Royal Selangor Sculptor Greame Anthony in Montreal

Xoanon here, today Kathy and I had the pleasure of meeting Royal Selangor sculptor Graeme Anthony when his world tour passed through Montreal. He was there to 'sign' his LOTR themed glasses, vessels, mugs and other items from Royal Selangor's collection. [More]

Paul Lieberman writes: Elijah Wood, who is given the job of saving the world (or Middle-earth at least) in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, began his career modeling little boys' clothing in a mall. He was just 7 when his mother moved him from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Los Angeles in 1988, and his screen debut came almost immediately, with a small part in the second episode of "Back to the Future." Enough decent roles kept coming his way that he did not have time to do a single stage play or complete high school. He figured he could learn more "from life," anyway, and by working with the likes of Peter Jackson, the rumpled New Zealand director who had never grossed more than $3.1 million with a film in America before he began negotiating a deal to make three, for $300 million, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's cult classic novels — arguably the greatest gamble in filmmaking history. !!Spoilers!! [More]

Ceejay writes: I've just started watching the first of the extras disc on TTT exdended edition DVD after watching the film twice and have come something that caused quite a stir on the internet between the makers of the film and the fans. I remeber quite a while back about the huge uproar fans made whenit was suggested that PJ would have Arwen turn up at Helms Deep and deliver the sword of Kings to Aragorn while indulging in some sword play herself... [More]

Helen writes: I found this short interview in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper this morning with Billy Boyd. My scanner cut off the first few sentences, but they just introduce him (as "last years most eligible man"- no less). Hope you find it useful, as it says he wrote a song on the soundtrack to ROTK called "Steward of Gondor". [More]

Shelob writes: Paving the way for The Return of the King next month, Viggo Mortensen, the King himself, visited last week the biggest city in South America: São Paulo, where the Tolkiendili community is huge and faithful. There were no public appearances but a "Meet and Greet" party on November 6th. [More]

This is the second in my much-delayed series of features on the Lord of the Rings stars who attended the Best of Both Worlds convention in Canberra (Australia) in late September. Enjoy, and don't forget that Dominic Monaghan has been announced as the first guest for the next BoBW (event 21) in March 2004. [More]

While filmgoers waited for the December 2003 release of "LOTR 3", New Line devoted its resources towards creating a four-disc Special Extended Edition Platinum Series set to complement August 2002's two-disc release of "LOTR 2". [More]

Ringer Mattforce writes in with a few tidbits about a new RoTK game trailer (from EA) he saw on the Fox network during MadTV. Here be spoilers, you have been warned. [More] [Gaming Havens] !!!Spoilers!!!

Soundtrack.net's review of the Howard Shore's soundtrack is here - and you can listen to a few MP3 taster clips for yourself as well! Has any other theme in recent film history engendered as much excitement as Howard Shore's epic motif for the One Ring? If you're a fan of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, you probably know it by heart – mysterious, undulating and somber. [More] !!!Major Spoilers!!!

ST.net appears to be groaning under the load right now, so we've mirrored these clips to help take some of the demand. [More]

Renown Tolkien sculptor Dr. Greame Anthony will be at the Rob McIntosh store in Pointe-Claire (2335 Transcanadienne Route) tomorrow (November 9th). [More]

Mirwen sends along the odd news: Billy Boyd is planning to lord it in the pop charts with the release of a new album. Glasgow-born Billy who plays hobbit Pippin Took recorded the CD with American rockers Guns `N' Roses and Lord of the Rings co-stars Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen and Dominic Monaghan. Their album, Pandemoniumfromamerica, will be released in two weeks. [More]

Ringer Spy Lorien Archer writes: The February 2004 (yes 2004 -Xo) issue of Fantasy World Magazine had this article on 'The Return of the King'. Beware of the almighty !!!Spoilers!!! [More]

Miami Mofo writes: While at B&N to buy Jude Fisher's 'LotR:RotK Visual Companion', I was leafing through an imported October, 2003 issue of 'Empire Magazine' where I read the following in a report written as filming drew to a close in July, 2003: 'Hobbit extra Peter Eastwood (no relation to Clint), a naturally diminutive tax inspector from Auckland blessed with startingly large eyes, stubs out a cigarette and grins from ear to pointy ear... !!Spoilers!! [More]

JovialNazgul sent us this link to a very neat looking LOTR-inspired checkers set. Having just bought the LOTR Trivial Pursuit Edition (and I leafed through all the cards until I found the one with www.theonering.net as an answer!), this would be a great edition! [Order on Amazon.com]

Tina writes: The ROTK premiere has been moved back three days in Serbia and will be held on Dec. 21. We're eagerly awaiting the beginning of ticket sales! As for the two extended editions, it's still uncertain whether they will be shown in movie theaters and the distributor was very vague about the whole thing, with a "don't get your hopes up" undertone.

