Benedict Cumberbatch will not only provide the voice of the dragon Smaug The Magnificent, he will perform the role using the motion capture technology pioneered by Andy Serkis and Weta Digital, according to the actor himself.
The design of the most iconic villain in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and indeed probably the greatest literary great worm of the 20th Century, remains a secret and a key ingredient of Peter Jackson’s two part movie adaptation due in December 2012 and December 2013. The actor, the title character acting opposite Martin Freeman in the BBC’s Sherlock, revealed to Collider during a press junket that he hasn’t done his Hobbit stint yet and that he will not only provide the voice for the creature but perform him as well. You can see the video or read the interview right here.
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Its been a week but TheOneRing.net had a nice chat that aired last Monday on Fictional Frotiers with Sohaib. Senior Staffer MrCere is a regular guest on the program which broadcasts in Philadelphia and then is available on the web. The radio broadcast featured a shorter version of the conversation because of the magic of the interwebs, the longer 30-minute conversation is available right here.
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Bret McKenzie is best known for being one part of “New Zealand’s fourth most popular folk-rock act”, Flight Of The Conchords. Keen-eyed Lord Of The Rings fans might also know him for his potrayal of the elf Figwit, complete with long sleek black hair – and most worryingly, no beard.
Speaking to Bret about his role as music-wrangler for The Muppets recently, we also talked to him about his return to Middle Earth for The Hobbit and putting on his pointy ears once more.
“It was in Wellington so I could pretty much walk to work. It’s still a small part — I did a couple of days earlier this year — but it was great to get my pointy ears back on. It’s in 3D, so the ears will be extra pointy. You’ll be able to touch the ears.” More..
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The Hobbit film crew – due in Marlborough next month – is flying under the radar during filming in the Tasman region. The crew has been filming on 80 hectares of privately-owned land at Canaan Downs, where the Luminate Festival is held, and on surrounding Department of Conservation land. David Hall, who lives on the Takaka Hill, said he had not seen or heard much other than helicopters and more vehicles on the road than usual. “It’s all sort of tucked away out of sight,” he said.
The crew has been filming, via helicopter, around the Pelorus River and Mt Owen. It was understood they were also filming near the coast in Golden Bay. Rex Bowden, a chef at The Wholemeal Cafe, said he recently served a table of four “hobbits”. He said they came in for lunch, but he did not know if they were cast or film crew members. “I didn’t recognise any of them, but one looked a bit `hobbity’,” he said. More..
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Kiwi filmmaking is at an all-time high thanks to the “Lord of the Rings” director, who, 12 years ago, boosted the country’s Hollywood stock. Peter Jackson is walking down the familiar twisting lanes of the picture-perfect village of Hobbiton. Discussing the next day’s shoot with the cast and crew of The Hobbit, he gazes up at the setting sun and appears overcome by a strange sense of deja vu. “I did this on this street 12 years ago, and it’s exactly the same,” says Jackson. “I don’t feel the same, though.”
Jackson pauses to survey the village in Waikato that’s familiar to millions of fans of the director’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Before Jackson and his crew transformed it into a little piece of Middle Earth, this was a simple New Zealand sheep farm. Now it’s become a J.R.R. Tolkien tourist mecca, and five days into location shooting for Jackson’s two Hobbit movies, it has been transformed again into a bustling film set. More..
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Thanks to a reminder from our Facbeook friend Marcye, and the great folks from Tolkien Sarcasm Page, this oldie but goodie is worth revisiting after almost 10 years! Yes, the story is rather condensed and a bit different, but that is what we’ve come to expect from Hollywood adaptations right? We particularly enjoy the ‘Moria’ sign…Enjoy! [Credits]
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