SAN DIEGO – Warner Bros. today announced what has been suspected and rumored: the studio is bringing “The Hobbit,” to the San Diego Comic-Con in a big way. Most surprising is just how big as director Peter Jackson, producer and co-screenwriter Philippa Boyens, actor and director Andy Serkis along with featured actors Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage are all expected at the Saturday, July 14 Comic-Con panel hosted by Warner Bros. The film sharing the three-hour slot with “The Hobbit,” is none other than “Hobbit” co-writer Guillermo del Toro‘s “Pacific Rim.” The director is also expected to be in attendance. TheOneRing.net’s team of 13 staffers (a lucky 13 that works nicely with the source material) will be reporting from the scene as much as possible, bringing the emotions, news, photos, video and quotes to the online audience.

The studio has been relatively quiet on the publicity front considering the budget and cultural size of the two films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” (celebrating its 75th anniversary in print this year) releasing a single trailer, a series of character photos and letting Peter Jackson’s own production diaries on his Facebook page function as pre-film publicity. That seems to be changing in a single moment as WB drops an atomic bomb of Middle-earth star power at the central event of the popular-culture calendar. Continue reading “‘Hobbit’ lineup announced for Comic-Con includes Jackson, McKellen, Serkis, Armitage, Freeman, Boyens”

We are now finally able to take deposits and start booking excited fans to join TheOneRing.net in New Zealand for what promises to be a party to remember. You will find all the details and proposed schedule for the tour here TORn Hobbit premiere tour. Please do take the time to read the schedule and all the terms before committing to the Non-Refundable Deposit of$300 per person. Once you’ve read through everything, asked all the questions you need to ask, you may fill out the Registration Form Space is limited, so this will have to be on a First Come, First Served basis. And if we are unable to accommodate you on the trip, you will be contacted and offered the choice of a refund or being put on the waitlist. You may email me at Garfeimao@TheOneRing.net or Cathy.U@Travelstoreusa.com

Tourism New Zealand chief executive officer Kevin BowlerThe DVD package of Peter Jackson’s first Hobbit film An Unexpected Journey will be released mid-2013, according to Tourism New Zealand boss Kevin Bowler. Speaking today in Queenstown, he revealed it will also contain a New Zealand tourism feature directed by Jackson himself.

No word in the article on whether the DVD will be an “extended edition”. Cheers to Eldaria for the spot.

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With only a few weeks before the San Diego Comic-Con, TheOneRing.net is excited to formally announce that we have been invited to present a “Hobbit” panel at SDCC. The website also has extensive plans to bring the experience to fans who can’t attend.

With a time slot that has become something of a tradition, the fansite will open the show on the first hour of the first day. Thursday, July 12, from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m., in room 6DE, TORn will talk Hobbit. The room holds 1,000, and like every year, especially this year, a capacity crowd is expected with many unable to get in. Being the first event of the day also means that if the room is full early, we can start early and stretch our hour into more if possible. Another great feature of being the first event of the day, the convention is more liberal about giveaway items.

TORn will also be present at not one but two table locations on the 500,000 square foot dealers floor where supports can buy shirts, buttons and talk to a large contingent of staffer. (More details later, but one table next to Badali Jewelry and one table with Weta Workshop! Expect new tshirts, details to follow!)
But what to expect from a TORn presentation?
* It will be 100% re-written, not a duplicate of any previous presentation
* An audio and visual extravaganza (not people just talking)
* It is expected to feature video content from Weta Workshop
* It may contain pictures from New Zealand
* It will feature around 6 TORn staffers (the most ever) with several more in the audience if we need them
* Special guests have been invited
* Two panelists have been on “The Hobbit” set
* A significant segment of Q&A, time for fans
More about Comic-Con after the break including info for audience at home: Continue reading “TheOneRing.net, ‘Hobbit’ stuff at Comic-Con: Full details!”

We’d heard the next Hobbit trailer was coming soon. Now CaptainSalt has let us know that the Alberta Film Ratings website, which lists trailers before they appear in US theaters has classified the trailer #2 with a G rating.

The run time is listed at 2 minutes, 24 seconds, eight seconds shorter than the first trailer. Trailers are listed on the site preceding their official release, so this means the trailer has been finalised and will be debuting soon! (Anyone taking bets for San Diego Comic-con?)

Did you know the creator of TMNT was a bigger fan of Tolkien than we ever expected? His wedding ring is actually a One Ring of Power! Today on our *LIVE* weekly webcast TORn Tuesdays, we have a very special guest: Kevin Eastman, creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (and also a dyed-in-the-wool Ringer fan)! We’ll talk about creating worldwide fan bases, Comic-Con experiences, and the power of mythology through popular culture. What is it like for a creator to deal with other people adapting / redoing his most famous creation? Come join the show via Stickam (account “theoneringnet”) using your own Skype login or come join us via our Live Event Page with our unique Barliman’s chat embedded in the show! Soon we will have live guests IN THE AUDIENCE at Meltdown Comics Theater in Hollywood for every weekly show!

Tune into our show at 5:00pm PDT (that’s L.A. time folks — click here to see when it is in your city!), and just click to our Live Event page.