Philippa Boyens. Photo: KENT BLECHYNDEN/Fairfax NZ Wellington’s Philippa Boyens is one of the most successful screenwriters in the world. She’s won an Oscar, a Bafta and has been a nominee for many more, including a Writers Guild of America Award.
Boyens owes much of this to her screenwriting debut with Sir Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings. She went on to co-write King Kong and The Lovely Bones with Jackson and Fran Walsh, as well as co-produce both films.
So with the fruits of her most recent labour, the US$500 million trilogy The Hobbit, soon to be revealed to the world with the release in December of An Unexpected Journey, we’d be forgiven for assuming Boyens was keen from the very beginning to return to Middle-earth.
When asked, there’s a long pause before she answers. “I loved the world. I loved [JRR] Tolkien’s writing. [But] I think there was a quality about myself where I felt like ‘I’d done it’,” she says while in Wellington.
HotHouse Music (the music supervisors and film composer agents at Abbey Road Studios in London) report on Twitter that — after three months of recording and mixing — The Hobbit score is finally complete.
Choice quote: “It’s going to be epic. #TheHobbit #Needaholiday”.
It’s all getting serious now. Isn’t the film supposed to be signed, sealed and delivered in a day or so, too? Thanks to Ringer Tolktolk on the forums for the heads up!
Australians Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Barry Humphries will all attend the world premiere of the first Hobbit movie in New Zealand next week.
Warner Bros. has announced the stars who will attend the first screening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, in Wellington.
Filmmakers Sir Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will also be joined by Martin Freeman, who plays the central role of Bilbo Baggins; Richard Armitage, who stars as the dwarf warrior Thorin Oakenshield; Andy Serkis who plays Gollum and Elijah Wood who plays Frodo Baggins.
There may be a nearly 10-metre statue of Gandalf the Grey above Wellington’s Embassy Theatre, but the actor who plays the character, Sir Ian McKellen, won’t be there to see it for himself.
McKellen said he was sorry he could not attend. “I know they (the cast) will have a wonderful welcome from the fans and I envy them. As ever, my heart is in Wellington, and I send my love.”
As part of their weekly Sunday countdown of top classical music and movie scores, the U.K. station,Classic fm, will be playing exerpts from Howard Shore’s score to “The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey.” The countdown show is playing as I type this with the #1 slot set to begin around 6:30 p.m. GMT (that’s 11:30 a.m. EST (New York) and 7:30 a.m NADT (Auckland). Follow this link to listen live on your computer: classicfm.com. Read More…
British artist John Cockshaw creates the most amazing artwork of the landscapes of Middle-earth using his imagination, and a love of landscapes and macro photography. TheOneRing.net spoke with John about the techniques and inspiration behind his moody and evocative pieces in this extended interview. Continue reading “The amazing Middle-earth art of John Cockshaw”
Bag End goes up at the Embassy Theatre for the premiere of The Hobbit. WETA Worskshop writes: “Our clever friends at the 3 Foot 7 Art department have created a rather spectacular new facade for the building. Please share photos if you’ve been down at the cinema today!” We agree, if you’ve been down at the Embassy today, send us your photos and descriptions of what’s been going on!
Additionally, Ringer Selfish Narwal send us this article from the Dominion Post:
A Hobbit-themed sculpture is being unveiled on top of the Embassy Theatre today, as Middle- earth fever sweeps Wellington less than a fortnight out from the world premiere of Sir Peter Jackson’s new epic.
Workers have this morning been craning the huge installation pieces into place – including a Gandalf sculpture and what appears to be the front of a Hobbit house – since about 8am this morning.
Embassy duty manager Charlotte Weston said the installation was progressing well.
