The UK’s The Independent features an in-depth interview with Martin Freeman where he talks about playing the titular character in “The Hobbit,” Bilbo Baggins as well as other roles John Watson, Tim from “The Office,” and an upcoming movie with Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
“I get more 12-year-olds coming up to me than I used to,” he says of his path on fame’s superhighway. “But, I promise, I still have a lot of conversations with people that have no idea who I am. Which is great for me as I usually just want to eat a bowl of pasta in peace.” He also says he gets more fan mail for Watson than Bilbo. You can read the whole article right here.
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If are not a newsletter member, then you probably didn’t notice we’ve been running a buy 2 get 1 free sale in our shop! Just purchase any two t-shirts and get the third for free! Yup, it’s that easy. Use coupon code GROND at checkout for the discount to be applied. The sale ends July 7th 2013 at Midnight PDT. [Shop]
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This weekend, Hall of Fire will focus on the stewards of Middle-earth.
“…the rule of no realm is mine, neither of Gondor nor any other, great or small. But all worthy things that are in peril as the world now stands, those are my care. And for my part, I shall not wholly fail of my task, though Gondor should perish, if anything passes through this night that can still grow fair or bear fruit and flower again in days to come. For I also am a steward. Did you not know?”
Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings.
Stewards of Middle-earth. Who? What? Why? Continue reading “Hall of Fire topic this weekend: the stewards of Middle-earth”
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San Diego Comic Con has begun to release their schedule, day-by-day, along with a ton of other information regarding everything a con-goer will need to know. But let’s concentrate on what you, the Tolkien fans need to know.
Earlier this week we heard direct from Peter Jackson that he would not be attending SDCC, nor would he be sending any cast or special filmed footage. While that is a bummer for Hobbit fans hoping to get a first look at some exclusive footage, all is not lost. We at TheOneRing.net have you covered, with our ‘Unofficial Sneak Peek of “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” panel taking place on Thursday, July 18 at 5:30 pm in room 6A. We’ll have numerous staff on hand to showcase the most current rumors, spy reports, conjecture, a surprise or two and a Q&A session.
This is where you, the fan, come in. We can’t have a Q&A session without insightful questions from a curious audience. In fact, because Peter Jackson and the cast will not be appearing, it is down to TORn and you, the fans, to represent for Tolkien fandom. We’ll bring the analysis and you bring the energy. Like last year, we will do a photo op for the Tolkien Cosplayers right after the panel. But if you don’t have a Tolkien themed costume you can still support this fandom by wearing a TORn shirt, you’ve got 13 years of shirts to choose from. Let’s turn the San Diego Convention Center into a demonstration of TORn Thursday.
Speaking of the Convention Center and the exhibit hall floor, you can find TheOneRing.net in not one, but two locations, just like last year. We’ll be with our good friends at Badali Jewelry in booth #532/534 and Weta Workshop at booth #3513. Stop on by to say hello, buy a TORn shirt or button, take part in one of our games or contests or maybe even be featured in our live stream.
We’ve created a Facebook Event page for our Thursday panel, which you will find linked here. TORn SDCC panel event Please RSVP for it if you intend to come, and make a note if you will be in costume or wearing your TORn shirt.
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The Summer of Smaug is in full go, as we get closer to Comic-Con 2013. We have had the first teaser poster, first trailer, and the first of Sir Peter Jackson’s Vlogs for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Now, we get the first product for the second film capturing a key moment in the Traveling Party’s journey to Erebor. The moment captured in this mini-statue is one of the participants in the barrel escape. The first character to be done in this series of mini-barrel riders is our loveable Hobbit Bilbo Baggins. This statue is a pre-release before the movie and shows the awesomeness of the collectibles to come from what we will see in the second film.
PACKAGING
The overall graphic for this mini-statue box is the same as we’ve seen from other statues for The Hobbit be it smaller than say a normal 1:6th statue box. Per the format we’ve come to know the front of the box gives you a great shot of Bilbo, the title of the movie (now saying though The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug), a special wax looking stamp saying it’s a preview collectible, and of course the Weta logo. As we’ve seen before you get a couple of shots of the statue on one side of the box. However, the other side gives you information about the statue and how it’s tied to the second film. While the back of the box gives you a look at a couple of items that you can buy from Weta.
SCULPTING
Brigitte Wuest is a name many fans that have collected statues based on the characters of The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit should know quite well. Ms. Wuest is back with another amazing piece. Doing a statue of this size and its smaller than even some of the previous mini-statues you’ve seen reviewed here before is a challenge. Well, the job done to make this statue detailed and capture a likeness was a successful one. When you look at this piece you see Martin Freeman and at a full 1:6th scale that’s a great thing, but even more so when you look at the size of this statue. Ms. Wuest did a superb job of making sure that we are able to have a great likeness of Mr. Freeman as he plays Bilbo in this moment.
The outfit is also very well done and there is great amount of detail within what you do see with this statue. His jacket very much looks like its real cloth, as do his pants. His hair also has some great detail in it very much looking like the hair he has on his head as we see it on screen. The barrel Bilbo is holding on to is a very detailed piece with all the little bits and pieces we see in barrels here in the real world. You also get the rushing water of the river, which we will see all these barrels making their way through. There is quite a bit of detail here when you examine the statue seeing how it’s made to look as if the water is a treacherous ride for the company.
PAINT
The skin tone on this piece is well done as usual by the folks at Weta Workshop. You look at Bilbo and you see someone who very much looks healthy and alive, which is something you want in your collectibles. Aiding the sculpting detail of the clothing is the paint job, which puts the final touches to create the cloth look we expect. The barrel as I said has a great sculpting job done to give it the proper details, but the job to put the cherry on top comes with the paint job. This allows for the barrel to look like its truly made of wood and something you would see in the real world. Of course you have the water, which is, has a great blue paint job creating the illusion of water. However, the coolest aspect of the paint job is the clear lacquer that’s been applied to this statue. In order to give it the proper wet look Weta applied a clear lacquer to the Bilbo, the barrel, and the water. Weta did a fantastic job of doing this so it has the proper wet look but not something that looked slimy.
Overall
Bilbo retails for $65, which is a fantastic price along with something most collectors can fit into a tight budget. The price will also make it much easier for collectors to get all the members of the Traveling Party. As I said the sculpt and paint on this statue is really well done and even more so when you factor in the size of the piece. I want to add that with every release in this line Weta is just continuing to show how great they with these statues.
SPECIFICATIONS
Bilbo is the first in this series of mini-barrel rider statues. He is an open edition and can be purchased for just $65.
Dimensions:
2.7″ x 4.1″ x 4.1″ (H x W x D)
6.8 cm x 10.5 cm x 10.5 cm
Weight:
.7 lbs (320g)
PHOTOS
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Man sí minna? Man ammen toltha i dann hen Amarth?
I anann darthant dam morn, si dannatha.
A little more than a decade ago, these very words drew us into the world of Middle-earth even as a woman in her deep voice began narrating the tale of its history with the unforgettable words “The world has changed. I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, I smell it in the air…”
Voiced by Miriam Stockley, a vocalist hailing from Johannesburg, South Africa, the text entitled “The Footsteps Of Doom” speaks to the theme of Galadriel facing her ultimate temptation and her choice that would determine the eventual fate of Lothlórien, and Middle-earth:
Who enters here? Who brings to us this token of Doom?
That which has stood so long against the darkness will now fall.
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