Ringer Spy Jose sent along these stunning images from 'The Return of the King'. These are to be featured in a 2004 calendar. [More]

Vintage Year (along with the boys from www.boydism.net) send along these images from the December issue of Starlog Magazine. It features an article about Billy Boyd. [More]

Following on the releases of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers games, The Return of the King mirrors the events of the forthcoming film of the same name. It will take players through the key events of the movie such as the fighting at Minas Tirith, the battle at the Black Gates of Mordor, and the culmination of Frodo’s quest to destroy the Ring. Just as the film raises the action to new heights, the action in the game also rises with the inclusion of new rules, warriors, and scenarios. !!!Spoilers!!! [More]

Media Watch: Hotdog Magazine Talks LOTR - PJ

Peter Jackson

The December 2003 issue of Hotdog Magazine had this large feature on Peter Jackson and the making of 'The Lord of the Rings'. They travel the timeline from the initial purchase of the Rights to LOTR, on to 'The Miramax Days' and beyond. Take a look! [More]

Pamela writes: I'm sending photos of each side of the popcorn can full of three kinds of popcorn (cheese, butter and caramel) that is a LOTR: Two Towers one being sold by Blockbuster for $9.95. My husband let me pick it up when we were there renting couple DVDs. [More]

Museum Replicas is now offering fully licensed clothing reproductions from the LOTR films. First available in the series are the costumes of Gandalf the Grey, Frodo, and Legolas. Clothing from Arwen's character is mentioned, but not yet available on the site. "Every one of these licensed garments was made using the finest materials, based on actual fabric swatches from the films. Every layer has been duplicated, precisely emulating the costumes from the trilogy." [More]

News from Eduardo in Argentina, for you Spanish-speakers. Not only will Viggo's radio interview go out live online, but there's also an online competition to meet him in Buenos Aires. [More]

Ceejay I just want to confirm to you that TTT Extended DVD is being shipped out early by many online companies. I got mine this morning and can also confirm that the Gollum MTV music awards acceptence speech is on the first disc as an easter egg, and accessable in exactly the same way last years MTV parody was on the FOTR extended DVD.

Christopher Lee will be signing his autobiography at the new "Forbidden Planet" on Shaftesbury Avenue in London today (November 8th). [forbiddenplanet.com]

Beverly Hills, CA - November 8, 2003 - Fans of the Showtime sci-fi series Jeremiah want what's been promised to them by the cable network. They're making themselves heard, with thousands of letters, faxes and emails. [More]

PJ on the set of 'The Two Towers'

LAURA M. HOLSON writes: First-class passengers on Air New Zealand's Friday afternoon flight from Wellington to Los Angeles may have seen a bleary-eyed, anxious-looking American and wondered, perhaps with some trepidation, what he was up to. Upon sliding into an aisle seat, the man slipped a videotape into a backpack, strapped the pack to his chest and draped an airline blanket over his torso, tucking the ends under his thighs for good measure before tightening the seat belt across his lap. Throughout the 14-hour flight, he frequently peered into the bundle on his chest, as if assuring himself that the tape was still there. [More]

James writes: Just a quick email to say that Ian McKellen was on current affairs, comedy quiz show 'Have I Got News for You!' on BBC1 last night. For those who missed it, it is repeated on BBC2 tonight at 2230 English time. [More]

Ferrethobbit sends along two great images from ROTK! Take a look at Merry, and Pippin with Gandalf! There is a lot more to these images...but those would be considered !!!Big Spoilers!!! [Image 1] [Image 2]

From SunSpot.net: Allan Mayer is an expert spinmeister on showbiz scandal and disaster. So what's he doing working as an Oscar consultant for New Line Cinema's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"? [More]

Our friends over at Caltanet.it currently have a huge interview up that they did with WETA Workshop guru Gino Acevedo. It's an impressive read, covering both Two Towers and Return of the King - and has a few snippets about King Kong. Pop over and have a look! [More]

Bill Hunt of The Digital Bits reviews the Two Towers Extended Edition DVD. If you haven't been keeping up with the news lately, and want to discover what the fuss is about, read this one. [More]

If you're a believer in Top 10s, you may enjoy this look at "the" top 10 trilogies over on MSN. Thanks to Ringer Carey from Pondunkville for the link. There's also a link to an "exclusive" Pelennor Fields, video, but you can watch this and others over at the Official Site here. [More]

TORn Staffer Garfeimao writes: I run the Line Party that will be held at the Big Newport in Newport Beach, CA. We've pulled in some decent sponsors so far, including the Hard Rock Cafe Newport Beach, and have hooked up with a few charities. Most notable of the charities is the Marine's Toys for Tots toy collection we will host, and the American Red Cross blood drive to be held at the theater on Tuesday, December 16. [More]

Ringer Spy Paul dropped us this tiny batch of all-new TCG cards from Decipher. They do have some hefty spoilers movie in them, though. [More] [Gaming Havens]
!!!Major Spoilers!!!

