Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 13, 2012 in
Hobbies and Collections 
Just look at that beautiful image up there. That’s a new LEGO set due this holiday season based on Bag End, from the Hobbit. And it’s amazing. I doubt there is a more perfect LEGO set on the market right now. Like I said, you’ll have to wait till Christmas to grab it, but San Diego Comic-Con has brought us this first look. We’ve also got some Star Wars LEGOs and Kenner Alien figures after the jump! Read more…
Tags: Alien, Kenner, Lego, The Hobbit
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 6, 2012 in
Cinema,
Hobbies and Collections 
If you’re big on memorabilia, props or other great collectibles, you’ll be pleased to know that Warner Brothers has partnered with the award winning Weta Workshop for their upcoming Hobbit franchise. With the first pieces set to debut at San Diego Comic Con next month, Weta will begin selling a line of props, replicas and more, from and inspired by the upcoming film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey set for theatrical release this holiday season. Read more…
Tags: Props, The Hobbit, Weta
Posted by Ben Huber on Mar 3, 2012 in
Cinema 
I love behind-the-scenes and production videos. It’s especially great when someone like Peter Jackson gives you details into the work behind the upcoming Hobbit film. It’s really impressive how nicely made these video blogs are, too. This is the sixth one so far, and it details Andy Serkis’ work as the second unit director, dwarves fooling around, almost getting swept away in a flash flood, beautiful New Zealand landscapes, and oranges. Lots and lots of oranges. Click through for the full 12-minute video. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jan 26, 2012 in
Cinema 
If you happen to be living in New Zealand, and want a chance to be an extra in Peter Jackson’s upcoming live-action adaptation of The Hobbit, then you’re in luck. The production recently placed an ad on Trademe.co.nz, looking for extras for a variety of roles. Large men, & women with “character faces,” and by that, I assume they mean “leathery,” or men & women under 5’4″ & 5′, respectively. I imagine they’ll be cast as hobbits. They’re also looking for people with slim builds between 5’5″ & 6’4″ to play elves. Finally, they’ll take any men with large biceps of any height. Again, it’s just work as an extra, but you have to admit that of all the films to be cast in, you could do worse. If its something you just have to do, keep in mind that you’ll have to be a resident of New Zealand, or obtain a valid work permit before they’ll even consider you for a part. For more info, check out the job listing here.
Tags: The Hobbit, Weta
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jul 10, 2011 in
Cinema 
We recently got a glimpse of Dori, Nori, and Ori, three of Frodo’s dwarf companions in the upcoming Hobbit films. Today, we get to see two more, in the form of Oin and Gloin, cousins of Thorin Oakenshield. The name Gloin should sound familiar to those who’ve seen the original Lord of the Rings trilogy — he’s Gimli’s dad! There’s definitely some family resemblance there. I’m pretty happy with the dwarves we’ve been shown thus far; all of them have a unique look, thankfully giving us an ensemble filled with something more than just a dozen Gimlis. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jun 24, 2011 in
Cinema 
It’s almost hard to believe that The Fellowship of the Ring was released ten years ago, and even harder to believe that we’re actually getting two more films with Peter Jackson’s masterful take on Tolkien’s universe. We saw a video journal of the first day of filming for The Hobbit a while back, but all we’ve heard since then is casting news (a veritable who’s-who of BBC drama stars). Today, though, we received the first big payoff of the very long wait for The Hobbit — still photos from the set showing Martin Freeman in full Bilbo getup, Gandalf looking stoned, and Freeman and Jackson talking at a table. It all looks pretty much perfect, and totally in-universe for the original trilogy. Who else is excited to go back to Middle-Earth? Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Michael Sacco on May 28, 2011 in
Cinema 
