THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ TRADING CARD GAME TO FEATURE ORIGINAL IMAGES FROM WETA WORKSHOP
THE AWARD-WINNING STUDIO THAT CREATED SPECIAL EFFECTS FOR THE FILM TRILOGY WILL DESIGN IMAGES OF CHARACTERS NOT YET SEEN EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE TCG
(Norfolk, VAR12;March 8th, 2004) R12; Decipher announced today that Weta Workshop, the Academy Award-winning special effects studio responsible for creating many props and special effects used in New Line Cinema’s The Lord of the Rings films, will create unique photographic images that will be featured on cards in The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game. Under the terms of their agreement, Weta Workshop will cast, costume and create character images that did not appear in the films for Decipher’s use in The Lord of the Rings TCG.
Current plans for character designs include: Tom Bombadil, the enigmatic character who saved the Hobbits before they got to Bree in the first novel of the J.R.R. Tolkien epic; Goldberry, Tom Bombadil’s wife; Radagast, Gandalf’s wizard peer; Glorfindel, the original elf who took Frodo to Rivendell; and Elrohir and Elladan, sons of Elrond; among others.
“We are extremely honored to have Weta involved in bringing these characters to life through our trading card game,” said Warren Holland, Decipher’s Chief Executive Officer.
“Richard Taylor and his team in New Zealand have created some of the most outstanding special effects in the history of film. We are looking forward to the wonders that they will create for our game, further extending Middle-earth for TCG players, as well as J.R.R. Tolkien fans and collectors.”
Richard Taylor, Director of Weta Workshop, said, “Weta Workshop is very excited about the challenge of creating these wonderful new characters for Decipher’s The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game. We wanted to create many of these characters for the films, but obviously the limitations of screen time prevented that from happening. These are characters the fans have been clamoring to see and now they can exclusively through Decipher’s game.” He continued, “Staying loyal to the words of J.R.R. Tolkien has been enormously important to us in everything that we have created for the film trilogy R12; and we intend to do the same with the images that we will create for Decipher.”
The first four cards to feature Weta’s original images are bonus premium cards from The Countdown Collection: Tom Bombadil, Goldberry, Radagast, and Glorfindel. The Countdown Collection is a retail promotion that began in August; the promotion offers players and collectors the opportunity to earn 18 exclusive cards, a collector’s binder designed to house the cards earned through the promotion, and the four bonus cards bearing Weta’s exclusive designs that will ship this spring. The next Weta original image cards will appear in the game in 2004.
Creating almost every aspect of Middle-earth, Weta Workshop designed and produced over 1,200 hand-made suits of armor, 2,000 weapons, miniatures, and prosthetic feet and ears that helped create the authenticity manifested in the films. In addition, Weta Workshop was responsible for the creation of 12 major creatures, including such computer-generated characters as Gollum and Treebeard.
About Decipher
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2003, Decipher Inc. — founded by Warren Holland — is a worldwide leader in the collectible card game industry and fan club industry. The company’s Trading Card Game Studio produces STAR TREK™, The Lord of the Rings™, .hack//ENEMY, and Beyblade trading card games.
DecipherR17;s Fan Club Studio operates the official fan clubs for STAR TREK ™ and The Lord of the Rings™ which
includes publishing official fan magazines and managing online stores. Decipher’s Roleplaying Games & Miniatures Studio is responsible for the creation of the STAR TREK ™ Roleplaying Game and The Lord of the Rings™ Roleplaying Game. Decipher’s Online Games Studio offers digital versions of its STAR TREK ™ and, soon, its The Lord of the Rings™ Trading Card Games. Decipher’s Games Studio produces leading party, card and board games such as How To Host A Murder®, How To Host A Teen Mystery™, Scratchees™ and more. Decipher’s Boy Crazy!™ Studio markets the popular Boy Crazy!™ brand for girls which includes a magazine, web site at boycrazy.com, and various publishing and licensing ventures. Visit decipher.com for additional information.
ABOUT NEW LINE CINEMA
Founded in 1967, New Line Cinema is among the entertainment industry’s leading independent producer and distributor of theatrical motion pictures. New Line licenses its films to ancillary markets including cable and broadcast television as well as to international venues. The company, which is a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., operates several divisions including in-house theatrical distribution, marketing, home video, television, acquisition, production, licensing and merchandising units. More information about New Line Cinema can be obtained at www.newline.com.
