Movie fans will again have stars in their eyes when The Lovely Bones gets the red carpet treatment at the Embassy Theatre. Two of the film’s biggest names – Oscar winner Susan Sarandon and nominee Saoirse Ronan – will attend the Kiwi premiere on December 14. New Zealand stars Rose McIver and Carolyn Dando are also expected to attend, along with Peter Jackson, who co-wrote, produced and directed the film. Fans will have the opportunity to collect autographs on the red carpet. The last major Hollywood film to have a Wellington premiere was Jackson’s King Kong in 2005, when thousands lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the stars. More..

TAVERNCRAFT ANNOUNCES THE HOBBIT™ AND THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ LICENSE ACQUISITION FOR STEINS AND PREMIUM DRINKWARE

TAVERNCRAFT ANNOUNCES THE HOBBIT™ AND THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ LICENSE ACQUISITION FOR STEINS AND PREMIUM DRINKWARE

First Release to Feature Smaug™ the Magnificent Stein

SAN DIEGO, CA (November 19, 2009) – Taverncraft, a subsidiary of 3 Point Entertainment LLC, today announced the acquisition of a multi-year worldwide license agreement with Middle Earth Enterprises to produce drinkware based on the fantasy masterpieces The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. License rights include collectible steins, mugs and tankards. Scheduled to debut in early 2010, the first release under the new agreement will be the start of a series of collectible steins based on The Hobbit. The stein series will launch with Smaug the Magnificent, illustrated by premier fantasy artist Matthew Stawicki. Continue reading “TavernCraft LOTR Themed Drinkware”

Kristin from Reelz Channel sends this in: So we are having a bit of fun in the Hobbit Casting Rumors department. Since there isn’t much else to report on, why not? This time we’ve narrowed the possible monsters that Guillermo del Toro might play in the movie. More..

Mason Brown from Mania.com writes: The Lord of the Rings movies grossed almost $3 billion, so it’s no surprise New Line wants to head to Middle Earth in quest for box office gold. Luckily for them, the LOTR prequel’s already been written, and it’s a beloved classic. In December 2011, The Hobbit will hit the theaters, followed by another hobbit movie in 2012.

There’s only one problem… The Hobbit is a children’s book. And as anyone who ever took a 6-year-old to see Return of the King can tell you, the Lord of the Rings movies are not kid-friendly. So what should be done? It’s easy. Screw the kids! And follow these seven suggestions to make The Hobbit a great movie for adults. More..

An apparent slip by Dept. of Conservation staff seems to confirm what we pretty much expected, that some of The Hobbit would be filmed around the same Queenstown/Lakes area as The Lord of the Rings. Lake Wakatipu is the Z-shaped lake that Queenstown sits beside. Thanks to Muz for the link! More

From booksblog.dallasnews.com (via Gary L): Saturday evening, Nov. 21, 2009, lovers of two of the most popular writers of all time–C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, known popularly for the Narnia series and Lord of the Rings–may spend an evening with Peter Kreeft of Boston. The dinner opens at 6:30 p.m. in Elliott Hall at Highland Park Presbyterian Church, 3821 University Blvd. in Dallas. Tickets are $70; the evening includes “the most literary silent auction in Dallas.” To reserve seats, email mdmonse@yahoo.com. More..