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There will be four dwarves attending at this years’ ArmageddonArmageddon Expo 2013 70 Expo held this weekend March 9 / 10th at the The Stables, Addington Raceway, in Christchurch, New Zealand.

They are Hobbit actors Dean O’Gorman (Fili), Jed Brophy (Nori) William Kircher (Bifur) and Peter Hambleton (Gloin). There will be signing and photo sessions on both days. On Saturday each actor will hold their own individual panel talk, and there will be a final group panel on Sunday.

For further information, tickets and session times click here

For those who are (Fili) Dean O’Gorman (hot dwarves fans) please note that he is only able to attend on Saturday.

the-hobbit-jrr-tolkienTolkien fans in Southern California will have an embarrassment of events to attend to share their love of all things Tolkien. From conventions and film screenings to enjoying the source material, here is a little rundown of events to attend and enjoy in the month of March.

First up is a Literary based Science Fiction convention in San Diego called Condor, taking place this weekend. TheOneRing.net will be hosting several discussions on Saturday and Sunday about The Hobbit, TheOneRing.net and Middle-earth. This weekend will be full of lots of interactive programming, so come on down and join in the fun.

On the following weekend, the American Cinematheque will be hosting a screening of The Hobbit and the LOTR Trilogy in a full day and night Middle-earth Marathon. This will be on Saturday, March 16 at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica. TheOneRing.net will be there to talk Tolkien, run trivia contests and play a game or two. And to help some lucky Tolkien fan to OD on Middle-earth, we have a pair of tickets to give away. Go to our Event Page on Facebook, RSVP to attend the screening and leave a message stating how you plan to survive the 15 hours or so that this marathon will take, and we’ll randomly award a pair of tickets to one lucky person. Hurry, this contest will close on Saturday at Midnight.

Just a week later, on March 23, Tolkien Forever will be hosting their annual Tolkien Reading Day event. This event is typically held on March 25, the Middle-earth New Year  after the Destruction of the Ring. But March 25 is a Monday, so the event in Los Angeles was moved to the Saturday before, and is going to be at what looks to be a wicked cool used bookstore in Downtown LA called The Last Bookstore. Selections of Tolkien’s wide range of works will be read to any and all who show up, spreading the love for his written word. Visit the Facebook Event Page to see more details.

The final event for So Cal Tolkien fans to attend and enjoy will be Wondercon in Anaheim at the end of the month. This convention is typically held in San Francisco, but moved to Anaheim last year and this year because Moscone Center in San Fran has been undergoing renovations. Wondercon is a spin off from San Diego Comic Con and is run in a similar manner, but on a much smaller scale, making it more accessible for fans to enjoy all that the con has to offer. TheOneRing.net will have a panel at Wondercon, but the schedule is still pending, we will announce when and where you can find as soon as we know.

And there you have it, 4 weekends of Tolkien fandom, fun and friendship. What more could wee little Hobbits hope for?

 

Last week, all fans of TheOneRing.net were focused on the approach of “The One Expected Party.” But there was another event involving some of the Oscar-nominated members of The Hobbit production team. On Saturday, February 23, the Production design symposium Ra Vincent, Simon Bright, Dan Hennah croppedEgyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard (just down the street from the Dolby Theatre) was the venue for “The Art of Production Design,” jointly sponsored by the Art Directors Guild, the Set Decorators Society of America, and the American Cinematheque.

The panel of guests was made up of the production designers for Lincoln, Anna Karenina, Life of Pi, and Les Misérables, as well as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Dan Hennah was there as production designer (at the right in the photo), along with Ra Vincent (left) and Simon Bright (center), the set decorators.

With that much talent present, the time allotted to each film was all too short. Dan Hennah assured the audience that the designs for The Hobbit were not just a return to The Lord of the Rings. There were new challenges involved in what he called a “long and relentless journey.” A great deal of pre-production had taken place during the period when Guillermo del Toro was on board as director. Once Peter Jackson took over, everything was revisited. Continue reading “Oscar Nominees Talk Hobbit Set Design”

Gandalf on Gwaihir Over Helm_s Deep Artist Proof by Alan Lee Signed by 3 | eBayWe are just a few hours away from closing our ‘The One Expected Party’ auctions. Ringer staffer Peter (o2thx) was kind enough to allow us use of his personal eBay account to list the items – some of which you may never see auctioned again: John Howe ‘Barad-Dur’ Artist Proof Framed and signed by Richard Taylor, Peter Jackson and John Howe ; Alan Lee ‘Rivendell’ Artist Proof Framed and signed by Richard Taylor, Peter Jackson and Alan Lee; Alan Lee ‘Gandalf on Gwaihir’ Artist Proof signed by Alan Lee, Ian McKellen, and Richard Taylor. The Lord of the Rings Book and Bookend Gift Set from Houghton Mifflin; Air New Zealand Hobbit Gift Pack (not available for sale!); Official ‘The One Expected Party’ Goody Baggins; Badali Jewelry ‘Good Luck’ Pin Set in Shadowbox with Signatures; Original Donato Giancola ‘Galadriel and Aragorn’ Sketch Pencil and Chalk. Yes – amazing items! Don’t miss your chance to own these items! [The One Expected Party Auctions] [Donate]

Gandalf on Gwaihir Over Helm_s Deep Artist Proof by Alan Lee Signed by 3 | eBayWe are just funneling back to our hotel rooms after an amazing night at ‘The One Expected Party,’ but before we allow ourselves a bit of sleep, we want to make sure you all have the URL for our exclusive auctions for items displayed at the event. Ringer staffer Peter (o2thx) was kind enough to allow us use of his personal eBay account to list the items – some of which you may never see auctioned again! Click the following link to place your bids today! Auctions will end in just two days. If you are not able to support TheOneRing.net by bidding on these items, please do consider a donation. Look for more reports from the party coming soon!  [The One Expected Party Auctions] [Donate]

toeplive-squareTheOneRing.net is thrilled to announce ‘The One Expected Party’ will be streamed LIVE from Hollywood today! Thanks to our stream supporters Machinima, Two Seven Zero Studios, and TechZulu, we will be bringing you uninterrupted coverage of all the amazing events taking place just blocks away from the official ceremony. Multiple cameras will allow you to fully immerse yourself in this event and one-on-one interview from our media headquarters will allow you to interact with both guests and VIPs! If you are still able to make it, tickets are available for the party at the door. LIVE Coverage will begin at 3pm PT. [LIVE Coverage] If you appreciate our efforts to make the live stream happen, please consider a donation to TheOneRing.net. We are a not for profit fan site that strives to grow our community through both online and offline fellowship. We would greatly appreciate your help! [Donate]