If, like myself, you’re a fan of the Classic Series of statues by our friends at Weta Workshop, then this latest release is sure to be something you’ll want to add to your collection.

The latest statue in this series available for pre-order is none other than Boromir himself. This amazing piece portrays Boromir in one of his most iconic moments in the films; when he finds the One Ring in the snow, and internally has to decide if he will give it back to Frodo. Like the other Classic Series statues this is an open edition, with a price tag of $399, and will be shipping to fans at the end of this year.

Here at TheOneRing.net we have a tradition of enjoying April Fools Day with some merriment. We hope you enjoyed our jokes today.

You’ll be glad to know that AI will not be creating more “Tolkien” works, nor updating the Professor’s language; at least, TORn is not aware of any such plan – yet…

Not today, Morgoth…

Alas, the more pleasant news of a Silmarillion stage show was also a joke. The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale IS a fabulous show (and is touring in Australia; it returns to the UK later this year). We heartily recommend seeing it if you can! AND composer Paul Corfield Godfrey HAS released recordings of his operas based on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion; check them out here.

We should also note that TORn’s good friends are in fact producer Kevin Wallace (not Walrus) and Middle-earth Enterprises’ Fredrica Drotos (not Doritos); thanks to them for being great sports. And we still think the wonderful Donato Giancola could create amazing sets. Maybe we’ll get a Silmarillion stage show one day. (Staffer greendragon would like to volunteer to direct it…)

We now resume our regular programming. Don’t forget to vote in Middle-earth March Madness; Final Four launches TONIGHT!

Breaking news: rights to bring The Silmarillion to life have finally been released, but it’s not to any of the media giants you might have expected.

Ever since Prime Video started work on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, there has been much speculation and anticipation as to whether the Tolkien Estate would finally sell the rights to bring The Silmarillion stories to life. In an exclusive reveal, our friends at Middle-earth Enterprises have told us that it looks like that will happen now; but it is the folks behind The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale who have gained the long sought-after permission.

The recent revival of the musical, which features music by A.R. Rahman, Värttinä, and Christopher Nightingale, with book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus, has proved such a hit that it seems to have persuaded the Tolkien Estate that more live Middle-earth on stage could only be a good thing. The latest musical production began at The Watermill Theatre in the UK, in 2023; it has since played in Chicago, Auckland, and is currently touring in Australia, to great acclaim.

In addition, composer Paul Corfield Godfrey has in recent years been given permission by the Estate to release recordings of his operas based on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. This indicated to some that there was a move towards allowing more performance work based on the Professor’s writings; but this most recent announcement will nonetheless no doubt take folks by surprise.

Kip Rasmussen’s Eru and the Gods singing the First Song of Creation

What we’ve been told

The same composition and libretto team who brought us The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale will now be creating The Silmarillion – An Adventure Three Ages in the Making (working title). It is as yet unconfirmed who the stage director and design team will be for this epic show, but we do know that producer Kevin Walrus is on board. He expressed his excitement to us, and hinted at the possibility for a series of shows:

We are thrilled to build on the global momentum that we’ve already seen in our world tour of The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale production, with this expanded opportunity to play in the realms that Professor Tolkien created. Our first task will be to decide how many shows these new landscapes allow us to produce!

Rumour is that the production will open in New Zealand, sometime in late 2027. Middle-earth Enterprises’ Fredrica Doritos told us:

We know that the epic stories of the early ages of Middle-earth, found in The Silmarillion, are beloved by fans. The great drama, romance, peril and poetry of these tales makes them perfect for the stage; and the track record of the team who created The Lord of the Rings A Musical Tale means that we know these sagas are in safe hands. We can’t wait to see Eru Ilúvatar and Manwë brought to life on stage. What song of Lúthien Tinúviel was powerful enough to lull Morgoth to sleep? Perhaps we’ll hear such a song in this stage show. We hope the fans will be as excited as we are, to see Fëanor forge his gems on stage.

We’ve also heard that artists already known for their Tolkien-inspired paintings may be brought in to be part of the design team. Could some of the folks whose masterpieces we’ve been enjoying in Middle-earth March Madness be part of these future shows? Certainly TORn friend Donato Giancola would make epic scenery designs; and Kip Rasmussen’s ‘Eru and the Gods singing the First Song of Creation’ would make a wonderful show poster.

Donato Giancola’s Beren and Lúthien in the Court of Thingol and Melian

We here at TheOneRing.net are very excited by the news of this forthcoming stage production (or productions!), and staffers have started speculating as to exactly which stories will appear on ‘the boards’. Look for more content to explore our thoughts; and of course we’ll bring you updates as we receive them.

Our friends at Sideshow Collectibles and Iron Studios have teamed up to create an exclusive statue for Iron Studio’s 1:10 The Lord of the Rings statue line.

Fans can order this awesome Gandalf the White statue with a fantastic Helm’s Deep base right now, and have it by the end of the week if you live close enough.

This is a limited edition piece, which means this item could sell out fast, and you’re gonna have to search the secondary market. Make sure to place your order today, so you don’t miss out on adding another very cool piece from the folks at Iron Studios to your collection.

We were thrilled that our friends at Weta Workshop also sent us the stunning Coronation Arwen Classic Series to review. (You can watch the video review of the King Aragorn Classic Series statue here.) This is the version of Arwen we see at Aragorn’s crowning achievement at the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. This, in my view, is the best version of Arwen we’ve ever gotten; and I think is a must for any collection looking to have at least one of every character. The details, likeness, and paint are all really well done. Fans can add Arwen right now for $399 USD; and she also gets free shipping.

Continue reading “Collecting The Precious: Weta Workshop’s Coronation Arwen Statue Review”

In our latest episode of the Collecting The Precious Podcast, we are chatting about the amazing collectibles that we saw during San Diego Comic-Con 2024 from Weta Workshop, Vanderstelt Studio, Diamond Select Toys, Iron Studios, and Cliff Cramp Illustration. We’ll be discussing what we hope to see as we work towards next years SDCC, and we’ll also talk about Jim’s first time attending SDCC.

As always thanks for watching and taking the time to support what we do here at TheOneRing.net.

Continue reading “Collecting The Precious Podcast Episode 12: Comic-Con 2024 Review”