Tonight's ticket exchange offering is for a PAIR of tickets to the Regal Cinema in Harrisburg, PA.

UPDATE: We HAVE A WINNER. Lastar will be put in contact with the seller of this ticket, Wormie.

Thanks to Wormie and all of our ticket sellers, we will have more tickets to post next week. There will be another ticket opportunity posted at 7 pm on MONDAY. Read the complete details HERE. Good luck!

Help your fellow Ringers -- if you have extra tickets and want to embody the spirit of LOTR, be a "Dernhelm" and help a hobbit get to the big show! Be a 'Ticket Exchange' seller! More information here.

Paul Tonks over at moviepoopshoot.com reviews the RoTK soundtrack: If FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING was the upbeat, melodic, adventurous spirit and THE TWO TOWERS the enraged fighting spirit, then THE RETURN OF THE KING is the series’ softly awed and humbled spirit at peace. [More]

TORn is pleased to announce its official Line Party T-shirt! To help fans find each other and to help celebrate our last world wide mass line party event we present the official TORn shirt! [Check it out!]

I think that everyone will fall over in shock on reading this, but AICN has word from On High about a little bit of cutting and slashing that's been going on for RoTK. I will say no more - I'm off to curl up into a foetal ball ... or something. [More] !!!Major Spoilers!!!

AICN seems to be having loading trouble, so I've reproduced the article here. [More]

DW writes: Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) arrived in Brazil yesterday (November 6). He'll be staying for a few days to promote Return of the King. He will be doing some interviews for magazines and TV shows, already did a chat and a cocktail party with fans. Lots of pics will be coming in the next days I hope! After Brazil he's going to Argentina.

At some star's homes, guests can toy with vintage pinball or slot machines. At the home of "Rush Hour" director Brett Ratner (once owned by Ingrid Bergman), the popular spot is an old photo booth, where Ratner asks his celebrity pals to let their hair down for a snap or four. He's collected the best (and wackiest) of the best for "Hilhaven Lodge: The Photo Booth Pictures" (Powerhouse Books, $35), due out this month. [More]

Dr. Amy H. Sturgis will be giving a lecture comparing the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling at Belmont University. This lecture is open to the public. [More]

AZ Tel writes: The Chicago Fellowship wants to meet you! Register now to attend our convention, Midwest Entmoot 2003, and meet up with other "Lord of the Rings" fans from the the Midwest. With fun ranging from viewing the extended versions of Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers to a Decipher Card game demonstration to readings of JRR Tolkien's works to a raffle of LOTR merchandise, there's something for every fan to enjoy! [More]

It is Gollum madness at Sideshow/Weta Collectibles. Among the highlights is a first look at the 'Gollum as Gollum' statue; a companion piece to the 'Gollum as Smeagol' statue only available in the TTT Extended Edition DVD Gift Set. Additionally, Sideshow/Weta is giving away loads of Andy Serkis signed Gollum items, included professionally framed ROTK Gollum posters! There is a drawing every monday of the month, so enter today! [More]

Sideshow/Weta Collectibles has posted new images of their very popular Fell Beast and Morgul Lord. There is also a 360 degree turnaround available in Flash. Check it out! [More]

Every year, students from public high schools in Los Angeles County are invited to participate in AFI FEST through curriculum, special screenings and other educational opportunities. In 2002, AFI FEST hosted more than 1,000 Los Angeles County students at special screenings during the Festival and provided a written curriculum entitled "Subtitled Films: How and Why to Watch Them." For many students, this was their first introduction to international films featuring English subtitles. [More]

Rhonda writes: My library has persuaded David Salo to visit us on January 5th of next year, a Monday night, to talk about Quenya and Sindarin and about the Tolkien archives in Madison and about consulting on the LOTR films. The program is a 7PM and is free to the public. The Lisle Library is located at 777 Front Street, Lisle IL 60532--about 25 miles southwest of Chicago.

Joe writes: On the 4th of December, there will be an advance screening of ROTK at the Crown Theaters in Minneapolis, MN. The screening is a benefit for Carleton College, courtesy of producer Barrie Osborne, who graduated from Carleton in 1966 (he set up advance screenings for both previous movies as well). The Carleton website has been updated with the ROTK advance screening info that I email you earlier about. [More]

Susant-six-ten monthly magazine displays the best in mobile photography. They have a gallery set up with images taken by celebrities around the world, as part of a promo for the Sony Ericsson T610 camera phone. Included in this list of celebrities are both Billy Boyd and Orlando Bloom. [More]

Ohtar writes: News for Wisconsin Ringers! I saw that Varttina is going to have a show at the Memorial Union in Madison on November 15th. If anyone's curious about the new LOTR musical they're involved in, they should check it out! [More]

Robert Catto writes: I've added a few little things to my site, a few current photos from the Embassy renovations, and a couple of new images from the Two Towers premiere to include Gollum on the Embassy theatre, and Billy Boyd. I'm going back in to the Embassy tomorrow, so I might do a few more updates again soon - will keep you posted!

Eldamir writes: Thought you might like to know about some upcoming events in Sydney, Australia featuring Ian McKellen! (Gandalf) First, he will be appearing in Dance of Death from January 6 to February 7. Also, there is a one-off event called "In Conversation with Ian McKellen" on January 19. Both events are being held at the Theatre Royal, and are part of the excellent Sydney Festival. [More]

When “The Matrix” premiered in the spring of 1999, few could have predicted what it would become — not only an international box-office smash, but a near-religion which has spawned several scholarly volumes dissecting its philosophy. [More]

SKY Television confirmed today that is will screen a LIVE 90 minute red carpet special from the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King world premiere in Wellington on Monday, December 1 from 5:30pm to 7pm on the SKY Movies channel. [More]

Robin writes: In spite of opening on a record 18,000 screens worldwide, Matrix Revolutions was unable to unlock the mysteries of box office gold as it came in only 3rd for Wednesday Openings. The #1 Wednesday record belongs to Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (4th of the Star Wars movies). The #2 spot is held by last year's Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The unofficial tally: Phantom Menace $28 million; Two Towers $26 million; Matrix Revolutions $24 million for opening day. Spiderman still holds the top one day movie record, but did not open on a Wednesday. [More]

A few surprises are in store heading towards the Wellington premiere of the third Rings movie, the "Return of the King". [More]

Selena writes: I have a friend whose company makes the popcorn bags and promotional items for theatres. The company is based in Toronto, Canada and she gave me the bag that will be used in US theatres. [More]

Aragorn is only two years old when his father is slain by orcs. The
newmade heir of Isildur is taken by his mother Gilraen to dwell in the
house of Elrond in Rivendell. He is twenty years of age when one evening he meets Arwen Undomiel in the twilight woods, and falls in love. A meeting that will shape his life, and doom Arwen to a parting from her father and her kin beyond the end of the world.[More]

Tonight's ticket exchange offering is for a PAIR of tickets to the AMC Studio 30 in Olathe, Kansas.

UPDATE: We HAVE A WINNER. Vicki will be put in contact with the seller of this ticket, Dark Overlord. Thank you to EVERYONE for participating.

There will be another ticket opportunity posted around this time tomorrow. Read the complete details HERE. Good luck!

EA Games - The Battle for Middle-earth Screenshots!

'The Battle for Middle-earth', due out in 2004

The folks at EA Games have sent along some STUNNING screenshots from next years 'The Battle for Middle-earth' game. This game looks like it will ROCK! They've also released a very cool trailer for the game! Take a look! [Images] [Trailer]

Ianthe writes: Today's New York Times contains a write-up of how new technologies are changing the action figure toy market (action/collectibles are cited as raking in $1 billion per year). "Next month, in another example, 90 action figures from the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy alone will be available, said Jay Foreman, chief executive of Play Along, a maker of the films' action figures. Such a rollout would not be possible without the new technologies, he said." [More]

At 39, Russel Crowe is a three-time Academy Award nominee. He is not yet the biggest box-office draw on the planet, but he has jumped Cruise and Tom Hanks in many directors' casting wish lists. "He gets offered everything—or everything good—first," says an agent. (Crowe turned down the Hugh Grant part in About a Boy, the Laurence Fishburne part in The Matrix and Viggo Mortensen's role in The Lord of the Rings, among others.) But where Hanks and Cruise insinuated their way into moviegoers' hearts by exuding amiability on-and offscreen, Crowe has pulled off a far more unlikely trick: he is one of the world's biggest stars and is frequently perceived as one of the world's biggest jerks. [More]

CHICAGO - The Chicago Film Critics Association has suspended its 2003 awards to protest a ban on the distribution of "screener" videotapes to most awards groups. The Motion Picture Association of America banned all screeners Sept. 30 to fight movie piracy. The MPAA later decided to allow videotapes for the approximately 5,600 Academy Awards voters, but not other groups that hand out lesser honors. [More]

The trailer for the new film Troy was aired for the first time on Entertainment Tonight last night (November 5th). You can now watching, albeit streaming, online at Yahoo! Tralers. [More]

Jackie, Grandmotherweb, Lorie & Dawn send in their reports from around the US, they each attended the Houghton LOTR Bookstore event in their respective states. Check out what they had to say! [More]

The final countdown to the 10th annual MTV Europe Music Awards is under way in Edinburgh. The music spectacular has attracted a galaxy of stars to the Scottish capital including Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake and the show's host, Christina Aguilera...The show will be hosted by Lord of The Rings actor Billy Boyd and Lara Croft star Gerard Butler. [More]

UPDATE: Apparently the BBC have it wrong. Billy isn't in fact hosting the MTV European Music awards. He's just a presenter.

