Word has been seeping out for a few weeks of some of the toy characters (on display at Comic-Con) being revealed through various channels of the pipeline that gets movie tie-ins to market. Now, made by Bridge Direct, they are for sale on store shelves in at least some locations including the new Toys-R-Us in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Not only is it exciting to see new products (Tolkienites make great consumers!) but there are some clues about “The Hobbit: A Long Expected Journey,” and, our staff thinks, some false leads. But true or false, except for some glimpses in Peter Jackson’s production diaries, we have our first clear look of Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel. For those wishing to avoid spoilers, don’t look beyond the break!

The process of merchandise hitting the market and spoiling some aspects of movies is inevitable and fun for consumers but maybe less fun for filmmakers who may want to keep a lid on every possible detail. Lilly’s character, a creation of the screenwriting team, has been mildly controversial as a character not created by J.R.R. Tolkien who wrote the children’s novel the trilogy of movies is based on 75 years ago. Many message board users at TheOneRing.net have taken a wait-and-see stance. Continue reading “Hobbit toys hit store shelves, Tauriel revealed”

We revealed in July during HobbitCon 2012 that pre-sales for The Bridge Direct’s line of figures from Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy would begin in September. Well, today is the day fans can start pre-ordering for the figures representing the characters from the first film in the trilogy.

The figures in The Bridge Direct’s range will vary in scale from 3.75″ figures to 6″ figures, and come in two-packs, battle packs, and deluxe figures. Check out Amazon.Com, ToysRUS.com, and EntertainmentEarth.com to get your online orders in now.

Brick and Mortar stores will be have these awesome figures starting in October. Continue reading “Collecting The Precious – The Bridge Direct The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Figures Up For Pre-Order”

Folks at Games Workshop have dropped us a note to let us know that the list of miniatures that popped-up on pastebin a few weeks ago is sadly not a real one. They tell us that the list of miniatures is a hoax, albeit a very elaborate and well-researched one.

On the other hand, another action figure list which surfaced around the same time on German website SF-fan.de seems to be true according to our friends at Herr-der-Ringe.

If you haven’t read it already, TORn messageboard member Miruvorheron has provided a translation into English. Obviously, it’s full of some pretty heavy spoilers!

I love Middle-earth. I also love collecting items representing that world. As you’ve probably noticed through the reviews here, I’ve got more than a few items in my collection. It helps bring the magic Tolkien created and Jackson adapted home along with smiles every time I look at my items.

Now, TORn, as part of our super-secret project, wants to showcase you and your collection!

Starting today, through to next Wednesday, we here at TORn will be collecting submissions in search of Ringer Super Collectors at large. What we need are three to four good pictures of you and your collection, along with a brief write-up about why you are a super collector (write-ups must be 500 words or less).

Email your pictures and write-up to Elessar@theonering.net. We’ll start going through the submissions and you never know — you just might see you and your collection posted soon!

At the end of the second week in September a cart came in through Bywater from the direction of Brandywine Bridge in broad daylight.  An old man was driving it all alone.  He wore a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, and a silver scarf. He had a long white beard and bushy eyebrows that stuck out beyond the brim of his hat. Small hobbit-children ran after the cart all through Hobbiton and right up the hill.  It had a cargo of fireworks, as they rightly guessed. — From A Long-Expected Party, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

 

In Peter Jackson’s LOTR film, the first moment of Gandalf arriving in Hobbiton and finding Frodo waiting on the trail were critical because it established two essential characters and the setting of Hobbiton. It also introduced audiences to the scale of Hobbits with human-sized characters including forced perspective of Frodo riding in Gandalf’s cart.

The meeting serves as the entry point for Lord of the Rings LEGO as well with set 9469 introducing important characters in an easy-to-build kit that is also easy to afford at $12.99 retail in the U.S. It will likely find itself as birthday present to and from friends many times over. Because it is recommended for ages eight to 14, I enlisted Logan (8) and Dresden (10), to assist with the build of the kit. Continue reading “Product review: LOTR LEGO ‘Gandalf Arrives’ set”

We all listened to and read Peter Jackson’s words from Comic-Con about three possible “Hobbit,” movies carefully. But we didn’t listen to all the words and we missed a few things.

He told us. He told us — he did.

He said exactly what he meant, he said it plainly and the media and fans (and me) tried to figure out what he meant when he told us in plainness. Monday, Jackson dropped an atomic bomb of news and fandom reacted accordingly.

“The Hobbit,” adapted for the screen from the 300-page, 75-year-old book by J.R.R. Tolkien changed from from two movies to three in the blink of a Facebook post.

AMBITION
More on the words we ignored in a minute. We need to figure out when these films break, what it means for fans and websites and studios and cinema and the director, but lets not rush past the size and scope of this news. Lets not walk around Paris admiring all the cafes and churches without also pausing and noticing the big tower in the center of town.

We witnessed, the last few weeks since Comic-Con, something monumental, unprecedented, unparalleled and a little bit crazy. Jackson (and when we say “Jackson” we always mean the director and Walsh, Boyens and a team of others supporting their vision) is in unchartered territory here. Continue reading “The bold ‘Hobbit’ trilogy decision and what to expect”