KING KONG star Andy Serkis has defended his decision to play Moors Murderer Ian Brady in a controversial new film - saying it will give the audience the chance to learn from the child killer's crimes. The 41-year-old starts filming the Channel 4 movie next week and will appear alongside Samantha Morton as Myra Hindley with Jim Broadbent playing Lord Longford, the man who campaigned for her release. Speaking for the first time about being cast as Brady - who murdered five children in the 1960s with his twisted lover - the 40-year-old told Sun Online: "People attach a really special thing to the Moors Murders and I guess that is because children are involved and that is seen as the last taboo." [More]

Scott Tenorman writes: Actor Sean Bean's big break came when he played Mellors in the 1993 TV adaptation of Lady Chatterley. He played Boromir in The Lord Of The Rings and Odysseus in Troy, in addition to a wide range of stage roles. The three-times divorced star, 46, and long-time Sheffield United football club supporter stars in North Country, which is released today. [More]

Debbie Ridpath Ohi sends along her cartoon goof on the LOTR Musical and the delay they recently announced, it seems to have affected some more than others. [More]

Meghan, Online Community Manager for The Lord of the Rings Online writes: This week's update is a look at the Goblins of the North Downs, vile and cruel Orc-kind. Talented Concept Artist Jeff Murchie has done it again, breathing life into this lowly but dangerous foe. You can find the concept art, as well as a write-up, at this link! [More]

Mary writes: This info is from the Cleveland Orchestra website. I thought it would be of interest: JUST ANNOUNCED - a limited number of general admission tickets are available to the public for the working dress rehearsal on Thursday, Feb 9 at 7:30 p.m. Click below to order. Seating for the concert performances on Feb 10, 11 and 12 is extremely limited. Call (216) 231-1111 for availability. [More]

Kira writes: I just found out about this from Conlan Press, and hadn't seen anything posted on ToRn... I really think it deserves attention. The fan community stood behind Tolkien in his royalties battle, and I think we owe it to Peter to do the same. I've only met him once and that was brief, but he is an amazing man who certainly doesn't deserve this:

In the last two years, London-based Granada Media (a multibillion-dollar entertainment and news conglomerate) has sold over six hundred thousand DVDs and videotapes of THE LAST UNICORN. They've also made cable broadcast deals for it in several different countries, and they sold the live action remake rights for a quarter of a million dollars.

The film is based on Peter S. Beagle's famous book. He also wrote the screenplay. The film is as good as it is because he put everything he had into it.

And you know what? Granada Media refuses to pay Peter what they owe him. They've made millions on his creativity. They owe him hundreds of thousands of dollars. But they won’t pay up. [More]

Actor Sean Astin knows what bipolar disorder can do to a person. His mother, actress Patty Duke, was diagnosed as bipolar in 1982 when she was 35. This was after she'd already suffered a lifetime of inexplicable euphoric highs and rock-bottom lows that characterize bipolar lives. As she once wrote, "I'd cry, it seemed, for years at a time." Astin was 11 years old when her tantrums and mood swings were finally diagnosed, and now he's campaigning to raise awareness of the disorder, particularly how friends and family can help diagnose it. "Family members are often times the first to really start to notice the early symptoms of the mania," Astin says. Astin -- whose resume includes "The Goonies," "Lord of the Rings" and, today, "24" -- spoke to amNewYork about bipolar disorder. [More]

TORONTO (Reuters) - Hard-working hobbits, elves and wizards take the battle of good and evil to a stage in downtown Toronto on Saturday when the curtain rises on the first preview of the multimillion-dollar "Lord of the Rings" musical. The production, drawn from J.R.R. Tolkien's popular stories, will align theater and a range of musical traditions, including work by Finnish group Varttina and Indian composer A.R. Rahman, to deliver an unprecedented retelling of Tolkien's fantasy classic, producer Kevin Wallace told Reuters. [More]

