Posted on Thursday, January 3rd, 2013 by Angie Han
Dying to set foot in Middle-earth, but don’t have the cash to shell out for a ticket to New Zealand’s Hobbiton? If a new rumor is to be believed, Universal Studios could be planning a new Middle-earth theme park that’d presumably be much closer to home for American fans. According to an anonymous source, Universal and Warner Bros. have approached the Tolkien estate about the possibility of building a new attraction, and Universal has gotten as far as presenting its ideas to the Tolkiens. Read more after the jump.
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Posted on Friday, December 21st, 2012 by Angie Han
It’s a sad fact for geeks that there’s still no way to actually become a hobbit or a wizard. But thanks to two new spots, we can at least pretend for a little while.
The King’s Cross station in London has opened a new souvenir shop at Platform 9 3/4, which Harry Potter fans know is where Hogwarts students catch the train to school. Meanwhile, Hobbiton in New Zealand has transformed the Green Dragon Inn set into a working pub. Read more and check out some photos and video after the jump.
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Posted on Monday, November 12th, 2012 by Angie Han
It’s the kind of topic that keeps geeks arguing late into the night: Which is more badass, Westeros or Middle-earth? Would Jaime Lannister win in a duel against Aragorn? Are Wargs scarier than direwolves? Could Gimli take on the Mountain?
Sadly, the odds of us ever finding out for certain are slim to none, since there’s unlikely to be a crossover special anytime soon. But as the creator of Game of Thrones (or A Song of Ice and Fire for you book nerds) and a longtime fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, George R.R. Martin seems as well equipped as anyone to offer some answers. Hit the jump to find out what he had to say.
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Posted on Monday, July 30th, 2012 by Angie Han
Just two weeks ago, the idea that Peter Jackson would split The Hobbit into three movies instead of two as originally planned seemed like wild, unfounded speculation. But then Jackson began floating the possibility at Comic-Con, negotiations with Warner Bros. picked up, and now Jackson has confirmed that it’s official: The Hobbit will be a trilogy.
The details are still being hammered out, so there’s a lot that even the folks involved aren’t sure of at this point. However, we do have an inkling of what the title and timetable might be. Jackson is reportedly eyeing a summer 2014 release date for the third movie, though an exact date has not been announced. As for the title, domain registrations suggest The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Hobbit: Riddles in the Dark as potential names. Read more after the jump.
UPDATE: Jackson has taken to Facebook to post his own statement about the decision to split The Hobbit into three films, while the studio has issued a new press release. Read Jackson’s comment after the jump.
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Posted on Thursday, July 14th, 2011 by Angie Han
Much in the way that Lionsgate teased out Hunger Games casting for weeks, steadily releasing small pieces of info over time, Warner Bros. seems to be revealing first looks at the characters from The Hobbit bit by little tiny bit. We’ve already gotten eyefuls of Dori, Nori & Ori, Oin and Gloin, and Fili and Kili. Today comes our first look at the dwarves Bofur, Bombur and Bifur, played by James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter and William Kircher, as they will appear in Peter Jackson‘s adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien novel. Check out the full photo after the jump.
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You didn’t really think that the lawsuit between the Tolkien Estate and New Line was actually going to progress far enough to derail Peter Jackson and Guillermo Del Toro’s Hobbit movies, did you? Regardless, it’s good to know that the two parties have come to some agreement, money will be exchanged and everyone can go forward to make even more money with the forthcoming films. Details follow. Read More »
Like any smart 20something, I am looking to retire in the next year or so, or at least go far far away to a land where the Drudge Report and Nick Denton have no reach. A loyal Slashfilm reader in Miami named ‘Hot Turtle Sex’ directed me to the following link belonging to a Welsh family of four (two cute kids). Using the architectural technique of “earth sheltering,” they have created a cozy home literally built into the earth that shares a helluva lot of resemblance to a hobbit hole and The Shire in J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
The Dale family claims to have no real knowledge of architecture and says they built the home for 3,000 pounds (about $7,000) over a three month period using, get this, a “chainsaw, hammer, chisel, little else really”; also “men, lots of heavy lifting.” I dig/relate to how the men ended up being mistaken for “yetis” near project’s end. The home is insulated with straw, has solar panels, a skylight, a spacious loft bedroom, a “compost toilet,” charming slugs and charm for days. I’m left wondering if the children were delivered by storks and if those storks deliver beer (oh wait, they brew their own).
They want to inspire others to create eco-friendly, low-impact hobbit-like homes and frown upon exposing infants to toxic modern day construction materials. Are you up to it? I’m so down. If you’re a Slashfilm reader residing in Wales, get involved directly.
More photos after the jump.
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Residents of Middle-Earth should pop some Advil, as already-troubled New Line Cinema has been sued by the Tolkien estate, which seeks $150 million plus in damages in the mega-lawsuit. Peter Jackson‘s The Lord of the Rings trilogy did over $6 billion in world-wide receipts, but the estate claims that not a drop of gross profit participation has come its way. Moreover, the suit seeks further damages and, here’s the real killjoy, the right to take any other J.R.R. Tolkien works (i.e. The Hobbit films) elsewhere.
The estate released the following statement via its U.S. Counsel, Bonnie Eskenazi, practically writing the word “ludicrous” in the sky for all of the films’ and books’ fans to sigh at…
“New Line has brought new meaning to the phrase ‘creative accounting.’ I cannot imagine how on earth New Line will argue to a jury that these films could gross literally billions of dollars, and yet the creator’s heirs, who are entitled to a share of gross receipts, don’t get a penny.”
This huge “penny” hangs over last month’s once-optimistic news that fanboy favorite and Peter Jackson friend Guillermo del Toro was nearly a lock to direct both Hobbit flicks simultaneously. All of this after New Line and Peter Jackson settled their own notorious disagreement about boatloads of LOTR money back in December.
However, del Toro has more recently expressed doubt that the films are a sure thing, while playing up his multiple, rad spinning plates like Frankenstein, his H.P. Lovecraft pet project At the Mountains of Madness, and even Marvel’s Dr. Strange. What is going on over at New Line, I mean, really. This suit could not have come at a worse time, what with Business Week even suggesting that Warner Bros. fold the studio altogether.
Source Link: Variety
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