NYCC - New York Comic-ConIt’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!

NYCC One Ring New York 1 Ring New YorkYou’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!

Hope to see you in New York! Buy your party tickets here!

 

Hobbit Unexpected Journey Movie PosterSalt 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.

Megaplex Theaters Hobbit details can be found right here.

That still leaves a lot of theaters around Utah, so we recommend Jordan Commons or The District.

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.

Hobbit Unexpected Journey Movie PosterA 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!

hobbitdorie2The newest member of Thorin’s Company to join our collections is the very funny Dori the Dwarf. Dori made his debut this past July at Comic-Con and last week went up for order. Dori is sculpted by Lindsey Crummett who as you know has turned out some truly amazing Middle-earth pieces. You can get this piece right now as he’s in-stock for $249, and with an edition size of only 1000 pieces you may not want to wait too long.

NYCC - New York Comic-ConIt’s almost October already – and that means New York ComicCon is almost upon us! As ever, TORn will be there.

You can find us at the convention at Booth 3040  – same spot as last year! We’ll have t-shirts, buttons, lanyards and more for sale, as well as the usual cool giveaways and fun stuff. We’re not giving a panel this year – instead, we’re hosting a ‘forum/discussion group’, on Friday 9th Oct 4-5pm. We’ll be chatting and reminiscing about the seventeen years which have flown by, since Peter Jackson got going on pre-production for his Lord of the Rings trilogy and TORn was founded. Come and share your memories of this unexpected journey! Venue TBA – we’ll let you know asap, and hope you can join us! (We very well may also include some gossip on just what might be in the Extended Edition of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies…)

Continue reading “New York ComicCon – party with TheOneRing.net and WETA!”

Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington, NZ

For those who are interested in the finances behind the making of The Hobbit trilogy, here’s a news story from the NZ Herald about the subsidies that Warner Brothers received (thanks to ringer Ataahua for the link):

New Zealand taxpayers put up an “extreme” amount of money to get the Hobbit films made here – and the real winner was Warner Bros, the Green Party says. The Government has defended the spending of close to $200 million as having wider benefits – including more than one in ten visitors citing the movies as a reason they became interested in visiting.

The latest statements for Warner Bros Entertainment’s New Zealand subsidiary, 3 Foot 7, show the firm received a large budget screen production grant of $38.3 million in the 12 months to March 31 this year. That adds to the $54.6 million it received in the 2014 year, $31.3 million in 2013, $46.9 million in 2012 and $20.2 million in 2011. Across the five years, production costs amounted to around $1.1 billion, meaning the Warner Bros unit has claimed about 17 per cent of total costs under the grant.

Green Party finance spokeswoman Julie Anne Genter said the level of taxpayer money stumped up was “pretty extreme”. Read More…