In an ongoing attempt to keep you up to date with everything the confirmed cast is up to. I have this tidbit.

From TOMORROW'S People, a small blurb concerning Liv Tyler's latest flick, 'One Night at McCool's'.

Fast Takes: The film editors of 'One Night at McCool's', a dark comedy starring Liv Tyler, got a laugh while looking at the dailies. At one point during a lust scene with Paul Reiser, Tyler, as a dominatrix, was supposed to hit a pillow with her whip. She missed the pillow but not Reiser, who yelped very believably.

That is hilarious, Paul, I hope you're feeling better. I remember Liv telling this tale to Leno when she was on last week.

If is obscure, and no one else has it? We certainly will! Do you have something about the confirmed cast? Send it to me! Xoanon@theonering.net

Thanks to Tinuviel for the tip!

Ok, So we have a casting change. Big deal, I mean I liked Stuart, I really did. I remember when the GODS came from up on high and told me the name 'Stuart'. I was very excited. But these things happen.

Do you remember the Emperor from 'The Empire Strikes Back'? It's a different dude than 'Return of the Jedi' and 'The Phantom Menace'.

And Captain Janeway from 'Star Trek: Voyager'? A few weeks into filming there was another woman who was captain of Voyage (A montrealer, from my home town!) who was axed.

There many other examples of major cast changes in movies and television. These things happen. Think of it this way, Stuart was down there with the other Hobbit actors, and they didn't get on, or maybe it was PJ and Stuart, who knows? But in an 18 month long shoot, that's year and a half folks, do you think PJ would want someone who is causing stress to the rest of the cast or crew? or Himself? no way. Thus the descision was made.

I'm not going to comment on Stuart vs. Viggo, but I do hope that this change was for the best. Good luck viggo, if you indeed do sign the dotted line.

As for Stewart, we all wish you the best. :)

Xoanon

From: Buzz

Buzz is the Super Ringer Spy who brought me the news about Stuarts departure. Where is more of what he has to say:

This is from a *very* reliable source...Basically he was told on Wednesday morning, and was leaving the country by that afternoon.

The Ethan Hawke thing is total speculation though....the only hard fact is that Townsend was told thanks but no thanks. No details on payouts or how their relations stand though.

God...how terribly cloak and dagger...:-)

Our alert reader Tiggy sent in the news from this morning's Dominion.
Apparently, conceptual artist Alan Lee broke his arm on Wednesday while on the set, according to some sources. The film company's publicist would not comment on how it happened. Luckily the broken arm was not the arm that Lee draws with, and he is able to continue working.

After hearing all the hulabaloo, TheOneRing.net placed a call to Mortensen's agent, who had this to say:

'This cannot be confirmed right now'

Obviously not a 'yes or no' answer I was looking for. But It seems that something is brewing.

Check out his Bio, here, more info comming soon

LORD OF THE RINGS casting change: Stuart out, Viggo in?

Hey folks, Harry here. For the past three days I've been attempting to confirm the story that Stuart Townsend has left LORD OF THE RINGS and the part of Aragorn. I tried my best contacts on the project and have never heard back from them. However, I have had over 14 different folks from New Zealand and New Line tell me that he has left. Why did he leave... well that I can not say for certain. Depending upon who you talk to, you can hear that he just didn't fit into the mix quite the way they wanted or Peter let him go due to studio pressure or what have ya. Ultimately, I don't believe that is the important part. What is important is that we get our Aragorn/Strider part filled.... and right now according to long time AICN spy, The Ref, Viggo Mortensen has the offer sitting in front of him.

Now having seen Viggo in everything from GI JANE, A PERFECT MURDER, PORTRAIT OF A LADY and VANISHING POINT.... well... I like him. He's also quite a bit older than Stuart and a bit gruffier looking to my eye. I like this casting and think this all might work out for the best here.

Now as far as I know, Viggo has not yet signed, but the offer is allegedly there. Keep your fingers crossed, I believe he'll make a great Aragorn.

