I will be heading to New Zealand next month for a 10-day vacation in and around Wellington. Ubisoft, makers of “Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie” headed a contest a while back where the winners receive an all-expense paid trip to Wellington to visit the WETA studios, and I’ll be escorting them!
My journey begins on April 6th and I arrive on the 8th (the 7th will magically disappear from my calendar thanks to the wonder of crossing a ton of time zones), I have a few things already planned, my wife and I want to take some city and LOTR location tours, and we plan on seeing some friends I have made over the years while working on Lord of the Rings, King Kong and Narnia websites. Of course I also want to do some lounging about in the pre-fall goodness that is Wellywood. I will be shooting some video to be featured on the site, so keep an eye out for those!
I plan on having a ton of photos and goodies to show you from my trip, and if you know of any cool places to visit in the area, drop me a line!
Posted in:
Share:
Adrian writes: I was wondering if you could mention in your news section that the film “Guerrilla Distribution” is being made available to download from www.realkong.co.uk. Guerrilla Distribution is a mockumentary about two guerrilla filmmakers who have decided that they are going to rip off Peter Jackson by making King Kong and selling it pretending it to be his version.
Set in the summer of 2005, the documentary crew follow the pair as they desperately try to meet their deadline using every trick they know. Guerrilla Distribution features appearances from Brian Sibley, Ramon Rivero and Sir Ian Mckellen. It is aimed at fans of Peter Jackson, King Kong, and Lord of the Rings and so should be welcomed by those who visit your website. [More]
Posted in:
Share:
From AICN: Peter Jackson sent in a video acceptance to receive his Best Film gong at the 2006 Empire Awards and, after the usual pleasantries, Jackson included some never-before-seen footage from the film. There’s a blooper reel, Andy Serkis ‘original’ vision for Kong, lightsaber action (seriously) and a brand new scene constructed especially for Empire that answers the biggest question of the film – how did they get Kong back to the States? [More] [Mirror 1] [Mirror 2] [Mirror 3 (torrent)]
Be wary of this download however, it will take a while, try some of the mirrors. Also, watch the language!
Posted in:
Share:
The nine Kiwis nominated for Oscars this year already hold nine of the coveted gold statues between them – but that won’t prevent a fresh adrenalin rush tomorrow night. “The show is just breathtaking,” says Upper Hutt sound mixer Mike Hedge. “The Americans really do those sorts of things well. Everything is taken care of.” Hedge, who has worked with Kiwi director Peter Jackson since Braindead, was making his third trip to the Oscars with wife Joanne, who will be draped in a shimmery purple gown and $20,000 worth of borrowed jewels. “It’s quite a busy time for us. A lot of work goes into meeting and greeting other potential filmmakers at the Trade NZ party. [More]
Posted in:
Share:
New Zealand’s Weta wizards compete for more Oscars in tomorrow’s 78th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. But four-time Oscar winner and Weta Workshop chief Richard Taylor, who flew to Los Angeles on Friday, says King Kong’s Naomi Watts also deserved a nomination for best actress. And he hopes that actors who play digital characters will one day be recognised in best actor categories. Watts played heroine Ann Darrow opposite the digitally-created gorilla played by actor Andy Serkis, who was Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings triology. Peter Jackson’s $US207 million ($NZ315.21 million) blockbuster of King Kong has five Oscar nominations for best achievement in makeup, art direction, achievement in sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects. [More]
Posted in:
Share:
The great ape King Kong has been at the centre of New Zealand’s movie industry celebrations in Beverly Hills. Oscar nominees from King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia joined the cream of New Zealand’s film industry at the Beverly Hills Hotel to celebrate our industry’s continued success. The event has a King Kong theme, with a ballroom being converted into a virtual Skull Island. Minister of Economic Development Trevor Mallard has been mixing and mingling with the glitteratti, and says Peter Jackson has made a major contribution to making the world more aware of New Zealand. Mr mallard says that is what this event is all about: promoting New Zealand as a great place to make movies. [More]
Posted in:
Share:
