Linuxelf sends some new clips along: First up is an in-depth interview with Peter Jackson, plus this: Ever wondered how many New Zealanders as extras where in the LOTR movie trilogy? This article does the maths & attempts to find out! 🙂 see how some of the extras had a blast to pass the time! And finally TTT interviews the day after the NZ premiere with, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Elijah Wood, Peter Jackson, Karl Urban, they are also asked what the strangest questions they had been asked by reporters. Enjoy!
With the release this week of the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time on Blu-ray, Warner Bros. offered TheOneRing.net the chance to speak to with Richard Taylor, head of Weta Workshops. (Be sure to check out our very own Xoanon’s interview with him as well)
Taylor and partner Tania Rodger famously built the New Zealand special effects house first from their Wellington, New Zealand flat in in 1987 and expanded it dramatically in 1994 when bringing in Peter Jackson. Since then it has grown into one of the elite special effects houses in the world, producing the wonders seen in films like the LOTR trilogy, King Kong, and Avatar, just to name a very few, and all of this across the ocean from the U.S. Film Industry, building what director Guillermo del Toro called, “Hollywood the way God intended it.” Continue reading “Exclusive: TORn’s interview with Richard Taylor”
Investors want to give MGM $500 million to start making new productions according to Nikki Finke at Deadline.com. Relativity Media, backed by a hedge fund, must see the profit potential in projects and properties like “The Hobbit” and further James Bond films. The report says this offer was made three weeks ago which means they probably weren’t following TORn’s advice, but maybe those holding MGM’s $3.7 billion debt will, and allow this to happen. In any case, the auction for MGM seems to be dead. If this deal is accepted, “The Hobbit,” could go forward right away. One also wonders if last Thursday’s long meeting was more about urging the bondholders to accept an offer like this and less about asking them for more money directly. Of course, investors may also want to carefully watch their money and that taps into the deepest fears of financiers wanting creative input into films. But with the LOTR track record of Producer Peter Jackson and proven visionary Guillermo del Toro directing, those fears are tempered. Thanks to Sunflower on our message boards and the many pairs of eyes keeping us up to date.
According to this credible report from excellent Hollywood journalist Nikki Finke, MGM is asking for money and wants the cash to function as a studio and make back the money it owes to its debtholders. She says, “…Last Thursday, right before Easter weekend, MGM Management gave an 8-hour presentation in the old MGM Screening Room to the creditors.” Apparently the creditors’ questions revealed they may not fully understand the film business. Current offers in the auction of the studio are unlikely to be accepted. Credit Finke for not jumping to conclusions and admitting the next step is anybody’s guess. For our “Hobbit” centric audience, Guillermo del Toro says this is indeed an obstacle for getting a green light on the films he is ready to direct. Thanks to Sunflower from our message boards for the tip!
Although actors like Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood, not to mention writer-director Peter Jackson and producer Fran Walsh are often credited with the success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the real folks responsible for bringing them to life are the crew members behind the scenes, led by Weta workshop president Richard Taylor. Since the beginning of the film series, Taylor has provided vital, insightful information about the making of the films, and helped flesh out their journey from page to screen.
This week, Warner Home Video released the theatrical versions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy on Blu-ray. The good folks at WHV offered Hollywood News an opportunity to talk with Taylor about the process of blowing up the films to Blu-ray, and they caught up with him late last week while driving to San Francisco for Wondercon. Although Taylor admitted outright that he hadn’t seen the new discs and had little to do with the high-definition remastering, the effects guru spoke about his interest in the films as new iterations arrive in fans’ hands, and then offered a few brief details about his upcoming work on The Hobbit, which is among Hollywood’s most highly-anticipated future films. More.
Andy Serkis has been describing life as Gollum and praising the talents of friend and Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. The British actor is reprising his most famous role in the film adaption of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit, due to be released in 2011. Serkis thinks the magic of the character comes, partly from the motion capture techniques used to make the film. “The really key moment really was Peter’s understanding that drama is what happens between two beings,” the 45-year-old said. More..
Andy Serkis has been describing life as Gollum and praising the talents of friend and Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. The British actor is reprising his most famous role in the film adaption of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit, due to be released in 2011. Serkis thinks the magic of the character comes, partly from the motion capture techniques used to make the film. “The really key moment really was Peter’s understanding that drama is what happens between two beings,” the 45-year-old said.