linuxelf sends along these two clips from local NZ TV reporting on the commencement of filming for ‘The Hobbit’. Take a look!
Category: New Zealand
In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit…
Wellington, NZ, March 21, 2011—Production has commenced in Wellington, New Zealand, on “The Hobbit,” filmmaker Peter Jackson’s two film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s widely read masterpiece.
“The Hobbit” is set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
The two films, with screenplays by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson, will be shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Filming will take place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.
“The Hobbit” follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Continue reading “PRODUCTION BEGINS IN NEW ZEALAND ON THE HOBBIT, PETER JACKSON’S TWO FILM EPIC ADAPTATION OF J.R.R. TOLKIEN’S TIMELESS CLASSIC”
On this episode of Hobbit in 5 James Nesbitt Talks Dwarf Training, Lord of the Rings Extended Blu-ray is finally available for pre-order, Rebekah Platt asks for your take on Sir Ian Holm as Old Baggins and Graham McTavish steps out in our next character study on Dwalin.
In the service of the launch of the excellent Doctor Who audio spin-off The Minister Of Chance (check back here for a review on the 17th of March), the seventh Doctor himself, Sylvester McCoy, was kind enough to have a chat with us today, which will be up on the site very shortly. The Scottish actor also talked at some length about his pending role as the wizard Radagast in Peter Jackson’s much-delayed New Zealand production of The Hobbit – and clears up fairly definitively whether the character is just making a brief cameo, referring to his involvement in ‘two films’ for the project and responding to a question about the duration of his stay down under. More..
I’ve seen Bilbo — in three dimensions. I was visiting old friends in the Stone Street offices and heard Martin Freeman was just round the corner by the permanent greenscreen, done up as Bilbo, testing his costume in front of the 3D cameras. Indeed, there he was in the open air, mostly oblivious to the camera, though turning this way and that as required. Martin improvised a hobbity gait, padding back and forth, testing his big hairy Hobbit feet, pointy ears and little tum. More..
Cricket Wellington boss Gavin Larsen believes the Basin Reserve could be sold out within the next 24 hours after “stunning” opening day sales for Sunday’s earthquake charity game featuring Shane Warne. The spectator-friendly ground has a capacity of 8000 and nearly half those tickets were snapped up for the Twenty20 game before Larsen went home last night.
“We’ve been blown away by the level of interest and I’d be very surprised if it wasn’t a sellout,” Larsen said. “The ground was recalibrated three years ago and the capacity is 8000, which I get the feeling we are going to reach a lot quicker than we thought.”
The big names continue to be unveiled by organiser Stephen Fleming. All Blacks Richie McCaw and Conrad Smith are the latest to lend their support, the pair confirmed as umpires for the match between the Canterbury Legends XI and Wellington Legends XI. Fleming said the All Blacks pair would rotate umpiring stints with actors Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins) and Mark Hadlow (Harry in King Kong)…British actor James Nesbitt has been attached to the Wellington lineup as coach, pitting him against Russell Crowe, who Fleming snapped up as Canterbury coach. More