More info from me comming soon.

p.s. Sorry Pypesmoke

Recieved this today:

Please keep me anonymous here, but the actor who has been given his marching orders is Stuart Townsend. From the sound of it, they basically told him that he wasn't what they wanted. And he's been here for over 2 months!! I wouldn't be surprised if it was a political move due to perhaps getting a bigger name for the role...

This could be total bogus, but I thought you might like to know. TheOneRing.net is trying to confirm this, as well as the entire rumor about an actor leaving. More info coming soon UPDATE The Super Ringer Spy that sent me the report about someone leaving in the first place had this to say about the possibility of Townsend departing. Good Morning, I have seen your report that it is Stuart Townsend (supposedly - X). I still haven't seen any official news releases here though. But I think that would tie up with the shooting schedule, they must have pushed back the inside shooting of the Prancing Pony. More to come.

Greetings–Quickbeam here.

We want to thank all of you who participated in our premiere Brain Bender contest! It seems that my question was worth all the book-pounding and page- flipping it certainly caused... :-)

Congratulations to our three winners (based on the timeliness of their submissions):

1. Caroline Lauzon
2. Ron Stewart
3. Philippe Chabot

You can find the question and the winning solution in the Green Books Brain Bender Section.

From: BigKev

This I've never seen before, but with a movie on such a grand scale I guess it is to be expected. A LOTR business card! Sounds cool to me! I smudged out the numbers so they don't get wracked with calls. But I thought it was a neat little thing to show!

Now, take this image, blow it back to regular size, print a few out and wham! You got yourself a ticket to fame! All you men, go out to your local bar and flash the card around, tell the ladies you're looking for a few 'female Elves...for your film' (This is of course impossible, and do not attempt)

WellingtonÕs Dominion newspaper had an interview with producer Barrie Osborne.There he talked about the hobbits, saying that although the public might recognise stars like Elijah Wood (Frodo) or Ian Holm (Bilbo), they might wonder about some of the others. Osborne revealed that the film would employ hobbit ŌdoublesÕ in the form of a group of people with a rare hormonal growth deficiency different from dwarfism.

"The doubles are pretty special," said Osborne, "There are four or five of them..two from India, two from England, from Thailand." They were not easy to find.
He went on to describe the hobbit ŌlookÕ Š big ears, big feet, big smiles, curly hair Š all helped by the prosthetics crews.

Each hobbit double is matched to a main actor.
Meanwhile, the ŌstarÕ hobbit actors can be shrunk using computer shrinking, high-rig filming and altered scale ratios.

October the 11th marked the first day of filming, in the Mt. Victoria town belt in Wellington. Filming was scheduled to continue until Christmas next year.
At times work was interrupted by driving rain. Osborne took time to discuss Peter JacksonÕs intention to stick very closely to JRRTÕs story. He also revealed that the hobbits were on their way to film in Bree next. Their scenes at the Ōmerry old pubÕ would be filmed in an exterior set in Wellington somewhere, and an interior set in the studio.

A production crew of 400 was involved; travel would be necessary. For the extras, they were told to hold next week clear of commitments when they came for their first filming. Osborne let slip that there might be some orcs around in the coming week.

Before this project, Osborne was the producer for Face/Off and the Matrix, as well as being credited on films such as The Godfather II, All the PresidentÕs Men, The Big Chill, Apocalypse Now, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Good Morning Vietnam.

Thanks to Nanoo-x for the scoop!

News has reached me from a very reliable source that PJ and crew have lost a MAJOR star. My contact tells me that some scheduled filming has been pushed up a week due to the loss of the said star, no word on who it is. I do not even know if it's one of the handful that are down in NZ. My contact also tells me that we should expect news from NZ concerning this shortly.

Recieved this from the Houghton guys:

Houghton's New improved Tolkien websiteis now live on the web. We haven't quite arisen from our "quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great," but its a start.

