[Lotr_announce] TheOneRing.net Newsletter - April 2008

[Michael Regina]

TORN #363

April, 2008

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Rings Roundup (Top headlines of major interest)
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Guillermo Del Toro Talks ‘The Hobbit’
Again
>From hollywoodinsider.ew.com: While interviewing writer-director Guillermo
Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) about his upcoming summer sequel Hellboy II: The
Golden Army, EW.com chatted him up about his involvement with The Hobbit.
While no deal has been set —”We’re still in these protracted negotiations,”
Del Toro says — the fantasy fiend did offer a few promising hints.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/04/02/28595-guillermo-del-toro-talks-th
e-hobbitagain/

New Line names Richard Brenner as President of Production
New Line’s Richard Brener is staying on as Toby Emmerich’s right-hand man
and has been promoted to president of production. The move comes two weeks
after Emmerich was appointed president and chief operating officer of the
scaled-down mini-major. The 35-year-old Brener joined the company in 1995 as
a temp and rose through the ranks to story editor and senior VP. He’s been
serving as New Line’s No. 2 production exec after a promotion to senior exec
VP-COO in early 2007. Emmerich has indicated that New Line will focus on
creating niche films in the vein of “Wedding Crashers” and “Freddy vs.
 Jason” along with occasional tentpoles such as “The Hobbit.”
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/04/01/28569-new-line-names-richard-bren
ner-as-president-of-production/

Howard Shore Confirms his involvement with The Hobbit
Ain’t it Cool News posted a juicy tidbit this morning that Howard Shore has
confirmed he is involved with The Hobbit and has been working on ideas for
it since he scored The Two Towers. Not necessarily anything we didn’t
already highly suspect, but definitely another step in the right direction.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/31/28562-howard-shore-confirms-his-i
nvolvement-with-the-hobbit/

Sideshow Releases Premium Format Galadriel
The Lady of the Golden Wood has made her way into the Sideshow Collectibles
Premium Format line-up. The new figure features Galadriel as she bid
farewell to the Fellowship in The Fellowship of the Ring. The most
impressive aspect of this collectible is the expertly-tailored scale
reproduction of the costume from the film. If you are a fan of Galadriel or
the costuming from the film, this is something you may want to pick up.
Check out the complete details at SideshowCollectibles.com.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/28/28555-sideshow-releases-premium-f
ormat-galadriel/

Toby Emmerich Named President & COO, New Line Cinema
Toby Emmerich has been named President & COO, New Line Cinema and will lead
its reorganization to become a stand-alone production entity as part of
Warner Bros. Entertainment, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman
& CEO, and Alan Horn, President & COO, Warner Bros.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/19/28529-toby-emmerich-named-preside
nt-coo-new-line-cinema/

Tolkien’s Hobbit fetches £60,000
A 1937 first edition of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit has been sold at auction to
an anonymous bidder for £60,000 - twice what it was expected to reach. The
Hobbit was Tolkien’s most successful book, establishing his name as an
author, and came before the longer Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Maps,
photographs and manuscripts will also be sold at Bonhams in London. The copy
of The Hobbit is inscribed to Tolkien’s friend Elaine Griffiths, who had
originally helped get it published.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/18/28527-tolkiens-hobbit-fetches-600
00/

Guillermo del Toro reaches out to TORn
TheOneRing.net reported here at the end of January that Guillermo del Toro
was 99 percent sure to direct “The Hobbit”. Since then the Tolkien Estate
filed a lawsuit against New Line Cinema (a copy of which can be found here)
and the movie studio has been folded up and put in the pocket of its owner
Warner Bros. and its bigger parent Time Warner Inc.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/18/28525-guillermo-del-toro-reaches-
out-to-torn/

MGM Hints on Hobbit
Compa_Mighty writes: Not a huge thing, but The Hobbit was formally mentioned
as one the upcoming MGM franchise movies, in the press release appointing
Mary Parent “Chairperson, Worldwide Motion Picture Group at the studio”.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/17/28521-mgm-hints-on-hobbit/

