Hobbit Movie News and Rumors | TheOneRing.net™ » The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

BBFC rates a “new” Desolation of Smaug trailer

Demosthenes — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 09:16:51 +0000

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has just recently rated another trailer for The Desolation of Smaug. This one comes in at 1 minute and 31 seconds, and like the first trailer that debuted back in June is rated 12A.

But we wonder whether, at 30 seconds shorter than the last one, this will merely be a cut-down version for different markets — a bit like we saw with the rendition of the AUJ trailer that was attached to Pixar’s Brave last year. In fact, Ringer TheHutt on the messageboards suggests that it might be this version below, which seems to been floating around a while, and contains no new scenes. If anyone has better information, get in touch with us!

Collecting The Precious – Weta Workshop’s Bofur the Dwarf Statue Review

elessar — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 02:34:01 +0000

Comic-Con 2013 brought us multiple new items that are going to be released for sale over the course of the next year. One of the new items that you could purchase while at the show or order for in-stock purchase via the Weta Workshop website is the Bofur the Dwarf statue. Bofur is one of three new Dwarven statues that was displayed at Comic-Con, along with Kili (Kili Review) and Gloin ,who is due to go up for order later this year.

PACKAGING

The overall graphic layout for Bofur’s box stays the same as we’ve seen with previous entries in the line. Per the format we’ve come to know, the front of the box gives you a great shot of Bofur, graphic work for the title of the movie, and of course the Weta logo. The sides of the box for Bofur also present a familiar format with different looks at the statue. While the other side of the box presents some of the various products you can get in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey line of collectibles. The back of the box contains a great story on Bofur as well as information regarding details of the character and statue. The Styrofoam on the inside is typical with what we’ve become used to getting with these statues.

SCULPTING

Lindsey Crummett is back at it again with Bofur. This will be the third Dwarve she’s sculpted in this series following Baling and Kili. As we mentioned in our Kili review she is also responsible for the amazing Azog the Defiler on Warg we saw during Comic-Con 2013. As been the case so far with every item she’s worked on Bofur is another exceptional addition to our collections.

The likeness of Bofur is pretty darn good. You get the solid likeness that James Nesbitt has while wearing the entire getup to play Bofur and you also have that ornery smile that he has in multiple parts of the movie. The work on the hair is also nicely done once again giving the real life appearance as well as the work done on his very unique looking beard. Bofur’s outfit is a little closer to Bombur but you also get some nice blend of leather with the cloth. So you get some great design work on the edging of his outfit in the sleeve area and on his vest. His boots have a great fur design on them, which comes through from the actual costume. I also love the little details of this piece with the little leather pouch having great stitch work, his awesome scarf, and that cool hat which blends the wool/leather look.

Bofur also comes ready for battle as he’s about to swing that giant mace. I’m really impressed with the detail in this wepon. The wooden detail in the staff of this weapon has a great worn wood look to it and near the top it appears to be wrapped some leather. Of course the end has been recreated to match the prop from the movie in spectacular fashion. It has all the beat up metal markings sculpted into it that make it appear to have actually been used.

PAINT

Bofur continues the streak of very well painted statues from Weta Workshop. The skin tones use the proper paint mixture to not only make the statue look like a shrunken Dwarf. I also love the work done on the eyes of Bofur in that they help sell the ornery look that he has. Once, again I think after making sure that you create a mini-Dwarf is making the outfit look real. The paint department did this in spades. The outfit has a real dirty look to it that helps show off the wear and tear this outfit has scene, but you do not lose the little details in the outfit. You also get the proper color of the outfit as we saw it on screen. Bofur’s weapon also has a fantastic paint job with it helping to create a old used weapon. The wood has the proper worn look as does the metal piece at the top both working with the sculpting job.

Overall

Bofur retails for $249, which is in line with most of the statues so far in the line. I’ve loved Bofur from the start with his unique look and personality in the film. He looks great and helps create a really great looking Hobbit display. I want to add that with every release in this line Weta is just continuing to show how great they with these statues.

