Did we just get another tantalizing clue to the content of the upcoming Amazon Prime series on Middle-earth? Earlier today, Amazon tweeted a map of Middle-earth from their The Lord of the Rings on Prime site. The map itself has geographical features, but no text: no names of regions, mountain ranges, etc.
Courtesy of Tolkienlibrary.com
AP – Elizabeth Jones, “Betty,” Ballantine, passed away on Tuesday, February 12 at her home in Bearsmouth, New York. She was 99 years old. Together with her husband, Ian, who passed away in 1995, they Founded Bantam Books and Ballantine Books, expanding and mainstreaming the market for paperback books in the U.S. Of course, the name ‘Ballantine Books’ is near and dear to readers of J.R.R. Tolkien. What lover of Tolkien’s books doesn’t have several beloved, dog-eared Ballantine editions of “The Hobbit” and/or “The Lord of the Rings” on their bookshelves?
Posted in Books Publications, Fellowship of the Ring, Hobbit Book, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, Return of the King, The Hobbit, The Two Towers, Tolkien
The following event(s) took place in Middle-earth on February 14th:
A report has appeared in Scotland’s Daily Record stating that representatives of Amazon Studios were scouting filming locations for their Lord of the Rings TV project in Scotland over the summer. This story is light on details, so we at TORn are treating this information as rumors, for now. These location scouts purportedly traveled as tourists, checking out various locales around Scotland, which offered the opportunity for a meaningful connection with the local communities. (more…)
Our friends at Weta workshop have two fantastic new items for fans who are looking to expand their Middle-earth collections. Our first item allows fans who are missing one of the original The Lord of the Rings statue line greatest pieces The Ringwraith on Steed. This piece is long sold out and hard to track down. So it was a wonderful surprise back during the holiday season they showed off the beautiful Ringwraith at the Ford statue. This superb piece is a companion piece to go with the Arwen and Frodo on Asfaloth, which was announced and shown off during Comic-Con 2018. Like Arwen and Frodo this Ringwraith comes in with an edition size of 750 pieces and a price tag of $699. Fans also have the payment plan option open to them, which will hopefully allow them to add a statue of the year for 2019 candidate into their collections.
Are you a fan of the Mini-Epic line? Then you’re going to love the latest edition to this set of collectibles. You may not simply be able to walk into Mordor but you can once he ships simply walk this one into your collection. That’s right Boromir Son of Denethor is the newest character to get the Mini-Epic treatment. Boromir isn’t due to ship until this summer but he can be had for a fantastic $29.
(more…)
Great news for lovers of Tolkien-inspired art. TORn’s good friend Donato Giancola is to release a new collection of his incredible Middle-earth paintings, Middle-earth: Journeys in Myth and Legend. Published by Dark Horse, the volume will be available in April.
Giancola shares some insight into the development of the book on the blog MuddyColors; click here to read more.
To preorder the book, visit Giancola’s website, here. For those who’d like to splash out on a Limited Edition, Giancola and Shawn Speakman (of the SignedPage.com) are offering signed and embossed books; the emboss is the sigil of the Kings of Gondor. Click here to order one.
If you aren’t familiar with Donata Giancola’s work, you have a treat in store. He is an astonishing artist – and also a very nice guy, whom TORn followers may have met at past TORn events. Don’t miss out on getting a copy of this fabulous book – and check out some sneak previews of content, above right and below:
Principle photography was completed on this film a little over a year ago and the first test audience screenings began in June, so we’ve been waiting quite a while for this release date to be announced. This film will open on May 10, 2019 in a limited release, as is usual for indie films. This is good news if you live in big cities that typically get art films, but others may have to make a little more effort to get out and see it. Once we get word on just how many theaters it will open in and whether it will go into a wider release, we will share that news here. Also, there are those among us who have seen the film, and once permission has been given you can expect a review or two. But first, just what is this film about and when is it set? (more…)
Today in Middle-earth, January 15
Hey Tolkienites, MrCere here, with a love for Tolkien undiminished. A few days and 127 years after The Professor was born seemed like a good time to share the work of a member of the Tolkien community that examines Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and The Inklings.
Christopher Herzberg, known sometimes as Chris Greenleaf, wrote a thesis on his way to earning a masters degree. One of the great aspects of our fandom, and TheOneRing, is how many different ways there are to enjoy Tolkien and his works. That definitely includes scholarship.
Chris is probably best known to the Tolkien community in Atlanta. He participates in Middle-earth cosplay and is known to frequent Dragon Con in Tolkien finery. He also shapes young minds by teaching school.
I’ll get out of the way and let Chris do his thing. Enjoy!
He writes:
“In the early 1930s, a group of writers met each week and discussed their literary works in progress. The types of support varied from confidence builder to constructive criticism from fellow writers. At least six of the founding members had served in World War I. The group would end up providing member J.R.R. Tolkien with invaluable friendships, as well as a place to find solace with others who had witnessed the atrocities of World War I.”
To read a PDF of the published thesis, please click right here.
This past week, the New Zealand Government and executives from Amazon TV held a meeting in an effort to address concerns about a lack of studio capacity in Auckland. This planned 5 season LOTR series is a big production that will require quite a lot of studio space for filming, post production facilities and local crews, so of course they want to make sure the resources exist that they need. It appears that a decision or deal may be made within the next month, so we don’t have long to wait. You can see the source of this story at Stuff.Co.NZ.
You may be wondering why Auckland and not Wellington, but that is easily explained by the fact that the Avatar trilogy of films currently in pre-production will soon be moving into full production. While the Amazon LOTR production will be big, Avatar is going to be much bigger, and there may or may not be enough room for both as far as studio and post-production facilities go.
This leads to a much bigger debate on whether or not this new series should look and feel much like the existing Middle-earth films or whether it should blaze its own path for design and locations. The appeal to any production of not having to look for too many new locations can’t be understated. Film and TV productions are always having to research and locate interesting places that fit what the production needs, so the fact that so many locations in New Zealand have already been established as feeling like Middle-earth is a boon. But then, there are hundreds of beautiful places around the world, and with chunks of filming now happening in studios, does it really matter where those studios are? Is it possible that Amazon can do location filming in New Zealand and Studio work in London, Hollywood or Vancouver? Or why not film in British Columbia, or Northern Ireland or Slovenia for that matter?
Posted in Amazon Studios, Amazon TV series, J.R.R. Tolkien, Locations Sets, Lord of the Rings, LotR Production, New Zealand, Peter Jackson, Production, Studios, Television, Tolkien
The following event(s) took place in Middle-earth on December 25th:
In our Holiday Gift guide this year we let you know about Lootcrate’s exciting Lord of the Rings crates, which will be coming out next year – but are available for pre-order right now! The good folks at Lootcrate have contacted us to let us know that they’ve had such a great response, they’ve extended their special offer for those pre-ordering the complete set of three boxes. Order the trilogy of crates – which will contain fabulous, new Lord of the Rings merchandise – and while supplies last, you’ll receive an exclusive fleece pullover. More information can be found on Lootcrate’s website.
If you’re still doing last minute gift shopping, check out our Holiday Gift guide for more great ideas!
Posted in Clothing, Clothing, Collectibles, Lord of the Rings, Merchandise, Other Merchandise, Shop, Tolkien, Tolkien Gift Guide