Orlando Bloom is set to star in and co-produce the crime drama "Haven" alongside co-stars Bill Paxton and Gabriel Byrne for El Camino Pictures and helmer Frank E. Flowers, who is making his feature debut on the project. Joy Bryant, Victor Rasuk and Anthony Mackie also are on board to star in "Haven," with shooting scheduled to begin this month in the Cayman Islands. [More]

Leading up to the December 17 Irish release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the final film in Peter Jackson’s epic dramatic trilogy, Abbey Films will release one 35mm print of the Special Extended Editions of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers in the Ster Century, Liffey Valley. [More]

From IMDB: Movie star Elijah Wood is planning to branch out into music in a big way - by setting up his own record label. The Lord Of The Rings star has recently moved from Los Angeles to New York, and the music scene in the big apple has inspired him to do something for emerging bands. [More]

Xoanon here, reports are coming in fast and furious from the UK that play.com have begun shipping thier copies of The Two Towers: Extended Edition Collectors DVD. Be sure to check your play.com or Amazon.co.uk account today! [Order the Collectors DVD - UK] [Order the Collectors DVD - US]

Meet Royal Selangor Sculptor Greame Anthony at Rob McIntosh Pointe-Claire. Renown Tolkien sculptor Dr. Greame Anthony will be at the Rob McIntosh store in Pointe-Claire (2335 Transcanadienne) on Sunday, November 9th 2003. Dr. Anthony will be there for a special signing of his limited edition work. Including Lord of the Rings goblets, shot glasses and tankards. [More]

(see you there! -Xo)

Rosalind Miles writes: The landmark St Giles pub - popularly known as "The Bird and Baby" - was the favourite watering hole of writers CS Lewis and JRR Tolkein, and has belonged to University College since the 16th century. The college is selling The Eagle and Child, two adjoining shops and flats, as fully let investments, earning £90,950 per year. The pub and the shops will continue to trade as normal. [More]

Mithveaen writes: I'm sending you a transcription and some photos from Viggo Mortensen in Otro Rollo, a Mexican show. My impression is that despite the little knowledge from Adal Ramones (Otro Rollo's host) about Viggo's career and The Lord of the Rings movies (he presented RoTK trailer as TTT scenes), it was a delight watching Viggo very relaxed and having fun, speaking Spanish in a very strong Argentina accent. [More]

Earwen writes: I just wanted to give a quick report on the Houghton Mifflin sneak preview event. I was surprised and excited to learn one of the screenings was being held in my town of Colorado Springs, so there was no way I was going to miss it. [More]

Got reports or pictures from your Houghton Mifflin Bookstore Event? Send them along!

Exclusive sale! Today only! Check out this lovely watch for sale today only in limited quantity (3000) on MSN.com! It comes in a beautiful Gollum collector's case![More]

The official site is posting clips from The Two Towers extended edition, "new clip daily" they say. Right now they have a very neat piece about the "humanity of Middle-earth." Peter Jackson and others talk about the purpose of battle scenes and the need to infuse them with emotion.

UPDATE: There is now a NEW clip (well, they said "daily") called "Sounds of the Beast." Links to the clips can be found archived here.

When Brent Grenier and Tracie Benoit tied the knot at the Canadian Club on Halloween night, J.R.R. Tolkien surely would have approved. [More]

Since our first post advising people to check their credit card statements, we've had several follow-up responses from other Ringers stating that they double-checked their bill and discovered that they HAD purchased Trilogy tickets, despite being told by movietickets.com that the transaction failed. So... all you folks should double-check your statements, and see if you are also amoung the lucky ones! [Read original post here]

Tonight's ticket exchange offering is for ONE ticket to the Tinseltown (Cinemark) in Baton Rouge, LA.

UPDATE: We HAVE A WINNER. Richard will be put in contact with the seller of this ticket, Rhiannon. Thank you to EVERYONE for participating.

There will be another ticket opportunity posted around this time tomorrow. Read the complete details HERE. Good luck!

LordoftheRings.net has updated with the official movieposter for The Return of the King! Look here for a larger version of the poster, the option to download it in various sizes and an E-card of it!

The third and final chapter of The Matrix Trilogy has been released today in theatres around the world. The film stars our own Hugo Weaving (Elrond) as the evil Agent Smith. Kiwi actor Nathaniel Lees (Ugluk) also stars as free-born Captain Mifune, fighting for Zion. [Showtimes USA] [Showtimes CAN] [Showtimes UK]

Sir Ian McKellen has criticised the British film industry for its timidity and lack of ambition. He said more producers should have the courage to film epic blockbusters like Lord Of The Rings, in which he starred. Sir Ian's frustration spilled over at the British Independent Film Awards, where the 63-year-old actor was honoured for his influential role in the entertainment world. [More]

The HELLO! web team write: hellomagazine.com just wanted to let you know about a news story regarding Orlando Bloom (Legolas) appearing at the British Independent Film Awards. [More]

Begthelion writes: Here is a little update on scrrenings from UGC cinema in UK. Just got this in my e-mail: We will be showing the first two Lord of The Ring films; Fellowship of the Rings and The Two Towers on the following dates at the cinemas listed... [More]

Ian McKellen

Wizard's gold entered circulation today as Sir Ian McKellen officially launched the Royal Mint's range of commemorative Lord of the Rings coins. Featuring a range of characters and imagery from the trilogy, the coins will be legal tender in New Zealand, home of the films, and is yet another example of how Jackson's adaptation has become a part of the country's national identity. [More]

Lord of Moria writes: There are no concrete plans as of yet regarding Trilogy Tuesday. I work for the cinema myself and we are waiting on word from our head ofice in the U.K. before we move ahead. [More]

Yes, it's sad but true...get that gift for me soon ladies and gents! Here's something quite cool a Gollum themed Fossil watch on MSN Shopping, take a look! [More]

Elizabeth writes: The television show "Entertainment Tonight" will show for the first time, the movie trailer for "Troy" starring Orlando Bloom (Legolas), on Wednesday, November 5. Check your local listings.

Mithveaen writes: I'm sending you this from CNI Newsletter I get everyday. I'm sending a translation but since I'm at work I did it using Altavista (I cleaned it up the best I could -Xo), I hope it makes sense!! [More]

A massive banner depicting the $1.50 stamp from New Zealand Post's third and final Lord of the Rings stamp issue has been put up on New Zealand Post House on Waterloo Quay in Wellington. [More]

Ringer Spy Alex writes that Starbucks Malaysia will be hosting two RoTK events in Kuala Lumpur in December. [More]

Jude Fisher's fabulous Return of the King Visual Companion (published by Houghton Mifflin) is out. If you haven't got yours yet, we have this small bunch of scans courtesy of Ringer Spy Elflady. And remember if you like what you see, you can order your copy from Amazon.com. [More] Major Spoilers!!!

The people over at Barrowdowns have come up with an idea to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of ROTK, on October 20, 2005. Basically, to make it a worldwide day to gather with friends, watch the movies, and geek out on Tolkien as much as possible. [More] Thanks to Arwen 1858 for the link.

Feeling lucky, punk? TV2 has two competitions to get tickets to the world premiere in Wellington. NZ residents only, sorry. Thanks to Lee for the link. [More]

Simon writes: I have just got off the phone with the head of sales at Auckland's Queen Street Cinemas in New Zealand and they have confirmed that they will be showing the extended editions of FOTR, TT then the first screenings of ROTK. However, they have yet to schedule times or dates for these screenings. Will update when I hear more.

20 Bookstores nationwide to host Lord Of The Rings book and dvd events on November 5

To celebrate the publication of three of Houghton Mifflin's THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING film tie-in books on November 5, twenty bookstores around the country will host special, one-time-only video events featuring exclusive content from "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" Extended Edition DVD, to be released by New Line Home Entertainment on November 18. Stores will debut a documentary from the DVD entitled "J.R.R. Tolkien: Origins of Middle-earth." [More]

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., November 4, 2003 – Electronic Arts announced that The Lord of the Rings™; The Return of the King™ game has begun to ship nationwide on all platforms and will be in stores everywhere on November 6, 2003. [More]

Ringer Spy Nob reminds us that Bruce Spence, "Mouth of Sauron," can be heard first in "Finding Nemo," which was released on DVD today. Spence voices the part of "Chum," the non-fish eating shark. Spence also can be seen as "Trainman" in "The Matrix: Revolutions" which opens tomorrow in the USA and elsewhere. [Finding Nemo on Amazon.com]

Tonight's ticket exchange offering is for TWO tickets to the Tinseltown Cinema in North Canton, OH.

UPDATE: We HAVE A WINNER. No more e-mails, please. Elizabeth will be put in contact with the seller of this ticket, MyPetBalrog. Thank you to EVERYONE for participating.

There will be another ticket opportunity posted around this time tomorrow. Read the complete details HERE. Good luck!

Ryann writes about a very happy ending to her Trilogy Tuesday buying experience -- despite being told by movietickets.com that her purchase had FAILED, a check of her credit card statement revealed some very good news... [More]

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" having profitably tested the waters for the return of the high-seas adventure, the timing couldn't be better for the arrival of "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." [More]

A wide grin, a cheekily raised eyebrow - a year after wrapping Matrix Revolutions, Hugo Weaving still looks like he really relishes having played "the baddie". Exuding enthusiasm for the film ahead of Sunday's Sydney Opera House premiere - the first occasion on which he has seen it - Weaving recounted with glee the sense of physical power and dark humour represented by the evil Agent Smith. [More]

To add to our earlier report about Christopher Lee (Saruman) in London, he will be at 'Forbidden Planet' on Shaftesbury Avenue on November 8th. Lee will be signing copies of his autobiography 'Christopher Lee, Tall, Dark and Gruesome'. Thanks to Ahriell for the tip!

