Weta Workshop just announced that TORn friend and former General Manager of Weta Limited has passed away.
Tim was given a nice tribute from Weta that you can find here. There, Richard Taylor and his wife Tania explained who Tim was and that cancer took him.
Tim headed up Weta’s consumer products company, which handled the tourism and fans that visit the workshop from around the world and started the company’s collectibles line.
Tim was a friend to TheOneRing, setting up several party events surrounding conventions and events in the U.S. and in New Zealand. He arranged receptions and tour events with TORn staff and TORnadoes around the world.
Tim was a terrifically positive influence. It was impossible not to get swept up in his absolute enthusiasm and love for everything ‘geek’. It was a wonderful thing to see. His passing is deeply saddening, especially considering the courageous fight and victory over cancer the first time around. – Richard Taylor, CEO and Co-founder, Weta Workshop
On a personal note, Tim was a friend that I looked forward to seeing at events, meals, in emails and in offices. I know I am not the only staffer to feel that way.
I remember conversations with him about work and life and how much he enjoyed the film and fantasy environment. I also recall conversations about his family and his wife and children. Tim was willing to do hard things to achieve success and was honest and open, often explaining what he couldn’t be honest and open about. His loss is felt across the oceans and he will be remembered. Thank you Tim Launder for your kindness, courtesy and friendship.
Josh of Collecting The Precious adds:
It’s not very often as a collector that you truly feel your opinion is valued. Those of us collectors who knew Tim never felt that way. We always knew if we made a comment in person at a convention or on a message board Tim truly valued those comments. He let us know they played a part in the pecking order of what wonderful Middle-earth pieces were made.
As a collector I can’t put into words how awesome that is. For me personally he made doing the Collecting the Precious columns easier. At events like Comic-Con he would allow me to have special access cases being lifted to take pictures or video. Tim would allow me to pick his brain about what might be coming, and allow little teases I could pass on. When he left Weta it made me sad because a friendship had developed and I knew that would wain with him not being there.
Tonight, I find out that he has passed away. Sailing into the West and hopefully pain free. The collecting world lost a good friend tonight but the world lost a great guy. Thanks Tim for all the kindness you showed me and all the Middle-earth collectors.
The day has finally come and gone when many of you were lucky enough to view The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies in theaters. TORn’s facebook page, the discussion boards and Barli’s chat are all buzzing with excited observations! Many of our staffers saw it too and, as it TORn tradition, we’ll be featuring their comments and insights here, as well as a spoilery picture or two. Speaking of spoilers, they abound in the rest of this article, so read no further if you haven’t seen the EE yet and don’t want to be spoiled until you do!
Here it comes – the final release from Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth!
Many fans gathered in cinemas this week, on Monday and Wednesday, to watch The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, both Extended Editions, on the big screen. Staffers greendragon, deej and CAhobbit went along to the Empire 25 cinema in Times Square on Wednesday night; it was a joy to see these films in theatres again. Nothing beats being able to see every beautiful detail of the set, props, costumes and locations, and every wonderful expression from the cast – some of which is lost when enjoying the movies at home.
On Tuesday of next week, October 13th, fans will finally get to see the final Hobbit film in the cut which Peter Jackson wanted. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition is screening in theatres next week – and thanks to our friends at Fathom Events, YOU can win passes to a cinema near you!
Simply click here to find a cinema location where you would like to see the movie – click ‘buy tickets’ and then enter your zipcode to see where the movie is showing. Next, complete the contest entry form, indicating in the ‘Special Notes’ box the cinema of your choice. Hit ‘Enter Now!’ to submit the form, and you are in with a chance to win!
The contest will run until 11.59pm EST on Sunday 11th October. Two winners will be selected at random on Monday 12th, and Fathom Events will email those winners FOUR passes for their chosen cinema, for Tuesday evening.
These lucky winners will ALSO receive two Lord of the Rings figurines, chosen at random from Aragorn, Saruman, Sauron and Orc figures.
The bad news – alas, this contest is only open to residents of the US, as that is where Fathom Events are screening the movie. Sorry, fans in the rest of the world – you’ll have to wait until the movie is available online, from October 20th.
