IMG_8072It’s not very often that the statue of the year comes out so early in the year leaving all the rest to settle for the number two spot. But that is what has happened this year with the arrival last month of the Azog the Defiler on Warg by Weta Workshop. We got our first look at this beast of a statue during Comic-Con 2013. This was the jewel of the Weta booth last year with a steady stream of people drooling all over the glass at how amazing this looked..

Continue reading “Collecting The Precious – Weta Workshop’s Azog the Defiler on Warg Review”

Philippa BoyensOur good friends over at Empire Online have posted a great little story: co-writer and producer Philippa Boyens is talking Hobbit movie number three!  Boyens’ passion for Thorin (and for actor Richard Armitage!) is clear in her comments about the Dwarf-who-would-be-King’s storyline, and she hints at the darkness to come in The Hobbit: There and Back Again.  She also talks about the rift which opens up amongst the dwarves, and reminds us that Peter Jackson is hard at work even as you read this, cutting and shaping this third and final visit to Middle-earth.

Read the entire, (spoiler-free) article here.

 

hobbitenvironmentereboralrg2The latest newsletter from our friends at Weta Workshop has been released, included in it is  their first environment piece from The Hobbit Trilogy. This amazing piece is one I have been looking forward to arriving, it captures the stunning detail of the Front Gate of Erebor. This fantastic piece has all the little details that we saw in the front gate with those two awesome Dwarven statues. You can pre-order this piece right now for a solid price of $199 with it arriving in your collection sometime between April and May.

Also in the latest newsletter is an item I believe Ringers who like to cosplay or fans of Legolas in general will love. You can add an exact replica of the vambrace that Legolas wears during The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Each vambrace is made of high quality leather and is ready to ship shortly after ordering. One vambrace comes with a price tag of $99 and will help you put a great finishing touch onto any Middle-earth themed costume.

The-Hobbit-The-Desolation-of-Smaug-FX-046WETA Digital has released a new video on their YouTube channel, showcasing the multitude of visual effects work done on the second chapter in Sir Peter Jackson’s Hobbit Trilogy – The Desolation of Smaug.

The elements covered range from the Kingdom of Erebor, Laketown and the Woodland Realm to Smaug, the barrel chase, and the CG character animation. Continue reading “‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ Visual Effects Reel from WETA Digital”

Barrels out of Bond artworkIt became one of the most talked about scenes in Peter Jackson’s second Hobbit film (for both fans and detractors). Now WIRED has posted a new video that gives a behind the scenes look at the construction of the seven minute barrel sequence from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The two and a half minute video discusses the complex editing process as well as the visual effects work done for the sequence. Continue reading “WIRED goes behind the scenes of ‘Desolation of Smaug’ Barrel Escape — VIDEO”