More than 10,000 women voted for their pin-ups in a survey in March's edition of New Woman magazine. The top 100 of which have been posted on independent.co.uk, Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom make the list. Mortensen cracks the top 50 at number 46 while Orlando Bloom almost reaches the top at number 3. Get the entire list here. [More]

Clearview Ziegfield theatre in New York will be hosting many Hollywood classics over the next few weeks. FRom the week of February 24 to March 2, they will be screening the LoTR trilogy in its entirety every day. Thanks to Staffer Alquawen for the tip. [More]

Following our highly successful detour into Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies, this weekend Hall of Fire will explore the relationship between Frodo and Sam. Was it ever a relationship of master and servant, or was it more one of close friendship from the very start? How does it evolve over the course of the Quest? Where do we see Frodo the leader?; where do we see Sam the leader? [More]

The award winning Lord of the Rings Symphony sounds in Germany. On this years May 28th. the Lord of the Rings Symphony is going to sound in the Kölnarena in Cologne, Germany. This is the opportunity for everyone who would like to experience the musical masterpiece of Howard Shore live. This extraordinary concert event provides a wonderful arrangement of the soundtracks from the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's a symphonical journey through the fantastic world of Tolkien's phantasy-novels. [More]

Dominic Monaghan was on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' last night (Jan 30th), he was there to talk his hit show "Lost", all the awards they've been winning, he also managed to sneak in a chat about Poi, Poo Poo and sex on planes. Take a look! (41.5MB MOV) [More]

Sean Astin was a guest on 'The Tony Danza Show', first of all, my apologies to anyone who had to watch this show for the first time simply to catch Sean Astin, Tony Danza is a HORRIBLE talk show host. His only saving grace is the fact that he seems to be a genuine fan of "24". Thank God for my DVR (think Canadian TiVo) as I was able to skip past his inane chatter and get to the good stuff. Sean talks about "24", and an illness that has hit him close to home, Bi-Polar Disorder. Take a look! (53.7MB MOV) [More]

The public gets its first look at The Lord of the Rings musical this week. That's exciting for Tolkien fans, but nerve-wracking for the show's creative team, who have their reputations -- and a lot of their money -- on the line According to the calendar, opening night for the most ambitious theatre project in history -- the $27-million production of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings -- is still seven weeks away. But for the show's producers, cast and creative team, the March 23 world premiere at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre is only a distant focus of attention. [More]

Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson needed to view what seven film crews were shooting. His solution: push the envelope on videoconferencing technology. In the pitch-black night of the New Zealand winter, Duncan Nimmo, information technology manager of 3Foot6 Ltd., and his two-man crew hoisted heavy equipment—including spools of military-grade fiber-optic cable, a battery pack, wireless computer modem and an eight-foot-high antenna—up Mount Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park. They had followed worn goat tracks up the slope, and were high in the clouds. A snowstorm threatened to blow them off the mountain. [More]

Director Peter Jackson, whose remake of King Kong was released at the end of 2005, is best known for his epic Lord of the Rings fantasy trilogy. The ground-breaking and hugely popular trilogy - released between 2001 and 2003 - elevated him to A-list status in Hollywood. The final instalment, The Return of the King, swept the board at the 2004 Academy Awards, netting 11 gold Oscar statuettes, and ensuring that his name went down in history as one of the most successful directors. [More]

A R RahmanPeople often wake up in the middle of the night if jolted by a nightmare. But when A R Rahman suddenly woke up from one of his power naps a few months ago, he was humming a tune. "I had to write it down immediately," he says, "I was afraid I might forget it." When he later played the tune to director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who was in Chennai for the Rang De Basanti recordings, Mehra insisted he wanted the tune for his film. "I told him I thought there was no scope for this kind of song in his film," Rahman says, chuckling, "but he said he would create the situation. I thought, well, it's his headache." [More]

