Middle-Earth appears to be returning to the Wakatipu if construction in a remote valley is anything to go…
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Middle-Earth appears to be returning to the Wakatipu if construction in a remote valley is anything to go by. A three-storey wooden set and smaller structure are being built on private land beyond Glenorchy, 66km from Queenstown.
Security staff guarding the gate are turning away tourists and telling them the road does not give access to the nearby unsignposted Paradise estate. Continue reading “Hobbits Could Be Coming Soon!”
Film crews are now at Matamata’s Hobbiton film set as location shooting on Peter Jackson’s two-part fantasy epic The Hobbit begins in earnest – and the movie’s stars might not be far away.
One of two convoys laden with film gear arrived in Matamata’s Buckland Rd at the weekend, while the other headed to Queenstown from Sir Peter’s Miramar studios.
While production company 3 Foot 7 retains a tighter grip on information than Gollum on a certain ring, one nearby resident who declined to be named said the convoy started arriving on Saturday afternoon. Continue reading “Hobbit journey starts in Matamata”
In an exclusive interview in Paris, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson reveal the secrets behind their first-time working relationship and the ambitious $140 million project that brings a beloved comics character to the big screen. “I speak very little French, [but] the review kept saying ‘Tintin, Tintin’ all over, and I asked my assistant, ‘Will you get me a translation?’ ” Spielberg recalls. Intrigued, he began to read the original works about the wide-eyed, boyish reporter and his larger-than-life adventures — comic-strip books that have sold 350 million copies to date, have been translated into 80 languages and have the sort of vast, cross-generational appeal of today’s Harry Potter franchise (except in America, though this movie hopes to change that). Spielberg optioned the rights, and in 1983 he started to develop a Tintin movie with his E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial screenwriter, Melissa Mathison. More..
A scene from the first of two Hobbit movies from 
Sir Peter Jackson is to be shot near Pelorus Bridge, 60 kilometres west of Blenheim, over 10 days in December.
The Pelorus River will feature in a scene from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey showing barrels plunging down the river during a perilous journey undertaken by Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves.
Major preparation for the shoot will start on October 31, with filming taking place between December 6 and December 16. However, there will be activity on location from production company 3 foot 7 from later today.
When you think of The Lord of the Rings films, you can’t help but remember the sweeping landscape shots – filmed using expert coordination of helicopters across the rugged New Zealand landscape. Well, now, thanks to some new technology, Peter Jackson is saving some fuel by dumping the helicopter and using a newly developed ‘drone’ camera setup. Called the OM-Copter, the eight-blade device allows for smooth and stable flight. Thanks to Ringer Kookie for sending us a link to Geek.com where you can learn all about this new tech! [Read More]
UPDATE We’ve received word from Peter and his crew that this story is FALSE. This equipment is not being used on the production of The Hobbit.
*Programming Change to 5:30pm PDT* Welcome Ringer fans! For today’s installment of TORn TUESDAYS (our weekly streaming video call-in show) we are thrilled to bring you an exclusive LIVE interview with legendary fantasy author Peter S. Beagle — co-scripter of the Ralph Bakshi 1978 LORD OF THE RINGS animated epic and author of THE LAST UNICORN — ahead of his appearance alongside TheOneRing.net at New York Comic-Con! We will converse on many Hobbity things, but expect a *huge announcement* or two for LAST UNICORN fans especially. You can interact live and pose your questions to Mr. Beagle in our Barliman’s chatroom, built-in to our LIVE event section at 5:30PM Pacific Daylight Time! [LIVE Event Area] (TORn Tuesday will take place from approx 5:30-7pm PT – See All Times)