Jonee sends in the 60 chapters to be used in the ROTK Theatrical DVD.
1. The Finding of the Ring 2. Journey to the Crossroads 3. The Road to Isengard 4. Return to Edoras 5. Gollum’s Villiany 6. The Palantir 7. Arwen’s Vision 8. The Reforging of Narsil 9. Minas Tirith 10. The Deep Breath Before the Plunge 11. Minas Morgul 12. The Board is Set 13. Osgiliath Invaded 14. The Lighting of the Beacons 15. Theoden’s Decision 16. The Fall of Osgiliath 17. The Stairs of Cirith Ungol 18. Allegiance to Denethor 19. The Parting of Sam and Frodo 20. The Sacrifice of Faramir 21. Marshalling at Durnharrow 22. Anduril – Flame of the West 23. Aragorn Takes the Paths of the Dead 24. No More Despair 25. Dwimorberg – The Haunted Mountain 26. The Muster of Rohan 27. The King of the Dead 28. The Siege of Gondor 29. Shelob’s Lair 30. Grond – The Hammer of the Underworld 31. The Tomb of the Stewards 32. Breaking the Gate of Gondor 33. The Choices of Master Samwise 34. Denethor’s Madness 35. The Ride of the Rohirrim 36. The Pyre of Denethor 37. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields 38. A Far Green Country 39. The Nazgul and His Prey 40. The Black Ships 41. Shieldmaiden of Rohan 42. Victory at Minas Tirith 43. The Passing of Theoden 44. Oaths Fulfilled 45. The Tower of Cirith Ungol 46. The Last Debate 47. The Land of Shadow 48. The Black Gate Opens 49. I Can’t Carry It For You…But I Can Carry You 50. The Last Move 51. Mount Doom 52. The Eagles Are Coming! 53. The Crack of Doom 54. Sauron Defeated 55. The End of All Things 56. The Fellowship Reunited 57. The Return of the King 58. Homeward Bound 59. The Grey Havens 60. End Credits
25th March is “Tolkien Reading Day”, this event launched last year is aimed at encouraging the use of Tolkien’s works in education, by getting schoolteachers and library staff to participate in reading Tolkien to their classes and in their libraries. Hence the circulation of this release to the media, educational press and county libraries. The popularity of Tolkien’s works was illustrated by a ‘clean sweep’ at the Oscars for Peter Jackson’s Return of the King as it gained 11 out of 11 nominations. Tolkien’s works encompass many themes, and can be used to illustrate or provide assessment subjects for study areas in current school curricula. 25th March has a significance to Tolkien’s readers, as it is the day of the Downfall of Sauron at the conclusion of the ‘War of the Ring’ in “The Lord of the Rings”. For children and adults reading together is fun, and stimulates good conversation.
You don’t have to have read much of Tolkien’s work, all you need is to enjoy it.
Libraries or schools wishing to hold an event are advised to contact the Society for free posters, bookmarks and help with publicising their event. This year also sees some related events:
“TOLKIEN’S FIFTY YEARS” 22nd – 28th March
To mark the beginning of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the publication of The Lord of the Rings, the Italian Tolkien Society and The Tolkien Society are promoting an international event Tolkien’s Fifty Years. This will take place in Brussels at the European Parliament and the Italian Cultural Institute. The event is a collaboration between 16 Tolkien societies, the European Parliament, the Presidency of the Italian Cabinet of Ministers, the Italian Ministries of Communication and of Culture, the New Zealand Ministry of Culture, the Embassy of New Zealand in Italy, Regione Lazio, the Italian Cultural Institute in Brussels, New Zealand Post, the International Film Festival of Flanders/Gand, Games Workshop-Italy, RAI SAT for Young People, Medusa Film and the publishing house Bompiani. The event will include a conference, readings from The Lord of the Rings, two concerts, a film marathon and the European premiere of the Canadian documentary The Legacy of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien-themed evening entertainments, an international exhibition of works of art inspired by The Lord of the Rings; an exhibitions of copies of the book in various languages such as English, Italian, Spanish, German, French, Turkish, Bulgarian, Russian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Norwegian, Dutch and Portuguese, sculptures and the complete series of stamps produced by New Zealand Post on the occasion of the release of Peter Jackson’s film trilogy. All this is Free of Charge details can be found on the event’s official website www.tolkien50years.com.
