We’ve got updates on the Wingate set over in Spy Reports. Looks like they’re using bluescreen technology at Wingate to film the Dead Marshes. They filmed a bit around the real swamp of the Kepler Mire near Te Anau last Christmas, but when I saw it it seemed like a jolly nice place, as swamps go. They might get better gloom and doom with CGI.
Day: August 25, 2000
“Hi Tehanu, a report on the Wingate set from The Watcher in the Water.
The Wingate set has been converted into a swamp, yessss it hass. There iss a great black and gray cover over the blue screen, which gives the set a dark gloomy appearance, and there are weeds and clumps of long grasses in the large pool. Is this the Dead Marshes? We wonderss, yess we doesss.”
And another report along the same lines came in today:
“Filming of what is believed to be the Dead Marshes scenes was happening at Wingate today. Frodo and Sam were seen on the set, and there was a lot of smoke that could be seen from quite a distance. Great secrecy surrounds the set, and a lot of trucks are parked to block the view from the street.”
This reporter also checked in a few days ago to say:
“I went down to the Hutt River after they had removed all the sets, and I believe they were doing scenes of the Anduin. The locations were very nice.
Here is something for the ‘Silly LOTR rumour’ file:
Word has it around Wellington that some scenes for Russell Crowe’s “Gladiator” movie were shot at the Helms Deep set at Haywards Hill. As the HHelms Deep set is of an ancient fortress, and looks nothing whatsoever like anything from any scene in “Gladiator” (Which I believe was filmed in the Mediteranian area), I don’t know where or how this rumour started.
Cheers
Robbit the Hobbit”
The Wellington Reporter-hobbit sent us a grainy scan from Wellington of a huge item in tonight’s Evening Post. Apparently the paper is planning to compile some of the stunning images from the local press (like the amazing Edoras picture into a high-quality poster. It’ll be A2 size, that’s twice the size of a normal sheet of everyday paper, and they’re planning to sell them for $2 plus postage. Whether they’re expecting overseas buyers I don’t know, but we’ll keep an eye on that and let you know.