SPECIFICATIONS

Bofur is limited to just 1000 pieces worldwide and in-stock ready to purchase. Get your order in now before he sells out.

Dimensions:

10.6″ x 9.1″ x 5.9″ (H x W x D)
27 cm x 23 cm x 15 cm

Weight:

2.2 lbs (1.0 kg)

PHOTOS

TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – August 11, 2013

grammaboodawg — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 19:34:03 +0000

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 weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and enjoy the fun!

Most of this past week’s action has been on The Hobbit Message Board where the speculations are flying! Could we have seen a picture of Beorn? Some say yes, some say no (very Elven!); but we’d like to hear what you think!

So the Hobbit Message Board is wondering about the new Favourite Elven Couple. Join in the conversation here.

And we can’t help but wonder about The Desolation of Smaug spoilers. Is there a battle? And there’s more in a recent article on the film? We’d love to hear from you!

We’ll share more topics next week and hope you join in on the conversation! Don’t forget, TheOneRing.net Message Boards have over 9,936 registered Tolkien fans, just like you. Let your voice be heard!

Desolation of Smaug world premiere set for Los Angeles

Demosthenes — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 14:10:27 +0000

TheOneRing.net has learned via reputable sources that the world premiere for The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug is going to be held in Los Angeles. No word on the precise date or venue yet, but late November seems a good bet.

We also think this makes London a very good bet for the world premiere of There and Back Again in 2014.

The Hobbit: too little butter over too much bread?

Demosthenes — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 12:35:29 +0000

Ringer Tajik tells us of this fascinating analysis of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and its two follow-ups by Mark Lee at Overthinking It that adds more fuel — and some hard numbers — to the gently simmering debate over the three-film decision that Jackson and the studios made in mid-2012.

The image at right, part of Lee’s analysis, is certainly food for thought.

I know I’m late to this party, but I finally got around to seeing The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey after hearing much belly-aching over how the story of a single book is split into three separate movies: it seems like a blatant cash grab by the studios, a cynical move that put franchise movie economics ahead of things like storytelling and pacing.

After seeing the movie, I can definitely sympathize with these complaints. It felt slow at times, particularly during the multiple expository scenes in the first half and the interminably long action sequence in the second half. Most importantly, I felt like the story didn’t advance far enough to justify taking up an entire movie on its own, especially compared to the Lord of the Rings movies.

So me being me, I decided to put this issue into quantitative terms. Specifically, I wanted to compare the length of the Hobbit movie to that of the source text, and run the same analysis for the three Lord of the Rings movies.

[Read More]

SD calendar reveals a new image of Beorn? In human form?

Demosthenes — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 00:17:18 +0000

The back cover of a 2014 Hobbit calendar from SD Toys reveals something interesting — what we believe is a new image of the shapeshifter Beorn, as played by Mikael Persbrandt. Excitingly, we believe it also finally answers a long-standing question about a series of spy images (and video) from Ringer Glow that we revealed way back in November 2011. This might be some heavy spoilers for some, so consider yourself pre-emptively warned!

But first, the image from SD Toys!

Say hello to Beorn!

Well, apparently the image IS real because Warner Bros. has asked us to remove it. Sorry about that, folks. If you were lucky and got in fast, you have seen Beorn in human form. If you weren’t, you might still be able to find it if you dig around the internet a bit.

In the meantime, here’s our detailed description:

Beorn is standing in what appears to be a field, in front of a large wooden chopping block made from the stump of a tree. Hewn logs, presumably intended as firewood, lie in a pile beside him. Beorn himself seems tall and very muscular – very solidly built in the torso, with very broad shoulders and thick biceps. His right upper-arm/shoulder may feature a large dark, tattoo. Or it may be grime. It’s too hard to be certain at this resolution. In fact, his entire torso appears to have dark striations. Could his entire body be tattoed? Is it some natural effect of being a skinchanger?

