Variety explains New Line Cinema's gameplan

by Michael Martinez, Thursday, November 29, 2001

Ozwitch tipped us off to an interesting article from Variety about how New Line Cinema is pleased with the Internet reaction to the recent exhibitors' screening of Peter Jackson's 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. FEATURE-New Line abuzz over ``Rings'' By Dana Harris and Adam Dawtrey HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - New Line Cinema breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday as the Internet went on overload with positive buzz for ``The Lord of the Rings'' after an exhibitor screening this week, which also got thumbs up from theater owners. ``We've had our fingers crossed for two years,'' said New Line distribution president David Tuckerman. ``(The exhibitors) are as happy with the film as we are.'' This is great news for a movie that, until now, has to be considered an underdog -- despite the fact that it's a $270 million, star-laden project based on an all-time bestseller with a rabid global following. But that's the perception of New Line's ``Rings'' trilogy in the wake of extraordinary promotional hoopla and record-breaking box office for ``Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' from sister company Warner Bros. The worldwide launch Dec. 19 of the trilogy's first installment, ``The Fellowship of the Ring,'' will be an acid test of New Line's ability to pull its weight within the AOL Time Warner empire -- and to justify its continued existence as a quasi-independent unit. However, the mega-project still faces numerous trials on its quest for mega-success. - New Line has scheduled a day-and-date release (except Japan and Italy) overseas via a network of independent distributors, each with its own strengths and vulnerabilities. This is a formula that's been used more with action films than ``event'' pictures, so it's uncharted territory for all involved. Read the full article here. Thanks, Ozwitch!

Fox runs LoTR television special on Thursday, Nov. 29

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, November 28, 2001

From Tolkien Online: Quest for the Ring will introduce the audience to the fabled and mystical plot of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, based on the legendary novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. FOX takes viewers behind the scenes to preview New Line Cinema's adaptation of The Lord of the Rings trilogy with this special Thursday, Nov. 29 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Sunday Times LoTR supplement is online

