Meghan, Online Community Manager for Lord of the Rings Online writes: We've just posted three new pieces of concept art on the LOTRO site! Take a look at artist Jeff Murchie's interpretation of Tolkien's evil creatures, Goblins and Orcs. We hope you enjoy this week's update, and check back next week for a new dev diary from artist Floon Beetle on the subject of Roleplaying! [More]

Ringer Celebriel just returned from an LOTR locations tour in New Zealand, this is her Day Four report: Our first stop was the Stansborough Fibres shop in Wellington. Stansborough manufactured the Elven cloaks used in Lord of the Rings and has the license to sell them, but their story is much bigger than that. Everyone’s heard about all the sheep in New Zealand, but Cheryl and Barry Eldridge’s are very special. Starting with Gotland sheep, they have used embryo transfer and other breeding techniques for ten years to evolve a unique breed, called Stansborough Greys. [More]

"Desperate Housewives," a dark satire about suburbia that became an instant hit in its debut season, was among the top Emmy nominees announced Thursday. The ABC series, competing in the comedy category, received 15 nominations, sharing status as series front-runner with the NBC sitcom "Will & Grace," which also got 15. "Lost," a freshman drama about air crash survivors stranded on a mysterious island, got 12. [More]

A Star-Studded world premiere of Richard E Grant's directorial debut will mark the start of this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival. The British star, perhaps still best known for his role in the classic comedy Withnail and I, will be joined by cast members Emily Watson, Gabriel Byrne and Julie Walters for the screening of his film Wah Wah...the organisers have arranged one of the strongest line-ups in recent years, with more British and international premieres, the hottest British talent, some unique screenings and appearances by stars such as Elijah Wood, Jason Biggs and cinema legend Paul Schrader. [More]

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 13, 2005--Academy Award-winning Production Designer Grant Major, whose latest production designs will be seen later this year in Universal Pictures' "King Kong," will receive the Hollywood Film Festival's Hollywood Production Designer of the Year Award at the Festival's October 24 awards ceremony. His selection was determined for his "distinguished body of work" by a recommendation of the Council of the Art Directors Guild (ADG). Major won his Oscar® in 2004 for his work in "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." He was also nominated for two additional Art Direction Academy Awards: for "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2003) and "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2002). [More]

Ringer Celebriel just returned from an LOTR locations tour in New Zealand, this is her Day Four report: Our day started with a visit from Daniel Reeve, mapmaker and calligrapher. Daniel is another extraordinary person involved in the production whom we would not have met outside the Red Carpet Tour, and another one whose life and work have gone in a different direction because of working on The Lord of the Rings. [More]

A classical-music concert is crashed by a man who rappels onto the stage carrying a machine gun. Another man — this one in a ski mask — spots him, and a large exclamation point lights up over his head. Behind them, the conductor of the orchestra keeps waving his arms in rhythm, and the show goes on. This was the spectacle of Video Games Live, a touring concert of video game music that kicked off last week at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl. [More]

The Royal Shakespeare Company in Britain will embark on a year-long project to stage every play, sonnet and poem ever written by William Shakespeare. All of it will be presented at Stratford-upon-Avon starting April 2006 and ending April 2007. Michael Boyd, artistic director of the company, called it the "most extensive celebration of Shakespeare's genius." The RSC announced details of the massive project on Monday with big name talent to attract an estimated 600,000 visitors – Dame Judy Dench will perform in a new musical adaptation of The Merry Wives of Windsor, Sir Ian McKellen will execute the title role in King Lear while Patrick Stewart will take the stage in The Tempest. [More]

LONDON (Hollywood Reporter) - Gwyneth Paltrow and Orlando Bloom will make cameo appearances in the romantic comedy "Love and Other Disasters," which began shooting Monday. The film, written and directed by Alek Keshishian ("Madonna: Truth or Dare"), revolves around a group of friends in London who discover sometimes love isn't like the movies. [More]

The critically acclaimed actor Charles Ross, famous for his live show, the One Man Star Wars Trilogy will be performing his One Man Lord of the Rings as a fundraiser for the newly formed City of Victoria Youth Council (CVYC). [More]

The world is Lost. The TV hit of the year commands 20 million viewers in the US and 2 million more in Australia. In less than a year it has beaten all comers, including this year's other cultural juggernaut, Desperate Housewives, and is shown in 180 territories around the world. From the first episode, in which Oceanic Airlines flight 815 from Sydney to Los Angeles crashed on a mysterious Pacific island, viewers have been spellbound by polar bears, unexpected twists and a still unseen "monster" in the jungle. [More]

London — It is the dream of most British actors to work in Hollywood. It is the revenge of those who aren't invited to disdain those who do. Ewan McGregor has been quoted as saying, "In Britain I'll get shagged off for doing 'The Island.' " McGregor, though, is still boyish enough to be the Prince William of British stars. The London tabloids, specialists at tearing down success, may leave him alone, particularly since McGregor is currently doing that very English penance of appearing for almost no money on the London stage. [More]