Peter Jackson’s in-production film adaptation of The Hobbit has a largely new cast, including Martin Freeman as a young Bilbo Baggins, but given the film’s nature as a prequel to the events of Lord of the Rings, there’s also a cadre of returning characters. And that means a cadre of returning actors, too! According to Peter Jackson’s Facebook page, you can now count on Orlando Bloom to return as Legolas, the fan-favorite elf from the original trilogy. Bloom joins Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, and Elijah Wood in reprising his role. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Michael Sacco on Apr 23, 2011 in
Cinema 
Well, specifically, Ian Holm is back as Bilbo in The Hobbit. Not for the whole movie, of course! That’s Martin Freeman’s job. But old-Bilbo will be there for bookend sequences, apparently reading his book to Frodo as a way of introducing/closing the story. Peter Jackson was happy to confirm this recently, a move that I’m sure will delight fans of the original trilogy. Heck, I’m all for it, so long as there are no weird, jarring mean-face Bilbo scenes to serve as reminders of what Peter Jackson used to do before Lord of the Rings. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Michael Sacco on Mar 26, 2011 in
Animation 
One of the world’s most beloved children’s book artists and the world’s most beloved fantasy series? Sounds like the perfect team to me. Tony DiTerlizzi says that Maurice Sendak (“Where the Wild Things Are”) very nearly illustrated “The Hobbit” in the 70s, but a misunderstanding between J. R. R. Tolkien and Sendak led to the partnership falling through. Sendak created art that was whimsical but could also be twisted and dark, a lot like Arthur Rackham before him, so he would’ve been the perfect choice for a book like “The Hobbit.” It’s a shame that a silly misunderstanding prevented what would’ve been beautiful work. Check out the whole story at Hero Complex.
Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Mar 22, 2011 in
Cinema 
We’ve been hearing about it for years, but it seems Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit has finally started production. Things had been looking pretty grim when the Tolkien Estate & British publisher HarperCollins filed suit against New Line cinema over a breach of contract. Following that debacle, Guillermo del Toro had been attached to direct the project, only to pull out when MGM’s financial issues had sidelined the project indefinitely. Thankfully, those issues have been resolved, and Jackson looks to be directing the project once again.
Read more…
Tags: Peter Jackson, The Hobbit
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jan 9, 2011 in
Cinema 
Yeah, he looks as surprised as we do up there, but Elijah Wood’s reps have confirmed that he’ll be making a return as Frodo Baggins in the upcoming Hobbit films. Now, bear in mind here that Frodo isn’t actually in The Hobbit (the book) in any capacity; it’s been indicated that he’ll be used as a kind of framing device to introduce Bilbo’s story in the film. If it all pans out, we’ll probably see Frodo and Sam hearing Bilbo’s account from Bilbo himself. I was a little leery about the announcement at first, but the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of seeing the band back together, you know? Read more…
Tags: Elijah Wood, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Michael Sacco on Oct 23, 2010 in
Cinema 
Peter Jackson officially announced casting for The Hobbit today, with the title role going to Martin Freeman, as was previously rumored. Richard Armitage will play Thorin Oakenshield, and Aidin Turner and Rob Kazinsky will play the brothers Kili and Fili. Other possibilities (as in not-yet-confirmed) include fan favorite David Tennant, Stephen Fry, Saoirse Ronan. Nice to see this film finally going somewhere, though where it appears to going is “not New Zealand” due to union issues. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Michael Sacco on Oct 16, 2010 in
Cinema 
Bilbo Baggins famously said “Not all who wander are lost,” and the axiom appears to be true even where movies are concerned. The two films based on The Hobbit, considered to be the prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, are now finally greenlit despite what appeared to be insurmountable issues with nearly every facet of production. Peter Jackson is set to direct both films (replacing a frustrated Guillermo Del Toro), which will start preliminary filming back-to-back in February of 2011.
As for casting, Ian McKellen is set to return as the wizard Gandalf, and Martin Freeman is rumored to be playing Bilbo Baggins. We should expect to hear more casting news now that the film finally has its greenlight. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