It’s almost time to gather in the Big Apple and enjoy all that New York ComicCon has to offer. As ever, TheOneRing.net will be there! Here are a few details for you:
We’ll be at Booth 3040, which – to make life simple! – is the same location as last year! We’ll have all the usual goodies for sale – plus this year we’ll have hoodies from our friends at LotH Hoodies! Of course we’ll have many fabulous things you could win! And we’ll be ready just to chat and geek out with our fellow fans.
Talking of which – if you want to chat in a quieter location than the convention floor, this year we’re leading a ‘Fan Forum’ discussion group! Basically it’s a chance to join us to reminisce about the past seventeen years – since TheOneRing.net was founded and since Peter Jackson began pre-production in earnest on his Lord of the Rings trilogy. What a journey it’s been! Come and share memories with us – and maybe hear a bit about what we may see in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition (which, as you know, screens in cinemas on October 13th!) Find the Forum in room 1E03, Friday 4pm. Click here for details!
And don’t forget about our PARTY! Thursday 8th October 8-11pm at The East Wing – a few tickets remain! Click here to buy. WETA will be co-hosting with us, and as usual your ticket includes the buffet, your first drink, a goody bag and two raffle tickets – all in a wonderful, private venue in Manhattan. Hope to see you there!
You’ll find our WETA friends at Booth 622. Middle-earth guests at the convention this year include Sean Bean, John Noble, John Rhys-Davies and Elijah Wood!
As ever, we have a host of folks supporting us to make it possible for us to be at New York ComicCon. Many thanks to them all:
ROW NYC – making sure hard-working TORn staffers have somewhere to sleep. A great place to stay in Manhattan!
LotH Hoodies – check out their new ‘Galaxy Collection’.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt – Tolkien publishers and donors of some great items for the party goody bags.
Cardboardcutouts.com – helping us decorate our booth with their fabulous standees.
Badali Jewelry – alas not exhibiting at NYCC, but they have given us some wonderful items for giveaways!
And of course, special thanks to Weta – party co-hosts!
Salt Lake City – Many years ago when TheOneRing.net was in its infancy, the concept of Line Party events were a big part of TORn. For one of the last times, this opportunity for fans to get together and enjoy the films together is upon us. This applies everywhere, but Salt Lake City had gigantic turn out for those early days line party events. The times we get to experience fellowship in theaters is now rare.
In Salt Lake City tonight, and twice after, we have the chance to gather again and watch Peter Jackson’s translation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth on the big screen. THere are several places to watch, but TORn in Utah has long had a semi-formal engagement with a small (but much bigger now) chain of independent theaters called the Megaplex Theaters.
TORn will unofficially be watching at these theaters, depending on work schedules and such. If you want to join us we would love to see you! Many of you are friends to come say hello to staff and remember the good old days of line party fun.
If not for work schedules, we would be running a trivia contest and such at these showings, but Jordan Commons has served as geek central for Salt Lake City since it was built and The District is a great destination as well. Again, if you can, say hello and wherever you go ENJOY!
Note: TheOneRing and its staffers are NOT being compensated in any way for this and are not affiliated with Megaplex.
A reminder that the extended edition of The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey, will be airing tonight across the U.S.. As we reported back in early August, this is the first in a series of live showings of all three extended editions of The Hobbit movies sponsored by Fathom Events and Warner Bros. AUJ will air tonight at 7:30 local time. Many local theaters are carrying it, so if you don’t have tickets, and feel like having a last minute visit with some of your favorite characters such as Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin, Saruman, etc., check your local theater!
Also remember that the EE of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will air at the same time and same theaters this Wednesday, October 7th, with the big wrap-up occurring a week from tomorrow, Tuesday, October 13th with the first public showing of the EE of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, with a special introductory message from Peter Jackson.
Those of you lucky enough to see one, or all three, be sure to leave comments below letting us all know how it was!
Weta Workshop just announced that TORn friend and former General Manager of Weta Limited has passed away.
