Variety is reporting that a source familiar
with Warner Bros release plans for Peter Jackson’s first “Hobbit,” the HFR version (high frame rate) will go out to only select locations, perhaps not even into all major cities. However, reports from people shown recent footage of the 48 frames-per-second 3D indicate the picture now looks vastly better than the test footage shown this April at CinemaCon.
The studio may be hoping to protect the format by going into a limited release for the HFR version and gauging audience reaction before expanding the release further for the second and third installments. An additional complication is that no theatres are yet ready for HFR projection, but some require only a software upgrade that will be ready in September. Variety says that Warners is satisfied with the pace of efforts to ready theatres for HFR.
[More]
Posted in:
Share:
Two New Zealand newspapers report that a former wrangler who worked on The Hobbit alleges that “incompetence” caused the deaths of several animals used in the production.
Both papers report that the ex-wrangler mounted a protest outside a farm in Porirua, where the animals were kept. He is calling for an investigation into the deaths of the animals.
He alleges incompetence in the deaths of three horses used in the production, as well as six sheep, three goats and 10 chickens. The claims are rejected by the farm’s management.
UPDATE: The American Humane Association has given a statement to TheOneRing.net saying that its guidelines for the safe use of animals were followed throughout the Hobbit production. Continue reading “Former Hobbit horse wrangler claims “incompetence” caused several animal deaths during production”
Posted in:
Share:
Fantasy Flight Games has posted another teaser for its new expansion of The Lord of the Rings: the Card Game.
We’ve now seen several card previews from the forthcoming cardgame expansion. As always, the artwork for these cards, not based on film images, is imaginative and well-executed. As noted in earlier previous teasers, this set still requires the original The Lord of the Rings core set. Fans of the game will likely enjoy the expansion, but new players will also have to get the core set — gift-givers or new players should take note.
Also note that the Shadow and Flame, completing the six-part Dwarrowdelf expansion cycle for the core game, will also debut soon.
[More]
Posted in:
Share:
Andy Serkis says Martin Freeman was unpredictable on the set of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Serkis insists Martin is “brilliant” at being directed, but he also enjoyed putting his own stamp on the character of Bilbo Baggins in the adventure movie.
Serkis -– who made his directorial debut as a second unit helmer in the film — said: “You just don’t know what you are going to get. Yet he’s brilliant at taking direction. There’s a rhythm that one works with Martin. He likes to try it his way and then you start saying, ‘What about this?’ When he gets it, it’s gold. And it’s so totally Bilbo.”
[More]
Posted in:
Share:
Parma Eldalamberon (The Book of Elven-tongues) is a journal of the Elvish Linguistic Fellowship, a special interest group of the Mythopoeic Society. This new issue presents previously unpublished writings by J. R. R. Tolkien about an early version of one of his invented scripts, edited and annotated by Arden R. Smith, under the guidance of Christopher Tolkien and with the permission of the Tolkien Estate.
The Qenya Alphabet is an edition of Tolkien’s charts and notes dealing with the circa-1931 version of the writing-system later called Fëanorian Tengwar. It includes 40 documents in which Tolkien’s examples of the scripts are reproduced using electronic scans of black-and-white photocopies of the original manuscripts. Continue reading “New Eldalamberon from Elven Linguistic Fellowship”
Posted in:
Share:
Novelist Helen Cross, who herself lives in Birmingham, uncovers the story of the young J.R.R. Tolkien, falling in love with Edith Bratt. Their relationship was the inspiration for the love story of Beren and Luthien at the heart of The Silmarillion.
Listen to Cross in this BBC radio program broadcast just last weekend as she visits key locations in Birmingham, Cheltenham and Oxford, and tells the story of Tolkien’s young life and the love story at the heart of it. NB: you may have to be in the UK to listen to this. Thanks to Ringer David for the tip.
[More]
Posted in:
Share:
