TheOneRing.net will be at Griffith Park Sunday, September 22nd, starting at 11:30am to celebrate Bilbo and Frodo’s birthdays with a picnic and festivities. Please join us if you are in the area!
This is a Potluck, so please bring a food item to put on the community potluck table–main courses, sides, snacks, fruit, salads, sweets–anything is welcome. We will also need plates, cups, napkins, utensils, etc. but check the Facebook sign-up so we don’t end up with too many. And if you have an ice chest to help keep beverages cool, fill it with ice and bring it along. Please RSVP in the discussion section on Facebook (see below) with what food, beverage or picnic supplies you plan to bring.
CAKE CONTEST: Instead of an official birthday cake, there will be a competition for everyone to show off their baking skills. All cakes and cupcakes designs with a Baggins Birthday or Middle-earth theme will be entered into the contest. Put your creative thinking caps on!
You can find detailed event information and a section to RSVP on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/events/8264139026978984/ Please read the About info, and open it to reveal more because there is a lot of info in there, including driving directions. If you don’t do FB, RSVP to Garfeimao@TheOneRing.net with what food or other supplies you will be bringing.
WHAT TO BRING (Besides food): As you can see from the above image, portable chairs, pop up tents, blankets, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses are all standard. Bring a cloak because it can be surprisingly cool some years.
COSTUMES: Any and all cosplay is welcome and encouraged. You can wear a full set of armor, dress like a Hobbit, or turn to the dark side. If you just want to wear a geeky themed shirt, that’s okay, too. Anything is welcome, but be forewarned, there is usually a costume contest, so be creative.
SKITS: If time allows, there will be a chance to do your rendition of Gollum, act out a scene from the films, read a poem or book passage, or sing a song. So figure out what you want to do and practice ahead of time.
TRIVIA CONTEST: Brush up on your Tolkien Trivia, the competition is usually fierce, but it’s a lot of fun, and everyone is welcome to participate.
Hope to see you all there this year! Don’t forget to check the Facebook page for more info.
Additional note: There is a second Hobbit event planned somewhere in Griffith Park on Sunday. If their signage does not say Baggins Birthday Bash or TheOneRing.net, they are not our Baggins Birthday Bash. This other event will be charging for attendance, and as you know, for the past 23 years, we’ve always been free. As long as you follow the directions to the Mineral Wells location we’ve been at the past decade or more, you will find your TORn Sibs waiting for you.
Also, kids and pets are welcome, we are always a family-friendly event. Dogs must be leashed, and we suggest you bring a water bowl for your pet. It is predicted to be quite hot that day.
As you know, last week a select group of fans in London were treated to a screening of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition. Some pretty special guests were in attendance – we hope many of you were able to watch via the live stream!
The organisers behind the event have sent us along this report:
“On Saturday, 7th November 2015, a number of the world’s biggest and most passionate fans of TheHobbitfilm trilogy assembled in London for a very special screening event, where they were joined by a host of special guests, to celebrate the release of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Extended Edition on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital release, and to commemorate the one-year anniversary of last year’s incredible The Hobbit Fan Fellowship Contest competition. The Warner Bros. Home Entertainment release is the final film in the globally popular The Hobbit Trilogy, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures.
Kyle Pedley of (A)musings Media, who was among the UK-based winners of the global fan competition, organised and hosted the event along with fellow members of The Hobbit Fan Fellowship, with help from Warner Bros. Pictures UK and Tourism New Zealand. International winners flew in from all over the globe – from as far afield as the United States, Mexico and Eastern Europe – to take part in an evening full of surprises and special appearances.
Guests were not only treated to an exclusive UK screening of the Extended Edition of The Hobbit Trilogy’s epic conclusion at Warner Bros. Pictures’ own private screening theatre ahead of its home entertainment release, but were also treated to surprises including a video message from director Sir Peter Jackson all the way from New Zealand, and a Q&A session with a panel of distinguished guests.
These included Royd Tolkien, great-grandson of author J.R.R. Tolkien and long-time advocate and supporter of the film adaptations (who made a cameo appearance in 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), and writer / broadcaster Brian Sibley, who has long been involved in the community celebrating the author’s legacy, having been jointly responsible for the acclaimed 1981 BBC Radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and penning a number of official behind-the-scenes books and guides for both of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth trilogies. Finally, to the excitement and disbelief of fans – met with an uproarious standing ovation – came the surprise appearance of film, theatre and television icon Sir Ian McKellen, known and beloved around the world for his defining portrayal of the Wizard Gandalf in Jackson’s Middle-earth and the only principle cast member to appear in all six films across both celebrated film trilogies.
Other special guests in attendance included a contingent of Middle-earth ‘cosplayers’ – The Galactic Knights, who showcased some of their terrific Hobbit- and Rings-inspired costumes and replicas; Chairman of The Tolkien Society, Shaun Gunner; and Rachel Sprackett of Tourism New Zealand.
