Fans of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey get another exclusive at this years Comic-Con. Gentle Giant is adding one more collectible to their plethora of exclusives by announcing today that Thorin Oakenshield will be joining the collectibles you can buy later this week. This bust has been digitally scanned to ensure the likeness of Richard Armitage, his outfit, and weapons are all film accurate. Each of these busts has also been hand painted to insure the highest quality collectible. Thorin can be purchased at Gentle Giants booth #3513 for $70 and online sales start during Preview Night at 6pm PST. So those of you in San Diego, be sure to act fast as Thorin has an edition size of only 500 pieces world wide.

Continue reading “Collecting The Precious – Gentle Giant Thorin Oakenshield Mini-Bust Comic-Con Exclusive”

NOTE: For full details on the trip, click here.

New Zealand is a remarkable country by any account. Its rugged beauty and friendly, easy-going yet self-reliant people make visiting a pleasure. The island nation for 4 million people is famous for its beauty but when Peter Jackson unleashed “The Lord of the Rings,” movie trilogy on a skeptical world, New Zealand was discovered to be playing the character of Middle-earth — without any make-up.

Jackson’s film trilogy went on to have a giant cultural impact and by the time “Return of the King,” opened, the studio and Jackson let New Zealand capital Wellington host the party. It was unforgettable and now legendary with a parade of participants and all the star power that could be imagined. The people of New Zealand were happy to share their treasure and even the cast became intimately connected with the country.

When that experience happens again, TheOneRing.net will be there along with fans from around the world to celebrate the final journey to Middle-earth and we think you should join us. This time instead of ending the films’ kickoff in New Zealand, Warner Bros. is opening them there. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” will show first to cast, studio and guests on November 28, 2012. Wellington will literally roll out the red carpet and throw a city-wide party at it celebrates its nation’s gigantic impact into popular culture. The Comic-Con lineup for this year’s Hobbit has people buzzing but every one of those guests and so many more will also be at the premiere, in some ways putting Comic-Con to shame. Continue reading “Rare Hobbit World Premiere experience you can go to”

SAN DIEGO – Warner Bros. today announced what has been suspected and rumored: the studio is bringing “The Hobbit,” to the San Diego Comic-Con in a big way. Most surprising is just how big as director Peter Jackson, producer and co-screenwriter Philippa Boyens, actor and director Andy Serkis along with featured actors Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage are all expected at the Saturday, July 14 Comic-Con panel hosted by Warner Bros. The film sharing the three-hour slot with “The Hobbit,” is none other than “Hobbit” co-writer Guillermo del Toro‘s “Pacific Rim.” The director is also expected to be in attendance. TheOneRing.net’s team of 13 staffers (a lucky 13 that works nicely with the source material) will be reporting from the scene as much as possible, bringing the emotions, news, photos, video and quotes to the online audience.

The studio has been relatively quiet on the publicity front considering the budget and cultural size of the two films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” (celebrating its 75th anniversary in print this year) releasing a single trailer, a series of character photos and letting Peter Jackson’s own production diaries on his Facebook page function as pre-film publicity. That seems to be changing in a single moment as WB drops an atomic bomb of Middle-earth star power at the central event of the popular-culture calendar. Continue reading “‘Hobbit’ lineup announced for Comic-Con includes Jackson, McKellen, Serkis, Armitage, Freeman, Boyens”

Welcome to this months Cruise Middle Earth“Getting to know…” questions that need answering.  It’s based on the old Getting to know you threads that I used to post on the message boards here on TORn, so those familiar with them will know that the questions can be a little crazy and the answers even crazier.

This month, in the lead up to ComicCon, we’re asking questions of the other stripey TORn Kitty and intrepid traveller, Garfeimao.

Thanks for joining us this month Garf.

Me: What, in your opinion, are the best places to visit in California?

Garfeimao: Hah, that’s funny, since I’m at just about the most touristy spot in all of California, Disneyland, right now. In fact, if you put these answers up pretty quickly, you may well get a bit of a scoop, since I’m at the Press Preview of the new Cars Land at Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim, California. The’ve added Radiator Springs, a 12 acre park with 3 full rides and loads of shops and restaurants and new entertainment options, and it’s just adorable. They built up the background to look like the desert mesas and mountains you see if the film, including the waterfall and bridge sequence from the film. It’s really cool and very immersive, and the opening night party tonight was awesome. I ran into Andy Garcia, twice, Larry the Cable Guy (who voices Mater in the Cars movies) and I ran into Scott Hamilton, the Olympic Figure skater, among several other celebrities that were here.

Continue reading “Getting to know Garfeimao”

Did you know the creator of TMNT was a bigger fan of Tolkien than we ever expected? His wedding ring is actually a One Ring of Power! Today on our *LIVE* weekly webcast TORn Tuesdays, we have a very special guest: Kevin Eastman, creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (and also a dyed-in-the-wool Ringer fan)! We’ll talk about creating worldwide fan bases, Comic-Con experiences, and the power of mythology through popular culture. What is it like for a creator to deal with other people adapting / redoing his most famous creation? Come join the show via Stickam (account “theoneringnet”) using your own Skype login or come join us via our Live Event Page with our unique Barliman’s chat embedded in the show! Soon we will have live guests IN THE AUDIENCE at Meltdown Comics Theater in Hollywood for every weekly show!

Tune into our show at 5:00pm PDT (that’s L.A. time folks — click here to see when it is in your city!), and just click to our Live Event page.

Some TORn followers will be familiar with TORn’s friend The Tolkien Professor, Corey Olsen, and his great podcasts and lectures.  This summer, he and the Mythgard Institute have some fabulous courses lined up – if you are anxiously awaiting The Hobbit movies (and who isn’t?!), maybe you can pass the time with a few explorations into fantasy and literature!

The Mythgard Institute is offering three classes this semester.  Olsen will be teaching a class called Modern Fantasy, looking at the works of six major fantasy authors of the last fifty years.  One of these authors, Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn, will be joining Olsen for a live discussion during the class!

In addition, Verlyn Flieger, one of the top Tolkien scholars in the world, will be teaching a class called The Story of Arthur, on Arthurian Literature.  Mythgard are also offering their first language class ever: An Introduction to Latin – just in time for you to read The Hobbit when it is published in Latin in September!
Combined information on all the courses is hereRegistration is closing SOON, so hurry along and see what’s on offer!