“ELYSIUM” COMPILATION ALBUM CURATED BY ELIJAH WOOD AVAILABLE STARTING TODAY, EXCLUSIVELY IN THE ITUNES STORE

BENEFIT FOR THE ART OF ELYSIUM FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TRACKS FROM SONIC YOUTH, THE KILLS, WHITE DENIM AND MORE

Los Angeles, CA – Renowned actor Elijah Wood has curated a new compilation album, “Elysium,” available today exclusively on the iTunes store to benefit The Art of Elysium and its Music Programming, which brings music into the lives of hospitalized children. The album includes exclusive tracks from Sonic Youth, The Kills, White Denim and Earthless, among others, and also features tracks from Sleigh Bells, Sleepy Sun, Ty Segall, Black Mountain and more. Apple, the artists, and the labels will donate their proceeds to The Art of Elysium, which encourages actors, artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions. Go to www.elysiumsessions.org for more info. Continue reading “Elijah Wood Album Available on Itunes”

Our pal and LOTR castmember Bruce Hopkins writes: I am starting to interview LOTR related people from around the world each week. Check out this link to the interview I did with Dominie Till; Dominie is one of NZ leading makeup/prosthetic artists and now lives in LA. My show is 1am-5am NZ time which makes it Saturday in in the US, I trust Comic Con was a total blast, adios!

Nicholas Tolkien, the great-grandson of JRR Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings, is directing his first film. JRR Tolkien’s family took legal action against the makers of The Lord of the Rings blockbusters over their £3 billion royalties, but his great-grandson has not been scared off film making. Nicholas Tolkien, 19, who makes his debut with Anacapa, says: “After dealing with the Byzantine workings of Hollywood, I thought, ‘you know what, I can finance this film and direct it, so let’s just do it’.” More..

TORN Staffer Ostadan writes: Fantasy Flight Games (who produce the Lord of the Rings cooperative boardgame, and other Tolkien-related titles) have announced a new ‘Living Card Game’* based on Lord of the Rings.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a cooperative card game that puts 1-2 players (or up to four with two Core Sets!) in control of the most powerful characters and artifacts of Middle-earth. Players will select heroes, gather allies, acquire artifacts, and coordinate their efforts to face Middle-earth’s most dangerous fiends. By cooperating to overcome the obstacles drawn from the encounter deck, you will complete the quest before you and claim victory!”

It is notable that the game is a cooperative game (like Knizia’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ boardgame which will soon see a new edition) rather than competitive – the first such card game I know of. The few cards visible on FFG’s page show that the card images are artwork, rather than film stills, just like FFG’s other offerings. But the artwork does seem heavily influenced by the film, as seen in the long-blond-haired Legolas card image. As near as I can tell, the availability date has not announced. More..

When Maddie Chambers from Derbyshire started her college project over a year ago, we’re sure she never expected it to generate so much interest. Asked to create a toy for an ‘Importance of Play’ module, Maddie instinctively turned to her passion – The Lord of the Rings – for inspiration, and more specifically the Hobbit hole home of Bilbo. “I read the Hobbit when I was around ten years old and was instantly hooked. My Grandma then lent me her copies of The Lord of the Rings and I became completely lost in the amazing story and complex world of Middle-Earth,” explains Maddie. “When we were asked to make a toy as part of our college course, I immediately thought of Bilbo Baggins and Bag End and set about re-creating it. However, I am a perfectionist and what began as a simple hill with a front door, has become a six-roomed house complete with furniture, accessories and a vegetable patch!” More..

See collectors’ own photos of Smaug the Golden: Smaug the Golden is now shipping in the US (and will be shortly in the rest of the world – see bottom of this email). The Weta Collectors on the forum (our most discerning customers) have some very nice things to say about it. Start reading at about page 25 (23 July) when the first few were opened by expectant fans. Like the one on the right, by N2Darkness on the forum. Continue reading “Latest WETA Newsletter: It’s all about the fans!”