The Barrow Dock Museum will undergo a slight change of scenery this summer, when works of art by fantasy art guru Geoff Taylor will be the subject of a major new exhibition at the museum from 12th August -16th October 2005. Fantasy art lovers will need no introduction to Geoff, who illustrated all three books in JRR Tolkein’s the Lord of the Rings trilogy in 1999. The list of Geoff’s published cover illustrations reads like a whose-who of modern literature, he has illustrated book covers for such literary giants as Raymond E Feist, Isaac Asimov, Phillip K Dick, Daniel Defoe and Katherine Kerr, to name but a few. [More]

Pinki writes: This Friday (July 15) at 8pm, the Philadelphia Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Markus Huber, will be performing the Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings Symphony at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. Detailed information about the event may be found here. Please do let your site visitors know about it! The Mann is a terrific outdoor concert venue, and I'm sure it'll draw quite a crowd. (I know I'll be there!)

Project Organisers for 'Letters to PJ' write: Greetings! We are two dedicated fans of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy who are compiling a fan appreciation book, addressed to director Peter Jackson. The book, 'Letters to PJ', is a custom made leather bound hardcover, which we plan to fill with original fan contributions from all corners of the world, in the form of e-mails, hand written letters, poems, art work and photographs. 'Letters to PJ' is a project which gives fans (like us!) a chance to express their admiration and gratitude towards those who worked so hard and long on the film trilogy. [More]

It's now been nearly two years since the release of the final movie in Peter Jackson's film trilogy of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." Extended versions of all three films have long since arrived on DVD; the lead actors have gone on to star in other moves and hit TV shows; and Jackson and his crew are off in New Zealand putting the finishing touches on his big-budget remake of "King Kong," which will be released in December. [More]

Ringer Celebriel just returned from an LOTR locations tour in New Zealand, this is her Day Three report: Our first stop today was at Taihape, where the Rangiteki River at Mokai Canyon is one of many locations used for the River Anduin in Fellowship. You’ll recognize the curve and bank of the river in the photo – just imagine the elven boats there. The view is from the Mokai Bridge 260 feet above the river! Mokai is also home to Gravity Canyon, which offers bungy jumping off the bridge and a speed ride on cables called a flying fox. The owners are planning to add a giant swing and swing bridge for their adventure-mad visitors. Remember, commercial bungy jumping was invented in New Zealand! [More]

Henry Gee writes: Just a reminder that I'll be talking about my book The Science of Middle-earth at 8pm tomorrow night (Tuesday 12th) at Joseph's Bookstore, 1257 Finchley Road, Temple Fortune, London NW11 0AD (tel 020 8731 7575) email here. Tickets are £9.95 to include meze and glass of wine. Your host, Michael Joseph, advises that booking ahead is essential (if only so they can ensure that everyone who turns up gets fed and watered). Hope to see you there!

Join us in #thehalloffire on TORn's IRC server for our weekly Tolkien discussion. This week Hall of Fire resumes discussing the Silmarillion with chapter 10 – Of The Sindar. Chat starts at 2 p.m. EST. [Chat NOW]

In java chat, select "TheHallOfFire" from the drop-down menu. For more information on IRC chat, please visit our FAQ.

Ringer Celebriel just returned from an LOTR locations tour in New Zealand, this is her Day Two report: We left Rotorua heading south, passing Lake Taupo, New Zealand’s largest lake. We headed for Tongariro National Park and its three famous volcanoes, Mt. Tongariro, Mt.Ngauruhoe, and Mt Ruapehu. The park was designated a World Heritage Site because of its cultural and religious significance to the Maori people. The volcanoes here are the highest mountains on the North Island, with Mt. Ruapehu reaching over 9000 feet. The views of the snow-covered volcanoes from the road were spectacular, especially as it was such a clear day. The perfect volcanic cone of Mt. Ngauruhoe was used to represent Mt. Doom. [More]

Karl Urban will be attending Comic-Con 2005 to promote his latest film 'Doom'. He is appearing directly before Peter Jackson's King Kong Video Game panel in Hall H on July 17th. You can also click here for a teeny tiny picture of Karl and his entire 'Doom' team on Yahoo! Movies. [Photo] [Comic-Con]

Lord of the Rings star Billy Boyd found his feminine side for his role in On A Clear Day. His character is so broke, he ends up wearing his girlfriend's knickers. And Glasgow-born Boyd has hinted that his real-life girlfriend - actress Ali McKinnon - may have to lock up her undies as he enjoyed the experience. He said: 'I quite got into it. [More]

From NarniaWeb: Staff member Jints sent in the following transcript of the Radio Cafe interview with C.S. Lewis expert Brian Sibley and literary agent Katherine Ross. The interview originally aired on Radio Scotland’s "Radio Cafe" programme on Thursday, July 7th. [More]

