We are only 20 days away from ‘The One Expected Party‘ and we are very excited to share with you the preliminary list of auction and raffle items coming to the party. By far the highlight of the event will be a 2002 Sideshow/Weta Collectibles Balrog Statue – Artist Proof. Yes, THAT Balrog statue – the one that has sold on eBay for a small fortune. We’ve also got a Gollum statue from Weta Collectibles signed by Andy Serkis himself! And if you are looking for even more collectibles from the early 2000s…how about the Houghton Mifflin ‘No Admittance Except on Party Business’ – Bookends? Check out the Raffles/Auctions page for more items, but I’m sure we’ll have more to share as we get closer to the event. Remember, tickets are still available for both the party and ‘The Unexpected Art Show‘ – so snag your tickets today! [Auction/Raffle Listing] [Party Tickets] [Art Show Tickets]
Category: Hobbit Movie
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 – February 3, 2013”
Our sister site tolkienbrasil.com has posted and sent word of some very interesting verification that there is at least a possibility of a J.R.R. Tolkien inspired Middle-earth theme park. In records obtained by the website from the U.S. Patent office, the Saul Zaents Company, has registered in a goods and services document, several uses for Middle-earth properties that includes theme parks. When rumors of this first surfaced there was no credible source, or even really any source, that this was being explored. It didn’t even rise to the level of a rumor but now, those floating ideas are officially documented.
The Zaents Company owns Middle-earth Enterprises and that company gives Warner Bros. and other studios the right to produce Hobbit films and all that springs from them. The author, Tolkien sold his movie rights before his death to pay for medical expenses.
The found document is below, click it for a larger version:
The document, dated January 22, 2013, could be the company simply protecting its rights to develop a theme park in response to the message board rumors late last year or it could be actively considering such a development as a real possibility. It isn’t clear if this park would be in New Zealand or in one of the established theme-park regions of the U.S., such as Flordia or California, or perhaps both. Warners recently had a successful port of its Harry Potter movie franchise to a well-received theme park experience. The possibilities of what to do with such a park, is a nearly limitless source of message board content.
Thanks again to Tolkienbrasil.com for the heads up. You can read the story right here or below is a rough translation:
FROM TOLKIENBRASIL.COM:
Warner Bross and Univeral are already thinking of a theme park ride on Middle Earth and it looks like the rumors are true.
The first news about occurred in early January in a post on micro site Micechat.com. In saying only: “Great news in the world of theme parks. Universal is negotiating the possibility of bringing the sights and scenery of The Lord of the Rings at a theme park near you. Heated with the success of the magical world of Harry Potter, Universal is unwilling to let Disney take the reins of the market with parks Avatar or Star Wars. We will have an exciting time for fans of theme parks. ”
Many took no credibility with the post, why not present any kind of source on this information. And there is no announcement from Universal about. Thus, the information was taken as mere rumor.
Given the recent process of merchandising products on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Tolkien Estate promoted by the companies face in administering the films (Warner Bros, New Line and Saulz Company), started to think that a theme park would still be far from becoming reality.
However, recently the site parkrumors.com presented what appears to be a piece of a document relating to the transaction that is like a theme park. This is the trademark registration of the name “Middle Earth”, which is the company Saulz Company. But that was extended with the possibility of doing a theme park.
The document presented by Parkrumors site is authentic?
Well, the document that the site has not parkrumors has its source, ie, we do not know its origin, since it is not told what department this document originou.O that could still form the opinion that it is only a rumor from fact.
Lawyer Site Tolkien Brazil came into contact with the industry patent records from the U.S. government on this information and the veracity of the document. And it was confirmed as true in an email received this morning. In that email it was confirmed that no such document exists and can be found on-site records of U.S. patents (see HERE).
parquetemáricodoc
Click on image to enlarge
In this document we see that is dated on January 22, 2013, with the word mark “Middle Earth”. Taking as the record owner of the company The Saul Zaentz COMPANY (which is the company that holds the rights to produce adaptations of the hobbit, lord of the rings and that makes the licenses of any products derived from these stories). Below is the translation of the terms of the document:
IC 028. U.S. 022023038050. G & S: Amusement
IC 035. U.S. 100101102. G & S: Management facilities for camping; Providing consumer information services and making referrals in the field of entertainment services for products, services, events, activities, facilities and locations
IC 039. U.S. 100 105. G & S: Organization of excursions; Organization of sightseeing trips, providing information, news and commentary in the field of travel, providing links to websites of other guidebooks, transportation of passengers and / or goods by car, boat and rail, transportation services, namely, providing transport services by bus services travel information
IC 041. U.S. 100101107. G & S: Salas games, entertainment centers for children, interactive play areas; entertainment as amusement, entertainment services in the form of an amusement park to show, entertainment services, namely, arranging and conducting special events at an amusement park, entertainment services, namely, arranging for ticket reservations amusement park attractions; Organizing and organizing exhibitions for entertainment purposes; Providing amusement parks; Provide recreation facilities; Provision of park thematic
IC 043. U.S. 100 101. G & S: Reservation of accommodation for camping, camping facilities provide services Resort Hotel
The document is official. And we see clearly that this is a trademark registration document for the purpose of producing a theme park. It remains now await negotiations to be made quickly and it becomes reality theme park on the middle ground.
