Archive for the ‘LotR Movies’ Category
August 11, 2013 at 3:11 am by MrCere
Peter Jackson stands in front of a set as photographed by DGAQuarterly / Louise Hatton.
Currently in print at the best magazine racks and by subscription, DGAQuarterly (Directors Guild of Amercia’s print magazine) features a lengthy interview with director Peter Jackson. There aren’t any real “The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug,” spoilers but the lead image does show Jackson in front of a wet set that could be Laketown. If you click
the link to the full article,
you will see images that must be from Jackson’s personal collection of his early work including a shot with Kate Winslet on “Heavenly Creatures.”
We call it a kitchen sink interview because it contains so much depth and covers a wide array of topics, touching on many of Jackson’s most important films while keeping in focus that his work on Middle-earth movies is so far, his greatest triumph and what he is most likely to be known for.
The Q&A with writer Jeffrey Ressner ranges over the Kiwi’s whole career with fascinating bits on his earliest days:
My first movie, Bad Taste, was really made up as we went along over four years, and it didn’t even have a script. Not having actors or a script tends to be somewhat limiting. [Laughs]
Jackson adds to the lore that surrounds the making of the “Lord of the Rings,” films with an amazing story about how his shooting studio in New Zealand came to be:
We thought, ‘Well, if The Lord of the Rings happens, this is exactly the sort of place we’d need. This is absolutely incredible.’ But it was very expensive. At the time it was just Fran and I, and if we committed to it and for some reason the film didn’t happen, we’d be in big, big trouble. I mean, we were mortgaging our house just to make the down payment on the place. One day the real estate agent was showing us around; the paint factory had been closed for six months, so it was mothballed and covered in dust. The cafeteria was dull and gray, and there were a lot of old Formica tables with chairs stuck up on top of them. Just before we left, I saw a paperback book sitting on one of the cafeteria tables—it was a copy of The Lord of the Rings. I called Fran over and pointed to it, and we looked at each other and then said to the guy, ‘OK, we’ll take it.’ And that became Stone Street Studios.
He also drops this gem that almost sent me back to my Blu-ray player:
I have to say, I saw a bit of my Kong about a year ago, and I actually think the last half-hour—those scenes in New York through the end of the Empire State Building sequence—is probably the piece of filmmaking of which I’m the proudest.
There is a lot more to this interview if you follow the link above. It may be one of the best Jackson interviews in print. We at TheOneRing have a good one in our pocket we hope to share before we see Smaug again in theaters, but this DGA piece is highly recommended.
If you missed the link, try this: http://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/1303-Summer-2013/DGA-Interview-Peter-Jackson.aspx.
Posted in Characters, Director news, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Movie, Lord of the Rings, LotR Movies, Peter Jackson, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Tolkien
August 10, 2013 at 2:10 pm by MrCere
TheOneRing.net with Galatia Films offer this exclusive interview with the Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones actor John Rhys-Davies. Learn about what inspires him to work as an actor. He talks about how it felt to be wearing all the wardrobe and battle axes for the fight scenes, his view on the Dwarves and his love for the films. The original interview was done for Galatia’s Live Reclaiming the Blade Day. Check out its Kickstarter page for more details and the full interview and of course you can also support its Kickstarter campaign for a new film that will feature The Hobbit swords and Narnia actors Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) and William Moseley (Chronicles of Narnia).
John Rhys-Davies is Welsh and a screen actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the dwarf Gimli and Treebeard in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the charismatic Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones films. He also played Agent Michael Malone in the 1993 remake of the 1950s television series The Untouchables, Pilot Vasco Rodrigues in the mini-series Shōgun, Professor Maximillian Arturo in Sliders, King Richard I in Robin of Sherwood, General Leonid Pushkin in the James Bond film The Living Daylights, and Macro in I, Claudius. Additionally, he provided the voices of Cassim in Disney’s Aladdin and the King of Thieves.
Posted in Costume Design, Fellowship of the Ring, John Rhys-Davies, Lord of the Rings, LotR Movies, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, Return of the King, The Two Towers
August 10, 2013 at 7:35 am by Demosthenes
| Source: Overthinking It| No Comments »
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. (more…)
Posted in Green Books, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Movie, LotR Movies, MGM, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, Peter Jackson, Studios, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, Warner Bros.
August 7, 2013 at 11:13 pm by Kelvarhin
Welcome to this months “Getting to know you” Q&A, this month we’re talking to Senior Staffer and all round great guy, MrCere.
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Posted in Collectibles, ComicCon, Conventions, Events, Fans, Hobbit Movie, Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Line Party, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, LotR Movies, Meet Ups, MrCere in New Zealand, Oscar Parties, Other Events, Premieres, Press Conferences, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, TheOneRing.net Community
August 7, 2013 at 9:18 pm by sandwitchking
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.
