Be sure to check out our weekly cast watch to find out what films you can catch this week starring your favorite LOTR stars! Of interest this week is the 1990 NZ comedy ‘The Shrimp on the Barbie’, starring LOTR stars; Bruce Alpress (Aldor), Bruce Spence (Mouth of Sauron) and Noel Appleby (Eveard Proudfoot). ‘The Shrimp on the Barbie’ airs on the Comedy channel on April 1st. Check your local listings! [More]
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From his suite at the Peninsula Hotel last week, Mellon (of Harry’s London) hosted a number of stylists and celebrities while also sending the loafers in black kid and black suede to fittings for ceremony and party attendees. In addition, Oscar® nominees and presenters, as well as a number of other lucky gents, received Harry’s “Oscar® Survival Kit.” Leading men and stylemakers who were gifted Harry’s during the week included Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood. [More]
Laurelinda writes: Here is the comprehensive website I have put together describing the experiences and great times we Seattle-ites had at the One Party to Rule Them All (2003). Thanks for the memories, TORn!! I’ll see if I can’t bring even MORE NorthWesternessers *next* year! [More]
Posted in Old Main NewsUNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., March 30 /PRNewswire/ — Five-time Academy Award(R) nominee Peter Jackson will direct “King Kong” for Universal Pictures, it was announced today by Stacey Snider, Chairman, Universal Pictures. Jackson will begin work on the film immediately following the release of “The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King,” the third and final installment of his blockbuster trilogy based upon the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson will write the screenplay with his partner Fran Walsh and “The Lord Of The Rings” co-writer Philippa Boyens. Jackson and Walsh will produce the film under their WingNut Films banner. Universal Pictures will release “King Kong” worldwide in 2005. [More]
TheOneRing.net has independently confirmed this story to be true. The big monkey is coming back to the screen!
Posted in Old Main NewsUNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., March 30 /PRNewswire/ — Five-time Academy Award(R) nominee Peter Jackson will direct “King Kong” for Universal Pictures, it was announced today by Stacey Snider, Chairman, Universal Pictures. Jackson will begin work on the film immediately following the release of “The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King,” the third and final installment of his blockbuster trilogy based upon the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson will write the screenplay with his partner Fran Walsh and “The Lord Of The Rings” co-writer Philippa Boyens. Jackson and Walsh will produce the film under their WingNut Films banner. Universal Pictures will release “King Kong” worldwide in 2005.
Jackson will bring his sweeping cinematic vision to the iconic story of the gigantic ape-monster captured in the wilds and brought to civilization where he meets his tragic fate.
The screenplay by Jackson, Walsh and Boyens is based on the original story by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace, which became the classic 1933 RKO Radio Pictures film, directed by adventurers Cooper and Ernest B. Schoesdack. The RKO “King Kong” has been designated by the National Film Registry of the United States Library of Congress as one of the 100 Greatest Films and chosen by that organization for permanent preservation as a national treasure.
Jackson will employ the latest motion picture technology to cinematically portray the timeless tale of the beast and his beauty. He will expand on the chapters of the tale that take place in the mysterious and dangerous jungles of Skull Island, and his Kong promises to be a unique and breathtaking creation. As with his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Jackson will shoot “King Kong” on location in his native New Zealand. The visual effects will be again accomplished by his New Zealand-based company Weta, Ltd., who have twice been honored with the Visual Effects Oscar(R) for their work on “The Lord Of The Rings.” They will supplement practical locations in creating primordial jungles and ’30s-period America.
“No film has captivated my imagination more than ‘King Kong.’ I’m making movies today because I saw this film when I was 9 years old. It has been my sustained dream to reinterpret this classic story for a new age,” Jackson stated. “The story of Kong offers everything that any storyteller could hope for: an archetypal narrative, thrilling action, resonating emotion and memorable characters. It has endured for precisely these reasons and I am honored to be a part of its continuing legacy.”
Snider noted, “Peter Jackson is a filmmaker uniquely capable of capturing the core appeal of enduring classics and in expanding the visual language of motion pictures, as inarguably evidenced in his landmark achievement with the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films. We are thrilled to be working with Peter and Fran, and we are confident that their execution of ‘King Kong’ will amaze moviegoers. Anyone who has seen the first two installments of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ knows that Peter will bring Kong to life as a real character. His vision for the tragic tale of the misunderstood creature, with its poignant character development and technological wonder, will make ‘King Kong’ compulsory viewing for any real movie lover.”
Peter Jackson made cinematic history with “The Lord of the Rings,” becoming the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously. Released in 2001, the first film in the trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, including Best Director, and won four. The film also received the American Film Institute’s prestigious Film Award and was nominated for 12 awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), winning awards for Best Film and garnering Jackson the David Lean Award for direction. In addition to four Golden Globe nominations, the film also received numerous distinctions and awards around the world. The second installment, “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It won two Oscars and two BAFTA Awards. The final installment, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” will be released this December.
Jackson and Walsh previously received widespread acclaim for their 1994 feature “Heavenly Creatures,” which was awarded a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and an Academy Award(R) nomination for Best Screenplay. Other film credits include “The Frighteners” starring Michael J. Fox, the adult puppet feature “Meet the Feebles,” the mockumentary “Forgotten Silver and Braindead.”
Universal Pictures is a division of Vivendi UNIVERSAL Entertainment (VUE) ( www.universalstudios.com ), the U.S.-based film, television and recreation entity of Vivendi Universal, a global media and communications company.
SOURCE Universal Pictures
CO: Universal Pictures; Vivendi UNIVERSAL Entertainment; VUE; Weta, Ltd.
ST: California, New Zealand
SU: PDT
Leo writes: Wanted to send you this smidget of info in the Sun Herald about ROTK re-shoots: Sean Astin, who stars as Sam in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, has confirmed key cast members are returning to New Zealand this week. Director Peter Jackson is keen to put the final touches to his third film, due in December, and has summoned the hobbits back to Wellington.
Update: Some people seem worried that this may mean that Sean will not be at Project Elanor on April 6 or the Portland Two Towers appearance the day before. However, the people at BitofEarth.net have been in touch to say that Sean has not cancelled his appearances at those events.
Posted in Old Main NewsFrom Starburst: Just in time to celebrate THE TWO TOWERS win of two Academy Awards – for achievement in visual effects and sound editing. ‘STARBURST’ magazine has published extensive coverage on the film, featuring rare behind the scenes photos and drawings.
Anyone with scans, send them along!
Posted in Old Main NewsThese are all available [within the US only] from the official New Line shop. [More] Thanks to Ioreth for the link.
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Salquendor found this link to a US supplier that is selling the sheetmusic to Gollum’s Song for US$3.95 [More] Simpetarwen found that Warner Bros Publishing had not only Gollum’s song but an arrangement of music in the movie as well.
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Ringer Spy and all around nice guy Irascian has written a very long, very good and very much filled with awesome pictures report about the Two Towers: One Party from last week. ‘Only’ three pages so far but more to come, check it out here!
Posted in Old Main NewsKayjay writes: Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined myself holding an Oscar. Not that I won it mind you, but incredible non-the-less. [More]
Posted in Old Main NewsHere are over 100 images from TORN’s recent gathering in LA. The majority are from the Oscar party itself, with a few from the pre-party the night before, and yet some random photos that may or may not interest the voyeur in you. Take a look! [More]
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