From empireonline.com: It’s ten years on since four little hobbits set off from the Shire on an epic quest that spanned Middle Earth and took in vast battles, demonic monsters, wizardry, Orcs and, ultimately, enough Oscars to fill the Lonely Mountain. It’s ten years that have seen the rise and fall and rise again of two-part prequel The Hobbit, now firmly in production in Wellington, offering moviegoers an imminent return to Middle Earth.
Obviously this all called for a big celebration so a celebration is what Empire is having. The new issue is more bursting with revelry and nostalgia than a Friday night at the Prancing Pony. There’s tall tales – well, tallish tales – memories; behind-the-scenes pics from Aragorn himself, Viggo Mortensen; Oscar night reflections from Ian McKellen, Peter Jackson and Mortensen; and rarely-seen concept art.
Best of all, though, is a gathering of the four hobbits themselves: Elijah Wood (Frodo), Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Dominic Monaghan (Merry). It was so momentous it called for its own trailer – and here it is for your perusal pleasure. Sadly the Nazgûl got stuck in LA traffic.
Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has released the first of four new videos discussing the cultural phenomenon of The Lord of the Rings, as well as how The Lord of the Rings: War in the North fits within this world. This video features commentary from well-known faces from the entertainment industry discussing their personal affinity for The Lord of the Rings.
Film stars Dominic Monahan and Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings) discuss exploring this world in their childhoods; actors Brian Posehn (The Sara Silverman Show) and Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) speak to its dominance within the fantasy genre, and gaming experts Alison Haislip (G4) and Miri Jedeikin affirm The War in the North’s authenticity, as well as noted Tolkien scholar, Corey Olson. Continue reading “WBIE Release First of Four Videos for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North”
Lord of the Rings and Hobbit actor Andy Serkis took a break from filming at the weekend to pay a short visit to Queenstown. While in the resort Serkis, who plays Gollum/Smeagol, took a ride with Ziptrek in the exhilarating Kea 6-Line Tour, which features the world’s steepest tree-to-tree flying fox. More..
Where do Tolkien fans gather on Tuesdays for the hottest live chat “call-in” show covering all things Hobbity? Join the fun with TORn Tuesdays LIVE with Quickbeam! Be part of our live streaming show with Cliff discussing (A) the newest HOBBIT set pics, (B) external shooting near Marlborough, (C) upcoming 10-year anniversary of the LOTR Film Trilogy (D) exciting news from the LOTR: WAR IN THE NORTH video game & much more! As always talk with folks in Barliman’s chat room LIVE and we can even bring you in via Skype. Check out the broadcast in our LIVE Event section right here every week: 5:00pm Pacific Daylight Time! [LIVE Event Area] (See All Times)
Empire Magazine has gone Hobbit Happy in their latest issue. Celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the release of ‘Fellowship of the Ring’ in style! Check out these stories:
Hobbits Reunion
At the very heart of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy are the four hobbits played by Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan. Inseparable during the shoot and linked for life by their experiences there, they hadn’t seen each other all together for years until we reassembled them for a reunion shoot to mark the 10th anniversary of the release. So take a look, and read the accompanying interview to hear all about having lilies strewn at their feet, the toilets on set and whether hobbit feet are hereditary. We also have an exclusive collection of Aragorn’s personal photos from the set in Viggo Mortensen’s Middle-Earth.
Jackson’s Unseen Concept Art
Ever wondered how they settled on the design for the Balrog? Or Shelob? Or Sauron, or the Witch King of Angmar? Well, wonder no more: our trove of previously-unreleased concept art, as explained by Richard Taylor, Alan Lee and Peter Jackson himself, gives you new details on how the monsters of The Lord Of The Rings came to look the way they did. Throughout the Lord Of The Rings celebration, we also bring you untold stories from all the cast and crew. Yes, they still had a few untold stories after all these years!
Lord of the Rings: Oscar Memories
How does it feel to win all 11 of the 11 Academy Awards you’re nominated for? What do you tend to remember of Oscar night? And what did Steven Spielberg tell Peter Jackson on the way off-stage after presenting him with Best Director? The answers to all these questions and more are right here, as we bring you a complete oral history of that night-of-nights for New Zealand. They may just have won the Rugby World Cup on home turf, and sure, a few All Blacks are probably pleased about that, but we all know that it’s the Oscars victory that matters most. Right?
Hobbit fans, it looks like we’ve got us a convoy – a couple of them, in fact. Two convoys, each of about 200 vehicles, will leave today from Sir Peter Jackson’s Stone Street Studios in Miramar to transport vital gear for location filming. The New Zealand Transport Agency said it had been made aware that one fleet of 200 vehicles, mainly smaller trucks with caravans, but also some bigger trucks, would head to Hamilton for location shooting at Hobbiton in Matamata. The other convoy is off to Queenstown. It is possible to shoot at different locations at the same time because there are two Hobbit production units, one led by Sir Peter and the other by Andy Serkis. Hobbit publicist Melissa Booth declined to comment about the production going on the road. More..
Lord of the Rings and Hobbit actor Andy Serkis took a break from filming at the weekend to pay a short visit to Queenstown. While in the resort Serkis, who plays Gollum/Smeagol, took a ride with Ziptrek in the exhilarating Kea 6-Line Tour, which features the world’s steepest tree-to-tree flying fox. 
