, I’d give it 8 out of 10 (with FoTR coming in at 7, TTT at 8, RoTK at 7).

Walking through the morning commuting crowds, heading to the cinema, it was slightly bewildering to think that I was finally going to see this movie.  It’s been YEARS – hoping since The Return of the King that we would get to go ‘back again’; handing out ‘Make the Hobbit Happen!’ buttons at conventions; watching the ‘snakes and ladders’ game of waiting for that greenlight; eagerly taking in every moment of Peter Jackson’s production diaries…  And now, at last, here it is.  Would the anticipation prove too much?  Would I be disappointed?

As the opening credits came up, I knew immediately that the answer, whatever was in store, would be NO.  I was revisiting old friends – and what a great pleasure it was.  I wanted to cry, as Frodo does in The Fellowship of the Ring, ‘It’s wonderful to see you Gandalf!’  What a treat to be back in the Shire, and to delight again in its green beauty.  What fun to explore Bag End some more, and to see Ian Holm and Elijah Wood back where they belong – in furry feet!

Some reviews have commented that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey feels too much like an echo of the earlier trilogy – too many parallels, which perhaps feel contrived.  Those perils certainly exist, when revisiting a franchise: remember the James Bond team desperately trying to smooth over the replacement of Sean Connery with George Lazenby, by throwing in lines such as, ‘This never happened to the other guy!’?  Fortunately, Jackson et al have dodged such pitfalls.  They make no apologies, simply plunging in and enjoying being back.  The fact is, we ARE back in Middle-earth – back in Peter Jackson, Alan Lee, John Howe and Weta’s Middle-earth – and it SHOULD seem familiar!  These are many of the same characters, the same locations; should we expect them to be somehow different?  In a recent interview, Richard Armitage commented that ‘connecting blood vessels to those other films [The Lord of the Rings trilogy] … was giving oxygen to our film’;  Middle-earth breathes again because it is linked to the movies we already know – and that is an encouraging thought.

This first of The Hobbit films does have a somewhat lighter touch than The Lord of the Rings movies, in keeping with the difference in Tolkien’s own style, going from The Hobbit to the later trilogy.  An Unexpected Journey feels, in places, closer to a Jim Henson movie or a Goonies style kids’ adventure tale; and this unfamiliar flippancy was sometimes disorienting.  It seems likely, however, with the way that plot events unfold, that The Desolation of Smaug and There and Back Again will be much darker – so perhaps it is as well to find the humour and the levity where we can!  We see the characters having fun, enjoying each other and developing a rich camaraderie – which will make the dangers and darkness to come all the more poignant and frightening.

The occasional frivolity of this movie is counterbalanced by the anchoring performances of its core trio – Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and Sir Ian McKellen.  These three actors are exceptional, and the intensity and focus which they bring to their roles give the film an essential weight and gravity.  Martin Freeman never puts a (rather fat and chunky!) foot wrong in his portrayal of Bilbo – every moment, whether it be a scene of comedy, of danger or of emotion, is perfectly played.  Richard Armitage gives Thorin extraordinary depth – this is a truly heroic character in whom we can believe as a leader and a potential king, but who is also a haunted, vulnerable being who carries heavy burdens of sadness and self-doubt. And McKellen is, of course, everything we want from Gandalf – funny, touching, wise: a formidable presence.  How we will watch this triumvirate journey together, and see their characters’ relationships grow and change, is a thrilling prospect for the next two movies. The Academy is often churlish in rewarding ‘fantasy’ acting roles, but if there isn’t oscar buzz for these three gents – well, there should be.

Not that the supporting cast is overshadowed!  One of the great joys of An Unexpected Journey is that it is so well cast; everyone plays his or her role to perfection.  Each dwarf is a delight – from William Kircher as the silent Bifur, who manages to communicate so much with his eyes and his grunts, to Adam Brown’s adorable Ori and James Nesbitt’s sparkling Bofur - and all the others in between. Ken Stott is particularly wonderful as Balin; as a long time fan of the Scottish actor, I was thrilled to see him bring such resonance to the role of Thorin’s old companion.

As one would expect, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett and Sir Christopher Lee recreate their particular roles with skill and mastery.  The White Council scenes are beautifully played, and Gandalf’s interactions with Galadriel are a joy to behold.  The only slight disappointment is that Saruman here is a difficult, ornery fellow, ever at odds with Gandalf.  It seems a missed opportunity – to have discovered a real friendship here between the two wizards could have been a powerful and poignant set up for the destruction of that friendship in The Lord of the Rings.

It would be remiss to leave out Andy Serkis in this roll call of excellence; his Gollum is better than ever - if that is possible – and the ‘Riddles in the Dark’ sequence is a highlight of the film.

The perfection of the players in the movie is of course, in large part, a credit to their director.  Sir Peter Jackson is known for being a technical wizard, but there is perhaps a tendency to overlook his further brilliance as an actor’s director.  No film would be so full of pitch perfect performances were it not helmed by a master, who knows exactly how to draw such work out of his cast; how to lead them where they need to go and create for them a world in which they flourish.  Directors don’t always get the credit they deserve for enabling their actors – Sir Peter certainly deserves much applause for what he has achieved here.