Same bat-channel, new bat-station...have a look (you'll only have to watch the animation once, I promise).


www.lordoftheringstrilogy.com

Picked this up today from Harry over at AICN. I cleaned it up a little for you folks.



From Aicn:

Here we have our first costumed character in the film. Albeit... it is a horse...but still, it's in a costume. Neigh, a badass bunch of armor.... really primal looking to me. I wanna see more! But.. well, here it is with the scoopy letter...

Dear Harry,

You probably don't remember me .. I sent in some stuff on LOTR a while ago. Well, I was scanning the newspapers on Monday for anything to write in about LOTR, seeing as how filming was starting then .. and found something just a lil more interesting, i.e. the attachment below. It's one of the many horses being used, decked out in very cool armour. This is NOT, I repeat NOT a film still, just a photo taken by a photographer for a newspaper here. On a side note, I know the location where this photo, and the filming, took place very well, as my brother lives nearby. And I can tell you, as any Wellingtonian can, the area is totally cool. Very Tolkien. Oh yeh, there's an article to go with it, but I'll leave that up to you to say if you want to read it.. I think it's stuff you'd already know.

Keeping my eyes and ears open for ya,

Chopcloud

Hey folks, Harry here. I was poking around, TheOneRing.Net, and found a report about what had been shooting. Apparently it was the scene in which the Hobbits hide behind a tree stump from a ringwraith. So... the above horsey may in fact be from that scene. Note... these horses are meaner than your average horse.

Thanks to Gandalf, Grey_Pilgrim, Pippin_Took, and Pypesmoke from the Chat room for pointing that out to me!

Nick, and the guys over at CHUD (CHUD.com) have posted a review of Liv Tyler's latest flick 'Plunkett & Macleane'. They describe Tyler's preformance as: 'surprisingly tolerable'. owch!

check out the review here.

There's probably more books and videos about Tolkien than you ever realized, and we've collected up a big list of titles that are sure to interest visitors to TheOneRing.net™. We're making it easy for armchair shoppers too: Click here and see what there is to buy, all conveniently online. http://shop.theonering.net

Check out the fan art section for a small update.

Book 2, Chapter 2 'The Council of Elrond' is available. My thanks to Mia for her amazing storyboards!

Thanks to Milange, we now know WHAT they were filming yesterday!!

Check it out, in The Spy Reports

"Call off the research-hounds! You responded swiftly, and we here at Green Books have been frantically wading through a veritable deluge of emails. As of right now we have received several correct answers, so please do not send any more answers after you read this. =) Winners' names, rankings and prizes will be posted here after we have checked and confirmed specifics, so check back to see if your response made it in under the wire!" --Anwyn, Turgon, and Quickbeam

From: J

'J' writes: In today's issues of the trade papers Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, New Line Cinema took out the traditional two-page color ad to announce that principal photography on the trilogy has become. As the ad says, "The Journey Begins...". Very cool!

The caption on the 2nd image reads The Journey Begins...Pricipal Photography Begins Today, Monday October 11, 1999

Thanks to Quickbeam for showing me the way, and thanks to J for getting me the images!

The Green Books Brain Bender competition is officially under way! Check out the question here!

See the offical rules in our contest section.

This is a link to an article on Wellington parks. There's a photo which shows how amazingly close to the centre of the city the filming is taking place. In the photo you can see a few buildings below the people sitting in the park. Just past the city, in the right of the picture, is a dark forested hill. That is Mount Victoria, where the hobbits are currently. Click on this link to see it.

Check out The Spy Reports!! We have your first look at the Bree Set!

Check out the Spy Reports, since filming has started, the spies have been sending us stuff non stop!

This is just a reminder that the Tolkien Brain Bender contest begins tonight. At 8PM EST the question will be posted, the first 3 people to mail the correct answer to the GreenBooks staff will be winners. For full details on the contest click here.

So make sure to really sluff off at work today so your mind is in top form tonight.

Everyone in NZ who was watching the evening news got to see a bit of the first day's filming. We'll look at ways to post a video clip of the TV news on the website, but meanwhile, we have a juicy monster spy report describing what was seen.

