See collectors’ own photos of Smaug the Golden: Smaug the Golden is now shipping in the US (and will be shortly in the rest of the world – see bottom of this email). The Weta Collectors on the forum (our most discerning customers) have some very nice things to say about it. Start reading at about page 25 (23 July) when the first few were opened by expectant fans. Like the one on the right, by N2Darkness on the forum. Continue reading “Latest WETA Newsletter: It’s all about the fans!”

Sales have been suspended. These shirts will be available at DragonCon 2010

Each year at Comic-Con, TheOneRing.net releases at least one new t-shirt for the attendees. And each year we can all but guarantee that we’ll get a load of email from non-attendees looking to purchase the same shirts. This year, we were prepared! We’re happy to announce that you can now place your order for our Comic-Con 2010 T-shirts online. If you were not already aware, TheOneRing.net occasionally runs these t-shirt sales to offset the costs of running our website. Even with an all volunteer staff (including owners), we occasionally find our selves strapped for cash to fund basic operations. Thank you for your continued support!

We had two designs this year: ‘Talk nerdy to me’ and ‘I kissed a geek…And I Liked it!’

Continue reading “Snag your TheOneRing.net Comic-Con 2010 Shirts Today!”

Guillermo del Toro is on record saying he would love to someday make H.P. Lovecraft’s “At The Mountains of Madness,” but that no studio was about to give him money for that project. But he happened to be living in New Zealand for a while during James Cameron’s work there on big 3D project “Avatar.” (You might have heard of it.) It is pretty easy to imagine the two of them sitting around with Peter Jackson discussing dream projects and things that are difficult to get studio approval for. Cameron has faced that prospect himself a time or two. Deadline.com is reporting that the pair will now be working together on GDT’s dream project, with Cameron lending his name and clout to the project as a producer. Continue reading “Guillermo and Cameron go ‘Mountain’ climbing?”

From firstshowing.net: On Sunday at Comic-Con, Golden Briefcase host Tim Buel and I caught up with Weta Workshop’s creative genius Richard Taylor. If you don’t know who he is, Taylor is one of the top designers and executives from Weta Workshop, the studio that designed all of the creatures, costumes, armor and weapons from Lord of the Rings as well as King Kong, Chronicles of Narnia and District 9. Taylor has won five Oscars in various categories like Costume Design, Makeup and Visual Effects, and is an amazing behind-the-scenes cinematic legend. It was an honor to speak with him and a fun interview to conduct right on the Comic-Con showfloor. More..

It almost seems that the San Diego Comic-Con becomes the center of the entertainment Universe for a few days. Maybe it does. We were there presenting a panel, meeting fellow fans, conducting trivia, grooming sources, hanging out and watching the celebration of popular arts. Despite pen stabbings, incredible (or impossible) lines and vexing shuttle buses, it remains an incredible experience.

TORn was among the very first panels to kick the week off and it helped produce a torrent of film industry folks and fans who wanted to touch base on ‘The Hobbit’ films.

So here is a rundown from the TORn perspective of what went on. Continue reading “Comic-Con wrap up and notebook”

It is Saturday morning at Comic-Con and before we head out to spend time at the Weta booth, meeting fans and enjoying the biggest celebration of the popular arts the world has ever known, we though we should give you a taste of the experience so far and what we have learned (and have time to type):
* Tolkien fans are amazing digital scavenger hunters
* Guillermo del Toro can make another Haunted Mansion movie sound special
* The New York Times might be listening
* Aspects of Comic-Con have “jumped the shark”
* Liv Tyler is still taking on genre films and is still beautiful
* Out of 450 people surveyed, 450 don’t want 3D for ‘The Hobbit’ (at the TORn panel)
* Warner Bros. has SDCC marketing figured out, imagine what they will do with ‘The Hobbit’
* Halloween is a costuming practice run for this week
* Shaking the ‘Hobbit’ rumor tree, drops a lot of fruit (more later!)
* Studio executives feel confident ‘The Hobbit’ is doing just fine, fans are freaked out