Hugo Weaving (Elrond) attended the Aussie premiere of The Matrix Revolutions, due out in theatres tomorrow (November 5th). Follow the link for 2 sad little images (I want more Hugo!!). [More]

Ralf writes: newsarama.com has notes on a recent Marvel Comics Q3 earnings conference call. As you may or may not know, Marvel Comics owns/is owned by (I can never remember which) Toy Biz which holds the license to produce LotR action figures.

"When asked about the effect of the Lord of the Rings toy sales affecting Q4 numbers, Toy Biz’s Alan Fine revealed that the DVD of Return of the King will be released in May of 04, and Marvel expects toy sales to remain strong through Q4 of 03 and Q1 of 2004."

Emma writes: I got a very few of my Tony Wolf photos up last night, from his demo last night. I haven't had time to write anything up on the page yet. Tony was fantastic--very articulate and with a lot of opinions about what stage combat has been, is, and could be. [More]

Katarina writes: I talked with the people at my local cinema, and they told me that there will be screenings of the extended editions at theaters in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, but they didn´t know any dates yet.

The Official website now has the rating for The Return of the King. It is rated PG-13 for INTENSE EPIC BATTLE SEQUENCES AND FRIGHTENING IMAGES.

For those keeping record at home:

FOTR was rated Rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences and some scary images.

TTT was rated Rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences and scary images.

Sister Ghastly writes: At 10am on Friday, November 7, Dr. Amy H. Sturgis will be giving a lecture comparing the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling at Belmont University. This lecture is open to the public. [More]

IG Farrell (who has coined a new phrase, 'weathertopping') writes: I wanted to send you a couple of photos of the Aragorn outfit I wore. All apart from the cloak were bought from a local charity shop and cost less than £30.00 in total. The cloak was made by my fiancee and cost around £6.00 - the sword was £2.99 in a local toy shop. The party took place in a Scottish castle and the torches in the walled garden were just too much to resist for a bit of Weathertopping. [More]

Mike writes: I've just seen the new Teaser for Return of the King that is going to be shown in front of The Matrix: Revolutions. I’m a manager at a local theater, and we were screening one of our copies of the film tonight. Anyway, the new teaser is very disappointing because it contains absolutely no new footage. 100% of it was in the longer trailer. Believe me, I’ve seen that trailer countless times (I always find a way to slip in to see it), so I’m VERY familiar with it, shot by shot. The new teaser is just a scaled back version of the trailer. Just wanted to write in so people don’t get their hopes up like I did.

(This also confirms another trailer report we posted last week - Xo)

Word from Taniwha about the home of ROTK's world premiere, the Embassy in Wellington. They're doing a great trilogy marathon on the 17th. There's also a countdown clock and you can overlook the Embassy on their webcam from now on. [More]

Annalisa sends us news from his corner of the academic world, including the Tolkien Encyclopaedia, and 'so you want to be a Tolkien Scholar.' [More]

A few days back Kalki sent us an in-depth article on Tamil composer A R Rahman who'll be working on the West End LOTR musical. Now Kati writes in to tell us about the other half of the composing team, Finnish group Värttinä. "Everybody in Finland knows Värttinä and the news of their involvement in the musical was on main TV news here in Finland on Oct 21th. Their music is delightful combination of modern and traditional instruments with musical melodic ideas from Karelian heritage. This is in my opinion “living Kalevala”!" [More]

In case you could possibly be bored around Wellington around the Premiere, now Upper Hutt is offering film location tours that you can sign up to for that weekend, in the Wellington area. [More]

A world-wide alliance of Tolkien Societies is planning a week-long Tolkien festival in Brussells next March. [More]

Lee sends news of Mortensen's exhibition in Wellington, in this item from Massey University News. There is to be a Grand Benefit Opening with LOTR stars in attendence, on November 28th. Tickets are $100, proceeds go to the University's proposed School of Film. [More]

Emilio (as well as many others) writes: It was announced recently that Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) will arrive tonight (November 3rd) in Mexico City and will have a special press conference on Wednesday (November 5th) to promote ROTK.

The Official site has updated once again with a special look at Minas Tirith, take a look! [More]

Marina writes: I thought you would want to know that Christopher Lee (Saruman) will be signing his autobiography ('Christopher Lee, Tall, Dark and Gruesome') in Borders Bookstore on Oxford Street, London on November 12th.