Filming began on Mt. Victoria, a wooded hill in the middle of Wellington. The reporters were not able to get as close as they...as YOU would have liked, but some joggers were interviewed after they'd charged blindly right through the set. And producer Tim Sanders was quite talkative by (LOTR film standards)when interviewed.

Check it all out in 'The Spy Reports'

This come from Ringer Spy BigKev a spy with the nose for news.



Calisuri will optimize it with all his jiggery pokery skills.

The article tells nothing new that isn't covered on this site in 'The Movies' section.

Scoop has kindly allowed to use this latest posting of theirs.
Article: Alastair Thompson
Date: Monday, 11 October 1999
Time: 11:11 am NZT Scoop visits Peter Jackson's Camperdown studios: Welcome To Camperdown
An Unlikely Looking HQ For A $300 Million Film?

In north Miramar hard up under Mt Crawford an old "Mel-o-rich" milkshake powder factory is home to New Zealand's largest ever cultural investment - the Lord of the Rings trilogy being filmed over the next 18 months under the direction of Peter Jackson. See also... "The Lord Of The Rings" To Begin Photography In NZ

A couple of weeks ago, on a Sunday, Scoop scouted out Camperdown Studios - on the corner or Camperdown and Weka Sts - HQ to Peter Jackson's massive film project.

Camperdown was not - yet anyway - the hive of activity one might expect it to be. No limousines nor anyone vaguely famous was spotted. Admittedly it was a Sunday.

The site appeared to be completely covered in low barracks like buildings with various industrial milk handling apparatus attached. There are also lots of signs referring those interested in talking to Weka digital to a relatively new looking office block at the rear of the site.

Out front was a rusty bus, out rear a triumph sports convertible. The kids were kind of disappointed there were no milk-shakes.

View the images and complete article at The Scoop website at http://www.scoop.co.nz/
This Story is at http://www.scoop.co.nz/frames/stories/HL9910/S00046.htm

At least in NZ, it's 4:41 am, Monday October 11 Down there. As you all know filming is set to start today. And I'm filled with giddy childlike excitement along with the rest of you!

What will happen in the course of these 18 months? Will there be problems on the set? Will the media turn its collective back and start calling this project 'ill fated'? Will production run over budget? Or hopefully, will production move along at an incredible pace? Will there be such harmony on the set that filming 'The Hobbit' will not only be an eventuality, but a reality?

This is now the time when all details move from LA, NY, and the UK to New Zealand. All sound bites, interviews, photos and news bits will eventualy be coming from there. That is why we added a little 'weather updater', for those of us who aren't from NZ, it'll at least make you have some sense of 'being' there.

This is now the time for our NZ friends to come into action. With production starting, the 'cat' will be out of the bag, so to speak, somewhere someone is going to see something, and we here at TheOneRing.net want to know about it. Send it along in an email, if you come up with the goods on a regular basis, we'll give you free access to post any of your news in our Spy Reports.

So here we go, 18 months of filming, almost the same amount of time editing. TheOneRing.net is in it for the long haul (I've got a comfy computer chair) I hope you all enjoy the expierence.

Xoanon & TheOneRing.net Team

Ringer Spy Sadogoat sent in this pic of Kevin 'Theoden' Conway. Thanks!

This comes by way of our Russan Counterparts, it's an interview with EW done by none other that Brooke Shields for an upcoming film 'Black and White'.

Interview With Elijah Wood
by Brooke Shields

BS: Let's talk about the movie we did together, Black and White. Had you done a totally improvisational film before?

EW: No. And as interesting as the project seemed, I was really scared because it was so far away from anything I'd done. Then I came to the conclusion that if you're ever fearful of taking a step forward to a place that could be better for you, you should always take it, because that's the only way you'll ever grow. So despite how afraid I was, I made the decision to continue.