A pity that the park “Middle Earth” will have no character of Silmarillon stories …
A fan’s version of The Hobbit’s Blu-ray cover.[/caption]A fan’s version of The Hobbit’s Blu-ray cover.[/caption]With Blu-ray / DVD box art floating around the internets of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” we suggested it would be fun if fans (and there are a lot of artistic and talented ones out there) made their own covers. A few souls responded immediately with some fun art and we thought a fun contest was in order. The best of the bunch will win a TheOneRing.net t-shirt with winners will be chosen by TheOneRing.net staff. More than the contest though, we just thought it would be great to make the imaginary marketing by fans, for fans. Still no word on the released art being official but no denials either. So, for the next few days, show us your best box art! Feel free to draw or sketch or photoshop or think outside the box and send your entries to SpyMaster@TheOneRing.net with subject BLU-RAY ENTRY. Click on any of the thumbnails below for a full box version and again for an even larger version. Have fun!
Today Variety has revealed that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey nearly didn’t get nominated for an Oscar in the special-effects category. As the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences keeps pushing the nominating process to earlier dates, films released late in the year sometimes can’t be seen by those in charge of voting on which ones will make the final cut to compete for the Oscars.
The committee of 40 experts met on November 28 to come up with a short-list of 20 films that the members of the Academy in the special-effects section could see and vote on by January 3 to determine the final five nominees. Problem was, the committee members had nothing to look at from The Hobbit except its trailers!
The assumption was that this film would be a major visual-effects contender–but that was mainly based on the success of The Lord of the Rings and other Weta Digital work. Not all the members of the committee were happy with including a film virtually sight-unseen. In the end, The Hobbit got its nomination, but as the chair of the committee told Variety, “There will be a post-mortem to review the rules.”
What will probably happen is that the production companies will be pressured to provide sample reels of the effects in their films at a date early enough to make sure that committee members can see them, even if the film hasn’t been released yet. As Variety concludes, “Especially Part 2 of ‘The Hobbit.'”
Tonight a new item from Weta Workshop has been made available for order: Orcrist, Master Swordsmith’s Edition. If you’re a fan of what you’ve seen on-screen, and want to own an item that is truly as close to what was used in the film as possible, then this item is for you. Peter Lyon, Master Swordsmith, who helped create the amazing weapons you saw used in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, has created another amazing replica in Orcrist. Orcrist is the fifth sword Peter created for Weta giving fans a chance to bring piece of Middle-earth home to their collections. This replica is an outstanding blend of steel with a dragon’s tooth resin handle molded to look like wood. Orcrist costs $9,900 and when you place your order you can also get the amazing scabbard that Thorin wore in the movie.
Here is how Weta describes Orcrist:
Forged long ago in the lost Elf kingdom of Gondolin, Orcrist, the ‘goblin cleaver’, was a legendary blade, well known to the wise of Middle-earth and infamous among their enemies. Having disappeared for centuries, the sword would reappear in, of all places, a Troll hoard, where, among the detritus and ruin, it catches the eye of Thorin Oakenshield. To the Dwarf, well versed in the crafting of fine weapons, it is a sword of peerless craft, but it is Elrond, lord and lore-master of Rivendell, who is able to name the blade and tell Thorin of its prestigious lineage. No finer sword could a king of any race wish for.
Orcrist was designed by Weta senior concept designer Paul Tobin and made at Weta Workshop in New Zealand for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey by Master Swordsmith Peter Lyon. The fifth sword in Weta’s Master Swordsmith’s Collection, Orcrist takes swordmaking even further than previous swords in the series. The first single edged blade in The Master Swordsmith’s Collection, it encompasses a multitude of sword making, metal crafting and wood working techniques. It joins the previous swords in the series: Andúril, Strider’s Sword, Glamdring and the most recently launched sword, Sting – still available to order!
Orcrist is made with the same attention to detail that the swordsmiths of the lost realm of Gondolin would have required. Peter Lyon took Paul Tobin’s design and created a piece of art and a usable weapon wrapped in one. The blade is made from tempered spring steel and the dragon’s tooth grip is cast from CC60 urethane, painted and sealed under resin. On the cross is the name “Orcrist” etched in runes and the gently curvaceous blade, ground from spring steel, features etched elven runes stating “The Serpent’s Tooth”. On the pommel are four cubic zirconia gemstones inlaid.
The scabbard is made from a combination of white oak and steel and connects to the leather belt with leather straps and buckles. The inscription translates as “Born from the Maws of Dragons I am Always Hungry and Thirsty”. The belt is made from embossed leather with steel buckle, loop and tip. It features straps for attaching the scabbard. Thorin wears his sword on his back and this belt is designed to be worn over the shoulder. This sword and its accessories are the absolute epitome of craftsmanship.