Posted in Aidan Turner, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Cast News, Hobbit Movie, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lee Pace, Orlando Bloom, Peter Jackson, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Tolkien
August 7, 2013 at 7:10 pm by Demosthenes
| Source: Entertainment Weekly| No Comments »
| Discuss |
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! (more…)
Posted in Evangeline Lilly, Hobbit Movie, Orlando Bloom, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
August 7, 2013 at 6:49 pm by elessar
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. (more…)
Posted in Books Publications, Collectibles, ComicCon, Conventions, Hobbit Movie, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, LotR Movies, Merchandise, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, Other Merchandise, Shop, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
August 7, 2013 at 12:38 pm by MrCere
Tom Bombadil has always been the most enigmatic of characters in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. When he didn’t make the cut in the movies, despite not being central to the plot, many fans objected and wondered why. The answer is revealed below at last from the Brotherhood Workshop!
Tolkien wrote a few times about his character, especially in letters to those who asked. In one such letter to Peter Hastings he says in part,
“I don’t think Tom needs philosophizing about, and is not improved by it. But many have found him an odd or indeed discordant ingredient. In historical fact I put him in because I had already ‘invented’ him independently (he first appeared in the Oxford Magazine) and wanted an ‘adventure’ on the way. But I kept him in, and as he was, because he represents certain things otherwise left out. I do not mean him to be an allegory – or I should not have given him so particular, individual, and ridiculous a name – but ‘allegory’ is the only mode of exhibiting certain functions: he is then an ‘allegory’, or an exemplar, a particular embodying of pure (real) natural science: the spirit that desires knowledge of other things, their history and nature, because they are ‘other’ and wholly independent of the enquiring mind, a spirit coeval with the rational mind, and entirely unconcerned with ‘doing’ anything with the knowledge: Zoology and Botany not Cattle-breeding or Agriculture . Even the Elves hardly show this : they are primarily artists. Also T.B. exhibits another point in his attitude to the Ring, and its failure to affect him. You must concentrate on some pan, probably relatively small, of the World (Universe), whether to tell a tale, however long, or to learn anything however fundamental – and therefore much will from that ‘point of view’ be left out, distorted on the circumference, or seem a discordant oddity. The power of the Ring over all concerned, even the Wizards or Emissaries, is not a delusion – but it is not the whole picture, even of the then state and content of that pan of the Universe.”
To those wishing to read further, we recommend the “Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien”. Also, check out some great LOTR LEGO sets. A couple of our favorites are The Mines of Moria and The Battle For Helm’s Deep.
Posted in Books Publications, J.R.R. Tolkien, LEGO, Lord of the Rings, LotR Movies, Merchandise, Tolkien, Toys, Toys
August 4, 2013 at 11:19 pm by Kelvarhin
TORn friend, Brian Tither, who has studied Old and Middle English and Old Icelandic at Victoria University NZ, has sent this response to our post on Making Sense of the latest Tolkien Lawsuit.
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Posted in Christopher Tolkien, Fans, Green Books, Headlines, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Movie, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, LotR Movies, New Line Cinema, Other Tolkien books, Studios, The Hobbit, Tolkien, Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Family, Warner Bros.
August 4, 2013 at 11:06 pm by Kelvarhin
Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the week ending August 4, 2013. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch up on the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the link 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 join the fun!
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Posted in Blu-Ray, DVDs, Fellowship of the Ring, Hobbit Movie, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, LotR Movies, Merchandise, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, TheOneRing.net Community
August 2, 2013 at 12:35 am by elessar
During Comic-Con this year you heard me mention a couple of times that Weta Workshop would be coming back to do 1:6th statues for The Lord of the Rings. Tim Launder General Manager of Weta Limited last night via The Shadow and Flame Forum announced who had been selected as the first character in the line. This character was one of the characters not done in statue form during original The Lord of the Rings statue line so fans are going to be pleased with this announcement. After years of waiting fans are finally going to be able to add a Faramir statue to their collections. Now, the question becomes will we see the Ranger Faramir or Faramir in his Gondorian Armor? As details come along from Weta we will let you know and maybe before the end of the year we might even get a good look at what is sure to be an awesome statue.
Posted in Collectibles, Collectibles, ComicCon, Conventions, Events, Lord of the Rings, LotR Movies, Merchandise, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, Shop, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
August 1, 2013 at 9:27 pm by Kelvarhin
Classic FM’s Movie Music Chart is the world’s largest survey of film music tastes. Every year they ask people to vote for their favourite film scores – and Howard Shore’s The Lord Of The Rings score was at the top in 2012 . They are asking all LOTR/Hobbit fans if we would like to get behind his music and ensure his great scores remain at the top.
Voting is now open and will remain open till 11:59pm Monday (UK time). Click here to register your vote!
Posted in Crew News, Fans, Hobbit Movie, Howard Shore, Lord of the Rings, LotR Movies, LotR Production, Merchandise, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, Music, Production, soundtrack, The Hobbit
