Today Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Snowblind Studios share a new behind the scenes video for the upcoming Action RPG The Lord of the Rings: War in the North featuring insight on the story and design process for the title. We invite you to learn about the team’s inspiration and the methods employed by the passionate team at Snowblind, as the newest chapter in J.R.R. Tolkien’s legacy comes to life.
Fans are well-versed in the war to the South, but as told by Gandalf himself, Middle-earth would have fallen without the bravery of a few heroes in the North. The Lord of the Rings: War in the North development team, including game designers, engineers, art directors and more, have committed to visualizing the unknown tale of the war in the North for fans who have only dreamed of it. Lesser-known areas and environments in literature have been fully realized in-game in stunning form, such as the ominous citadel known as Carn Dûm. Prepare to take a very long road into darkness, uncovering the quest to save Middle-earth on a brand new battle-front. Continue reading “BTS Footage for LOTR: War in the North”
Dan Brown writes: Let’s get one thing straight: The Hobbit is not a prequel.
By this point, you’ve probably heard about the much-delayed big-screen project.
Based on the 1937 fantasy novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, it is being adapted into two motion pictures by Kiwi filmmaker Peter Jackson. Jackson is the director whose Lord of the Rings trilogy grossed roughly a kazillion dollars and prompted nerdgasms around the world.
Since Jackson’s Hobbit will be released nearly a decade after his last LOTR installment, but is set in an earlier period of Middle Earth history, it has been described in online news reports as a prequel, giving rise to sentences such as these: *In a statement released by his production company 3foot7 Ltd, director Peter Jackson said that “despite some delays, we are fully back on track and excited to get started” with regards to the highly anticipated two-part Lord of the Rings prequel (from E! Online) More..
Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf) will take time off from The Hobbit this summer to star in ‘The Syndicate’ a the Chichester Festival Theater:
Running July 21-Aug. 20 with an Aug. 2 opening at the venue’s 283-seat Minerva Theater, the play is Mike Poulton’s new version of Eduardo di Filippo’s “Il Sindaco Del Rione Sanita,” one of three world premieres in the venue’s 2011 season.
If you plan on attending the production, please send us your thoughts and reactions to Sir Ian’s performance. Thanks to Ringer Kookie for sending in the link. [Read More]
Hobbit07 writes: Don’t know if any of you have been watching the IBM thing on Jeopardy, but you may want to check out AllThingsD.com for a humorous visual LOTR reference at about 8 PM EST tonight that you will if nothing else find entertaining.
From The Dominion Post: Though the rest of the cast have expressed their enthusiasm for being in New Zealand, it seems The hobbit actor Sir Ian McKellen isn’t quite as excited. In a blog, McKellen – who will reprise his role as Gandalf – said he was relieved to have negotiated an “escape clause from Middle-earh” so he could play a Mafia don on stage. He will take a break during the 18 months of filming to fly back to Britain and star in The Syndicate, at the Chichester Festival Theatre, The Daily Mail reported. On his blog, McKellen also questioned his decision to play Gandalf, saying sequels aren’t necessarily as rewarding to act in as their originals. “My worry that I could not escape from Middle-earth was lifted.” McKellen is apparently on holiday in India, and will travel direct from there to New Zealand, where he will start filming on February 21.
UPDATE Sir Ian took to Twitter to correct a mistake in the above story. His start date for filming is now March 28th, and not February 21st.
Bruce Hopkins writes: I have uploaded this 2007 audio from an early morning visit to the studio by Sir Ian McKellen, Sylvester McCoy and Jonathan Hyde, truly the A Team of acting. They were in NZ with the Royal Shakespeare Co, performing King Lear and The Seagull. I took them on some sight seeing around Auckland and after the final show took them to a bar called Shanghai Lils. When I said I had to go to my talkback radio show Ian inquired if they were coming also, and so they did. The callers to the show didn’t really know who the guests were and my co-host Joe, wasn’t making a big deal of it. Highlights include Sylvester playing the spoons while a regular caller, 75yr old “Leggy Peggy” plays a knees up medley on piano. It’s 20mins long but has some great moments! Thanks to the producer Jason Beaumont for having the sense to record it. More..
