As you no doubt know, March 25th is Tolkien Reading Day – a tradition begun by The Tolkien Society in 2003. Not that we need any excuse to celebrate the works and worlds of the Professor! But on Reading Day – and the days around it – there are often special events. And this year is no exception!
You may recall that last year, composer and sound engineer Jordan Rannells (the creator of the Long-expected Soundscape: music and ambient sounds to create a world around you, as you read The Lord of the Rings) teamed up with ArdaCraft to bring us a live stream event, where parts of The Fellowship of the Ring were read over the corresponding chapters of the Soundscape. This year, Rannells is doing it again!
On Sunday 23rd March you can listen along to readings from The Return of the King, surrounded by ambient sound – immerse yourself in Middle-earth! Enjoy readings from folks such as artist Ted Nasmith, composer Stephen Gallagher, and TORn’s own Quickbeam and greendragon – plus a whole host of familiar faces and wonderful folks from the fandom.
The whole thing kicks off at 12pm EST on Sunday, and you can find it here. Set your calendar – get ready to spend the day in Middle-earth!
Last Thursday our friends at Weta Workshop revealed one of their most beautiful environments, The Grey Havens is up for order. This piece captures the beauty and emotion of the Grey Havens perfectly.
Like all previous limited edition pieces, fans have a two-week window to place their order, with pre-orders closing on February 8th at 4 PM PST. The Grey Havens piece is available via pre-order for $799, and it is expected to ship at the end of this year.
Two further pieces Weta Workshop announced are for all fans of The Return of the King coronation sequence. From Weta Workshops classic series, representing that beautiful scene from the film, fans can now pre-order the awesome-looking King Aragorn and the stunning Coronation Arwen right now for $399 each.
This year, instead of a booth tour, we’re going to go on a tour of the things you could see at Comic-Con 2023 that were Middle-earth related. During this video, we stop at Jerry Vanderstelt’s booth to see the unveiling of Weta Workshop’s Master Collection piece as well as Jerry’s print that can be paired with it. We also stopped by the Diamond Select Booths to see the goodies both they and Weta Workshop had at this year’s show. We hope you enjoy the tour!
Update to our story of April 7th – such has been demand for tickets to screening of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, that new dates have been added. The folks at Fathom tell us:
Due to overwhelming fan demand, Fathom Events and Warner Bros., along with Legion M and Lost Odyssey, are adding more dates to celebrate 20 years of “The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King” featuring special screenings of the film’s acclaimed extended edition.
In addition to the sold-out dates of Thursday, April 13 and Wednesday, April 19 in the U.S., as well as a screening set for Thursday, April 20 in Canada where tickets are still available, new dates include:
Friday, April 14
Saturday, April 15
Sunday, April 16
Monday, April 17
Tuesday, April 18
Thursday, April 20
Tickets for the 20th Anniversary of “The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King” can be purchased at Fathom Events or at participating theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theater locations are subject to change).
These are the special screenings of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Extended Edition, to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary, presented by Fathom Events. Originally on April 13th and 19th – April 20th for fans in Canada, and now with all these extra US dates added – Ringers can gather together to bask in the glory of Middle-earth on the big screen once more.
Any opportunity to see part of Peter Jackson’s trilogy in cinemas is a cause for celebration. To make these screenings even more special, they will also include a recorded introduction from the Ring-bearer himself, Elijah Wood! He’ll be sharing his insights and reflections on the movie’s legacy, in a special message made possible by Legion M and Lost Odyssey.
From the official press release:
Prior to each screening, attendees will be treated to a special introduction by franchise star Elijah Wood, as he discusses the lasting impact of the “Lord Of The Rings” universe and the rich worlds and beloved characters that keep viewers coming back for more. Fans will also be treated to exclusive coverage of the new “Lord Of The Rings” tabletop game, as a celebrity panel embarks on their own adventure into Middle-Earth to raise support for Extra Life For Kids, in conjunction with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
(Fans may be interested to know about the Extra Life Charity Marketplace with eBay, where games and collectibles can be bought and sold to raise money for charity!)
And don’t forget – Fathom Events have given TORn pairs of tickets to either of the USA screenings, to give away to some lucky fans! To enter the giveaway and be in with a chance to win tickets to a theatre near you, simply click below:
You have until 5pm EDT TODAY to enter! If you don’t want to rely on luck, you can purchase tickets to screenings near you here. Gathering with fellow fans, watching The Return of the King on the big screen, with special messages and previews? It’s like it’s 2003 all over again. My friends, this will be a night to remember…
As many of you will know by now, Fathom Events are bringing us special screenings of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Extended Edition, to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary. On April 13th and 19th, Ringers in the USA – and April 20th for fans in Canada – can gather together to bask in the glory of Middle-earth on the big screen once more.
Any opportunity to see part of Peter Jackson’s trilogy in cinemas is a cause for celebration. To make these screenings even more special, they will also include a recorded introduction from the Ring-bearer himself, Elijah Wood! He’ll be sharing his insights and reflections on the movie’s legacy, in a special message made possible by Legion M and Lost Odyssey.
From the official press release:
Prior to each screening, attendees will be treated to a special introduction by franchise star Elijah Wood, as he discusses the lasting impact of the “Lord Of The Rings” universe and the rich worlds and beloved characters that keep viewers coming back for more. Fans will also be treated to exclusive coverage of the new “Lord Of The Rings” tabletop game, as a celebrity panel embarks on their own adventure into Middle-Earth to raise support for Extra Life For Kids, in conjunction with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
If that isn’t enough good news – Fathom Events have given TORn pairs of tickets to either of the USA screenings, to give away to some lucky fans! To enter the giveaway and be in with a chance to win tickets to a theatre near you, simply click below:
You have until 5pm EDT April 11th to enter! If you don’t want to rely on luck, you can purchase tickets to screenings near you here. Gathering with fellow fans, watching The Return of the King on the big screen, with special messages and previews? It’s like it’s 2003 all over again. My friends, this will be a night to remember…
Witches and werewolves and vampires, oh, my! J.R.R. Tolkien was not one to shy away from creatures of the night. Just the opposite–he seemed to relish writing horror stories.
When we think of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”, Elves, Wizards, Hobbits, and quests come first to mind. But the Professor’s long quest to create an encompassing mythology for Britain led him to conjure stories within stories. Middle-earth feels real because Tolkien fleshed out its history in-depth. Though they are often only hinted at in the main stories, Tolkien wrote many of these historical references in detail.
In honor of the best holiday of the year (subjectively), let’s explore a few tales of terror written by Tolkien fit for All Hallows’ Eve. These are by no means the only ones. The Silmarillion is filled with stories that invoke a sense of horror in us, such as the story of Húrin and his family. Just thinking about Frodo and Sam’s encounter with Shelob in her lair is enough to make skin crawl. Dig deep, and you’ll find bones aplenty in Tolkien’s work.
This year, instead of a booth tour, we’re going to go on a tour of the things you could see at Comic-Con 2023 that were Middle-earth related. During this video, we stop at 
