It looks like, in addition to his work on the Extended Edition for the Battle of the Five Armies, Peter Jackson will be investing a bit of his time this year to launch a WWI museum. Is it too much to think this might be a pointer toward that Dambusters project?
Director Peter Jackson said Wednesday he’s putting his energy into helping launch a museum to commemorate World War I after finishing his “Hobbit” movie trilogy.
If he has any plans for future blockbusters, he’s not saying.
Jackson was speaking at his New Zealand post-production facility where he was helping host an event to promote the local film industry. Directors Jane Campion and James Cameron also attended.
Jackson is a World War I history buff who owns a number of planes from the era.
He said the plan for the Wellington museum was to open during April to mark the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli battle.
He said more galleries would be opened over the coming four years to mark other battles in which New Zealanders fought.
The New Zealand Herald newspaper reported earlier that Jackson had been recruited by the government to curate the museum, and he was expected to gather aircraft, tanks and other artifacts from private and public collections.
TheOneRing.net’s One Last Party campaign hits $163,000!
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo has now raised more than $163,000 — we’ve less than 17,000 to go!
We are so humbled by everyone’s support. More than 1,000 people have pledged and scores of people have reached out to donate items or their time to help our party fundraiser. You are all awesome!
Pledges of $10 or more could win this signed Battle of the Five Armies poster
One amazing TORn supporter has donated this Battle of the Five Armies poster (see the picture below) signed at San Diego ComicCon by:
Dwalin — Graham McTavish
Gollum — Andy Serkis
Tauriel — Evangeline Lilly
Thranduil — Lee Pace
Legolas — Orlando Bloom
Bard — Luke Evans
Smaug — Benedict Cumberbatch
Frodo — Elijah Wood
Galadriel — Cate Blanchett
The poster (measuring 13′ by 20′), together with the holographic wristband that was needed to get it at SDCC, will be given away to one lucky supporter, chosen at random from all the pledges of $10 and above that we receive THIS WEEK (Monday 12th to Sunday 18th January).
However, the poster will only be given away IF we reach our goal! If we get to $180k by (or before!) the deadline on Sunday 18th, one name will be chosen at random to receive this amazing poster and wristband. Each new pledge of $10 or higher during this final week will be a separate entry into the draw. That’s right: the more times you pledge, the more chances you have to win!
You’ve almost certainly visited Emil Johannson’s LOTRProject website at some point or another, whether to pore over his Middle-earth genealogy page, view the historical timeline of Middle-earth or try out his classic Which Hobbit character are you? quiz.
This is a really interesting — and sometimes provocative — interview from just after the premiere of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five armies.
The Daily Beast chatted with Peter Jackson about his two decades exploring Middle-earth, his thoughts on Tolkien purists (controversial!), evading the MPAA’s initial R rating on the most recent Hobbit film (I hadn’t heard about that), and his plans for the future (still hoping for the Dambusters film, personally).
I found this quote really interesting…
I don’t mean to undervalue the battle, they could be holding a knife and fork with their hands and be sitting at the table eating, or they can have a sword in their hand and fighting for their lives, it’s still the storytelling and the narrative that these guys are on that you’re really focused on.
Many of you will have seen the video Peter Jackson posted to his Facebook page back in December, as a thank you to and celebration of the fans. What you may not know is that TORn staffer Maura appeared in the video! Here are her thoughts on this epic journey of fandom:
We have all made top ten lists of our favorite Lord of the Rings moments. At the 2014 Comic-Con International a group of fans were given the opportunity to share their memories and hopes for the final installment on camera, including yours truly. The end result was a heart-warming video posted on Peter Jackson’s Facebook page on December 3rd, that has been viewed over a million times.
Despite my donning of the “I *heart* hot dwarves” tee shirt (had to represent for TORn) one of my favorite moments was the appearance of the Prince of Mirkwood in The Desolation of Smaug. I’m not going to lie; it’s a relief that they didn’t use my uncomfortably long gush about the beauty that is Legolas. That’s the kind of embarrassment that can come back to haunt you at, say, company holiday parties or family gatherings. Does anyone else experience this – the “Legolas Effect”? Once I start, I simply cannot stop.
