In a new interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Saorise Ronan has revealed that she will not be playing the long rumoured role of the Elf Itaril in the upcoming Hobbit films.
An excerpt follows:
It’s probably not going to work out with The Hobbit unfortunately.
Because I would have been working for about a year on it and there were other projects that I was very interested in.
Head over to the Belfast Telegraph to read Ronan’s entire statement in the interview.
Does this mean the role of Itaril has been eliminated from the movie entirely, or does it simply mean that Ronan won’t be the one playing it? Discuss on our message boards.
Peter Jackson, along with Guillermo del Toro, James Cameron and other Hollywood heavy-hitters, has signed a petition protesting the ‘Premium Video On Demand’ plans of studios and cable providers. In the proposed plan (Actually already in place on my DirecTV) consumers will be able to download and watch hi-res versions of films a mere 60 days after their release in theaters. The normal timeframe for DVD release is 120 days. The petitioners forsee many issues as a result of continuing this plan: cannibalization of theatrical revenue; theater closure; the death of small budget films; an increase in piracy. Click ‘continue reading’ for the complete release and list of signees. (Thanks to Ringer Irfon for the heads up)
J.W. Braun is back with another trivia question and a review of The Art of the Lord of the Rings book series by Gary Russell. If you like Braun’s reviews, be sure to check out his new facebook page.
Peter Jackson has posted a note on his Facebook page inviting fans to send in questions about the upcoming Hobbit films out of which he will soon pick 20 questions to answer.
An excerpt follows (but be sure to read the entire note accessible from the link above):
It seems like a lifetime ago now, but way back at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings, I agreed to answer 20 questions…
I thought you might like to do the same thing again with The Hobbit, using this Facebook page. So let’s get into it … if there’s anything you’d like to know about the movies we’re making, please send me questions (on this page) and we’ll start answering 20 of them. Who knows – if we have fun, why stop at 20?
There’s a neat discussion going on on our dedicated Hobbit – Movie message board, with members thinking through some of the more intelligent questions that can be asked. You’re most welcome to pitch in!
On a related note, here’s the original 20 Questions that PJ did for The Lord of the Rings. Enjoy!
The J.R.R. Tolkien estate has settled a dispute with author Stephen Hilliard over a forthcoming fictional book that features Tolkien as a character and includes a critical analysis of Tolkien’s books.
In February, Hilliard went to the U.S. District Court in Texas seeking a declaration that he had a First Amendment right to publish Mirkwood, A Novel About J.R.R. Tolkien against the estate’s claims that such a book would infringe upon Tolkien’s name and likeness. The parties have now agreed on a plan that would allow the book to come out without further litigation. More..