  Why Dain and Connolly is good news for ‘Hobbit’ fans
Here in the underground labyrinth that serves as TORn’s offices (with doors leading to L.A., Atlanta, Kenosha and Wellington among other places) a big sigh of relief could audibly heard. Dain II Ironfoot will be included; a talented actor, somebody who already looks like a Middle-earth dwarf, and is a skilled performer will be handling the role. Awesome. We have full confidence in Connolly — who is best known for his comedy — in what might be inspired casting. His credibility comes from small, dramatic roles (The Last Samurai) which he handles just fine but more from independent films, playing larger parts and lead roles, giving him a lot of experience in front of the camera. General audiences may only think of comedy (and there may be plenty of that in The Hobbit anyway) but they should recognize his considerable talent. Much more central the sigh of relief was the clarity that the Dain character is in. The complete absence of this important dwarven hero from news or casting announcement was a genuine concern among those trying to piece everything together. It was a glaring omission.  Discuss »More about Billy Connolly, Casting Rumors, Characters, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Cast News, Hobbit Movie, Peter Jackson, The Hobbit Collecting The Precious – Weta Workshop’s Gandalf the Grey Contest WinnerAs you may know, our recent review of the Gandalf the Grey statue from Weta had a pretty awesome contest attached to it. Well, A speculative look: The end of the first ‘Hobbit’ film?
The production and the team adapting the book can’t be blamed for playing things close to the vest; the book, written by J.R.R. Tolkien, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is so well known that they need to keep their secrets so film fans can be surprised by something when they head to the cinema this December for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. With that in mind, there are speculative spoilers ahead and you have been warned. The media, while writing a lot about the films, haven’t looked at the structure of these films too carefully. Today’s digital media environment often gets more clicks from a new still photo than it does from more complex content that requires more patience and so topics at the very core of these two films often get glossed over and ignored. But not here in The Hobbit countdown! Here we skip past the catch phrase and empty headlines and peer a little deeper into news, rumors, lore and subterfuge to dredge up the best speculation and theory about just where the two films might break, a question that comes up in nearly any Hobbit conversation. Here are five of the most common and best-defended theories: Read the rest at Movies.com Discuss »More about Hobbit Book, Hobbit Movie, Locations Sets, Peter Jackson, Rumors Spy News, The Hobbit Hobbit in 5 – Nicolas Cage, James Cameron & More!The latest episode of Hobbit in 5 is now online! Take a look! Hobbit in 5 – Evangeline Lilly talks Tauriel, Peter Jackson and “West of Memphis”Discuss »More about Evangeline Lilly, Hobbit Movie, New Zealand, Peter Jackson, PJ's Other Films, The Hobbit, TORN TV How The Hobbit killed that Elfquest pic fans have been waiting forFor a good long while, there has been talk of a feature film based on Wendy and Richard Pini’s Elfquest comics, which they’ve self-published since the ’70s. Warner Bros announced it was making one back in 2008. Four years later, it’s deader than Denethor. And you can blame Peter Jackson. Well, sort of. See, Warner Bros. feels that three films with elves is one too many and, with the sure-to-be-a-massive-hit-twofer The Hobbit coming this December, they pulled the plug on Elfquest. Or, at least, that’s how Wendy Pini put it on the official Elfquest Facebook page:
Collecting The Precious – Weta Workshop’s Gandalf the Grey Statue and Giveaway!“A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.” -Gandalf to Frodo while entering into Hobbiton for Bilbo’s 111th Birthday During Comic-Con 2011 fans of The Lord of the Rings got a chance to see the second statue from Weta’s character statue line. The character fans can now get their hands on is none other than Gandalf the Grey. This version of Gandalf captures the Wizard while thinking which route is the right route to take during their trip through Moria. The importance that Gandalf plays to the events that happen in Middle-Earth from the time of The Hobbit through the events of The Lord of the Rings is huge. Without the leadership that Mithrandir Sauron may just come to power and events in Middle-Earth play out much differently. Leadership is what comes through loud and clear when you look at this statue. TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – January 23, 2012
Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. Happy Chinese New Year! It’s the Year of Smaug…err…the Dragon!
We’d like to wish the entire world a very happy Chinese New Year! I’m not sure if PJ and crew had it in mind…but do you think it is any coincidence ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey‘ will be released in the year of the Dragon? P-Jack and E-Wood speak from Sundance red carpetFilm and celebrity media flock to Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival so the Peter Jackson-produced West Memphis Three is grabbing a lot of media attention. Staffer Maegwen sends in two clips from E! with video of director Amy Berg, Jackson and Damien Echols, one of the West Memphis Three. They slip in some Hobbit content too. You can view it if you click here. Peter Jackson brings Damien Echols from prison to Sundance, ‘West of Memphis’ points fingers
Directed by Amy Berg, the movie was commissioned by Jackson and wife Fran Walsh after the pair saw the first HBO documentary that spread the story of the West Memphis Three. The trio was convicted in 1994 of murdering three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas and has long been an the subject of intense media scrutiny. Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley were, according to many, completely innocent and clearly wrongly convicted. The justice system of Arkansas does not agree. Jackson and Walsh watched the original HBO documentary, Paradise Lost, that focuses on the case and the doubts that surround it. That original film has grown into three. “It made us angry and it made us sad and we called Lori (Davis, Echol’s wife) and asked if there was anything we could do,” Jackson said. First H5 of the new year! Andy Serkis, Bob Anderson, LEGO Legolas, Sir Richard TaylorH5 is back with your weekly Hobbit installment. Our host Simone Boyce comes to you from an unfamiliar, and intimate, setting with TORn’s top stories and the latest Hobbit production news. View all H5 episodes on our YouTube Channel here. |
 
|
||||||
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 join in the fun! MINOR SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T READ THE HOBBIT
