Go back to Main News Archives


December 29, 2005 - January 06, 2006

News for Jan. 06, 2006

New Pirates Pics on Moviefone

1/06/06, 10:10 pm EST - Xoanon

Captain Jack Sparrow is back in "Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest." This time, Jack learns that he is doomed to eternal damnation unless he repays a debt to Davy Jones, the legendary captain of the Flying Dutchman. Go behind the scenes of the anticipated sequel with Moviefone's exclusive set gallery. [More]

LOTR Online Update

1/06/06, 10:02 pm EST - Xoanon

Meghan, Online Community Manager for The Lord of the Rings Online writes: Our first update for 2006 is additional information about the Minstrel class on our Playable Classes page. We'll be continuing to update the classes through the end of January. [More]

LOTR DVD's to go High Def

1/06/06, 9:53 pm EST - Xoanon

JAN. 6 LAS VEGAS—Early adopters will have plenty of high-definition discs on offer, such as Warner Home Video’s Batman Begins and Million Dollar Baby set for March 28 release and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on April 11, all in HD DVD. Most major studios once again announced plans to collectively release hundreds of titles in high-def this year, including simultaneous releases with DVD of their newest and biggest theatrical releases, such as Paramount Home Entertainment’s Mission: Impossible 3 on both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Though not officially announced, scenes from Universal Studios Home Entertainment’s new King Kong were being shown in HD DVD here at the CES show, and that title, also listed on Amazon.com as coming in HD DVD, is expected to be one of the earliest releases for that format. [More]

Serkis, Baker, Rangi & Rhys-Davies at Collectormania G-Mex

1/06/06, 9:43 pm EST - Xoanon

This February Manchester will play host to the largest collectors event in the North of England, and to launch the show with a real bang we will be giving you the chance to meet the stars of the greatest tv shows such as Star Trek, Lost and Stargate SG-1, and this Winter’s biggest blockbuster movies, King Kong, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe! [More]

News for Jan. 05, 2006

TV Watch: Serkis on 'Conan' Clip

1/05/06, 10:10 pm EST - Xoanon

Andy Serkis was on 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' Wednesday night (Jan 4th). He mentioned studying gorillas and even the incident in London Zoo where a female gorilla was very jealous of andy's wife. Be sure to check out his Smeagol/Gollum vs. Kong bit! Take a look! (28.8MB MOV)[More]

Viggo Mortensen Booksigning in Santa Monica

1/05/06, 5:04 pm EST - Xoanon

djdeathskiss writes: Viggo Mortensen and Georg Gudni will be signing copies of their new book, "The Nature of Landscape and Independent Perception" at Track 16 Gallery in Santa Monica, CA on January 14th. It says he will only sign copies of the book - nothing else. [More]
Order "The Nature of Landscape and Independent Perception" on Amazon.com Today!

Maybe the Stars Have Gotten Small After All

1/05/06, 4:53 pm EST - Xoanon

It was months before the cameras were set to roll on one of 20th Century Fox's most ambitious projects for 2005, a $140 million historic epic about the Crusades by the director Ridley Scott. And still there was no one to play the leading role of Balian. Mr. Scott had at first envisioned Russell Crowe, the scowling, muscled star of his "Gladiator" hit, to play the role of a blacksmith and reluctant Crusader in the Holy Land. But Mr. Crowe had other projects on his slate, and would not alter them to fit the director's timetable. It took four more months of searching by casting agents and Mr. Scott to settle on Orlando Bloom, the long-haired, doe-eyed young British actor who was high on Hollywood's list of hot new stars in the making. Mr. Bloom, who had won a fan base of teenage girls with his performance in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and who was fresh off the set of another historical epic, Warner Brothers' "Troy," was the favored choice of Fox executives. [More]

News for Jan. 04, 2006

LOTR Bloopers To Be Screened at ORC!!!

