Thursday, 18th October (2pm GMT) – Codemasters Online and Turbine, Inc. announced the details of the third free content update for subscribers to The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™. Book 11: Defenders of Eriador continues the epic story of The Lord of the Rings Online adding over 100 new quests, a new 12-player raid, two new areas in Middle-earth and introduces the player housing system. Book 11: Defenders of Eriador will be available to European subscribers of The Lord of the Rings Online on October 25, 2007. Continue reading “PRESS RELEASE: Codemasters Online and Turbine to unveil Book 11: Defenders of Eriador for The Lord of the Rings Online™”

Farewell King Lear. Hello Hobbits. An actor’s life can take strange turns. Sir Ian McKellen is wrapping up the American leg of his world-wide tour as King Lear and says he won’t mind returning to the Shire to reprise his role as the wizard Gandalf for a film version of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit if and when that happens. Making The Hobbit has not been an easy task since Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson got into a legal battle with studio New Line Cinema over royalties – a fight that may be close to being settled after a lot of name calling. Playing mad king and wizard easy for Sir Ian McKellen

From www.iesb.net: Today in Los Angeles, Sam Raimi held a press conference to talk about his latest producing project 30 Days of Night out from Columbia Pictures on October 19th!

The IESB, along with some of the other online journalists, couldn’t help but hit him up with a few questions regarding some other hot properties he may or may not be working on right now including Spider-Man 4, Grudge 3 and The Hobbit. Continue reading “Sam Raimi Talks The Hobbit”

TORN Staffer Arwen writes: Hello from my mom’s computer in France. The Howard Shore concerts in Paris are not canceled, they are rescheduled to June-July 2008 to coincide with the premiere of his opera ‘The Fly’.

Ringer Spy Michelf writes: The October 6 edition of the public radio program “Travels with Rick Steves” featured New Zealand in its first half hour. The first 6 minutes include a discussion of “hobbit-spotting”–finding LOTR movie sites in NZ. Here is the link. Scroll down to the Oct. 6 “South of the Border” show and click on “Listen to entire show”.Hobbit-spotting on Travel Show