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, November 28, 2001

The Sunday Times has posted its special LoTR edition of their magazine online. No pictures are available, but the full text seems to be there. Some of the authors have less-than-savory reputations among Tolkien fandom, and there are many obvious errors of fact concerning the story and Middle-earth, but the supplement is probably a must-read for many people anyway. The main index lists twelve sections: Lord of the Rings: The Hobbit of a lifetime JRR Tolkien was a stuffy Oxford don who created an eerie world full of bizarre names. So why is The Lord of the Rings the best-loved fantasy novel of the past century? By Andrew O'Hehir J R R Tolkien wrote, in August 1944, to his son Christopher, who was training as an RAF pilot in South Africa, that he was afraid he had made a great mistake. The senior Tolkien - at the time, Rawlinson and Bosworth professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford - had been labouring on and off for seven years on a sequel to The Hobbit, the children's fantasy novel that had half-accidentally found its way to publication and become a bestseller in 1937. His mistake, he wrote, lay in making his new book 'too long and complicated and too slow in coming out'. He was cursed, he mused, with 'the epic temperament in an overcrowded age devoted to snappy bits!' Read the full article here The Lord of the Rings: JRR Tolkien: Our brief encounter Humphrey Carpenter recalls how a rare meeting with Tolkien inspired him to write his biography I was working for my finals at Oxford in the spring of 1967 when my composer friend Paul Drayton, who had recently been appointed director of music at New College Choir School, said he wanted to write a semi-operatic version of The Hobbit, and would I supply him with the words? Fortunately, my parents knew the Tolkiens, and an appointment was made for me to call on the great JRRT to ask his permission. Read the full article here The Lord of the Rings in 1,000 words Here is the whole story condensed to just 1,000 words, by Robbie Hudson Set in an alternative reality called Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings tells of a perilous quest to turn the tide of a war between good and evil. Strange circumstances (explained in The Hobbit) have placed a magic ring, which could tip the balance of power, in the care of a Hobbit called Bilbo Baggins. Hobbits are small, comfortable but surprisingly tough people from a bucolic village land called the Shire. Read the full summary here A-Z of The Lord of the Rings: Dial M for Mordor It was a tale that 'grew in the telling', according to Tolkien, and he wasn't kidding: The Lord of the Rings usually exceeds 1,000 pages. If you're short of time, our A-to-Z guide will help you sort the Nazgul from the Balrogs A Elbereth Gilthoniel One of many chants popular with Elves. Amon Hen One of three mountain peaks, on which the Seat of Seeing - a throne that allows the sitter to see for hundreds of miles - is built. Features in the scene where Boromir, struggling against the temptation of the One Ring, attacks Frodo. Aragorn Also known as Strider. Mysterious human, a loyal friend of Gandalf, who guides the ring-holder, Frodo, and his fellow Hobbits through the first stage of their journey. Knowing, thoughtful, handsome and brave, Aragorn is good in combat. The royal she-Elf Arwen is particularly impressed. Read the full article here The Lord of Rings: Why do wizards cast such a potent spell? Gandalf is a grumpy, bearded weirdo. But he is an incredibly popular character, and Sir Ian McKellen had a 'wonderful time' playing him. Why do wizards cast such a potent spell over us? By Tony Barrell When Sir Ian McKellen turned up at a grand comic and fantasy convention in San Diego, California, last summer, he was embodying not one but two motion-picture characters. To the Tolkien fans he was Gandalf, the good wizard of The Lord of the Rings. To the Marvel Comics collectors, the distinguished 62-year-old British actor was the evil Magneto, scourge of the mutant goodies known as the X-Men. The two roles are connected - and not simply by the casting of McKellen. Similarly, it is no coincidence that such conventions bring comic-book and fantasy-novel obsessives together. Read the full article here The Lord of the Rings: Elijah Wood interview He was one of Hollywood's most down-to-earth child stars, acting alongside Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner and Signourney Weaver. But Elijah Wood was astonished to land the part of Frodo Baggins - and his furry feet still haven't touched the ground. Interview by Christopher Goodwin There's always some little thing that becomes a big thing on a very long film shoot. For Elijah Wood, it was the furry feet. The prosthetic Hobbit feet took an hour to put on, at 5am every morning, six days a week, for the 14 months it took to shoot the three episodes of The Lord of the Rings in New Zealand. Read the full article here The making of The Lord of the Rings: Fantasy made flesh It took a fellowship of talented people to film The Lord of the Rings, and they found themselves on their own strange, epic journey. By Brian Sibley This is a curious door: green and round, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the middle. I would recognise it anywhere, but never supposed that I would find myself standing on the doorstep. Yet, after travelling halfway round the world to Wellington, New Zealand, here I am outside Bag End, in Hobbiton. It seems inconceivable that Bilbo Baggins and his cousin Frodo won't be inside, taking tea or sharing a pipe of one of their favourite tobaccos - Longbottom Leaf, perhaps, or Old Toby. Read the full article here The Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth in cyberspace Middle-earth really exists - and it's in cyberspace. For thousands of fans, Tolkien's creation is a way of life; some even dress like Hobbits, use Bilbo's recipes and speak the languages of Elves. By Rachel Cooke When Maggie Percival was a teenager, she fell in love with The Lord of the Rings. She was already a fan of C S Lewis and Alan Garner, and her older brothers liked it, so it seemed an obvious choice. Read the full article here The Lord of the Rings: Last Word: Books and websites There's no need to go to the ends of the earth to learn about Tolkien One would never imagine that a tale of Hobbits could cause so much interest, but the information available about these creatures is immeasurable. Even before the film trilogy, websites and books about Middle-earth were flourishing, and some of the best are listed below. Read the full article here Relative Values: Michael and Alan Perry, designers of the figures for the Lord of the Rings board game Best of Times, Worst of Times: Dominic Monaghan, who plays Merry the Hobbit in The Lord of the Rings Michael and Alan Perry, twin brothers and designers of the figures for the Lord of the Rings board game. By Danny Scott Michael and Alan Perry, 40, are two of the top miniature-model makers in the British fantasy gaming industry. For the past 27 years they have worked for the Nottingham-based Games Workshop, makers of the multimillion-selling Warhammer, and recently produced a series of figures for the company's new Lord of the Rings board game. They also design and make figures for their own company, Perry Miniatures, and are longtime members of several historical re-enactment societies, including the Sealed Knot, which commemorates the English civil war. The brothers were born and raised in Finchley, north London, but have both moved to the Midlands. Michael lives with his girlfriend, Elena, who also works for Games Workshop, and Alan lives with his wife, Jill, who helps run Perry Miniatures, and with several roomfuls of gaming paraphernalia. Read the full article here The Lord of the Rings: A Life in The Day of Peter King, hair and make-up co-designer Dominic Monaghan, 24, plays Merry the Hobbit in the Lord of the Rings films. For him, the 18-month shoot in New Zealand was a fine adventure - even if the make-up wreaked havoc on his face and feet. By Kathy Brewis Being immersed in such a stunning location, you couldn't not be swept away by the romance of it all. On our days off we would hang about on set and soak up the atmosphere. Nobody kept themselves to themselves. Read the full article here The Lord of the Rings: A Life in The Day of Peter King, hair and make-up co-designer Peter King, 46, designed the hair and make-up for The Lord of the Rings trilogy with Peter Owen. He lives at The Courts in Wiltshire, with his wife, the writer Sarah Swords, her parents and her daughter Ellen, 15. By Caroline Scott We don't have curtains, so the light wakes me up about seven. We live in a National Trust property, which is surrounded by seven acres of formal gardens and an arboretum. All I see is sky and trees, and I hear absolutely nothing. I'm quite grotty in the morning. I'd rather not talk, but Ellen is going off to school and she needs money for this and that, and picking-up arrangements made. I cleanse with Clarins, shave, put Kiehl's Silk Groom in my hair, maybe apply a bit of Maybelline mascara, then trundle downstairs and cook scrambled egg and bacon while Sarah drives Ellen to the station. Read the full article here "The Fellowship of the Ring", the first of three movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, premiers in London on December 10 and begins its world-wide run on December 19.

