Spring is about to roll in, bringing with it longer days, milder temperatures, trees in blossom and flowers bursting out in a riot of color, and the ensuing allergies. Spring also brings Tolkien Reading Day on March 25th, and in Anaheim, California it brings Wondercon, the little sister to San Diego International Comic-con.

This year, we have our panel scheduled on Sunday, March 25th, coinciding with Tolkien Reading day, so do expect some reading of the Professor’s text during the presentation. This will be a round up of all things Middle-earth, as you can tell from the title: “Dispatches from Middle-earth: What’s new with all things Tolkien” Here are the complete details:

Dispatches from Middle-earth: What’s new with all things Tolkien
Sunday March 25, 2018 – – 10:30am-11:30am, North 200B

TORn’s Wondercon schedule

TheOneRing.net staffers discuss new Tolkien projects coming this year and beyond. They will start off with a discussion about the Tolkien Biopic that recently wrapped filming and then head straight into fact, fiction, and rumors surrounding the new Middle-earth stories coming from Amazon Studios. As in previous years, WonderCon coincides with Tolkien Reading Day, so they will be reading snippets of the Professor’s words to further their discussions. Also celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the release of Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.

North in the room listing refers to the new North building, which is near the Arena, do make sure to have a map or have looked at one to find the new rooms being used this year. While it is expanding, this convention is still so much smaller, more intimate and easier to navigate than SDCC. Our panel is one of the first on Sunday morning, but parking will still be a bit challenging, so give yourself plenty of time to arrive, find parking and get through security and find us in the new building.

We are still researching and finalizing all the little tidbits that will appear in our presentation. But you can expect a little talk about the 15th anniversary of the release of ROTK, info on the Tolkien biopic that has now wrapped principal photography, and the latest info from Amazon Studios regarding the expansion of the Middle-earth universe. 2018 is shaping up to be a marvelous year for fans of Tolkien, with plenty more to come in the years after.

 

 

The Bodleian Library in Oxford has an exceptional exhibition coming up later this year, which fans will no doubt travel far and wide to see. Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth (June 1 – October 28) will display an extraordinary collection of illustrations, manuscripts, letters, personal belongings and more, giving a unique insight into J.R.R. Tolkien and his works. This ‘once in a lifetime’ exhibition is not to be missed – and thanks to our friends at the Bodleian, TheOneRing.net can reveal exclusively that tickets will be available from 2pm UK time tomorrow, Tuesday 13th February. Here’s what the Bodleian tell us:

The Bodleian Library is pleased to announce that free tickets for the upcoming, once in a lifetime exhibition, Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, will be available for booking from 2pm UK time on Tuesday 13 February 2018. We know that some visitors will want to travel some distance to this exhibition and want to help them ensure their entry in advance.

To book your tickets, visit the official Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth website at https://tolkien.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/about-the-exhibition where they will be available from 2pm on Tuesday 13 February 2018.

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth explores Tolkien’s amazing legacy from his genius as an artist, poet, linguist, and author to his academic career and private life. The exhibition takes you on a journey through Tolkien’s famous works, The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings, displaying an array of draft manuscripts, striking illustrations and maps drawn for his publications.

Visitors will discover Tolkien’s early abstract paintings from The Book of Ishness, the touching tales he wrote for his children, rare objects that belonged to Tolkien, exclusive fan mail, and private letters.

The exhibition runs 1 June to 28 October 2018 at the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford.

If you’ve been thinking about making a pilgrimage to Oxford, this summer/autumn is the time to go; and be sure to grab those tickets tomorrow! Check out the exhibition website, here.

Thanks to the Bodleian Library for allowing us to make this announcement.

J.R.R. Tolkien by Donato GiancolaHelp celebrate and mark J.R.R. Tolkien’s twelfty-sixth (126th) birthday by joining fans all over the world in The Tolkien Society‘s annual Birthday Toast.

Tolkein was born on this day in 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. On this day, you might read a favorite passage or two from Tolkien’s writings or you can raise a glass to our beloved author and creator of Middle-earth at 9pm (your local time). The toast is simply to: “The Professor!”

Share your toast on Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #TolkienBirthdayToast. However you celebrate, we hope you join TORn as we wholeheartedly wish a happy birthday to “The Professor,” who’s life’s work has come to mean so much to all of us. Happy birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!

The recent, completely Unexpected news of new Middle-earth stories coming from Amazon Studios has left Tolkien fandom in a bit of a Party mood. There haven’t been many details about which stories will be told, what the format will be, and who will actually be designing and managing this whole process. Do these Middle-earth stories need a Showrunner, or has Amazon Studios just not announced that they already have someone on the team?

Amazon is purported to have paid between $200 to $250 million just for the rights to the story before any costs for development, talent and production are taken into account. This is considered somewhat risky since there is no concept and no creative leader at the helm, and no characters or story to build upon. The only news to come out since the announcement is that Sir Ian McKellen has said he would be happy to don the Grey, pointy hat again.

