Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment unveiled today The Lord of the Rings Online™: Rise of Isengard™, the latest expansion to the award-winning free-to-play massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) developed by Turbine. Rise of Isengard will expand the online world of Middle-earth where players will join forces to press further eastward into the legendary region of Isengard. Rise of Isengard will be available for purchase in the LOTRO Store in the Fall of 2011 with an increased level cap, the new region of Isengard including the legendary tower of Orthanc, enhancements to monster play and much more!

“2010 has been a year of unprecedented growth for The Lord of the Rings Online with our successful introduction of a free-to-play option for our players,” said Kate Paiz, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Online. “This is going to be another outstanding year for the game as we progress on our journey toward Mordor and it all begins with our upcoming November update. The journey will carry through 2011 ending with our arrival in the epic region of Isengard where players will confront the raging war and shadow that has spread across Middle-earth.” Continue reading “LOTRO: Rise of Isengard Announced!”

With the release of the latest Harry Potter film, CNBC has a slide show featuring the highest grossing movie franchises of all time. Here are the top five…

  1. Star Wars (6 Films, $5.49 Billion)
  2. Harry Potter (6 Films, $5.42 Billion)
  3. James Bond (23 Films, $3.55 Billion)
  4. Shrek (4 Films, $2.94 Billion)
  5. The Lord of the Rings  (3 Films, $2.91 Billion)

As you can see The Lord of the Rings makes the top five, but, just as a point of observation, if you average the number of films to the dollar total, you’ll see that The Lord of the Rings has the highest per film average – around $970,000,000 per film. [See the full list]

SAN DIEGO, CA (November 17, 2010) – Taverncraft, a subsidiary of 3 Point Entertainment LLC, today announced that they have begun shipping the first stoneware stein in their ongoing collectible drinkware series based on the literary masterpieces The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Smaug the Magnificent, illustrated by world-famous fantasy artist Matthew Stawicki, is available in both Epic and Legendary editions. Ordering information and detailed photos are available at www.taverncraft.com, with holiday delivery in the contiguous United States guaranteed if ordered prior to December 15, 2010.

“The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy are among the most influential books in literary history, and we’re thrilled to be part of that legacy,” said 3 Point Entertainment President Jerry Bennington. “From the incredibly detailed, panoramic bas-relief imagery to the pewter lid with its ‘One Ring’ motif, fans will cherish this hefty stoneware stein. Whether buying one for yourself or as a holiday gift, it’s perfect for any Lord of the Rings devotee.” Continue reading “Taverncraft Introduces Two Versions of the Smaug™ the Magnificent Stein”

San Mateo, Calif.- November 18, 2010 – Glu Mobile Inc. (Nasdaq: GLUU), a leading global publisher of social games for smartphone and tablet devices, today announced the availability of The Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense, on the App Store. The Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense is a strategic tower defense game based on the unique characters and locations from the blockbuster movies.

“Our team has worked hard to create a unique Lord of the Rings tower defense game for the iPhone and the iPod touch” said Giancarlo Mori, Chief Creative Officer at Glu. “The fans of the trilogy will be very pleased with its 3D graphics and effects that offer a rich and engaging new take on the classic genre.” Continue reading “Let the Battle Begin! Glu Mobile Announces the Launch of The Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense”

Fans in the Auckland area will be delighted to find that the shortest and tallest among them are wanted for work on “The Hobbit,” films according to the link sent in by spy Moahunter. Of course the candidates must be New Zealanders or have a work permit and fit all the requirements but if you are very tall or quite short, you should check out this job listing.