BS: Well, fear is an incredible motivator. OK, now you can talk about kissing me. [laughs]

EW: That was an absolutely lovely day! I came to the set thinking I was filming one thing, and one of the assistant directors came to my trailer and said, "You've got to kiss Brooke Shields in the park today." I was like, "I'm sorry. Run that by me again?" [BS laughs] What a great experience! I already felt very close to you, and that brought us a bit closer.

BS: The feeling was mutual. Still, I was thinking, I should be arrested for this! And you kept saying that it was legal in some states! [laughs] So I didn't fell so bad. So next you're doing "The Lord of the Rings." Have you read the trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien?

EW: No, but I read "The Hobbit."

BS: Did they suggest you read all three books?

EW: It wasn't necessary, although I believe they're under the impression that I have read all three. But I don't think it really matters. The script are brilliant, and they've kept the tone of Tolkien's writing, which is wonderful.

BS: How would you describe a hobbit?

EW: A hobbit is a very short, amusing character. They don't wear shoes. They have hairy feet and pointy little ears. My character, Frodo Baggins, has a wry sense of humor.

BS: You were perfectly typecast.

EW: [laughs] How perceptive!

BS: I did kiss you, remember? I was given these Tolkien stories when I was a child. They should be required reading at an older age, just because of the lessons in them.

EW: Oh, definitely. The stories reveal the darkness of the human spirit, and where that can go, as well as extreme light.

BS: You'll be shooting in New Zealand, right? Will you be there for a long time?

EW: Fourteen months, because we're doing three movies. It's going to be an adventure, a real journey. And I think that I'll be different when I come back, as a person and an actor, and I look forward to that.

From ONE News

BLANCHETT TO STAR IN NZ-BASED MOVIE


Australian actor Cate Blanchett will co-star in the New Zealand-based movie trilogy "The Lord of the Rings".

The $360 million project is based on the JRR Tolkien novel of the same name and will be directed by Wellington film maker, Peter Jackson.

The project's backers say Blanchett will play an elf queen, while Hollywood actress, Liv Tyler, will play an elf princess.

Filming is due to begin on Monday and expected to take a year to complete.

Click here for a downloadable video report!

Super Spy J has sent me some rather cool stuff. Check out a photograph and an original cell from Bashki's '78 Cartoon movie. Check it out in The Spy Reports.

My Contact has slipped me yet another bit 'o script from the Arwen auditions!

You hardcore Tolkien fans are certainly going to like this. The sequence follows the first meeting of Arwen and Aragorn. Aragorn mistakes her for Luthien, an immortal lady who chooses to become mortal for the love of a man.

The interesting bit is, this isn't really mentioned in the Trilogy, but in Appendix A part V, someone has done their homework!

The rest of the scene is a rather nice meeting of these two characters.

The meeting takes place in Rivendell, and Aragorn is surprised to learn she is a child of the Eldar.

ARWEN
I've already lived in this world so long that to me, you're but a yearling shoot next to a tree of many summers.

ARAGORN
(sighs)
I know it. I am mortal, and you are Elf kind.

Liv Tyler, better known as Arwen. Was on 'The Tonight Show With Jay Leno' last night, October 7th. Liv and Jay spoke of her latest film, Plunkett & McLaine as well as her next film.

The only LOTR mention was at the very end when Jay asked her where she was off to, he then answered the question himself, New Zealand.

Sigh, I just WISH he would have asked her something about LOTR, oh well.

I know we've covered this before, it's somewhere in the archives, but a VERY reliable source sent me this tonight:

By the way, there's been all this talk wondering about whether the Ents will be played by performers on stilts, and while I'm not sure what they are intended for (possibly just to provide a mobile reference point when shooting set-ups involving mixed-scale characters, such as the Hobbits alongside humans, etc.), the Ents will be realised primarily as fully digital characters, with partial full-scale props being utilized.

Verrry interesting

With a little digging, I managed to get a few sound bites of Andy Serkis' voice.

These are from the film 'Career Girls' where Serkis played Mr. Evans, a female obsessed pig who's trying to sell his house.