It can’t be a coincidence that many of us believe the movies’ most enduring legacy is the friendships that have resulted. It was a point I myself had made during my interview. That’s why a site like TheOneRing.net is so important. It has been a haven for like-minded people to assemble, discuss, debate and celebrate our common admiration for an author and his books, as well as a filmmaker and his films. So as the campaign for The One Last Party draws to a close, won’t you consider making that pledge, leaving the comfort of your armchair and books, and joining us for one final adventure?
These bonds of fellowship we’ve forged over the years are strong and should be honored by hoisting a glass. Oh, and if you want to have a serious conversation about the silver blue intensity of Legolas’s eyes in the Hobbit films versus the Lord of the Rings films, I’ll be at the bar.
One Last Party fundraiser!
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is almost 90% funded and we’re pretty stoked!
If you’d like to join us as a Party of Special Magnificence in Hollywood in February — a toast to all SIX Middle-earth movies, then now is the time to throw in your support! Even if you can’t make it to Hollywood (or if you’ve already contributed), you can help out by retweeting or sharing our fundraiser across social media to get the word out.
The good folks at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment are running a pretty huge contest at the moment – offering fans a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour in New Zealand.
Fans have been voting, since Dec 26th, to pick their favourites from various scenes from all three Hobbit movies. Tomorrow, Jan 13th, the winning scenes will be revealed. Fans then have until February 2nd to submit their own recreations of those scenes, to be in with a chance to win!
You can see which scenes have been chosen (from tomorrow) here. Then either get going with making your own video, or check back on February 9th to vote for your favourite from the fan creations!
Full details of the contest are at the official competition website, here. There are of course lots of rules about things such as country of residence, and we’re sorry but you do have to be 18 and over to enter. Check out all the rules at the competition site – to get you started, here is a brief summary for you:
* Entrants submit their videos (up to two minutes in length) to the official contest entry page on the site for judging. Videos must also be uploaded to YouTube complete with the Hobbit Challenge endcard and official hashtag #hobbitchallenge to quality.
* From February 9 – February 15 fans will be able to vote on their favorite video submissions on the official Hobbit YouTube channel. The top 30 entries as voted by fans will then be reviewed by a panel of judges.
* A winning video from each participating country will be announced starting March 24, 2015. Dates and times vary by country. The winner from each country will receive a prize package including The Hobbit collectibles from The Noble Collection and a Blu-ray of The Hobbit Trilogy.
* The winning country videos will advance to the grand prize judging to be decided by representatives of the filmmakers.
* The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on April 22, 2015, and will receive a trip for 2 to New Zealand and a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour.
Good luck to all who enter!
[Please note, TheOneRing.net is in no way affiliated with this contest. If you have questions or comments about the rules, please go to https://fanchallenge.thehobbit.com and contact the organisers there.]
One Last Party fundraiser!
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is 80% funded and we’re pretty stoked!
If you’d like to join us as a Party of Special Magnificence in Hollywood in February — a toast to all SIX Middle-earth movies, then now is the time to throw in your support! Even if you can’t make it to Hollywood (or if you’ve already contributed), you can help out by retweeting or sharing our fundraiser across social media to get the word out.
It looks like, in addition to his work on the Extended Edition for the Battle of the Five Armies, Peter Jackson will be investing a bit of his time this year to launch a WWI museum. Is it too much to think this might be a pointer toward that Dambusters project?
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo has now raised more than $163,000 — we’ve less than 17,000 to go!
Pledges of $10 or more could win this signed Battle of the Five Armies poster
2014. It heralded the final chapter of Thorin’s Company of 14. What better way to relive it than with a “Top 14” list!
This is a really interesting — and sometimes provocative — interview from just after the premiere of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five armies. 
Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is almost 90% funded and we’re pretty stoked!