We view him from behind and to the right, so it’s mostly an image of his back but we do get to see his face and hair in profile. His nose is long and patrician, but the dark mane of hair is the real talking point. Swept backwards, it’s like a cross between a spiky mohawk and a mullet. You could almost imagine David Bowie rocking this look in the late ’70s and early ’80s. He wears brown trousers that have the same look and fit as the concept art we’ve seen from the production blogs. It is belted at the waist, but Beorn is shirtless.

The background is of a green, flat valley with a lake or small body of water off to the left beyond some low bushes. The valley sides rise steadily in the distance in the manner that’s often see throughout the South Island of New Zealand and particularly in the Glenorchy/Paradise area. Beorn appears to keep goats.

What do people think? Well, so far some readers are more than a bit bemused. One says: “Looks like some beauty and the beast guy”. Another: “he looks like some sort of punk rock/redneck hybrid. I half expect him to drop the axe and pick up an electric banjo.”. What do you reckon? Did you catch a glimpse? Let us know your thoughts below!

That’s no orc or goblin

Let me tell you: that’s no orc or goblin. Even if you did see one in such a rustic pastoral scene, would goats hang round near such a creature? No, not likely. I also think we can agree that it’s very different look to the Beorn of the graphic novel (thank-you to Ringer Ross for that link!).

The hair: is it a mohawk or a mullet? Or some peculiar combination of both? There do seem to be similarities with the hue of Bear!Beorn’s pelt as seen below in the original “Scroll” image that was released about 12 months ago. And is that a tattoo or some marking on Persbrandt’s right upper-arm/shoulder, just above the bicep?

It also might be worth making some comparisons to what many long believed (and now looks to pretty much confirmed) original concept art/sculpt for Beorn that was in one of the early production vlogs. The trousers seem almost the same, and both model and actor have around the same bulk. I reckon it’s a match.

The Company will meet Beorn early in the second film.

A concrete link with the old Paradise set?

The other interesting thing about this calendar picture derives from the background. When Ringer Glow provided those superb location spy shots, they also included several of the surrounding countryside.

But in particular, I’m thinking of the one directly below — which reveals a similar slope to the nearby mountains and the presence of water. Certainly we’ve seen snippets of both the interior and exterior of Beorn’s house in stills, the trailer and production blog scenes, but for mine this pretty much nails it — this is the Beorn set and there will be a gate in a thorn wall just like in the book.

After a while they came to a belt of tall and very ancient oaks, and beyond these to a high thorn-hedge through which you could neither see nor scramble.
“You had better wait here,” said the wizard to the dwarves; “and when I call or whistle begin to come after me — you will see the way I go-but only in pairs, mind, about five minutes between each pair of you. Bombur is fattest and will do for two, he had better come alone and last. Come on Mr. Baggins! There is a gate somewhere round this way.” And with that he went off along the hedge taking the frightened hobbit with him. The Hobbit

Getting to know MrCere

Kelvarhin — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 04:13:41 +0000

Welcome to this months “Getting to know you” Q&A, this month we’re talking to Senior Staffer and all round great guy, MrCere.

Kelvarhin: What are your thoughts on superstring theory?

MrCere: Well, theoretical physics isn’t quite my area of specialty, mostly because math is my own personal Durin’s Bane. But like others, I am troubled by the five different string theories. However, I buy into some of the possible crazy, theoretical ramifications of the theory, especially when dealing with the eternal nature of intelligences.

Wait – that question was a joke, wasn’t it? (Kelvarhin: Paging Demosthenes )

Kelvarhin: Which is your preferred form of transport; Planes, Trains or Automobiles?

MrCere: The correct answer is, “It depends” but for purposes of getting to know me better, I will say that money makes all the difference when it comes to transportation and I don’t have much these days. To really answer I need to know: Am I driving a Bugatti or riding in a crowded Pinto or driving through a hurricane with Quickbeam, Justin and Grimlock? If I have top-notch rail accommodations, “train” is my answer. Windows and scenery and freedom to move or recline are pretty great and the point of the journey is not always to arrive.

