Our final look at the booths of Comic-Con 2012 ends with Gentle Giant.

Gentle Giant will be doing busts of many of the characters appearing in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Until Comic-Con we had not had a chance to see just what Gentle Giant would have in store for fans. Their booth did not disappoint.

The four characters making an appearance at Comic-Con were: Thorin (Comic-Con 2012 Exclusive), Gandalf The Grey, Gollum, and Dwalin (2012 PGM member exclusive). All four of these busts looked great and I think their quality means fans will be jumping all over this line. Plus the ballpark figure for this range of collectibles will run $70.

Continue reading “Collecting The Precious: Gentle Giant’s Comic-Con booth”

“A Party of Special Magnificence”

Red Carpet Tours in conjunction with the TheOneRing.net are having a Hobbit Premiere Costume Party in Wellington on November 26.

You provide your own costume and we’ll provide the atmosphere, music, nibbles and specially invited guests. And what an atmosphere, as hundreds of fans celebrate The Hobbit!

All those booked on the Red Carpet Hobbit Premiere Tour, you have your ticket price included in your Tour payment.

Those of you on the shorter TheOneRing.net Tour and those who will be in Wellington for the World Premiere – you can buy your tickets directly through our Secure Booking Form

Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun!
Continue reading “TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – July 30, 2012”

This Saturday (August 4) at 10.30am, Billy Boyd will narrate the story behind the first ever stage production of of J.R.R.Tolkien’s The Hobbit on BBC Radio 4.

The very first stage production, written by Humphrey Carpenter with music composed by Paul Drayton, was performed at New College School in Oxford in 1967.

Some of the choristers in that first production are now eminent in the musical world: choral conductor Simon Halsey, Opera North’s Martin Pickard and artist’s agent Stephen Lumsden. Composer Howard Goodall watched his older brother Ashley perform. They talk about their memories and of Tolkien’s presence in the audience on the last night.

Thanks to Ringer Andrew for the heads-up.

Update: Ringer HuanCry adds that Radio 4 is also broadcasting a documentary Tolkien in Love the day before.

[Billy Boyd and the Hobbit] | [Tolkien in Love]

Meredith Woerner of io9.com posted a video interview with Richard Armitage talking at Comic-Con 2012 about his role as Thorin Oakenshield. Asked if he had to update his character for modern audiences he said:

“I never really thought of updating it. I actually did the opposite. I thought of it as more kind of Greek tragedy. I looked at Shakespeare, a lot of my preparation I was looking at Henry V and bits of Richard III, just to find roots in British literature that were deeper. But I think making it feel contemporary the big themes of the story β€” loyalty and trust and camaraderie β€” I think those things are contemporary.”

[Complete interview]

Benedict Cumbatch the voice of Smaug and staring as the Necromancer in The Hobbit films, helps kick-off the BBC‘s coverage off the 2012 Olympic Games in this short feature.