1/04/06, 7:02 pm EST - Xoanon

BLOOPERS FROM 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS' MOVIE TRILOGY TO BE SCREENED FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE ONE RING CELEBRATION

Only Official "The Lord of The Rings" Convention To Take Place in Pasadena from January 20 - January 22, 2006

For the first time ever, fans of The Lord of the Rings, the Oscar winning New Line Cinema trilogy, can view exclusive blooper footage at the ultimate Lord of the Rings fan event, ORC (The One Ring Celebration). Taking place at the Pasadena Center in Pasadena, CA from Friday, January 20th through Sunday, January, 22nd, the only official LOTR convention is an opportunity for fans from around the globe to celebrate Peter Jackson's film interpretation of Tolkien's classic tales. [More] [Tickets]

News for Jan. 03, 2006

Michael Pellerin Interview on AintitCoolNews

1/03/06, 8:23 pm EST - Xoanon

Michael Pellerin with MrCere at the Kongfest party in NYC AICN writer Quint writes: Quint here with a chat I had recently with a man by the name of Michael Pellerin. Michael is the dude most directly responsible for those amazing LORD OF THE RINGS Extended Edition DVDs and has also recently contributed to that fantastic documentary on the 1933 KING KONG DVD as well as providing all those weekly (or bi-weekly as it was during the filming) Production Diaries for Peter Jackson's KING KONG. I met Michael on one of my last days on the set of KONG. He's a big fan of the site and even though the pressure of recording DVD material as well as cutting material for the online Production Diaries was obviously stressing him out I could still tell that he was in his element, doing what he loves. [More]

ABC's 'Lost' is easy to find, and not just on a TV screen

1/03/06, 8:14 pm EST - Xoanon

In its monster hit "Lost," ABC has found more than just a highly rated, award-winning television show with the potential to spin off sequels. "Lost" has become a world of its own, albeit fictional, that, with its labyrinth of clues and multilayered plots, has become the test case for the marriage between new technology and creative content. Getting "Lost" has never been easier. It's on your TV set, your DVR, your iPod and DVD collection — and that's just the Wednesday-night program itself. Surf the Web and there are countless "Lost" sites — some designed by ABC or the show's creators and others by the legions of fans of the island castaways drama. Soon there will be "Lost Video Diaries" on Verizon cellphones, two-minute episodes that will chronicle the stories of characters who were on the doomed Oceanic Flight 815 but who do not appear on the show. [More]

Emerald Rose: Sparkles in the Rough

1/03/06, 8:06 pm EST - Xoanon

Now is as good a time as any to start a Celtic rock band. In an age when Cocteau Twin Elizabeth Fraser’s siren-like linguistics-mangling voice livens the scores of ultra-mainstream The Two Towers, or alternately, sets the mood for Gregg Araki’s angst-laden Mysterious Skin alongside bandmate Robin Guthrie’s chiming guitar, “world music” no longer carries the same cheesy connotations outside of gothic rock’s inner circle. Emerald Rose already has the attention of 4AD record collectors and quiet librarians-turned-new age mysticists, but the band’s sights are set just a little higher as they attempt to reach a broader audience. An exuberant, exciting and passionate four-piece blending traditional Celtic music with their own compositions, Emerald Rose delivers a power-packed collection of songs on Archives of Ages to Come. They have been a hit success at many festivals, parties and holidays in recent years, and have received the honor of performing as the headline act at the Oscar parties for the movies The Two Towers and Return of the King, which they consider a delightful and appropriate opportunity. [More]

Order Emerald Rose's new 'Archives of Ages to Come' on Amazon.com now!

Bell tolls for 'Ring' fans and former Dayton-area resident

1/03/06, 7:39 pm EST - Xoanon

Carlene Cordova & Cliff Broadway Carlene Cordova found herself in the midst of Middle-earth madness and realized that she had the makings of a movie. The former Dayton-area resident was working with the popular Lord of the Rings fan site TheOneRing.net, covering red-carpet premieres and fan anticipation for Peter Jackson's Oscar-winning film trilogy, based on the epic novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. The sudden resurgence of Tolkien's work, fueled by Jackson's films as well as by the Internet, caught the attention of Cordova and Cliff Broadway, a writer for the Web site. They saw it as a phenomenon in the fan world. "Since we were right there in the middle, and we had access to the stars, and we had access to the fans — both sides talked to us, knew us, trusted us — we realized that we were in a unique position to document what was happening and that we should," Cordova said. [More]

McKellen on 'Corrie' on CBC

1/03/06, 7:35 pm EST - Xoanon

Allison writes: The episodes of 'Coronation Street' that Ian McKellen guest starred in have finally turned up on CBC. 'Coronation Street' airs on CBC TV weekdays at 7:30PM .If you missed it, all five episodes are played on Sunday mornings from 7:30 - 10:00 A.M. I guess in the States you should check your local PBS stations.