Having said that, I never fly first class but due to the kindness of one person, one time, I have. And wow, that was a great experience. I have travelled a lot in the last three years and I enjoyed some of each but the more money a person can spend on transportation, the better it is. There is nothing wrong with a bicycle or a bus. Thinking a bit, I think in the last three years I have more miles behind me than the rest of my life combined.

Kelvarhin: Do you buy any of the movie related Collectibles?

MrCere: Is this another trick question? [Kelvarhin: Now would *I* do anything like that? 3:) ]

Assuming that Middle-earth movies are what is being asked about, yes. I was a heavy collector during the LOTR days and I also did freelance writing for Sideshow Collectibles, which allowed me to pick up items way beyond my reach otherwise.

I find the high-end collectibles of Middle-earth monsters to be much more satisfying than the character figures. I love, love, love the series of mini-helms that Sideshow made and Weta Workshop now releases. I have many, including some really rare ones (the crown of the Witch King and King Elessar’s crown) but I am missing a few in the line and they are all but impossible to get now. They are all displayed and look cool.

I also bought all the LOTR action figures, and family literally gave them to me as Christmas presents, but they are boxed and in storage and I should sell them. I display some LOTR things in my Man Cave other than just the helms. The most dramatic piece I have is a large armoured Sauron figure that is displayed with a different piece, his mace, and a large, heavy and metal helm that might be 1:4 scale so I guess it is a shrine to Sauron on one shelf. I have a sweet Lurtz and a few others.

Now I really only collect Middle-earth books, including Tolkien books, because I am a student instead of a working man and there is no disposable income. I haven’t picked up Weta’s Hobbit movie books yet but I saw them in the production phase and they are mind-alteringly good. How can everybody not want those?

Really crazy pop-culture stuff still entices me though. For example I have a two full sets of the Burger King FOTR toys; one set opened, one set still in individual plastic bags. I had to eat a lot of Whoppers to get those. When the LOTR Pez sets came out, they were a must-buy.

What I really collect are comic book character Daredevil items which has been a life-long effort, but nobody here wants to read about that. I am a hopeless collector is so many ways.

Kelvarhin: How did you find TORn and why did you stick around?

MrCere: Well, the short version is Chris (Calisuri) adopted me. A couple of face-to-face exposures to him and he invited me to contribute, which changed my life. I love being part of a team that I feel is working for a good cause and I admired and still admire the TORn staff for doing what they do because of passion and not money. I also was really passionate about TORn Line Parties for the LOTR films.

But, before being asked to join the staff, I read the message boards from very early on but didn’t contribute for a long, long while and then contributed a lot. I am back to not contributing these days because my exposure to the Hobbit films is such that anything I type there can and will be used against me in a court of law and because I don’t quite feel like I fit in with all the speculating that goes on. I make it less fun for others I suspect.

Kelvarhin: And how is it to be invited by WB to attend the world premiere of The Hobbit? How much stress does it bring along? Can you do anything fun or is it just being ordered around where you have to be for the next press moment?

MrCere: Warner’s invitation brought zero stress with it. I was a journalist for much of my adult life and covering things like that event are pretty easy. I was very anxious before the invitation came because I felt strongly that TORn should be there and should be reporting and needed to not only regurgitate other news agencies but understand the fan’s viewpoint in our coverage.

This might be too much disclosure but that was shortly after the death of my father and so in real life perspective, covering a studio-generated event to generate press for its film is super easy, even relaxing and fun.

The real stress started when the logic board on my laptop died on the day of the premiere, which means I had no way to send news back to TORn. I had to beg and borrow time on others’ computers to even post what I managed to post. I hated that and felt that I let the site down and fans down. There was abundant coverage, but not doing all I could, as well as I could, left me heartsick. However, we had the live feed, so that was better than anything I could write.