Have YOU seen "The Fellowship" yet? Puff says he has...

by Michael Martinez, Tuesday, November 27, 2001

An anonymous poster using the screen name of "Puff" claims to have seen "The Fellowship of the Ring" at a recent private screening. He is answering some questions from curious fans ("he" is used for convenience' sake -- we do not know the poster's identity, or if he is telling the truth). Check out this thread at a Tolkien fan forum: http://pub8.ezboard.com/fthelotrmoviesitegeneraldiscussion.showMessage?topicID=759.topic. Thanks to Tolkien Online for the heads up!

The prologue is in! The prologue is in!

by Michael Martinez, Tuesday, November 27, 2001

Ian McKellen has just retracted his earlier report that the prologue sequence at the beginning of 'The Fellowship of the Ring' was removed from the movie. The actor who portrays Gandalf the Grey in Peter Jackson's three-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings posted a review of "The Fellowship of the Ring" on his web site. He only just recently saw the completed film in a private screening for about 40 people: Over the months, I have leaked a few secrets, one of which now turns out to have been misleading, so perhaps I should in all fairness correct it. The Fellowship of The Ring does after all begin with a prologue sequence, which sets the scene and story of The One Ring before the adventures proper begin. This is done so expeditiously and excitingly that it is almost like a film of its own with glimpses of the Dark Lord and the forging of The One Ring. It is narrated by a female voice (guess whose) and leads you into the world of Middle earth confidently as if Peter Jackson had taken you by the hand and personally led you there. There you remain for about 2 hours 45 minutes, although I thought it was less than an hour, the journey was so entrancing. It's the film equivalent of "not being able to put it down till I'd finished". The promise of two more movies to come completes one's satisfaction rather than thwarts it. Read the full article at http://www.mckellen.com/cinema/lotr/011127.htm. "The Fellowship of the Ring" premiers in London on December 10 and opens around the world on December 19.

New Line gives behind-the-scenes look at Rivendell

by Michael Martinez, Tuesday, November 27, 2001

New Line Cinema has updated the official LoTR movies Web site with a behind-the-scenes look at Rivendell. Other new content includes a collection of LoTR movie desktop graphics.

TV Guide magazine putting LoTR on the cover

by Michael Martinez, Tuesday, November 27, 2001

Keep your eyes peeled for the December 15-21 issue of TV Guide Magazine, which will make Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" movie its cover story. Freelance writer Glenn Gaslin talked to Tolkien fans while preparing for the story. "The Fellowship of the Ring", the first of three movies by Peter Jackson based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, premiers in London on December 10 and opens in many countries around the world on December 19. The movie stars Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins and Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf.

Burger King unleashes the Real Big Kids Meal commercial

by Michael Martinez, Monday, November 26, 2001

Sincitee told us about a Web site with a breakdown of a new Burger King commercial that we haven't seen yet. Have you? http://www.angelfire.com/film/rings/rants/rant16.html has some pretty good screen captures of what appears to be a Burger King commercial with kids in the woods, a large bear (shades of Beorn!), and shots of all the LoTR toys Burger King has to offer (all 19 of them). Let us know what you think of the Burger King campaign in our Lord of the Rings movies forum.

