Due to be released
on April 1 (no, not an April fools joke), the new book Smaug: Unleashing the Dragon comes from the same wonderful team behind the three The Hobbit: Chronicles books. This release will be 96 pages, exploring the creation of the title character of the second Hobbit film from concept art to digital realization. Final cover art is not yet available, but you can order the book on Weta’s website as well as Amazon.com and other online book stores. Continue reading “‘Smaug: Unleashing the Dragon’ now available for pre-order on Amazon.com”
Category: Hobbit Movie
From scientific american.com: What does a narcissistic flying reptile that loves the taste of crispy dwarves have in common with a beetle that shoots hot, caustic liquid from its butt? More than you think.
A few weeks ago, audiences were finally treated to the Cumberbatch-infused reptilian villain from J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic The Hobbit. Smaug (pronounced and interpreted as if you smashed together “smug” and “smog”) is a terrible dragon that long ago forced a population of dwarves from under a mountain. He laid claim to all their treasures. He burned all their homes. The titular character of the book is then tasked with helping a company of these displaced dwarves take back the mountain from the beast. It wouldn’t be easy—the most common descriptor of a dragon is “fire-breathing,” after all. But unlike other aspects of the book and now the film that are wholly magic, Smaug’s burning breath is actually one of the least magical, and can be wrangled into plausibility. Doing so involves looking inside a beetle’s butt, a Boy Scout’s satchel, and a bird’s throat. [Read More]
Those of you living near Newbury, U.K., should take advantage of this special screening of “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” being presented by the Corn Exchange theater on Tuesday, Januray 14, 2013:
Join actor Adam Brown (who stars as Ori in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy) for a Q & A session before the screening of the The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Having grown up in Hungerford, Adam was part of the Corn Exchange’s resident theatre company, Plested and Brown, and starred in the Corn Exchange’s annual pantomime for four years. He now returns to answer questions about working on major blockbuster films. Tickets cost just £15 of which £4.25 will be donated to the NSPCC (reg charity no. 216401) – see below for more information – and £4.25 will be donated to the Corn Exchange (Newbury) Trust (reg charity no. 0180567). [Read More]
We know that Tolkien fans are a creative bunch – we’ve seen fan made paintings, drawings, sculptures, even cakes! The latest Hobbity handicrafts to come to our attention are the brilliant creations of a lady in Wales. Denise Salway knits characters from the Hobbit films, planning her own designs and sometimes taking over a month for one piece! Readers may have seen her work on twitter, where she is @KnittingWitchUK, and where Stephen Hunter and Graham McTavish have admired her knitted Dwalin and Bombur! Read more about her amazing work – and see some stunning photographs – in this article.
Share your own artistic endeavours from Middle-earth at our ‘Fan Art’ page on the message boards.
After taking out the #1 spot in Australia since its opening on December 26th, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has now passed $600 million worldwide.
Thanks to Ringer, LadyEowyn for sending this in 🙂
Continue reading “The Desolation of Smaug has passed 600 million worldwide”
To celebrate the conclusion of 2013 Middle-earth’s Year of the Dragon, here are the thirteen most viewed posts of the past year.
As with most of our stories, they are submitted by fans, like you! 2014 promises to be a significant year for Tolkien fandom, please don’t hesitate to send us your news suggestions directly to spymaster@theonering.net!
TOP 13 Posts of 2013:
13. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Sneak Peek – commentary
12. Analysis: just how big is Jackson’s Smaug?
10. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition Scene Guide
8. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug runtime is 156 minutes?
7. Viggo ‘Turned Down’ Role as Aragorn? Not so fast…
6. TORn’s official frame-by-frame analysis of trailer two for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug!
5. Finally! See the human face of Beorn!
4. Analysing the role of The Necromancer in The Hobbit
3. ‘Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition’ release dates, content, pricing announced
2. Top 20 Quotes From “The Lord of the Rings”
1. Frame by Frame Analysis of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Trailer