Serkis will obviously 'play up' his voice to play the troubled Hobbit, but it's at least a treat to hear his voice!

Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3
Clip 4

Enjoy

More on this Sean thing, Keef & Kaz is SURE that it's Sean, time will tell.

I still reckon it was sean connery. I spoke some more with my (significant other) about the meeting on the set. he was here for 2 days..and as was said he has the part of narrator. in his words.."an older hobbit that tells the story"

An older Hobbit telling the tale? Could be a possibility :)

Thanks to Keef & Kaz for the tip!

New Line has sent me an addition to the Press Release, seems someone forgot to add Cate's little bio:

Cate Blanchett stars as the elf Galadriel, the wise and visionary queen of Lorien. For her performance in the title role of Elizabeth last year, the Australian actress won the Golden Globe and BAFTA awards as well as an Oscar® nomination. She has also been lauded for her performances in such films as An Ideal Husband, Thank God He Met Lizzie and Oscar and Lucinda.

From NEW LINE CINEMA

hello, from gordon paddison at new line cinema. i wanted to drop you a copy of the 'official press release' for the start of production on lord of the rings (i am sending it to you now 10:15am (pst) before it is being released to press outlets or newswires). this is a pc microsoft word 2000 document.

please keep my information in your files and i hope to be in contact throughout production and release of the film. new line is very interested in working with fan sites. i know that you are as dedicated to this film as we are.

fyi, i wanted to let you know what is coming from the 'official website.' in the coming weeks we will have full content to support the start of production. production features and personal interview updates by peter jackson for the official website. also, the official website will offer the Lord of the Rings Internet web browser to support the energy and content currently existing for the film. the LOTR Web browser will include buddy lists, instant messaging and a club building capability. The browser will feature a jump page that will highlight community features and spotlight fan contributed content. This will be a living interface updated on a continuous basis.

all my best.

gordon paddison

And now the Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Mary K. Donovan
New Line Cinema/NY
(212) 649-4945

Steve Elzer
New Line Cinema/LA
(310) 967-6654


“THE LORD OF THE RINGS” TO BEGIN
PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN NEW ZEALAND

Peter Jackson Directs International Cast
In Production of Unprecedented Scope


(Los Angeles, October 7, 1999) – The Lord of the Rings film trilogy begins principal photography in Wellington, New Zealand, on October 11, 1999, under the direction of Peter Jackson, it was jointly announced today by Robert Shaye, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of New Line Cinema; Michael Lynne, President and Chief Operating Officer of New Line Cinema; Michael De Luca, President and Chief Operating Officer of New Line Productions; Mark Ordesky, President of Fine Line Features; and Jackson, who is also a writer and producer of the production.

Unprecedented in scope, the production breaks new ground in movie-making by filming the three titles in this saga -- The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King – not consecutively but concurrently, as though they were all one giant motion picture production.

Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved series of fantasy novels, The Lord of the Rings franchise stars (in alphabetical order) Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Sir Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Sir Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, John Rhys-Davies, Stuart Townsend, Liv Tyler and Elijah Wood, whose casting was previously announced.

The screenplay is written by Jackson (The Frighteners, Heavenly Creatures); his longtime production partner, Fran Walsh (The Frighteners, Heavenly Creatures); Philippa Boyens; and Stephen Sinclair (Braindead, Meet the Feebles). The producers are Barrie M. Osborne (The Matrix, Face/Off), Tim Sanders (Aberration, The Frighteners) and Jackson, and the executive producers are Saul Zaentz (The English Patient, Amadeus), and Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein (co-chairmen of Miramax). Walsh and Rick Porras (Contact) are associate producing under Jackson’s WingNut Films banner.

Other members of the distinguished behind-the-camera crew include director of photography Andrew Lesnie (Babe, Babe: Pig in the City), production designer Grant Major (The Frighteners, Heavenly Creatures), costume designer Ngila Dickson (Xena, Warrior Princess; Hercules; Heavenly Creatures), and makeup and hair designer Peter Owen (Oscar and Lucinda, Philadelphia).

