Can you believe it has been 10 years since we first gathered at Griffith Park to celebrate the birthday of not one, but two imaginary characters from a book and film? The Baggins’ Birthday Bash has always been a great way to celebrate Fellowship amongst LA Fandom, act a little goofy, and to farewell the Summer. This year the party comes just a day after the official 75th anniversary of the publication of The Hobbit back in 1937, so we’ll have more to celebrate than just Bilbo and Frodo. Here are the pertinent details:

When: September 22 from Noon till 6pm

Where: Griffith Park in LA, just past the Carousel turnoff. There are directions and a link to a map at the bottom of the description on the Facebook Event Page. Baggins’ Birthday Bash Facebook page

What can you bring?: Take a peek at the Facebook page, and open the description fully to see what food and beverage needs we have and what you can bring. The list will be updated when people RSVP, which can be done on the Facebook event page, or by emailing Garfeimao@TheOneRing.net

Activities: There will be some trivia, we will have fans taking turns to read The Hobbit aloud during the day, and there will be a rousing game of Golfimbul, followed by a Birthday Cake.

 

From stuff.co.nz: New Zealand’s film and TV industry has risen to become one of the country’s most lucrative – reeling in more than $3.23 billion last year. The sector’s contribution to gross domestic product was $2.78 billion, representing 1.4 per cent of New Zealand’s total GDP, a PricewaterhouseCoopers report found. The sector also supported 21,315 fulltime-equivalent jobs. Film Auckland chairman Pete Rive welcomed the study as an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the local screen community. He hailed Spartacus, Mr Pip, Emperor (starring Matthew Fox), and The Hobbit as examples of recent successes. Read More…

Bilbo earns the respect of the Dwarves he is traveling with by being both brave and resourceful. He overcomes a lot of dangers and becomes a much more confident adventurer, something that would not necessarily be recognized in the Shire. If the first film is a story of how a Hobbit can go on an adventure and thrive, earning the respect of his Dwarf companions, the second film is that same Hobbit realizing just how big and dangerous the world really is. But how do you show that in a visual medium?

Possible spoilers after the break

Continue reading “Why “The Desolation of Smaug” works”

Actors Billy Boyd, Craig Parker, and John Rhys-Davies captivated Dragon*Con yesterday with their enchanting accents and witty repartee as they hosted a panel at the Atlanta convention. Debbie Yutko writes:

“When asked about Peter Jackson’s upcoming film The Hobbit, all three actors agreed that it will be epic. Rhys-Davies predicted that The Hobbit will be a game-changer. ‘You’re going to see one of the greatest films of all time—soon,’ he said to rousing cheers and applause. He predicted that a lot more awards will be coming Peter Jackson’s way.”

Thanks to Ringer Lisa for the heads-up on the article.

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Following the publication in the UK of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY ANNUAL 2013 on Thursday, the publishers of the film tie-in books have today ended months of speculation and revealed the covers to the full range of official tie-ins published this November.

On Tuesday November 6, four books will be published by Houghton Mifflin in the US and by HarperCollins in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Then in December, Chronicles: Art and Design will be released.

See all the covers (and click through to our high-resolution gallery) below the cut. Continue reading “Harper Collins releases movie tie-in book covers!”

We revealed in July during HobbitCon 2012 that pre-sales for The Bridge Direct’s line of figures from Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy would begin in September. Well, today is the day fans can start pre-ordering for the figures representing the characters from the first film in the trilogy.

The figures in The Bridge Direct’s range will vary in scale from 3.75″ figures to 6″ figures, and come in two-packs, battle packs, and deluxe figures. Check out Amazon.Com, ToysRUS.com, and EntertainmentEarth.com to get your online orders in now.

Brick and Mortar stores will be have these awesome figures starting in October. Continue reading “Collecting The Precious – The Bridge Direct The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Figures Up For Pre-Order”