We humbly submit our Top Ten list, in alphabetical order, of genre writers and Showrunners for consideration by Amazon Studios, and you, the fans. Do you agree or disagree? Did we miss anyone? Sound off in the discussion section below.  Continue reading “Does Amazon’s Middle-earth need a Showrunner? Our Top Ten list.”

Welcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our regular monthly feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. Each month we will feature a small selection of the poems submitted, but we hope you will read all of the poems that we have received here in our Great Hall of Poets.

So come and join us by the hearth and enjoy!

If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net  One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.

Web of Deceit

by David McG

What is this place Samwise? Why has he led us here?
It smells of death, it reeks of fear
Oh why has he led us here?
The tunnels seem so vast Sam, and yet they’re closing in.
They stifle air and choke out light
Oh Sam. What’s this place we’re in?

That Gollum, Master Frodo. That sneaking, skulking thing!
He’s tricked us, as I knew he would.
He wants only the Ring!
The Black Gate was impossible, he wanted us too see.
To make us choose this awful path.
He tricked us, you and me!

Did you hear that Mister Frodo? Did you hear that rasping sound?
I fear that something hunts here.
In these tunnels underground.
Scuffle…..Stop…… Scuffle….Stop
I feel the danger closing.
Blast that filthy Smeagol!
That sneaking , skulking thing.

Quiet yourself now Samwise. We have to carry on.
The darkness is consuming me,
I fear I have not long.
The Ring is calling out Sam, to what I do not know?
But of one thing I am certain of,
It’s forward we must go!

I see it! Mister Frodo Sir, I see its gleaming eyes.
Shining in the darkness there
And us stuck here like flies!
It’s coming! Mr Frodo sir, it’s time to stand and fight.
But wait now Mr Frodo.
Don’t you have the Lady’s Light?

“Aiya Eärendil elenion ancalima!”

It’s blinded by the light Sam. Hear how it shrieks in pain!
Hold the light and steady your hand
Let’s hope it’s not in vain!
I’ll cut a way through these clinging webs that hold fast to our feet
Though I fear we’re caught already in strands
of Smeagol’s dark deceit!

Hurry on now Samwise, it’s time to chance our fate.
Quickly up this path now,
I pray it’s not too ………

~~ * ~~

Guardians of the Night

by: Emmitt T

They stand in the night as a guardian to the
cold traveller. Their pale faces shining
to light his path in the darkness. They guide him
home to the glowing hearth.
He sees his mother’s eyes ahead of him,
red from weeping at his departure
He remembered her words to him.
She told him of the guardians in the night
those that lead wayward travelers home, and
guard their paths throughout their wanderings.
The faces in the night lead him to a picturesque
cottage, flowers lay in neat beds, roses by the door.
Window boxes overflow in bursts of colour.
The moonlight gives the setting an ethereal look, as
smoke rises from the little chimney. He opens
the gate and walks the well-trodden path to the door.
He lifts the latch, listening to the creak
of the unoiled hinges. An old woman sits
knitting by the fire, head now gray, shoulders
bent with age. Her face now wrinkled still bears
the same smile of years long past.
She raises her head, tired eyes looking
at the bearded man standing in
her doorway. A faint smile spreads
across her lips, as she looks him over,
she sees in the man, the face of a son, long missing
from her home, but remaining in her memory.
The night guardians brought him safely home,
across many raging seas and over snowy
mountains, to the place of his birth. A small
cottage in the woods, protected by the
guardians of the night.

~~ * ~~

Merry and Theoden

by: Laurelindorenan

You shall be like a father to me
And you shall be as my son
For you have a courage few bother to see
And you are as grand as the sun

I’ll tell you my tales of a land far away
I will smile at your laughter and song
And long by my side, at my hand you will stay
And I will stay all the day long

And if into battle my fealty calls
You’ll be safe til the battle is won
At war even power and loyalty falls
But I cannot like cowards run!

Did I not give you my oath and my sword?
Your heart is unmatched by your size
To take you to war unprepared shames your lord
Staying’s equal a shame to my eyes!

Please, I don’t want to be parted like this
Our horses are swift; you know not how to ride
You must stay behind, great though your heart is
Could I not to some stirrup be tied?

My heart sorrows. My king, my liegelord, farewell!
I fear for that lad; no, I fear for us all
I could not bear it if he by me fell
I follow in secret; he won’t friendless fall

He is slain!– or near death– I leap to his side
Swordthain, like son: how came you at hand?
I’m not long from last sleep– no, do not cry!
My lord, I am sorry! I broke your command,

I wanted to help– I thought I could save–
As my child, I have loved you; at peace may you be
I forgive you; weep not, I know you were brave–
No!
So fall one like a father to me.

~~ * ~~

If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.

Our friend, TheHutt, from the TORn discussion forums recently shared some interesting information from German site IGN.com: Amazon has revealed to them that shooting on the new Middle-earth series will begin in 2019, with the goal to begin airing the first episodes in 2020. The  2020 goal is designed to fill the void Game of Thrones will leave after the final season airs, likely now to be in 2019.

Continue reading “Amazon Middle-earth series to shoot in 2019, air in 2020”