Or a Few Words From Someone Else About Dragons
Forging Dragons will be out towards the end of the month. Here’s the preface, with the kind permission of the editor, so you won’t need to read it on the way to the checkout.
“SVNT DRACONES”
In the original draft of “Pan’s Labyrinth” – and all the way into production – the centerpiece of the fairy tale told by Ophelia (the film’s main character) to her unborn brother was a striking image: A Black, horned Dragon, fused with a flint stone mountain, surrounded with thorns. And, at the peak of the mountain, a delicate blue rose that concedes immortality to whomever would dare pluck it.
But so fierce was the Dragon (whom I called “Varanium Silex”) that men preferred to avoid pain than to gain eternal life. The fable was pertinent to the very core of the film’s message but, instrumental as it was, the Dragon had to be dropped out of the sequence. Money, resources and lack of time conspired to seal that fate… John Howe’s Journal: FORGING (MORE) DRAGONS
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Kristin writes: In recent days there has been news of DreamWorks ending its distribution partnership with Paramount and signing a deal with Universal. That change is affecting both Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones and his collaboration with Steven Spielberg on the Tintin films. I’ve posted an entry on The Frodo Franchise laying out the little that is known at this point about what the effects will be.
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In a number of decisions issued by the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, parties who registered domain names that contained the word “hobbit” were required to relinquish their ownership of these registered domain names in favor of the company operating as Tolkien Enterprises. Following is an illustration of WIPO panel’s position on these cases. Read More
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As fans know, Bilbo Baggins is the clue finder, the web-cutter, the stinging fly. He was chosen for the lucky number. He comes from the end of a bag, but no bag goes over him. He is the Barrel-rider. Plus, we know that soon he’ll be the centerpiece of one of the biggest big-screen fantasy epics of all-time.
But what does he mean to Guillermo Del Toro? MTV’s Movie Blog provided him an opportunity to discuss exactly that topic:
“The most salient virtue of Bilbo is a very relatable, basic decency and honesty – the fact that here’s a guy who’s going to do the right thing,” Del Toro said of the titular character in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. “Bilbo is a good-hearted man, and the honesty of Bilbo is in direct contrast to the greed of Smaug, which looms large in the entire narrative, but also in the newly acquired greed and pride of Thorin, who becomes intoxicated with power and gold.”
There’s more to read and includes a video on MTV.com.
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With just a few weeks left before he heads to New Zealand for several years del Toro checked in with MTV News to discuss his plans for “The Hobbit” and beyond, including news on Smaug, Doug Jones as the Elvin King, Guillermo Navarro, Elrond and more. On Smaug he noted:
I discussed the Smaug appearance with great detail with [Tolkien illustrators] John Howe and Alan Lee, and there’s some illustrations that John did out of that meeting in London that approximate Smaug. I cannot say much more. He is becoming clearer and clearer.
Regarding approaching some of the actors, someone mentioned Hugo Weaving and he said:
Oh yeah. We have to approach him — of course. Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen — they all must be approached to do the movie.
The written interview also includes a video on MTV News
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Vivienne sends this along: Organizers of the above weekend held annually in Birmingham ask you to pencil in next year’s diary the date of their special Tenth Anniversary Weekend. This event will take place on the 16th and 17th May 2009 within The Shire Country Park in Hall Green near to Sarehole Mill, and the home that Tolkien loved as a child. Ideas have already been forthcoming. Continue reading “The Middle Earth Weekend 2009”
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