Due to the overwhelming number of quality entries into our EA Games and TORn writing contest, we are going to delay the announcement of our winners until Tuesday, April 11th 2006. We apologize for this delay, but to be fair to all contestants we feel the extra time will help with the judging process. [Click Here]

Lhunsarniel writes: I just wanted to share that Billy Boyd's latest film, "On a Clear Day" opens this weekend in selected Landmark theaters, namely Westside Pavilion in West Los Angeles. [More]

Haldirriel writes: My friends and I just returned from touring the north island of New Zealand. Whilst there, we were informed that Jane Abbott has some of the horses from the movie and offers tours. We were able to pet and take pictures of Asfaloth, Brego, Hasufel, Gandalph's cart pony and 2 Ringwraith horses. Jane showed us pictures from filming and told stories. She welcomes tours and for more info you can go to the website moviehorsesnz.com. Our thanks to Jane & Karen for a wonderful and informative afternoon!!

Ben writes: Our mapping site - zoomin.co.nz has just released aerial photography of New Zealand. I thought you might be interested because you can use the maps to create a group of lord of the rings group and locate all the places that the film was shot. For example - here is wellington - where a lot of the filming for fellowship was done - Weta studios are also located here. Press the 'aerial' button to get aerial photography of Wellington. [More]

Dominic Monaghan's Golden Globe winning show 'Lost' is on tonight at 9PM EST on ABC. TORN's chatroom now has a special 'Lost' screening room, login to #lost at 9PM and watch with fans from around the country! [ABC.com] [TORN Chat]

The chance to star in the movie version of the first book from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy attracted a queue of 4,000 people. Producers of the new movie began the first of four open casting sessions this morning in Cambridge. They are searching for girls aged between nine and 13 to star as the young heroine Lyra Belacqua in what will be the biggest child role since Harry Potter. Further auditions are set to take place in Kendal, Oxford and Exeter. The queue at Cambridge's Corn Exchange began to form at 5am on Tuesday. All 1,500 young hopefuls who attended the event - chaperoned by 2,500 parents - were seen by casting directors. [More]

Shane Rangi, the stuntman/actor who played several characters in the Rings-trilogy and was recently spotted in as General Otmin in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, will be amongst this years guests at the Elf Fantasy Fair. Other guests include cartographer Daniel Reeve and fantasyauthors Stan Nicholls, Tad Williams and Cate Tiernan. The event, which draws some 20.000 visitors to The Netherlands each year, will be held on the 22nd and 23rd of April. Head over to their website for more information! [ElfFantasy.nl]

Mark Dapin writes: The first time I see Hugo Weaving, it's by chance. He's out walking near his home in Paddington, Sydney, when he is stopped by two men with a camera phone. He seems artlessly patient as he waits for them to take his picture, unnaturally calm and still. The second time I see Hugo Weaving, it's by design. He's sitting in the W Sydney hotel (renamed Blue), a disconcertingly spare warehouse conversion in Woolloomooloo. He's working the press for his new movie, V For Vendetta, in which he plays V, a man who never removes his Guy Fawkes mask. [More]

Isembard Took writes: I just wanted to let you know in case you want to post it in the Shop section of the site for fans that haven't already bought them that the FOTR and TTT Platinum Series Special Extended Edition Collector's Gift Sets are on sale for the rock-bottom price of $20.99 each at Amazon.com. The ROTK one is still $63.99 unfortunately.

FOTR Platinum Series Special Extended Edition Collector's Gift Set

TTT Platinum Series Special Extended Edition Collector's Gift Set

Chris writes: Dr. Thomas Shippey will deliver the lecture "Narnia and Middle-Earth: Seventy Years on and Still Accelerating" at Marymount University, in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday, April 5, 2006. Join us at 7 PM in the Reinsch Library for the talk, reception to follow. [marymount.edu]

"Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School" has a clunky title but an elegant concept: that the fantasy of the fresh start is attainable for all of us. It's as easy as one, two, cha-cha-cha. Yes, this is another one of those movies about finding your own soul, and perhaps a soul mate, on the dance floor. But "Marilyn Hotchkiss" demonstrates that the same old construct can be made thrillingly fresh with the right components. In fact, this film does other power-of-dance movies one better by downplaying the dancing -- it's in there, but doled out carefully -- and underscoring what its brethren often lack: a compelling, wrenching and wonderfully inspiring story. [More]

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hot off his stint as a counter-terrorist operative on "24," Sean Astin is in negotiations to star in ABC's comedy pilot "The Guys," about five dads who become friends when their kids have a playdate at the home of one of them. Astin, famed for playing a hobbit in the "Lord of the Rings" movies, is in theaters with "Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School." He next appears opposite Adam Sandler in "Click," which opens June 23. [More]

He had the biggest role in the movies last year, but Andy Serkis doesn't have to worry about fans and paparazzi. Serkis, as you well know, created the title character in King Kong, Peter Jackson's giant movie. Before that, Serkis -- wearing a motion-capture suit, as he did for Kong -- played and voiced Gollum, the twisted creature in Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. But Serkis isn't entirely unrecognizable. "It's funny -- with Gollum and now Kong, I always thought that I'd be completely anonymous," says the 41-year-old British actor, "but because of DVDs and behind-the-scenes stuff and Kong Diaries, yeah, people do recognize me, not to an unhealthy extent. I have a certain amount of anonymity, and certainly professionally I'm not typecast. Well, it's not that you can be typecast, because there aren't that many roles for 25-foot gorillas." [More]

Rick writes: I wanted to inform you good folks that there is a new academic book soon to debut, entitled: 'Lord of the Rings : Popular Culture in Global Context'. I am an academic librarian at the University of Guam library, and found this listing in a new books catalog. Though academic in its underpinnings, it has the kind of interest and appeal that would make it very good for most readers, particularly older ones. [More]

Isabel writes: Here is some info on a LOTR Trilogy screenin at the Arlington Cinema n' Drafthouse (in Northern Virginia): Watch for your favorite Movie or stay for ALL THREE. Enjoy Lord of the Rings again on the BIG SCREEN! The Festival is open all day, please feel free to come at any time. We encourage you to come dressed as your favorite character. [More]

When: Sunday, April 30th, 2006 from 12PM to 10PM
Price: $7 ($8 at the Door)

Cathy writes: TBS is showing the three Lord of the Rings movies April 14-16th and you can watch their hilarious commercials on their website. On the left side, below "Lord of the Rings", click on Secret Lovers, White Horse, Frodo, Gollum, Hunks and Wizard of Orc. [More]

Ringer Spy Gondorian sends along scans from the LOTR Musical Programme. The musical is receiving mixed reviews from the press, as well as Ringers who have sent in their reviews to us. It has been rumoured to be moving to London after the Toronto run. [More]

Ramen, Community Relations Specialist for The Lord of the Rings Online writes: On Tuesday, our Screenshot Galleries were updated with the two new shots featured in our latest round of Desktop Calendar Wallpapers. [More]

The POI series continues in this week’s Thursday update with the great halls of Thorin Oakenshield! Read about their appearance in The Lord of the Rings Online, and take a look at the concept art. [More]