Elemental Films announces imminent release of trailer

by Michael Martinez, Sunday, November 25, 2001

Los Angeles (Nov 25, 2001) - The end of November greets us here in LA with stormy weather, possibly to forebode the upcoming release of the Ancanar Internet Trailer (but that's just a theory). Also foreboding that particular arrival is the addition of many new Flash features to the Ancanar.com site: TRAILER SCORE - The original music to the trailer, composed and performed by Stuart Balcomb, is now online, and the entire two minute clip is downloadable in Quicktime format. Also included are pics from the scoring session and sheet music, and an interview with the composer. INTERACTIVE SCRIPT - Due to popular demand, a new page has been added to the Interactive Script (Flash site only), with clickable hotspots that bring you movie stills, director's notes, production photos and even audio clips. COSTUMES - The Costume page has been completed on the "Immortal" Flash site, with all new images and backstories on the regalia of the film's most popular characters. The Internet Trailer (clip art included with this email) is currently in the process of being encoded for the net, using the latest in both Apple Quicktime and Sorenson 3 compression (Quicktime codec can be found at http://www.apple.com/quicktime). "Ancanar" stars Gregory Lee Kenyon as a Ancanar, a young man who sets out to find a hidden city of the Elves after his people have been destroyed in a war. The story is inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, especially The Silmarillion. Sam R. Balcomb is the writer/producer for the project, crafted by Elemental Films. Raiya Corsiglia plays Laliel, Gordon Capps is Raugil, Jamie Alexander is Curugon, Kevin McGrath is Aglanar, Ralph Lister is Finlome, Serge Lartelier is Carandil, and Carolyn Palmer is Maerim. A full cast listing is available on the movie's official Web site. http://www.ancanar.com

Games Workshop supplement scheduled for The Sunday Times

by Michael Martinez, Friday, November 23, 2001

Games Workshop sent out an advance notice concerning a special supplemental magazine for The Sunday Times (a London newspaper). We though you'd like a sneak peak. They also sent along the following offer: Hail Warrior, As a Games Workshop hobbyist we thought you would like the chance to test your metal against your friends to see who will be the Lord of the Rings. "The Lord of the Rings" is released on 19th December 2001! And if you have the courage to join the fight for Middle-earth, you could win a magical trip to New Zealand - the home of "The Lord of the Rings"! It's easy to enter the fray if you dare. Click here or click the button below to choose your character, your fighting moves and your opponent. Then throw down the gauntlet and prepare to watch the battle online. And don't forget to secure your seat for the incredible journey. Click here to book online. The notice also includes a link for London LoTR fans to buy their tickets to the cinema in advance. IF you're one of the many Games Workshop gamers eagerly awaiting the Lord of the Rings film, you have a real treat in store this weekend. The Sunday Times will be transforming its award-winning magazine into an exclusive Lord of the Rings special. Free with The Sunday Times - Exclusive Lord of the Rings Magazine This unique publication is destined to become a collector's item, so whatever you're doing this Sunday, don't forget to pick up your copy. Inside, you'll find: an interview with the Perry twins about making of the Fellowship of the Ring game exclusive, previously unseen photos from the upcoming Fellowship of the Rings movie profiles of Liv Tyler, Elijah Wood and Dominic Monaghan a complete A-Z of The Lord of the Rings Humphrey Carpenter on 'the day I met Tolkien' * a guide to the fan clubs, from the American Hobbit Association to the Elvish Linguistic Fellowship Plus the chance to win VIP tickets to the world premiere of The Fellowship of the Ring in London. You'll find all this in The Sunday Times, alongside the usual blend of authorative news, incisive comment and in-depth sports reporting. The 12-section Sunday Times is Britain's favourite Sunday broadsheet, and this weekend it's going to be magical.