The Lord of the Rings, the theatrical event premiering at Toronto's Princess of Wales, will start Feb. 4, two days later than originally announced. "After four years of planning we are so close to delivering, to its first audience, a show we will all be extremely proud of," producer Kevin Wallace said in a statement. "We had every expectation of putting this together in 17 weeks of rehearsal, including five full weeks of on-stage rehearsals. However, the process is going to take an additional 48 hours, and regrettably that means the first two scheduled preview performances will be moved and the first performance will now be on Saturday Feb. 4." [More]

NEW YORK - Theatergoers curious about the lavish stage version of "The Lord of Rings" will have to wait two days longer for the first public performance in Toronto. The production will now begin preview performances Saturday at the Princess of Wales Theatre instead of Thursday, producer Kevin Wallace said in a telephone interview from Canada. "It isn't that there is a problem," Wallace said. "It's just the volume of work. We need an extra 48 hours." [More]

Greg writes: I often check out TheOneRing.net, yet I don't know how to contribute to your news flashes. I have one from Toronto. I just received a call from TicketKing (ticket manager for Mirvish events) and I was told that the World Premiere Performance scheduled for this Thursday February 2nd has been cancelled as well as the performance for Friday. The new Premiere will be this Saturday February 4th at 7:00 PM. For those fans like myself that jumped on tickets when they first went on sale this is obviously a huge disappointment. Some Single tickets still are available for this Saturday's performance.

The Oscar Nominations will be announced live early tomorrow morning, will Peter Jackson's King Kong get nominated for Best Picture? Best Director? Will any of the actors be nominated? This year is an amazing year for films and the competition is tight! Watch this space tomorrow morning for the results!

The 56th Berlin International Film Festival will award this year’s Honorary Golden Bears for lifetime achievement to the Polish filmmaker and screenwriter Andrzej Wajda and the British actor Sir Ian McKellen. With Sir Ian McKellen, the Berlinale is honouring one of Britain’s most legendary actors of the stage and screen. By 1974 he was already a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Since then he has enthralled audiences around the globe as the eponymous protagonist in the screen adaptation of Richard III (1995), as well as for his performances in X-Men films and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In 1999 Sir Ian McKellen was nominated for both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Hollywood director James Whale in Gods and Monster. He was again nominated for an Oscar for his performance as Gandalf in the first episode of Lord of the Rings. The actor, who was knighted in 1990, starred in David MacKenzie’s Asylum (2004), which was screened at last year’s Berlinale Competition. [More]

Alyse, ORC Art Show Director, writes: The Art Show at this year's ORC went amazingly well. We had so many talented artists from around the country sharing their work with the fans in attendance. And the fans were in for a real treat! [More]

Master Sergeant Keavin Lawdermilk of the Co A, 1st BN, 1st Special Forces Group out of Fort Lewis, Washington writes: I recently had the opportunity to attend the ORC 2006 in Pasadena. It was my first time attending any Lord of the Rings conventions. Had a wonderful time. Several months ago I had returned from military duty in Iraq. I sustained a gunshot injury to my right leg. During the photo-op session with Sean Astin he learned I just returned from Iraq. Mr. Astin was very nice and attentive. At the end of the time that Mr. Astin, and Mr. Wood were "on-stage" Mr. Astin asked me to come up on stage. It was something I was not prepared for, but was exciting. Mr. Astin introduced me to the wonderful ORC group. I have noticed on your website that several members have posted pictures of me on stage. Would it be possible for you to post on your website my email address so those members who took pictures of me on stage could email them to me (if they want to). When I returned home (I am still on convalescent leave) I informed my family, and friends on what happened at the ORC Pasadena convention. Some did not believe me. They say "A picture is worth a thousand words." I want to thank everyone at theonering.net, Creation Entertainment, Mr. Sean Astin, and Mr. Elijah Wood, and the wonderful "Ringers" who made my first Lord of the Rings convention a wonderful time.

If anyone has photos of MSG Keavin Lawdermilk on stage, send them along!