Kyle Pedley, The Hobbit Fan Fellowship member and host of the event, said:
“This was an incredible, unprecedented celebration of the impact both these films and also last year’s incredible competition have had on people from all corners of the globe. To have such a dedicated group of fans, who last year formed their own genuine fellowship over the course of a magical week in New Zealand, reunite for this special occasion was just an absolute joy to behold and be part of. To be joined by the likes of Royd Tolkien, Brian Sibley and Sir Ian McKellen, and have such a fantastic personal video message from Sir Peter Jackson over in New Zealand, was an absolute thrill and honour. The guests were not aware or expecting any of it, and their reactions to not only the surprises, but also getting to see one another again, were a moving reminder of how indelible and genuine the bonds of fellowship formed in New Zealand really were.”
The Hobbit Fan Fellowship Contest was an international search conducted in 2014 by Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand and Warner Bros. to find 75 of the world’s biggest Hobbit fans. Over 140,000 people registered for the competition, and over a two month period were required to complete a series of tasks and challenges, including testing their knowledge of New Zealand as the cinematic Middle-earth, designing a postcard for Peter Jackson, and also producing their own two-minute videos detailing their favourite memories of Middle-earth and demonstrating why they were the biggest fans of the franchise.
The winners and their +1s were then flown to New Zealand for an incredible, all-expenses paid trip which spanned both Islands and included visits to the actual filming locations from the movies, a special tour of the Hobbiton Set itself in Matamata, a special Maori Cultural welcome ceremony and Hangi Banquet, a visit to Weta Workshop where all of the creatures, costumes, weapons and special effects of the Middle Earth films were made, and finally a private screening of the final film, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, in the company of Peter Jackson himself, over a month before its theatrical release.”
Earlier this week, we told you about a special event happening this weekend, Saturday 7th November, in London (UK), when The Hobbit Fan Fellowship and Warner Bros. are hosting a special screening of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition. A little bird has told us there are going to be some pretty great surprises at this invitation-only gathering!
Fortunately, even if you can’t be in London or didn’t win an invitation, you can still join in! The event will be LIVE STREAMED, and we’re told that those watching over the internet will even be able to join in and interact.
We can’t share any more details of exactly what will be happening in London – we’re keeping it secret and safe! – but we suggest you join the live stream on Saturday if you can. Here are the details:
[Please note, TheOneRing.net is not in any way involved with the planning and streaming of this event. We can’t help fix it if the stream doesn’t work for you! We’re just sharing the news so fans around the world are aware of this fun happening.]
This weekend, Saturday 7th November, in London (UK), The Hobbit Fan Fellowship and Warner Bros. are hosting a special screening of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition. And YOU could join them!
We’re told that the evening will include ‘a couple of surprises’ – and of course it’s a chance to see the final Hobbit movie, in its full extended version, on the big screen; as well as spending time with fellow fans. The competition is open worldwide, but in order to take advantage of the prize, you’d have be to sure you – and a friend! – can get to London this coming weekend!
You can find more information about the competition here; and click here to enter. The contest closes on Thursday at 12noonGMT – so get on over there and sign up! We look forward to hearing about another splendid Fan Moot!
The good folks at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment are running a pretty huge contest at the moment – offering fans a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour in New Zealand.
Fans have been voting, since Dec 26th, to pick their favourites from various scenes from all three Hobbit movies. Tomorrow, Jan 13th, the winning scenes will be revealed. Fans then have until February 2nd to submit their own recreations of those scenes, to be in with a chance to win!
You can see which scenes have been chosen (from tomorrow) here. Then either get going with making your own video, or check back on February 9th to vote for your favourite from the fan creations!
Full details of the contest are at the official competition website, here. There are of course lots of rules about things such as country of residence, and we’re sorry but you do have to be 18 and over to enter. Check out all the rules at the competition site – to get you started, here is a brief summary for you:
* Entrants submit their videos (up to two minutes in length) to the official contest entry page on the site for judging. Videos must also be uploaded to YouTube complete with the Hobbit Challenge endcard and official hashtag #hobbitchallenge to quality.
* From February 9 – February 15 fans will be able to vote on their favorite video submissions on the official Hobbit YouTube channel. The top 30 entries as voted by fans will then be reviewed by a panel of judges.
* A winning video from each participating country will be announced starting March 24, 2015. Dates and times vary by country. The winner from each country will receive a prize package including The Hobbit collectibles from The Noble Collection and a Blu-ray of The Hobbit Trilogy.
* The winning country videos will advance to the grand prize judging to be decided by representatives of the filmmakers.
* The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on April 22, 2015, and will receive a trip for 2 to New Zealand and a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour.
Good luck to all who enter!
[Please note, TheOneRing.net is in no way affiliated with this contest. If you have questions or comments about the rules, please go to https://fanchallenge.thehobbit.com and contact the organisers there.]
One Last Party fundraiser!
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is 80% funded and we’re pretty stoked!
If you’d like to join us as a Party of Special Magnificence in Hollywood in February — a toast to all SIX Middle-earth movies, then now is the time to throw in your support! Even if you can’t make it to Hollywood (or if you’ve already contributed), you can help out by retweeting or sharing our fundraiser across social media to get the word out.
Fans had a lot of fun in 2014 reveling in Middle-earth while the filmmakers toiled away. This year we reached over 100 Million Hobbit fans across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the community here, so let’s look back at some of the most exciting Hobbit Fan moments of the year!
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is 80% funded and we’re pretty stoked!