The New Zealand tourist board is expecting The Hobbit, the new film based on JRR Tolkien’s book, to have a similar effect on tourism in the country to the hugely successful Lord of the Rings movies. Guillermo del Toro is taking over directing duties from Peter Jackson for The Hobbit, which will be released as two films in December 2011 and 2012. The Lord of the Rings trilogy led to a major boost in tourism for New Zealand, with the locations used in the films seeing more than 37,000 annual visitors after the films were released. The Hobbit set to benefit New Zealand tourism
Month: May 2009
Guillermo del Toro is slated to be a guest on ‘The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson’ on Monday, June 1st. He is currently heading over to LA for a book tour to promote ‘The Strain’. ‘The Late Late Show’ airs after Late Show with David Letterman, at 12:37AM.
From the folks at WETA: Weta Cast Episode IX – Weta’s Creative Director Richard Taylor gives us an update on the projects Weta is working on. We also catch up with Shane Rangi, actor and stuntman in The Lord Of The Rings and The Chronicles Of Narnia. Download the interview here!
The sword, in whatever form, remains an important feature in cultures around the globe. It remains a symbol of the warrior in an age when many of us never need to fight anybody. Daniel McNicoll has directed a documentary, “Reclaiming The Blade,” that explores the sword and its standing in contemporary society and uses many examples from popular culture to do it. Continue reading “Exclusive with ‘Reclaiming The Blade’ director”
DAVE MCKEAN AND NEIL GAIMAN COMBINE ON MYTHICAL NEW STAMPS FROM ROYAL MAIL
A boulder-wielding giant and a fire-breathing dragon are just two of the illustrations on Royal Mail’s stunning Mythical Creatures stamps.
Issued on 16 June, the six stamps feature fantastical characters from the UK’s rich history of folklore and legend, brought to life by the artist Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman, bestselling novelist and creator with McKean of the Sandman comic.
Look closely at his astonishing set of illustrations and the imagination is quickly working overtime; which is probably why these creatures – and the stories behind them – have such an enduring appeal.
Gaiman, who has collaborated with McKean on many occasions, has written a special Presentation Pack, designed by McKean, which contains all six stamps. In it the author delves into the history of the creatures featured on the stamps. Continue reading “UK’s Royal Mail Goes Mythical”