So, what didn’t I love?  Well, I’ve never been a huge fan of snot gags, but those slapstick moments in which Jackson loves to indulge are all part of the energy of the film, and they quickly pass, so they didn’t spoil my enjoyment.  My only real issue was with the Higher Frame Rate – and even that was not quite the issue which others have found it to be.

Much has been written about 48 frames per second, with some even stating that the visuals at this frame rate made them nauseous.  I had no such problems, but I wasn’t convinced that this new technology is yet where it needs to be.  The clarity is extraordinary, but rather than enhancing the viewing experience, this brightness somewhat mars it.  At 48 fps, one sees EVERYTHING; this means that special effects, computer generated images, and edits do not blend as seamlessly as they would at a lower frame rate.  The quality of artificial studio light, for example, is never quite the same as actual daylight; at 48 fps, in sequences where the close-ups were shot indoors and the wide shots on location, this slight shift in the light is evident and distracting.  The extreme brightness and intensity of everything you see gives the film a rather cartoonish, ‘video game’ quality at times; rather than feeling that I was seeing right into that world of Middle-earth, I felt that I was gazing straight into the film set.  48 fps may well be the future, (and certainly 3D is much more effective at 48 fps), but the future isn’t here quite yet – the rest of movie making technology needs to catch up to this higher frame rate, so that the minor flaws aren’t exposed by the enhanced clarity.

Such concerns were not significant enough to spoil my enjoyment of the film; I will certainly see the movie again at 48fps - and at 24fps.  With such a team of experts at the helm – from director and actors to designers and crew, and not forgetting the magnificent, soaring score from composer Howard Shore – how could the film be anything but wondrous?  I was left with the feeling that I had spent time with a friend whom I had not seen for years.  For almost a decade, Middle-earth has only been what we’d already seen – we could revisit, but it was not new, not living and breathing.  Now, here is our old acquaintance: returned, alive and well, and revealing new treasures!  Hello old friend – it’s wonderful to see you again.  I’m glad you’re back.

Jackson on shooting at 48 frames per second instead of the standard 24: “We’ve seen the arrival of iPhones and iPads and now there’s a generation of kids – the worry that I have is that they seem to think it’s OK to wait for the film to come out on DVD or be available for download. And I don’t want kids to see `The Hobbit’ on their iPads, really. Not for the first time. So as a filmmaker, I feel the responsibility to say, `This is the technology we have now, and it’s different … How can we raise the bar? Why do we have to stick with 24 frames? …’”

“The world has to move on and change. And I want to get people back into the cinema. I want to play my little tiny role in encouraging that beautiful, magical, mysterious experience of going into a dark room full of strangers, and being transported into a piece of escapism.”

Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins) on shooting some scenes without other actors around: “I must admit I found the green screen and all that easier than I thought I would. … I found the technical aspect of it quite doable. Some of it’s difficult, but it’s quite enjoyable, actually. It taps into when I used to play `war’ as a 6-year-old. And the Germans were all imaginary. Because I was playing a British person. So yeah, I was on the right side. …”

On marrying his performance to that of Ian Holm, who played an older Bilbo Baggins in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy: “I knew I couldn’t be a slave to it. Because as truly fantastic as Ian Holm is in everything, and certainly as Bilbo, I can’t just go and do an impression of Ian Holm for a year and a half. Because it’s my turn. But it was very useful for me to watch and listen to stuff he did, vocal ticks or physical ticks, that I can use but not feel hamstrung by.”

[Read More]

Richard Armitage listens to a question during a press conference before the World Premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in Wellington, New Zealand.

Only hours before the stars walked the red carpet in front of 100,000 fans on the street of Wellington, nearly the entire cast gathered at Te Papa Museum for a pair of press conferences.

Peter Jackson and stars Richard Armitage and Martin Freeman attended both press events while most of the rest of the principal cast and screenwriter Philippa Boyens attended one event or the other.

Media was invited by Warner Bros., the studio that was handling press from around the world during the week. TheOneRing.net was included in the press invite, not the only online fan site to get the call, as our friends from herr-der-ringe were also there. MGM and New Line were also announced as presenting the press conferences.

John Callen sits with his “Team Oin” jacket on during the press conference at Te Papa Museum in Wellington, New Zealand. Each actor choose a unique approach to wardrobe, just as in the movie, showing their personality when there was little dialog to go around.

Te Papa, a world-class museum, arranged a long table for the events and switched name cards in front of native Maori art. Called a Marae, translated as “big house” but serving as the symbolic center of Maori tradition, the event started with singing and then a forehead-to-forehead welcome to the participants. With the unique and beautiful colors behind, each of the question and answer sessions lasted about 40 minutes and was moderated.

Flash photography was not allowed, although clearly TheOneRing took quite a few stills. In the back of the room rows of cameras shot video, including for TORn. We audio recorded the event as well and hope to present a transcript of it in a day or two. Meanwhile enjoy some of the best handful of photos. The participants included: Cate Blanchette, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Stephen Hunter, Peter Hambleton William Kircher, Sylvester McCoy, Graham McTavish, Andy Serkis and Elijah Wood.