HarperCollins posts Ted Nasmith interview

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, November 21, 2001

Illustrator Ted Nasmith is working on more Tolkien calendars. HarperCollins has posted a brief interview with him. An Interview with Ted Nasmith Ted Nasmith has had a passionate interest in Tolkien since about 1970, even before he embarked on a career as an illustrator, having first read THE LORD OF THE RINGS as a young art student. It would be several years after he began making drawings and paintings from THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE HOBBIT, however, before it would become the artistic mainstay it is currently. Instead, he found himself apprenticing as an architectural renderer, soon gaining a reputation for his high-realism and dedication. He now divides his time between architecture, Tolkien, and other types of illustration, but Tolkien has emerged as the predominant influence. With dozens of high realism gouache scenes painted over some 30 years, he has gained a worldwide reputation in the genre. His work has been published in several Tolkien Calendars since 1987, but also in other forms; the recent illustrated edition of THE SILMARILLION being a particular honour. His approach to illustrating Tolkien draws on influences such as 19th century 'old school' landscape and classical painting, as well as 'magic realism', fairy painting, the classic illustrators, and the visionary/psychedelic art of the 1960s. Besides the sheer pleasure of bringing Tolkien¹s world to light, he sees his fantasy art as a bridge between the realm of Œeveryday¹ and Œfaerie¹, faerie being Tolkien¹s term for the enchanted world of our dreams and nightmares; that great ancient-realm of Story. He is currently at work on a new set of paintings for the 2004 Tolkien calendar, The Return of the King. What was your introduction to the world of Tolkien's Middle-earth? It was when I read The Lord of the Rings about age 14, in 1970. It was suggested to me by my older sister, who's boyfriend was a fan of Tolkien. Read the full interview here

Games Workshop giving away coveted premier tickets

by Michael Martinez, Wednesday, November 21, 2001

Games Workshop has announced a competition to win tickets to the invitation-only world premier in London for Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings'. Only United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland residents may enter the competition. All applications must be received by no later than December 7, 2001. Winners will be notified on December 8. Entrants must be registered for the Games Workshop Community Section and they have to fill out this entry form in order to be eligible. "The Fellowship of the Ring" is the first of three movies by Peter Jackson based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The London premier is an invitation-only event being held on December 10.

6 separate covers for "Fellowship" soundtrack, secret web site, more

by Michael Martinez, Tuesday, November 20, 2001

Yes, we said there are SIX separate covers for the soundtrack: Aragorn, Arwen, Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf, and Saruman. The soundtrack has its own official Web site, www.LordoftheRings-Soundtrack.com, where you can also learn about 6 digital e-cards. The e-cards are on display at http://www.lordoftherings-soundtrack.com/cards.html. A 7th card featuring Enya is hidden somewhere on the site. The new promotional campaign for the e-cards and soundtrack includes a special Web site and graphics set up by Electric Artists. Participating Web sites will be running graphics such as this button. The e-card site includes a video with interviews for the cast and crew of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings", links to various online merchants where you can buy the soundtrack, and promotional content. If you click on one of the images of the cards and then "flip" for details, you'll have the opportunity to send an ecard to a friend via email, and you'll hear Enya singing as the card image loads. The cast interview video contains some footage not previously released. There is also a secret web site: The link to a secret website is being unveiled as the LOTR FOTR CDs are hitting the shelves today. The secret website contains exclusive LOTR materials including screensavers, buddy icons, stationary, an additional card and movie trailer. Have you had a chance to unlock the site and see it? We'll present more info as it comes to us.

Howard Shore interview at Soundtrack.Net

by Michael Martinez, Tuesday, November 20, 2001

From Dan at Soundtrack.Net: SoundtrackNet continues our coverage of LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING by bringing you an interview with composer Howard Shore. Howard talks about the challenges he faced in scoring this epic film, as well as how he managed to squeeze 150 minutes of music down to one CD! Also, we have a new contest on our site, where you can win either a LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING soundtrack, or a HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE soundtrack. http://www.soundtrack.net/

LoTR movie guide hits bestseller list

by Michael Martinez, Monday, November 19, 2001

From New Line Cinema: November 19, 2001 -- THE LORD OF THE RINGS OFFICIAL MOVIE GUIDE by Brian Sibley, Houghton Mifflin's fully authorized, behind-the-scenes guide to the filming of the New Line Cinema trilogy, will debut at #13 on the New York Times paperback nonfiction bestseller list on November 25th. New Line Cinema releases the first film in the trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," on December 19th. Houghton Mifflin has published the works of J.R.R. Tolkien in the United States for more than sixty years, since the 1938 publication of THE HOBBIT. Houghton Mifflin first published THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING in the United States in 1954, THE TWO TOWERS in 1955, and THE RETURN OF THE KING in 1956. In addition to publishing THE LORD OF THE RINGS OFFICIAL MOVIE GUIDE, Houghton Mifflin is also proud to offer THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING VISUAL COMPANION by Jude Fisher, and movie tie-in editions of Tolkien's classic works, including new hardcover and paperback boxed sets of THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

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