Linuxelf sends some new clips along: First up is an in-depth interview with Peter Jackson, plus this: Ever wondered how many New Zealanders as extras where in the LOTR movie trilogy? This article does the maths & attempts to find out! 🙂 see how some of the extras had a blast to pass the time! And finally TTT interviews the day after the NZ premiere with, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Elijah Wood, Peter Jackson, Karl Urban, they are also asked what the strangest questions they had been asked by reporters. Enjoy!
Investors want to give MGM $500 million to start making new productions according to Nikki Finke at Deadline.com. Relativity Media, backed by a hedge fund, must see the profit potential in projects and properties like “The Hobbit” and further James Bond films. The report says this offer was made three weeks ago which means they probably weren’t following TORn’s advice, but maybe those holding MGM’s $3.7 billion debt will, and allow this to happen. In any case, the auction for MGM seems to be dead. If this deal is accepted, “The Hobbit,” could go forward right away. One also wonders if last Thursday’s long meeting was more about urging the bondholders to accept an offer like this and less about asking them for more money directly. Of course, investors may also want to carefully watch their money and that taps into the deepest fears of financiers wanting creative input into films. But with the LOTR track record of Producer Peter Jackson and proven visionary Guillermo del Toro directing, those fears are tempered. Thanks to Sunflower on our message boards and the many pairs of eyes keeping us up to date.
Andy Serkis has been describing life as Gollum and praising the talents of friend and Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. The British actor is reprising his most famous role in the film adaption of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit, due to be released in 2011. Serkis thinks the magic of the character comes, partly from the motion capture techniques used to make the film. “The really key moment really was Peter’s understanding that drama is what happens between two beings,” the 45-year-old said. More..
Linuxelf continues to load up the YouTube library of yesteryear. Heading up today’s entries is fun New Zealand television coverage from our own “Return of the One Party”. They (channel 3) call it the “Three Ring Party” and later refer to it as New Line’s party, never quite catching on that it was a fan organized gathering. But they did talk to site friend and expert costumer Judy (look for the beard) and reported from our stage while Emerald Rose is playing.
After the video below are links to fun interviews with the likes of Peter Jackson, Orlando Bloom & Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen, Billy Boyd, Elijah Wood and John Rhys-Davies as well as footage of fans touring Edoras.
The guys over at MTV caught up with the incredibly talented and extremely busy co-founder and director of WETA, the Oscar Award winning Richard Taylor, right after he got off “a big meeting about how to make the new designs of armor for the new film” no less. Taylor  shared a deal of information regarding the early pre-production that’s been going on in New Zealand while the rest of the world is anticipating the long-awaited greenlight for the two Hobbit films.
“The lovely thing about ‘The Hobbit'”, says Taylor, “is that the race of the dwarves comes to the forefront in the story, and [we’ll depict] the uniqueness of the collection of the dwarves. There’s a journey through the story with Bilbo, and that’s something that’s incredibly exciting — that we’re going to have a chance to feed and develop and watch them take on a much greater presence than the one dwarf named Gimli was able to in the Lord of the Rings. Gimli had an incredible presence, of course, but he was only one character. And it’s fantastic to think that we’re going to be able to develop the dwarves to such a higher degree … the richness of their culture. The fact that through so many different dwarfs, you’ll get to appreciate their cultural differences, where they come from, them as a people.”
Taylor had more to say concerning the early design phase that they’re currently in, about the new and wonderful worlds that the story of The Hobbit takes you to, and about working with Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson.
TheOneRing.net has a long tradition of convincing and slightly irritating April Fool pranks. We believe this one was one of our best in both respects. Hope you fell for it! And let’s all hope we have real good news about The Hobbit films in the near future!
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According to a source very close to the production, this draft of the official press release is supposed to be released with the launch of the LOTR Blu-Ray set on April 6th. But as always, TheOneRing.net has it exclusively for you first! Read on!
“The Hobbit” to begin Principal Photography in New Zealand in October
Guillermo del Toro Directs International Cast
1st film release scheduled for late 2012
(Los Angeles, April 6, 2010) — The Hobbit films will begin principal photography in Wellington, New Zealand, on October 11, 2010, under the direction of Guillermo del Toro, it was jointly announced today by Barry M. Meyer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Warner Bros; Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer of Warner Bros; Stephen Cooper, President and Chief Operating Officer of MGM; Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer of New Line Cinema. The date marks the 11th anniversary of the start date of filming of “The Lord of the Rings,” trilogy, also in New Zealand.
The production follows the tradition of Middle-earth movie-making by filming the two films in the saga — “The Hobbit,” in two parts — not consecutively but concurrently, as though they were one giant motion picture production, a feat first established by “Lord of the Rings,” director Peter Jackson who along with Fran Walsh, serves as Executive Producer for this production.
Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel originally written for children and beloved by readers of all ages, the film will have a same-day red carpet premieres around the globe on Tuesday, September 21st, 2012, the landmark 75th anniversary of the publication of “The Hobbit.”
Those high-profile premiers will include cast, crew, guests of the film studios and media including a celebration in the writer’s native Oxford, United Kingdom. Other participating cities are Hong Kong, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Salt Lake City, Tokyo and Wellington.
General release for the public will be on Friday, December 31, 2012.
“You see,” joked director Guillermo del Toro, “we kept our promise to fans and released this film before the end of the world,” in a reference to the Mayan calendar which concludes time on that date. “We recommend everybody take Friday off to catch an early screening — just in case!”
The Lord of the Rings franchise stars (in alphabetical order) Cate Blanchett, Marton Csokas, Martin Freeman, Mark Ferguson, Sir Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis and Hugo Weaving with other cast members to be announced before production begins.
The screenplay is written by del Toro (Hellboy, El laberinto del fauno) Jackson (Meet The Feebles, King Kong); Walsh (Heavenly Creatures, The Lovely Bones) and Philippa Boyens (Lord of the Rings, District 9). The producers are Barrie M. Osborne (The Matrix, Face/Off), and Rick Porras (Contact, Lord of the Rings).
* MGM and Warner Bros. will co-finance and co-distribute two films, “The Hobbit” and a sequel to “The Hobbit.” New Line will distribute in North America and MGM will distribute internationally.
* Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as Executive Producers of two films based on “The Hobbit.” New Line, under direction of Warner Bros. will manage the production of the films.
Andy Serkis has been describing life as Gollum and praising the talents of friend and Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. The British actor is reprising his most famous role in the film adaption of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit, due to be released in 2011. Serkis thinks the magic of the character comes, partly from the motion capture techniques used to make the film. “The really key moment really was Peter’s understanding that drama is what happens between two beings,” the 45-year-old said. 
“The Hobbit” to begin Principal Photography in New Zealand in October