TV Watch: Andy Serkis on 'Conan'

1/03/06, 7:27 pm EST - Xoanon

Andy Serkis will be a guest on 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' on NBC tomorrow (January 4th, 2006). He is there to talk Kong, expect sillyness to erupt with Conan around. 'Late Night' airs on NBC at 12:35 AM.

The Complete J. R. R. Tolkien Audio Resource Page

1/03/06, 7:18 pm EST - Xoanon

LOS ANGELES, January 3 -- LearnOutLoud.com, an online resource for audio and video educational products, presents the J. R. R. Tolkien Audio Resource Page (http://www.learnoutloud.com/tolkien). This web page is a one-stop portal for every audio book by the author. Included are multiple audio book editions of the books in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King). In addition, other popular Tolkien titles such as The Hobbit and The Silmarillion are featured. "J. R. R. Tolkien has produced such an amazing body of literature and we wanted to do our best to highlight the titles that are available in audio format," said LearnOutLoud.com CEO and Founder Jon Bischke. "We’ve searched high and low to find 60 titles including multiple versions of The Lord of the Rings titles. It’s a great way to experience his work." [More]

Preview touts Tolkien tuner

1/03/06, 6:36 pm EST - Xoanon

TORONTO -- With rare exceptions, producers like to keep the media as far away from their rehearsals as possible. And the higher the stakes, the greater the level of secrecy. That conventional wisdom was turned upside down Dec. 12 when Kevin Wallace invited 150 journalists to watch six scenes from the upcoming stage version of "The Lord of the Rings," which begins previews Feb. 2 at the Princess of Wales Theater prior to a March 23 opening. "It was essentially to get the core message out that we know what we're doing here and that this creative team we've gathered together has truly found the way to bring Tolkien to the stage," is how Wallace explained his unconventional action. What made this especially daring was the fact that "Lord of the Rings" is a show that relies heavily on a spectacular physical production. With a C$27 million ($23.4 million) budget, a cast of 55 and a 40-ton set that consists of three interconnected turntables with 17 lifts, not to mention numerous special effects, it took courage to offer up the work under fluorescent lights with the cast in sweatpants and T-shirts. [More]

SHOP: Sideshow Reveals 12-inch Strider Figure

1/03/06, 12:35 pm EST - Celeborn

CLICK FOR PREVIEW
Sideshow Collectibles has announced their first 12-inch figure and its Strider! Check out the preview! [Click Here]

Happy Birthday JRR Tolkien

1/03/06, 9:02 am EST - Xoanon

Happy Birthday JRR Tolkien

114 years ago today, the late great Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born. On behalf of your fans around the world, male and female, young and old, we raise our mugs and toast your spirit, your life, and your great good works.

News for Jan. 02, 2006

Celebrate Tolkien's Birthday with the Tolkien Society!

1/02/06, 11:21 am EST - Celeborn

From The Tolkien Society: At 9pm (local times) on January 3rd fans around the world are invited to raise a glass and toast J.R.R. Tolkien’s Birthday. The Tolkien Society has a webpage where fans across the globe can let other fans know where they’ll be celebrating if they’re hosting a party, or just what particular tipple they’ll be raising. Fans will be able to check the webpage and see who is celebrating where and if they wish to get in touch and join in. [More]

Sideshow Collectibles to Reveal first 12-inch Figure on Tolkien's Birthday

1/02/06, 11:19 am EST - Celeborn

Sideshow Collectibles has announced that they will preview their first Lord of the Rings 12-inch figure on January 3rd, 2006 -- Professor Tolkien's birthday. If you are not familiar with the 12-inch Figure detailing that Sideshow is famous for, check out their latest Star Wars figures, as an example. [Click Here] [Press Release]

