In Paşabahçe Picnic Area in eastern Turkey there is a hole in the ground – two so far to be exact. Inspired by the homes inhabited by Hobbits in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books and Peter Jackson’s movies, two small homes have been built into the side of a hill overlooking a valley. Each 65 square meter house (about 700 square feet) has a kitchen, bathroom, toilet and bedroom. The plan is to rent them out fully furnished as part of a hotel complex.
“We planned the project as an apart-hotel. People will be able to book a house for 10 days.” said Mayor Sami Aydin. “I’m baffled at the demand. I was expecting some attention but not this much.” 50 to 60 houses are currently planned, including one that looks more like the familiar hobbit holes in the movies. The hope is to increase interest in tourism both in the Sivas Province and in Turkey. Check out the original story on hurriyetdailynews.com in Turkish and in English.
Our friend C.E. High recently sent us an interesting take on making The Silmarillion into a trilogy of movies. While the odds of that happening are almost nil, it’s still fun to think about how it could be done. Which stories would make the best cinematic exposé in terms of both content and characters? What would have to be cut to keep the storyline cohesive? Have a look at C.E.’s essay, then let us know what your Silmarillion trilogy would look like!
The Silmarillion as a Movie Trilogy – by C.E. High
It’s an idea that has been capturing the minds of fans since the days of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy and probably before that too; will Peter Jackson or anyone make The Silmarillion into a motion picture? After the success of The Lord of the Rings franchise, the natural question was “When will he make The Hobbit?” Ten years, eleven Oscars and a few green light hitches later, we have just been treated to the second Middle-earth film trilogy. Old fans are loving the opportunity to delve back into the world of Tolkien again, new fans are discovering it for the first time and at the end of it all, naturally (and hopefully), we still want more. Eyes have already been looking toward The Silmarillion – Tolkien’s posthumously released life’s work telling the story of the First and Second Ages of the world, the awakening of the Elves, Dwarves, and Humans, and the events that ultimately create the world that we know from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
There’s a lot going on in the next week or so for Ian McKellen fans. This Wednesday, July 15th, he’ll be taking part in a Q&A session on reddit’s “AMA” (Ask me Anything). The session runs from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST, so be sure to collect your questions for him and ask them here. The Q&A comes two days before the opening of Sir Ian’s new movie Mr. Holmes on Friday, July 17th. Adapted from Mitch Cullin’s 2005 novel “A Slight Trick of the Mind,” Mr Holmes has Sir Ian playing a 93 year-old, retired Sherlock Holmes, trying to piece together what happened during his last unsolved case, 30 years in the past. If you live in the L.A. area, Sir Ian and fellow Mr. Holmes actor Laura Linney will be appearing in person after the 7:15 showing at The Landmark theater, Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles. Tickets can be purchased here, and you can watch the trailer at the Mr Holmes official site.
What’s Next for Tolkien Fans
From cast and crew interviews to having a staffer assigned as an embedded reporter on set, TheOneRing.net has had a front row seat these past 16 years as Peter Jackson’s Middle-Earth films were created. Now that all the films have been released, the only thing remaining for fans is the extended edition of The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies and rumors of possible Tolkien biopics on the horizon. Join staffers Cathy Udovch (special events coordinator), Clifford Broadway (TORn tuesday), Josh Rubinstein (TORn bookclub), Kellie Rice (Happy Hobbit), and Larry Curtis (senior staff writer) for an in-depth discussion full of expert analysis, behind-the-scenes stories and audience participation with the website forged by and for fans of J. R. R. Tolkien. Friday July 10, 2015 4:00pm – 5:00pm Room 25ABC
The 2015 edition of San Diego Comic Con is coming up in just 3 short weeks, and TheOneRing.net will be there. We will not have a booth this year, but we will be hosting a panel on Friday afternoon, July 10, called “What’s next for Tolkien Fans”. We just can’t give any further details until the official schedule is posted next week.Please do plan to wear your Tolkien finery on Friday if you are able. That means costumes, TORn shirts, whatever you have that shows your affinity for all things Middle-earth. Since this may well be TORn’s final big appearance at SDCC (we won’t know until next year if they will invite us back), so let’s go out in style. There will be a mass photo of fans in TORn shirts or other Tolkien themed tees, Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves and other denizens of Middle-earth, directly after the panel out on the front steps between Ballroom 20 and the Sails Pavillion. You will have to take the escalators to the ground floor in order to exit to get to the front steps, but this will allow any non-ticket holders to participate. So do plan to represent Middle-earth and we’ll see you on Friday, July 10, Costumes or geeky shirts are equally welcome, this photo event will take place between 5:15pm and 5:30pm.
There will also be a TORn Moot that Friday evening, but instead of the Laketown Luau we had last year, which forced us to charge money to attend, we decided to go a little more casual. So, without further ado, all Tolkien fans attending SDCC and those locals that are not attending are invited to an ‘Ice Cream Social’ at the Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop in the Gaslamp District, located at 643 5th ave. We’ll begin at 7:30pm, giving everyone time to make it into the Gaslamp District after the hall closes, and run till 10pm.You can RSVP at our Facebook Event page for “We’re Taking the Hobbits to IceCreamGard”
Now here’s the rub, Ghirardelli does not take reservations, so everyone will just have to show up, grab whatever chair or table is available, and eat their yummy goodness. We may end up scattered about the place, but that’s OK, we are all Tolkien fans and we can socialize with the best of them. The shop is always rather popular and busy, the turn over is pretty quick, so just show up and have some fun with your fellow Tolkien fans, and there may even be a few prizes to win.
The 41st annual Saturn Awards were held last night in Burbank, California. The awards are presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films and honors genre film and television that typically are not recognized by other groups. “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” was nominated in 7 categories, including Best Make-up, Best Music, Best Visual Effects and Best Writing. The film won 2 awards for Best Fantasy Film and Best Supporting Actor! Richard Armitage attended the ceremony to pick up his much deserved award.
Best Fantasy Film Release:
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (winner)
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Paddington
Best Supporting Actor in a Film: Richard Armitage, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (winner)
Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice
Samuel L. Jackson, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Anthony Mackie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Andy Serkis, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Our friends at Tolkien Italia have info that the release date of “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” Extended Edition, for the folks in the United Kingdom, is November 16. They don’t cite a source but the good people there don’t make these things up. There are no further details available but it gives us all a target date and it sounds about right. We do know the Extended Edition team is working hard to put the finished product together and like all the excellent home video extras, they will deliver top-notch quality, completing the six-part documentary of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth films.
Incidentally, TheOneRing.net will be talking about this very thing at some event people call the San Diego Comic-Con, happening in San Diego. (Apparently a bunch of stars go there and it is like, the biggest popular culture celebration in the world or something.) Also, ice cream.
In Paşabahçe Picnic Area in eastern Turkey there is a hole in the ground – two so far to be exact. Inspired by the homes inhabited by Hobbits in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books and Peter Jackson’s movies, two small homes have been built into the side of a hill overlooking a valley. Each 65 square meter house (about 700 square feet) has a kitchen, bathroom, toilet and bedroom. The plan is to rent them out fully furnished as part of a hotel complex.
