Chinese The Lord of the Rings Trilogy fans were highly anticipating this past weekend as Peter Jackson’s ‘The Fellowship of the Ring‘ was due to re-release nationwide – in glorious remastered 4k.
Unfortunately, due to the last second approval by government officials, many Chinese venues did not get the print in time and screenings had to be canceled. Here’s the wrap up from The Hollywood Reporter:
It was another bizarro weekend at the Chinese box office.
The long-anticipated return of Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ring finally arrived Friday in vividly remastered 4K. But official permission for the rerelease from China’s regulators came so late — just one full day in advance — that marketing for the movie was mostly nonexistent and scores of digital prints failed to reach cinemas on time, forcing a wave of cancelations and refunds to angry customers throughout Friday and into Saturday.
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The Fellowship of the Ring, meanwhile, limped into fifth place with just $4.1 million. The opening results for the fantasy classic are a keen disappointment compared to the recent performance of James Cameron’s Avatar, which opened to $23.7 million when it was rereleased in China in March. The perennial appeal of the Lord of the Rings franchise could help Fellowship mount a healthy hold though, much as Avatar did (Cameron’s film has climbed to $60.2 million in second-run sales). Warner Bros. also will get a do-over later this month — assuming all goes to plan (always a big “if” in China) — when Jackson’s The Two Towers re-releases on April 23. Regulators have indicated that the franchise closer The Return of the King will also get a second run in China, but the film — worryingly — still hasn’t been given an official release date.
Awesome 1:6 figures are not the only thing coming from our friends at Asmus Toys! They are also making these very cool 4″ tall figures called Q-Bitz – and they just happen to come in your favorite license,The Lord of the Rings. As of right now you can get these 4″ tall figures, with 2-4 points of articulation, covering the following characters: Aragorn, Gimli, Arwen, Lurtz, and a Ringwraith. Our friends at Sideshow Collectibles have the whole set grouped together for $100, with them shipping in Q4 of this year. These look to be fun and quirky figures that add a nice little touch to any collection.
Our friends at Asmus Toys just keep turning out some of the best 1:6 figures you’ve seen, of the many beloved characters from Middle-earth. We want to make you aware that there are two more figures out now that folks can order. Fans can buy the incredible-looking Elven Warrior and Elven Archer figures, and start recreating The Battle of the Last Alliance. These very detailed figures can be ordered right now, and ship from our friends at Sideshow Collectibles in the next couple of months, for $190.
Here’s what the folks from Asmus Toys have to say about these awesome figures:
“ One by one, free lands in Middle-earth fell to the power of the Ring. But there were some who resisted. A last alliance of Men and Elves marched against the armies of Mordor, and on the slopes of Mount Doom they fought for the freedom of Middle-earth.
Asmus Toys are proud to introduce the latest releases from their The Lord of the Rings 1/6th scale collectible line: Elven Warrior & Elven Archer!
From the Battle of Dagorlad, where they stood along side Elrond and Gil-galad as the forces of Sauron drew ever closer. These elite High Elven soldiers instantly wowed audiences in the First Age prologue of The Fellowship of the Ring.
The team at Asmus Toys have shown their commitment to delve deep into the world of The Lord of the Rings by giving collectors a chance to own some of the lesser known heroes of the story. This pairing perfectly accompanies the existing Elrond release and allows for so many more display options for those who desire an expanse of both main and background characters.
Both products come with brand new, beautifully crafted gold armored attire! Standing at approximately 30cm tall, with over 34 points of articulation; they also include an Elven shield and spear, long sleeved hooded chainmail and removable helmets which reveal a different head sculpt for each figure!
The ‘Elven Warrior’ carries a devastating double-handed Elven blade, which tucks away nicely into a rear worn scabbard. With an abundance of accessories, it’s hard to know which weapons to display this guy with!
What ‘Elven Archer’ would be complete without their Elven longbow? At around the same height as the archer, its length gave them the greatest shooting range, allowing them to take down enemies from afar. This accessory is accompanied by an elegant quiver and a mighty ten Elven arrows!
Guest writer Matthew Bossons brings us this fascinating look at how Tolkien fandom has made its way to China; and he reflects on whether Amazon’s upcoming Middle-earth series is likely to find fans there.
Panjiayuan is Beijing’s biggest and best-known antique market, regularly attracting orc-like hordes of tourists and locals alike to wander the warren of booths and stalls, both indoor and outside. All manner of old and made-to-look-old items are on offer here: jade carvings, stone Buddha statues, ancient coins, Chinese Communist Party pins and propaganda posters, replica Korean war medals and mounds of books.
On a brisk October day, while standing at a hawker stand specializing in old Chinese books – mostly Chairman Mao’s iconic ‘Little Red Book’ – I came across a curious title: The Art of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, in English-language and hardcover form. The book, a collection of sketches and maps made by Tolkien, was published in 2015 and compiled by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull – both well-known scholars of the ‘father of high fantasy.’
We’ve teamed up with our new friends at Numskull Designs to show off a couple of their very cool cosplaying ducks from TheLord of the Rings Trilogy. The subjects of this review are going to be the awesome-looking Aragorn and Sauron Cosplaying Ducks, as well as their very cool The Lord of the Rings pin sets.
You can get these two ducks for $12.99 each, and the pin sets for $7.99, from various collectibles stores on the net. However, we’re pleased to announce that starting tomorrow Friday 9th April, through Friday 30th April, if you follow TheOneRing.net AND Numskull Designs on Twitter, and like TORn’s tweet announcing the contest, you will be in with a chance to win a set of what you see in this review. (One lucky winner will be chosen at random, and contacted by Numskull Designs.) Good luck!
The awesome folks over at BudK have let us know that The Gauntlet of Sauron is now in-stock and ready for purchase. This thing is super cool looking; if you’re into prop replicas, this one will look amazing in your collection.
You can snag this right now for $349 from the BudK website.
Here is the full product description from United Cutlery:
A handmade, fully functional actor-scale reproduction of the gauntlet worn by the Dark Lord Sauron in The Fellowship of the Ring. Strictly limited to 1000 pieces worldwide, each one is presented with a wood wall display featuring a Sauron graphic motif. Crafted of genuine leather and iron, the gauntlet features more than 35 plate mail parts with an iron black finish and Intaglio surface engraving. Includes the One Ring with inscription, crafted in gold-plated metal.