News for Dec. 30, 2005

Fantasy fatigue grips New Zealand

12/30/05, 11:46 pm EST - Xoanon

AUCKLAND Two of the biggest fantasy films of the year were made in a small land of the Pacific Ocean. Yes, Hollywood has invaded New Zealand again - but it turns out not all the locals are happy about that. As mean-spirited as it may seem with the recent release of "King Kong" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," two blockbuster movies mostly made in New Zealand, there are some film industry insiders in this country who don't like giant apes, witches or magical lions at all. In fact, at their least generous, these insiders wish the mythical creatures had never come to this small Pacific Rim nation. It has the rest of New Zealand's inhabitants, who generally take great pride in the achievements of movies like the award-winning "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, wondering why. [More]

SHOP: Armoured Lurtz Selling Fast!! - UPDATE 2

12/30/05, 1:22 pm EST - Celeborn

Lurtz Premium FormatPre-Orders have begun for the Armoured Lurtz Premium Format Figure. Don't Miss out! [Click Here]

UPDATE - According to their website, the figure only has 50 left in a 750 edition size.
UPDATE 2 - They just sold out of the Exclusive edition, but the regular is now for sale on their site.

News for Dec. 29, 2005

Mortensen Reads Poems for Victoria University

12/29/05, 5:29 pm EST - Xoanon

Time is running out for poet Bill Manhire, who has one day left to raise almost $200,000 to hit a million-dollar target set by a Las Vegas casino tycoon. Mr Manhire's writing course, the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University, was singled out by American philanthropist Glenn Schaeffer. Mr Schaeffer issued a challenge for the institute to raise $1 million by December 31 – and has promised to match every New Zealand dollar raised with an American dollar, up to a maximum of $US1 million. It's been a stressful but exciting two years since the offer was made, but Mr Manhire continues to be hopeful of hitting the $1 million target. He had been amazed by the generosity of donors – some who had given $5 and those who had donated thousands. Fundraising events, including a poetry reading by Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen, and sponsorships had helped bump the total up. The Dominion Post is a major sponsor. [More] [Victoria University of Wellington]

The chord of the 'Rings'

12/29/05, 5:17 pm EST - Xoanon

Hobbits, we read in the prologue to J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring," the first book of his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "love peace and quiet and good tilled earth." This being so, the pre-holiday rush at Times Square's Virgin Megastore surely would have seemed to them the abode of the damned. Thumping bass lines made the air shudder; tourists and locals stumbled and jostled, staring open-mouthed at flashing video monitors. A whisper, sad and graceful, called out from beneath the din. In the video department, "The Return of the King," the final film in director Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, was drawing to an end. The dialogue was inaudible, but wisps of music folded and unfolded - themes first heard in "Fellowship," evoking friendship and resolve, innocence lost and the longing for home. [More]

Order 'The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - The Complete Recordings' at Amazon.com today!

ORC Masquerade Forms

12/29/05, 1:03 pm EST - Xoanon

Garfeimao writes: The One Ring Celebration Masquerade will be held on Friday night and you can now read all the rules sign up for this fun event. There will be a pre-registration opportunity, from now until Wednesday, January 18, 2006 at 6:00 PM. You can submit all pre-reg documents to OrcMasquerade@aol.com, to include the Entry Registration form, the Liability Release form and a photo of your costume. You can download them all here. (WORD DOC) [Registration] [Liability Release] [More Information]

LOTR Online Update

12/29/05, 12:45 pm EST - Xoanon

Meghan, Online Community Manager for The Lord of the Rings Online writes: This week we've updated the Captain class on our Playable Classes page. This is also the first peek at a female player character avatar, something many of you (and your own communities) have been waiting for! We'll continue to update the classes through the end of January - there's still the Hunter, the Burglar, the Minstrel, and the Lore-master to come, so stay tuned! [More]

Go back to Main News Archives