Andy Serkis has signed on to Touchstone Pictures' The Prestige, directed by Christopher Nolan. He joins Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie and Piper Perabo. Bale and Jackman will play rival magicians in turn-of-the-century London who battle each other for trade secrets. The title refers to the residue left after a magician's successful trick. Serkis plays the assistant of Bowie's character. [More]

Lindsay writes: Billy's Loons Charities is auctioning off a photo signed by Billy Boyd. All proceeds will go to the Scottish Youth Theatre. I was hoping you could post it on the site. [More]

Two days from now, the 50-odd cast members of The Lord Of The Rings stage production will don their Hobbit feet, elf ears and Orc armour for the first full-length dress rehearsal of the $27-million epic. A scant two days after that, the curtain will rise at Toronto's packed-to-the-rafters Princess of Wales Theatre, and 2,000 paying audience members will be the first in the world to behold the three-hour melding of theatre, music and special effects. Two days from the first full dress rehearsal of a monstrously complex show to the first public performance of same? And you thought dodging evil wizards and Black Riders to chuck a magic ring into a volcano sounded scarier than hell. [More]

Webster's Dictionary defines "wizard" both as "One who practices magic or sorcery" and "Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field." They could have just said, "See Brent Carver." When the 54-year-old Tony Award-winning actor was cast as Gandalf in the production of The Lord of the Rings, which starts previews at the Princess of Wales Theatre this Thursday, it came as no great surprise to anyone familiar with Carver's theatre work. [More]

Be sure to tune into FOX tonight at 9PM EST to catch a new episode of "24" with Sean Astin. Sean has joined the cast of the hit show in it's fifth season, he plays a savvy government agent who has taken control of 'CTU' the Counter Terrorism Unit.

Sean Astin will be a guest on 'The Tony Danza Show' today on CBS. He is there to promote '24' the hit show he has joined this season. Check your local listings.

Dominic Monaghan is slated to be a guest on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' tonight on NBC. He is there to talk about his hit show 'Lost', 'The Tonight Show' airs on NBC at 11:35PM.

Coming from a background of classical theatre and new Canadian works, Lord Of The Rings ensemble member Patrick McManus found himself developing new talents to play everything from Saruman spy Bill Ferny to a towering Ent. "What's amazing about the show is everybody is having to push themselves to new levels," said McManus, who has also worked with respected Toronto independent theatre companies Red Red Rose and Volcano. [More]

Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony: Six Movements for Orchestra and Chorus reaches a milestone next month when the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra gives three performances of the work under the direction of the composer. Concerts in Cleveland’s Severance Hall on February 10, 11 and 12 – and in Lyon, France, also in February – will bring the total number of performances of the work to more than 90 since its world-premiere in New Zealand in November 2003. [More]

Celebriel reports: If you enjoy hearing actors talk about their craft, you’ll want to see John Noble every chance you get. John, with a long list of stage, screen, and television credits, has worked as a stage director and drama teacher. He’s appeared in commercials and corporate presentations, and even (once) in an opera. [More]

Ringer Celebriel reports: Calligrapher and mapmaker Daniel Reeve met with a warm and enthusiastic reception from fans at ORC. He presented a slide show with dozens of images of items he created for The Lord of the Rings: countless books, invitations, scrolls, labels, maps, and even props like the telescope in the library at Rivendell. [More]

Mary-crb sends along these scans from the latest issue of People Magazine, they feature Dominic Monghan and the folks from "Lost". [More]

Thanks to Silver Star for her transcript from the Billy Boyd Q&A session. Take a look! [More]

AUSTRALIAN Cate Blanchett has been named the greatest actress of all time in a poll of 20,000 readers of the UK's Empire movie magazine. She has three mentions for each part of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy in the UK poll. Yet Lord of the Rings favourite The Fellowship Of The Ring came third in a list of the greatest movies. [More]

Jesper writes: Elijah Wood and Craig Parker to attend convention in Sweden! On March 4 - 5, Elijah Wood and Craig Parker will attend the "Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game & Film Convention" in Gothenburg, Sweden. Other guest include Ray Park (Darth Maul) and Richard Kiel (Jaws). For more info, please visit PropWorld.nu]