New York Tolkien Society’s “Ringbearers’ Day”
Aimed at older readers and so at the weekend, this event takes place on Saturday March 27th at Marymount Manhattan College. Although related to Tolkien Reading Day, Ringbearer’s Day is a celebration of the books Master metal smiths Joe Piela and Jenna Brocious of The Lonely Mountain Forge will be there, plus favorite readings, scholarly discussions, Elvish calligraphy lessons cooking, costume and trivia contests. Tickets can be purchased at the door, and admission is FREE for Heren Istarion members and Marymount students and faculty. To become a member, you can sign up at the door. The first 50 people who purchase tickets, or become members at the door will receive a free collectible “Gollum” poster, courtesy of New Line Cinema.
Details of Tolkien 2005: The Ring Goes Ever On, the conference to mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Lord of the Rings in its entirety can be found at www.tolkiensociety.org/2005
Ataahua writes: The New Zealand news magazine TV show, Sunday, had an interview with Weta’s Richard Taylor just two days after the academy awards. Among the revelations were why Richard mentioned onstage at the Oscars the present he gave to his wife of the two live rats, who his favourite LOTR creature is, and why it is such a good thing to be a left-handed person in New Zealand.
Reporter Mark Chrysel: (voice-over) All-conquering Weta Workshop is back on the job, knee-deep in a giant gorilla and a lion you can ride on. (To Taylor) Is that (the Academy Awards) the pinacle? Is it the end for Lord of the Rings?
Richard: Yes I do think ultimately it is. When your name is called out (at the Academy Awards), you feel sick. The worst fear is tripping on the stairs, funnily enough, or falling off the edge of the bloody stage.
Mark: So here you are, you’ve just one an Oscar, you go up on the stage and you thank all those people, and then you talk about giving rats to your wife. What was all that about?
Richard: It isn’t about the win if you like, it’s about the 16 years of working career and the 22 years of relationship that I’ve been in that’s allowed me to get to that point. That was important, that it touched Tania at a very personal level. And it has literally been since the day that she accepted a present from a spotty brace-faced 13-year-old boy that happened to knock on her front door, that had seen a photo of her in a boarding school and had travelled down on the bus, and accepted two live pet rats, that the bond was forged. At 15 we sat on a hay bail in a hay barn and discussed owning a workshop, and moved on from that point. She looks after the business side of Weta and it was an attempt to reach out and touch her in the audience and say, ‘Cheers mate, good effort and thanks for coming along for the ride’.
Mark: Are you over the Rings now? Have you had enough?
Richard: Uh, yep. I have as much as Peter has new worlds in his mind. He’s left Middle-earth. He’s firmly jumped onto Skull Island and ready to hunt large apes, and I want to follow that road. So seven years of Lord of the Rings, it’s a big chunk of career. At no point did it become unpleasant, that we didn’t want to do it, but there’s other stories to be told now. Hopefully one day The Hobbit may be one of those stories.
Mark: (Voice over) The worlds being created by Weta Workshop go beyond Middle-earth. They made 1700 weapons for The Last Samurai, minature ships for Master and Commander, and work has begun on The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – being made here by a Kiwi, Andrew Adamson. And of course there’s a 40,000 pound gorilla sitting on their back: a remake of one of cinema’s great classics. We’re allowed a quick look around Weta Workshop but there’s only so much we’re allowed to see because of Weta’s next big project. [Here we saw an awesome, though small, marquet of King Kong, enraged, alongside a large branch.] (To Richard) It must be lots of fun doing this.
Richard: Oh look, this is wild. We’re possibly the luckiest people on the planet. We’ve got to make a hobby into a career and we haven’t gathered technicians around us, we’ve gathered workmates around us: a bunch of people that just love making things and you ultimately couldn’t hope for better than that.
Mark: Why all the secrecy at the moment?
Richard: Confidentiality is simple: for one the client has asked it but more importantly cinema should be a journey of discovery. I annoys me that so much is revealed in these stories when you should go to the cinema, sit in the dark and go on that journey, and everything should be exciting and new.
Mark: Somewhere within the confines of Weta is a huge gorilla waiting to break out.
Richard: Well, potentially…
Mark: How are you going to do it? How are you going to make this gorilla look real?
Richard: Well, that would be telling.