WETA Workshop is executing armor, miniatures, creatures and special effects make-up under the direction of supervisor Richard Taylor. WETA Digital is executing the special visual effects under the direction of visual effects supervisor Mark Stetson (The Fifth Element and upcoming Super Nova). Visual effects producer for WETA is Charlie McClellan (The Frighteners, Contact). The conceptual artists are Alan Lee and John Howe, renowned for their illustrations of Tolkien’s work. The official The Lord of the Rings website is www.lordoftherings.net.

Coinciding with the start of principal photography, Houghton Mifflin is publishing a one-time-only millennium edition of The Lord of the Rings. For the first time, the Rings saga is being presented in a boxed set of seven hard-cover volumes, one for each of its six parts plus a seventh volume containing the appendices. One of the most beloved stories of the 20th century, The Lord of the Rings has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide in 25 different languages.

Michael De Luca, President and Chief Operating Officer of New Line Productions, said: “The Lord of the Rings is among the greatest adventures ever written, and making this film is proving to be a wonderful adventure in its own right. Like Frodo, the hero of this saga, we’re on a film ‘quest,’ and I can’t think of anyone better to lead us than Peter Jackson.”

Mark Ordesky, President of Fine Line Features, said: “Filming three features simultaneously is a pretty daring proposition, but we have a wonderful team of filmmakers and actors who are more than up to the job and who are going to make this saga a deeply felt experience for moviegoers everywhere.”

Jackson said: “My team and I have poured our hearts into this project for the past three years, so it’s a great thrill to begin actual photography. Filming three films at once has never been done before, in addition to which the project features state-of-the-art special effects, so it was essential to plan everything down to the last detail. We owe Professor Tolkien and his legion of fans worldwide our very best efforts to make these films with the integrity they deserve.”

As previously announced, Elijah Wood (Deep Impact, The War) stars as Frodo, a young hobbit who, by inheriting a seemingly innocent magic ring, finds himself launched on a perilous quest to save all of Middle Earth from encroaching evil.

Other members of the cast include Sean Astin as Sam Gamgee, Frodo’s most faithful friend. Astin gained early attention for his starring role in The Goonies and has since appeared in numerous films and TV productions, including Bulworth, Courage Under Fire, Rudy and Memphis Belle. He was nominated for an Oscar® for the short film Kangaroo Court, which he directed and produced.

Sean Bean stars as Boromir, a human and the hot-blooded elder son of the ruler of the kingdom of Gondor. The rugged English actor has appeared in Ronin, GoldenEye, Patriot Games and The Field, among other films, and starred in the title role of Sharpe’s Waterloo, Sharpe’s Justice and the many other installments in the Sharpe series based on Bernard Cornwell’s novels.

Orlando Bloom stars as Legolas, a valiant elf who joins Frodo on his quest. Bloom has just graduated from Guildhall and has appeared in the television production Midsomer Murders.

Billy Boyd stars as Pippin, a young hobbit and close friend of Frodo who accompanies him on his mission to destroy the magic ring. He has appeared in the TV miniseries Coming Soon and the feature Urban Ghost Story.

Brad Dourif stars as Wormtongue, the manipulative adviser to King Theodon and a pawn of the evil wizard Saruman. Since making his film debut in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, for which he earned an Academy Award® nomination, a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award, Dourif has appeared in over 40 films. Among these are Ragtime, Wise Blood, Blue Velvet, Alien Resurrection and all four of the Chucky movies, in which he provided the voice of Chucky.

Sir Ian Holm stars as the hobbit Bilbo, Frodo’s cousin and the original bearer of the magic ring. One of Britain’s most distinguished actors, Sir Ian received BAFTA Awards for Chariots of Fire and The Bofors Gun. His many other credits include The Match, eXistenZ, King Lear, The Sweet Hereafter, The Madness of King George, Hamlet, Brazil, Greystoke and Alien. He also earned a Tony Award for his performance in Moonlight, and in 1989 he was awarded the CBE (Commander of the British Empire).