Margaret writes: I was listening to the NPR show Studio 360 this morning, and the subject of the show, explored several ways, was parody. One of the stories was about a parody of DVD commentaries, with partisan pundits finding movie symbolism agreeing with their philosophy in contemporary film. This has been done for FOTR. The writers of this parody are portraying Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky. They talk about the "pipe weed-based economy" of Hobbiton, "economic sactions faced by Mordor," and about the Orcs being "desperate to compete with the economic powerhouses of Rohan and Gondor." [More]

This weekend, Hall of Fire resumes discussing the Silmarillion with chapter 10 – Of The Sindar. After the dramatic rebellion of the Noldor, our focus switches to the rise of the mightiest kingdom of the Sindar – that of Thingol and Melian in Doriath. We’ll discuss the arrival of the dwarves, and examine the affect their partnership has on Doriath’s development and the events surrounding the creation of Menegroth and the girdling of Doriath by the power of Melian. [More]

Ringer Celebriel just returned from an LOTR locations tour in New Zealand. Today starts her day-by-day account of the visit: Our tour of Middle Earth started appropriately enough in The Shire. The Hobbiton set is located on the Alexander farm outside Matamata, about two hours south of Auckland. The farm covers 1250 acres and is used to raise Romney sheep and Angus cattle. The location is as magical in real life as it appears in The Fellowship of the Ring. The landscape has about 80 shades of green and light that casts a golden glow at certain times of day. [More]

From Hollywood's first full-length animated feature, Disney's glorious and haunting Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, to the mega-hits of recent years like The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., the Shreks and Toy Stories, moviegoers have thrilled to the art and magic of animation. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents "The Animated Performance: Art Meets Technology," a program that explores the science and technology behind the art of animation on Friday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m. in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The evening's special guests include Academy Award winners Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant) and Jan Pinkava (Geri's Game), Academy Award nominee Bill Kroyer (Technological Threat) and animators Richie Baneham and Steve Hornby (Lord of the Rings Gollum animators), Randy Cartwright, Eric Goldberg, Tom Sito and Kathy Zielinski. [More]

Although it’s been six years since Emiliana Torrini’s last album, the Roland Orzabal-produced Love in the Time of Science, the Icelandic beauty has been busy though largely hidden from view. She performed the haunting “Gollum’s Song” for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, wrote and toured with Thievery Corporation, collaborated with Smog’s Bill Callahan and provided Kylie Minogue with her 2003 #1 U.K. hit “Slow.” Lastly, she readied her sparse, whispering return to the spotlight, Fisherman’s Woman, an attention-rewarding listen bearing few traces of her lavish debut. [More]

Pre-Order Emiliana Torrini’s 'Fisherman’s Woman' on Amazon.com today!

HOLLYWOOD — Elijah Wood has enjoyed his fair share of eccentric roles — from a sword-wielding hobbit in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy to a kung-fu cannibal in Frank Miller's "Sin City." But nothing quite prepared the young actor. [More]

Vintage writes: Sept 2nd is set as the release date for Billy Boyd's upcoming "On A Clear Day," a film that premiered to a very positive response at the Sundance Film Festival. Icon Movies now has the film's website -- including a very entertaining trailer. [More]

From smh.com.au (via K. Roberts): Reports from New York at the weekend claim Cate Blanchett has been spotted hobbling around the Big Apple on crutches. Spike hears the Golden One has been in New York recently, but we are still waiting to hear from her local representatives to find out if she has injured herself. However, we can take solace in the New York Post's observation that she "still looked stunning with hair pulled back and little make-up". [More]

Loria Badali writes: Badali Jewelry will be in the dealer's room at Comic Con International next week debuting a brand new jewelry line, Geek Tags TM, as well as their Lord of the Rings jewelry line. Geek Tags are Badali Jewelry's new line of geek jewelry. Each charm displays a geeky phrase - Uber Geek, I (Heart) Geeks, Geek, and much more. Geek Tags are available as a necklace or key chain in sterling silver and base metals. Come meet check out our new line and meet Paul Badali and his crew at booth #432. [More]

Howard Shore's LOTR Symphony will be performed at 'Jones Hall' by the Houston Symphony Orchestra today (July 8th) and tomorrow. Tickets are still available! Take a look at this link for more information on future concerts! [More] [houstonsymphony.org]

John writes: Amazon.com, in celebration of their 10th anniversary, will have a celebration at their headquarters. Among the musicians, authors and other events will be a special DVD presentation of never before seen footage from a number of movies, including LOTR! [More]

Meghan, Online Community Manager for The Lord of the Rings Online writes: It's a short week for us here at Turbine (we were closed Monday and Tuesday), so today's update is an easy one: a Friday Insider. In this issue we asked the team, "What do you like best about working on The Lord of the Rings Online?" Catch you next week, and as always, thanks for your support! [More]