Mark: Because it is quite amazing to the movie-goer. Some of the things you’ve made look real. I’ve had an eight-year-old boy ask me to ask you if the oliphaunts were real. So are they real?
Richard: Well yeah, in our imagination of course.
Mark: Are they real to you?
Richard: Oh certainly real. If we can’t visualise them as real breathing living creatures running around in our back yards, they’ll never look real for the audience. Just because it’s done in a computer, to me, doesn’t make it any less real. They’re still being created by these [indicates his hands] and by someone’s intelligence. Therefore they’re equally as magical.
Mark: Do you have a favourite then….
Richard: Mmmm
Mark: Out of all those creatures that you’ve created, who’s your favourite?
Richard: Lurtz, without question. I love the character that Lawrence Makaore played. The only way I can describe him is when you grow older there are no boogie monsters under the bed who are going to bite your ankles, there are no martians with phaser guns that are going to zap you in the dark. The only things that are scary in the real world is real humans, and into the Uruk-hai we tried to blend in very, very carefully a cross-section of what is the evil in humans: the rougish, bullyish characters that we come across occasionally in life. And Lawrence, with his incredible acting ability, wove that character into the menacing, maniacal character that is Lurtz, the mighty fighting Uruk-hai. And I think of all the characters, he pleases me the most.
Mark: (Voice over) It’s been a 20-year road trip for Richard Taylor and Peter Jackson, which has taken them to the top of tinsel town. They met on the set of an insurance commercial. Their first movies together were the Kiwi DIY splatter classics Meet the Feebles and Brain Dead. (To Richard) Do you ever miss the simplicity of those days?
Richard: Yeah greatly, greatly; when I was on the workshop floor building the stuff myself all the time. I still get a little bit of hands-on but of course when you’ve got 158 technicians alongside you need to manage them and art-direct them. It overrides the ability to have that hands-on experience and there is delight in being in thick of it, making and creating. But you’ve resolved it in your mind that in turn we have a role that is different but no less enjoyable. We’re seeing this incredible group of talented young individuals, most of them New Zealanders, get to weild their mighty talents and in turn create the wonders that we’ve seen on the screen.
Mark: You see what concerns me is that you all seem so nice, you all thank the right people on the night, say the right things, but there’s got to be some dirt there somewhere Richard. What are you hiding? There’s got to be something.
Richard: Um, hmmm, only under my fingernails.
Mark: You and Peter: big fights?
Richard: No. I might be corrected by someone in the long distant past of my working career but I believe I’m yet to raise my voice in the workshop after 15 years in business. I certainly don’t believe I’ve ever sworn at anyone. I’ve only ever heard Peter use a swear word twice on set.
Mark: Very last question, I promise you, but I was reading recently, at some times in Weta, 80% of the people that have worked for you have been left-handed.
Richard: Mmm, that’s correct.
Mark: What’s the story?
Richard: Well, and a phenomenal percentage have been from rural parts of New Zealand, and a great percentage have been south of Christchurch! The creativity that we found from people who have grown up around the bottom part of the South Island is incredible. I look at the story of (New Zealander) Richard Pierce. So much is lost in the argument: ‘Did Richard Pierce fly before or after the Wright Brothers?’ Who really cares? The Wright Brothers flew because they were a well-funded aeronautically-minded, interacting with an aeronautic community, couple of guys. This farmer’s son (Pierce) work up in the bottom of the South Island and decided one day he would build a plane, and he did. That’s the true story of Richard Pierce and that’s the true story of New Zealand.
WITH A RECORD BREAKING ACADEMY AWARDS® SWEEP THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING MAKES ITS DVD DEBUT ON MAY 25
Two-Disc Theatrical Version of the Award-Winning Conclusion to THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy Takes Home Video Bow
Prior to the Planned Holiday 2004 Release of Special Extended Edition
LOS ANGELES, CA (March 8, 2004) – The King makes his return in filmmaker Peter Jackson’s stunning conclusion to The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, arriving on DVD and VHS on May 25, 2004. The home video debut of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King will follow the groundbreaking success of the multi-tiered platform releases of both The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, and will be available on a two-disc DVD and VHS for $29.95 and $24.97, respectively. A special extended edition of The Return of the King will follow as planned in time for the holidays.
Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure of good versus evil, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King will be released separately in both widescreen and fullscreen versions, each including a second disc offering hours of additional content. Disc Two will feature behind-the-scenes specials, featurettes, theatrical trailers, TV spots, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy supertrailer, a preview of the upcoming The Lord of the Rings based video game from Electronic Arts and a link to exclusive online content about the motion picture trilogy.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the crowning glory of a truly unparalleled filmmaking achievement,” said Stephen Einhorn, president and chief operating officer of New Line Home Entertainment. “The two-DVD edition includes the award-winning theatrical epic as well as hours of behind-the-scenes bonus materials.”
With current domestic and worldwide box office receipts at more than $364.1 million and $1 billion and rising, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the most successful box office film of the trilogy. Arriving on 7,205 North American screens and 7,403 screens in 28 territories internationally on December 17, 2003, The Return of the King set numerous box office records, achieving the all-time biggest openings in the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Scandinavia, Spain, Switzerland and New Zealand. A global phenomenon, The Return of the King smashed the international five-day box office record, earning more than $250 million during its opening weekend. The film, moreover, currently ranks as the second highest-grossing worldwide theatrical release of all time, becoming the second film ever to earn more than $1 billion and the first to hit this mark in only ten weeks.
Domestically, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King set box office records for the biggest December opening ($72.6 million, Friday-Sunday) and the highest Wednesday opening ($34.5 million) of all time. In addition, it took in $100 million in just four days, $200 million in 11 days and broke the $300 million barrier in just 24 days. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King currently ranks sixth on the list of all-time biggest domestic motion picture box office hits.
After appearing on over 270 national critics’ year-end top ten lists –occupying the number one spot on nearly 100 of them, including Time, Entertainment Weekly, The Wall Street Journal and New York Daily News – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King swept the 76th Annual Academy Awards®, winning every one of the 11 categories in which it was nominated:
Best Picture, Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne and Fran Walsh, Producers
Director, Peter Jackson
Adapted Screenplay, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson
Costume Design, Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor
Art Direction, Grant Major (Art Direction); Dan Hennah and Alan Lee (Set Decoration)
Film Editing, Jamie Selkirk
Original Score, Howard Shore
Original Song, “Into The West,” Music and Lyrics by Fran Walsh,
Howard Shore, and Annie Lennox; Performed By Annie Lennox
Makeup, Richard Taylor and Peter King
Visual Effects, Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook, and Alex Funke
Sound Mixing, Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges and Hammond Peek
In January, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was honored with four Golden Globe Awards from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, also winning each category in which it was nominated:
Best Picture (Drama), Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne and Fran Walsh, Producers
Director, Peter Jackson
Original Score, Howard Shore
Original Song, “Into The West,” Music and Lyrics by Fran Walsh, Howard Shore and Annie Lennox
The Return of the King also enjoyed recognition from many additional awards organizations and guilds, including Best Picture of the Year from the Producer’s Guild of America, the New York Film Critics Circle, the Washington D.C. Film Critics, the Southeastern Film Critics Association and the Ninth Annual Critics’ Choice Awards. The Critics’ Choice Awards also honored The Return of the King with awards for Best Director, Ensemble Cast and Original Score (Howard Shore). Peter Jackson was named Best Director by the Directors Guild of America, San Francisco Film Critics Circle, Toronto Film Critics Association, Washington, D.C. Film Critics, San Diego Film Critics, and the Southeastern Film Critics Association; and the Screen Actors Guild and The National Board of Review honored the film with the award for Best Acting by an Ensemble. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King also received four awards from the British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA), including Best Film.
Athena writes: If you guys missed Billy Crystal’s opening number (he sang about Each of the 5 nom’d pics for best Pic) I have compiled a transcript of his Song, based upon the the Sound of Music Song “Favorite Things”:
Hobbits with feet big and hairy and smelly More epic battles than Gest and Minelli Ian and Viggo, a Queen and some Kings this is the gang in the Lord of the Rings
Frodo and Sam on a mystical planet then Smeagol pops out like the right boob of Janet Britney and JLo brought both of their flings They thought it was called “The Return of the Rings”
Lithium, sake, some pills and peyote Moonshine and britlan from Truman Capote JRR Tolkien was taking these things when he conceived of the Lord of the Rings
Peter Jackson made this trio. He sure got it right. I loved every frame of The Lord of the Rings. So I downloaded it Last Night. All Night It took all night! It’s so damn long!