LOTR Musical Ends London Run
The Musical Spectacular “THE LORD OF THE RINGS” will complete its run at the
Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London on 19 July, 2008 after 492 performances.
The show has already played to an audience of over 446,000 in London since
previews began on 9 May 2007. Due to the popularity of the London Production
among international visitors, discussions are under way for the production
to re-open in Germany in November 2009 with a German-speaking cast. “THE
LORD OF THE RINGS” creative team is also developing a touring version to
launch in New Zealand in 2009 before being presented in cities across
Australia and the Far East.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/14/28512-lotr-musical-ends-london-ru
n/

AP Talks 2 Hobbit(ses)..Filming Next Year?
deej sends along this link to an AP/CNN article claiming that there will be
2 Hobbit themed films from Warner Bros./New Line, and filming is set to
begin next year. She writes, I was reading this article about the 7th Harry
Potter film being split into 2 films, and came across this: “Another famous
Tolkien tome, “The Hobbit,” is also being split into two live-action movies
set for back-to-back shooting to begin next year.”
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/13/28510-ap-talks-2-hobbitsesfilming
-next-year/

Guillermo del Toro Answers Hobbit Questions
Martin writes: Guillermo del Toro is keeping up a pretty damn cool
correspondence with the fans over at deltorofilms.com and on the forum of
his Hellboy II Website, where he answers fan-questions on an almost daily
basis. He also came to talk about the Hobbit a couple of times.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/13/28507-guillermo-del-toro-answers-
hobbit-questions/

Lord of the Rings in 3D(!!) Rumors Resurface
This story comes to us thanks to the wonders of the wireless world and the
internets. Early this afternoon I received a call from a rabid Ringer
Diamond T letting me know about a CNBC reporter (possibly at the SXSW Film
Fest) who dropped a bomb during an interview about the future of 3D movies.
He claims to have heard ‘Rumblings’ about New Line (Warner Bros.) releasing
LOTR in 3D! Take a look (or rather listen) at her phone video (sent to my
phone, downloaded, then uploaded to YouTube
gotta love the web).
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/11/28497-lord-of-the-rings-in-3d-rum
ors-resurface/

1978 LOTR Composer Leonard Rosenman Dies
Leonard Rosenman, composer for Ralph Bakshi’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ film,
has passed away. According to the report at Variety.com, Leonard died
Tuesday of a heart attack at the Motion Picture & Television Country House
and Hospital in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 83. Among many awards and
nominations, Mr. Rosenman earned a 1978 Golden Globe nomination for his work
on ‘The Lord of the Rings.’ May he rest in peace. Thanks to Camillu for
alerting us to this news.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/04/28449-1978-lotr-composer-leonard-
rosenman-dies/

New Line Employees Learn Their Fate
>From IMDB: At least 75 percent of New Line’s staff of 600 are likely to be
fired in the coming months despite assurances by Time Warner chief Jeff
Bewkes on Friday that he wants to retain as many New Line employees as
possible, Daily Variety reported today (Monday), citing an “emerging
consensus.” The trade publication said that New Line is also expected to
shut down its offices in New York and its headquarters in West Hollywood,
moving remaining operations to the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. Speaking to
New Line employees by satellite on Friday, Bewkes said that Co-Chairmen Bob
Shaye and Michael Lynn are “still here,” but “for everyone’s sake, they need
to step back from the process.”
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/03/28441-new-line-employees-learn-th
eir-fate/

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The People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien

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More People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien

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explore the words and worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien through essays, Q&A from
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The Tolkien Fan's Medieval Reader, edited by Turgon

Over the years Tolkien's fondness for and indebtedness to medieval
literature has often been mentioned. His special devotion to older Germanic
literature, including Beowulf and the Eddas, has long been known, for as a
professor he taught these works in addition to teaching the languages in
which they were written. This anthology has been compiled in the hope of
sharing the pleasures of these -- and other -- classics of medieval
literature that were part of Tolkien's professional life and inspirations to
him in his creative work.
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hearts of millions.
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Michael Regina
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http://www.TheOneRing.net
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