The saving grace? I had a video camera and friend Dan who paid his own way to be there, to shoot it and edit it. So, there was things like this I could share later.

Also, the rest of the TORn staff killed it that day, so no readers suffered.

I did some other stories from the same trip.

The answer to the second part of the question: Nearly all my time was scheduled, which was absolutely fine with me. We visited and reported on a lot of the people who made the films, not just the one-day event.

Major ‘Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ spoilers revealed by German magazine ‘cinema’

sandwitchking — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 02:18:29 +0000

German cinema magazine.

German Magazine Cinema, has published a pretty fascinating article all about the second Hobbit movie, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” dropping casual spoilers as if they are common knowledge. What is a little odd is that the magazine doesn’t make clear where it gets quotes from Peter Jackson or Evangeline Lily or Orlando Bloom and it sure doesn’t make clear where all the spoilerific plot information comes from. We can’t vouch for the accuracy of the quotes.

Friends at thorinoakenshield.net have a full online translation of the print publication and since we aren’t German speakers, we can’t say if anything is lost in translation, but it reads pretty clearly.

Here are some highlights but if you read beyond this point, expect full-on potential spoilers! (We can’t say if they are true or not, but the writer surely dishes the info matter-of-factly.)

****Seriously, last chance, major potential spoilers!****

“A greedy dragon, a rather testy skinchanger, a river ride full of action and the battle of the White Council against the Necromancer of Dol Guldur: Middle-earth fans should be prepared for something big; because with “The Hobbit – Desolation of Smaug” (starting December 12th) Peter Jackson will (once again) show all he’s got.”

“A lot of the appendices will also be used in part 2.”

“Hardcore fans will find the revelation of the Necromancer (Benedict Cumberbatch as CGI shadow) as witch master Sauron just in a couple of sentences in the book. And according to Tolkien the pale orc Azog doesn’t survive the Battle of Azanulbizar (in the beginning of “The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey”), while Jackson definitively turns him into Thorin Oakenshield’s arch enemy now. Orcs invading Esgaroth on the other hand was completely invented by Peter Jackson. Just like Tauriel – this young, only 300 years old elf which will add a bit of femininity to the male dominated story.”

“This story needs estrogens”, Evangeline Lilly jokes. And Peter Jackson adds: “Thanks to characters like Tauriel we will discover more about the life in Mirkwood, which is completely different from Rivendell.” But the Silvan pointy-eared beauty is not supposed to be a mere copy of Arwen from the old trilogy. After all the people of the wood elves is a lot more dangerous and suspicious than Elrond and his companions. “We are like ninjas from the undergrowth.” (Lilly)”

“Peter Jackson not only uses additions like this to narrate a coherent chronicle of Middle-earth, he also uses them to sprinkle a little treat for spare time hobbits here and there. For example fanboys will anticipate the first encounter of Legolas and Gloin, father of grumpy dwarf Gimli from the “Rings” films. Other than “An unexpected Journey” the sequel is going to be distinctly darker though, stresses Jackson.

“One climax of the new trilogy, which over 2000 actors and extras worked on, is the death of the dragon. Whether Smaug’s fall will end part 2 however is yet unknown. Certain is that the Battle of the Five Armies will play the center role in “The Hobbit – There and Back Again”.

Those are the highlights and you can read the full translation right here, from ThorinOakenshield.net along with scans of the magazine’s pages while the German publication can be found online here, but we didn’t find a link directly to the article.

New Tauriel and Legolas still from EW

Demosthenes — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 00:10:14 +0000

Entertainment Weekly delivers again with this fabulous new still shot of Tauriel and Legolas from The Desolation of Smaug.

One does note that there’s been a lot of focus on elves in Warner Bros. marketing lately, though. What gives?

Some readers are starting to wonder whether the tale of the hero, Bilbo, is taking a back seat in the Desolation of Smaug. Or is it just that elves are easier for Warner Bros. to market out there in the main-stream media?