Fax sends along scans from two of my favorite UK movie magazines, Empire and SFX Magazine. Take a look at their reviews for The Two Towers: Extended Edition. [Empire] [SFX]

LOS ANGELES - A year has passed since Frodo and Sam continued their ominous trek to Mordor. It's been six months since Neo lay comatose alongside his nemesis. And three more months will pass before the vengeful Bride gets a chance to kill Bill. [More]

Jeremy writes: For those of you in the Chicago area, I heard on the radio this morning that Brooke and Jill, the morning show hosts on 94.7 were going to interview Billy Boyd tomorrow (Tuesday) around 7:30am. (CST, of course). It sounded like the interview was about his new movie "Master and Commander" but Jill was really excited about his LOTR role, so that will likely come up in the interview.

Meiko writes: Not sure if anyone has reported these or not yet, but the New Yorker is holding a contest for a trip for two to the Return of the King Premiere. The grand prize includes airfare, eight night hotel accomodations, and tickets for two to the Return of the King World Premiere in New Zealand. [More]

The latest issue of the New York Times had these images of Ngila Dickson's costume design sketches. They feature Legolas, Arwen, Theoden and Eowyn. [More]

New ROTK Poster?

Could image be another Return of the King poster? This may be 'Teaser Poster B' or the final poster. Take a look for more detail! [More]

A Ringer spy sent along these images of a new Aragorn themed ROTK Game poster. Take a look! [More]

Here's your chance to help New Line Cinema design a new exclusive Lord of the Rings denim jacket! The jacket that receives the most votes at their online poll will be produced by and sold by NewLineShop. Vote now! [More]

New Line Cinema has posted two exciting auctions. The first is a chance to attend the World Premiere of ROTK in Wellington, NZ. The auction consists of airfare to NZ from Los Angeles, hotel, and entry to the premiere and gala after party. The current winning bid is $6011.00 -- ouch! The second auction is to attend the European Premiere in Berlin, Germany. [More]

Our first ticket exchange offering is for ONE ticket to the Regal Cinemas Crossgates 18 in Albany, New York. The first person to e-mail maegwen@theonering.net with the following subject line will be put into contact with the ticket seller. The price is $35 +postage. The subject line MUST read: "Albany NY TICKETS!"

UPDATE: We HAVE A WINNER. Leidasolo will be put in contact with the seller of this ticket! Please, no more e-mails, thanks!

There will be another ticket opportunity for a different location posted around this time tomorrow. Read the complete details HERE. Good luck!

In the last few weeks since Tuesday Trilogy tickets went on sale in the U.S., many people have written in to say that they have found themselves with extra tickets for one reason or another and don't know what to do with them. For some people, eBay simply isn't an option. So, with that in mind, I have a low-tech proposal. [More]

Update: We will be announcing our first ticket exchange opportunity some time after 7pm EST. Please read the guidelines here for information on how to participate.

Marina writes: Thought you would want to know that Christopher Lee will be signing his autobiography in Borders Bookstore on Oxford Street, London, on November 12th.

Our friends from Council of Elrond write in with some event news: "The Council of Elrond is holding a small party on December 20th in Los Angeles. It will include a viewing of Return of the King, and a big party afterwards including food, drinks, music and prizes. Tickets cost $100, and we currently have 20 tickets available for purchase. We hope to see you there! [More]

Many of you have written in about an update on the official site about Minas Tirith which introduces the 'Gondorians' and features a video on the White City and a Q&A with John Noble. [More]

Calisuri writes: Today I wanted to give you my brief synopsis of the actual The Two Towers Extended Edition film and my thoughts on its merits. In the coming week, I'll discuss some of the highlights of the third and fourth discs as well. First and foremost, The Two Towers Extended Edition is, like FOTR Ex, a far better piece of cinematic magic than the original theatrical release. It is unfortunate that we live in a time where the general movie going public, and the theater economic structure, does not allow this nearly 4 hour masterpiece to make it into all cities in every country. This is obviously the true vision of the filmmakers, and it shows. [More]

Nora in Chicago writes: Last night on the TBS Station the broadcast of "The Matrix" was sponsored by the "Return of the King" Game. They showed two small game promos, one near the beginning and one near the end, that I hadn't seen before. Very cool, with some film footage. If anyone is interested, they're due to repeat the film again tonight (November 3rd).

Ed sends in word that UCI will be selling 'Trilogy Tuesday' UK tickets on November 11th as opposed to December 11th as previously reported. Good news! [redirect.uci.co.uk]

Time Warner had a tough summer - its magazines posting a 25% decline, its AOL online unit shedding nearly 700,000 subscribers. But now it has a not-so-secret weapon. [More]

Think you're a LOTR fan? Prove it! TVNZ is looking for the biggest LOTR fan in NZ, for a pre-recorded interview for TVNZ's live show on Dec 1st - World Premiere day. [More]