Christopher Lee stars as Saruman, the chief of all wizards who hopes to snare the magic ring for himself. During a career spanning five decades, Lee has appeared in dozens of film and television productions. Recently, he starred in the title role of Jinnah, the story of Pakistan’s founder. Other films include Tim Burton’s upcoming Sleepy Hollow, Police Academy: Mission to Moscow, The Man With the Golden Gun, The Three Musketeers, The Wicker Man, the classic 1959 production of The Mummy and numerous horror films.

Sir Ian McKellen stars as the wise wizard Gandalf, who is Frodo’s mentor and protector. Sir Ian, who was knighted for his contributions to the performing arts, recently starred in Gods and Monsters, for which he received many awards and an Oscar® nomination. His screen successes include Apt Pupil, Scandal, And the Band Played On (Emmy nomination and CableACE Award), Cold Comfort Farm, Rasputin (Golden Globe Award), Richard III, Bent and Swept From the Sea. He has had a stellar career on stage in England and the U.S., and received the Tony Award for his role in Amadeus.

Dominic Monaghan stars as Merry, a mischievous young hobbit who accompanies Frodo on his dangerous quest. Monaghan has appeared in a number of theatrical and television productions, including the BBC series Hetty Wainthrop Investigates, with Patricia Routledge. He has also appeared in the film Boomer, directed by David Drury.

John Rhys-Davies stars as Gimli, who represents the dwarves in the Fellowship of the Ring. One of the busiest actors, Rhys-Davis has been seen in television productions ranging from Shogun to Sliders and in films ranging from the three Indiana Jones films to The Great White Hype. A few of his other credits include the miniseries War and Remembrance, Noble House and Reilly: Ace of Spies, and the films The Living Daylights and Victor/Victoria.

Stuart Townsend stars as Aragorn, a human raised by elves and the rightful king of Gondor. The Dublin native appeared on stage before making his film debut in Trojan Eddie, with Richard Harris and Stephen Rea. Other film credits include Under the Skin, Shooting Fish, Resurrection Man and Wonderland.

Liv Tyler stars as Arwen, a young elf warrior and princess who is prepared to give up her immortality for love of Aragorn. Tyler recently starred in Cookie’s Fortune, Plunkett & MaCleane and Onegin. The former teenage model has also starred in Armageddon, Inventing the Abbotts and Stealing Beauty, among others.

Founded in 1967, New Line Cinema is the entertainment industry’s leading independent producer and distributor of theatrical motion pictures. New Line licenses its films to ancillary markets including cable and broadcast television as well as to international venues. The company, which is a subsidiary of Time Warner, Inc., operates several divisions including in-house theatrical distribution, marketing, home video, television, acquisitions, production, licensing and merchandising units.

As promised folks! Enjoy!!

Well it's not Gollum but Andy Serkis, who will provide the voice for him! Many thanks to Brian at CHUD for relaying the pic to me!

This pic important, due to the nature of CGI, some elements of Andy will be incorporated into the CGI Gollum

Some confusion has arised as who will play Theoden, AICN as well as Ringbearer say it's the voice of Batman from the Animated Series, This is shash. Their sources obviously got him confused with Kevin Conroy, the voice of Bruce Wayne in the Batman animated series.

Kevin Conway is a distinguished actor from such films as Complaint and Slaughterhouse-Five as well as
such miniseries as Streets of Laredo and The Scarlet Letter.

Check out his Bio on our 'Cast' page So now you know :)

Xoanon here,

Yes, it's true, before I get a million and one emails concerning the casting announcements on AICN, I did know about these for the past couple of days, but was asked to wait until New Line was ready for their press release.

AICN says Cate Blanchett is Galadriel, Kevin Conway as Theoden and Brad Dourif Wormtongue, and Andy Serkis is the voice of Gollum.

Check out their bio's here

More info coming soon!