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below, or visit our chatroom and see what fellow readers are thinking!

Collecting The Precious – Weta Workshop Reveals Arwen, Bookmarks, and a new Con

elessar — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 23:49:05 +0000

Last night, (in their most recent newsletter) our friends at Weta Workshop released a new collectible that we first saw at Comic-Con 2013.

This item is the stunning Arwen mini-statue from The Return of the King. Sculpted by the artists at Weta Workshop, this piece is going to be one you want to add to your collection and for only $75 it’s quite affordable.

The Arwen mini-statue isn’t the only new item to go up for order, too. If you’d like a great looking bookmark for the next time you read The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit then Weta has something for you. From The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Weta has a beautiful red leather bookmark with Thorin and Company on it while from The Lord of the Rings you have The Fellowship worked in stunning brown leather. These two bookmarks can be had for $10 a-piece and are in-stock and ready to ship.

As many of you know Weta comes every year to the United States during the month of July for Comic-Con in San Diego. Now the Workshop will attend its second U.S. show, this one in Salt Lake City, where TheOneRing.net will also be! Sept. 5 – 7 is the first ever Salt Lake Comic Con. TORn will present a panel about “The Desolation of Smaug,” and will also participate on other panels and host a booth during the event. If you happen to be planning on attending Salt Lake Comic-Con or can get there from the surrounding western states, this is a chance to go to a show that isn’t sold out and where you can get a hotel room. Salt Lake has a rail line as well so you can stay immediately by the convention or in one of the suburbs and still travel relatively easily to the event. Weta will be attending this show in September with its booth, which looks significant on the retailer map. (Although they are listed as Weta Digital, we think an error.) If you haven’t gotten your ticket to the show yet then now is the time. Salt Lake Comic-Con runs from Thursday, September 5th through to Saturday, September 7th.

You can read the full press release from Weta here.

Collecting The Precious – United Cutlery Orcrist Contest Winner

elessar — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 02:23:49 +0000

During the month of July we teamed up with our friends at United Cutlery and BudK to give away one replica of Orcrist, as designed for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. After weeks of entries we’re pleased to announce the winner who will be adding this amazing item to their collection. The winner is Clara G. of Cannes France! Congratulations Clara on your prize and thank you to everyone who took the time to enter this contest. Also, thank you to United Cutlery and BudK for allowing us to give away this great prize!

As a surprise for all of you, we were sent this little teaser from our friends at United Cutlery and BudK, it’s an image of the Orcrist Scabbard coming out this fall. We hope you enjoy this teaser.

TWO YEAR Anniversary of Our Live Webcast TORn Tuesday!

Cliff Quickbeam Broadway — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 23:53:15 +0000

It is hard to believe, but the little live webcast that could, TORnTUESDAY, has reached a new milestone! Two years non-stop, ongoing live coverage of major fan events such as Comic-Con and Dragon*Con — as well as bringing you a bevy of stars such as Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd and his band Beecake, Royd Tolkien, “The Last Unicorn” and LOTR writer Peter S. Beagle, “Hellboy” star Doug Jones, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” creator Kevin Eastman, the Happy Hobbit girls, “Lord of the Rings” Living Card Game designers, and many more!

To mark this special anniversary we will have a lot of material to cover, and let’s all take a closer look at the Extended Edition of THE HOBBIT: AUJ that is coming out — so please bring your questions and comments to the chat!

We launch TORn TUESDAY every week at 5:00PM Pacific: brought to you by host Clifford “Quickbeam” Broadway and producer Justin “Nothing Up My Sleeve” Sewell — Our innovative live show includes worldwide fans who join us on the Live Event page with a built-in IRC chat (affectionately known as Barliman’s Chat room). Be part of the fun and mischief every week as we broadcast *live* from Meltdown Comics in the heart of Hollywood, U.S.A.!

And yes our YouTube channel will have this archived later. You can find us on www.youtube.com/the1nering

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