From Garfeimao: The first Cruise to Middle earth was first announced at San Diego Comic Con last year, albeit with little fanfare, so it’s only fair that the second Cruise to Middle earth, also known as The Sequel, be announced there too. But I think I’ll give you a little hint here, just so you know to look for it at the convention. Oh, and comic con will be the last chance to get on to this year’s Cruise to Middle earth before the prices go up. Read the rest of this entry »
There are lots of reasons to attend Comic-Con or even follow along at home as the San Diego Comic-Con becomes the very center of the popular-culture universe including a good dose of Tolkien-related material. The 2008 SDCC has a “Hobbit-centric” flavor and kicks off today (Wednesday) has plenty to keep the Middle-earth enthusiast busy including TORn’s very own sneak-peek of the forthcoming pair of movies centered around “The Hobbit.” Read on for everything you need to know about SDCC 08! Read the rest of this entry »
New Zealand’s TV3 has an interview with Richard Taylor in the new Weta Cave, which he’s clearly very proud of. It’s long been a dream of his to have a permanent place where his team’s work could be enjoyed and appreciated. To display the results of over twenty years work in the film industry, much of it in collaboration with Peter Jackson, Weta have created a fantasy grotto stuffed with props and models. View
Weta recently opened its “Weta Cave” to give visitors something cool to see when they make the journey to the gentle neighborhood in Wellington where one of the world’s most important film special effects houses sits. I visited the Cave a few weeks before it officially opened and believe me, I felt like I was walking sacred movie-production ground. This Sunday the already must-visit destination is the site of a pretty incredible afternoon celebrating the New Zealand release of “Prince Caspian.” Read the rest of this entry »
On Friday 6 June 2008 at 11am, Weta flings open the doors to the hotly anticipated Weta Cave in Miramar, Wellington. For the very first time, an area of WellingtonR17;s visual effects facility will be opened up to fans and visitors.
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to do this”, says Weta creative director and co-owner Richard Taylor. “Tania and I have had this dream for years and we are incredibly pleased that we’ve managed to realize it.” Read the rest of this entry »
The four Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, reappear on the big screen this month in the second installment of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series. New Zealand director Andrew Adamson was responsible for bringing to the silver screen the first two chronicles, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. For each movie an entire world had to be created with a history, landscape, creatures big and small, weapons and clothing. And who could be called on to undertake such a mammoth task other than the staff at special effects company Weta Workshop? Read more at the NZ Herald [NZ Herald]
Future “Hobbit” director Guillermo del Toro and former “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson sat down with a world-wide internet audience and answered a lot more than the announced “20 questions” this weekend.
Hosted by Weta, there were a lot of minor details and significant confirmations and revelations about the gigantic production that will yield two “Hobbit” related movies, one in 2011 and the second in 2012.
Peter Jackson said,
“2009 will be dedicated to pre-production on both movies and 2010 will be the year we shoot both films back to back. Post productin follows one film at a time with The Hobbit being released Dec(ember) 2011, and F2 (film two) release(d) Dec(ember) 2012.”
Garfeimao writes: I received a rather intriguing email a few weeks ago from someone at WETA. They simply asked for details of when and where the Cruise to Middle-earth took place. When I confirmed that the cruise would have a full day in Wellington, they invited our group for a little visit. When I asked “what do you have in mind?”, the below itinerary is what came out of this discussion. Read the rest of this entry »
Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro invite you to a live internet chat about The Hobbit on May 24 (May 25 in Australia/NZ). Peter and Guillermo would love to answer your questions and hear your comments about our new adventure into Middle-Earth. Please register now to make sure you don’t miss out on the Unexpected Party and get regular updates on the movies! Follow the registration link for instructions on submitting a question. Check out the rest of the story for chat times around the world and the text of PJ’s letter!
Fantastic Nonsense! Or as Dr Grordbort himself might say, “absolute balderdash.” And what fun! Dr Grordbort’s Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory is a recent product of Weta Workshops, launched in New Zealand last month, though available overseas before that. I got hold of a copy recently and found it zany, funny as heck, and a lovely object in its own right. Read the rest of this entry »