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September 22, 2003 - September 28, 2003

News for Sep. 28, 2003

MPAA Seeks Oscar Home Movie Ban

9/28/03, 11:46 pm EST - Xoanon

Screening tapes--and more recently DVDs--for award-eligible films have been a given for Academy voters for several years. It's been a combo perk/privilege to be able to sit home in bed and decide whether Tom did a better job than Jack, or Gwyneth was more effective than Meryl. But this year, those who skip out on the showings at their neighborhood multiplex in favor of their home theaters may be SOL. That's because the Motion Picture Association of America is trying to get the major studios to stop mailing out DVD and video screeners, claiming the practice leads to piracy. [More]

Andy Serkis in London

9/28/03, 11:44 pm EST - Xoanon

Taz I went to the signing that Andy Serkis did near London Bridge today (Sept 28th). He was fantastic, and it was the first time I've met him. I've included some pics from today. The first couple are from the actual signing that he did. The second pic is of Andy and myself. [More]

Andy is currently in London to direct his new play 'The Double Bass', which opens tomorrow (Sept. 29th). For more info click here!

You Take the Good & You Take the Bad...

9/28/03, 11:22 pm EST - Xoanon

The September 22nd issue of People Magazine featured the all-important best dressed/worst dressed list. Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) made both lists (a rare feat to be sure). There is also a new image from her latest film 'The Missing'. [More]

TORn Staff Answers Speculations -- And Adds Some More!

9/28/03, 11:17 pm EST - maegwen

Some of TORn's staff chime in with their thoughts regarding the rampant Trailer Speculations we've been posting today. [More]

Glenorchy Air Photo Essay

9/28/03, 11:12 pm EST - Xoanon

Robert Rutherford writes: You may be interested in a photo essay we took on our three ring tour of the locations of Lord of the Rings. The star of this production is our brand new aeroplane that we have registered LOR in honor of our time working on the LOR films here in New Zealand. This was the first time that we have been able to use the new aircraft on our long tour. [More]

John Howe Exhibition Report!

9/28/03, 10:40 pm EST - Xoanon

LaWiseWoman writes: On Friday, 26th September, John Howe's exhibition of his work "On Tolkien's Lands" had its opening in Gruyères, Switzerland. I had the opportunity to attend to that event and am sending you a small report on it. [More]

Cate Blanchett researches the characters she plays

9/28/03, 10:29 pm EST - Xoanon

I did everything I could to avoid becoming an actress. I was more interested in the visual arts, maybe becoming a curator."
So says one of the greatest actors of recent times, the luminous Cate Blanchett, now starring in Veronica Guerin. I sat down with Cate for breakfast. [More]

Monaghan on 'Sharon Osbourne' Tomorrow

9/28/03, 10:18 pm EST - Xoanon

Dominic Monaghan (Merry) will be on 'The Sharon Osbourne Show' tomorrow morning. Check your local listings for station and times. [sharon.warnerbros.com]

ROTK Play in Ohio

9/28/03, 10:13 pm EST - Xoanon

A hobbit-sized theatre company in Cincinnati, Ohio is about to embark on a huge adventure! For the opening of their inaugural 2003-2004 season, they will present an original staged adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s, The Return of the King – book three of his fantasy masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings. [More]

Media Watch: PC Gamer Magazine

9/28/03, 10:05 pm EST - Xoanon

Media Watch: PC Gamer Magazine
Gandalf on the cover of PC Gamer Magazine

FantasyFan writes: Recently you asked for scans of the articles from PC Gamer Magazine's November 2003 issue, featuring LOTR games. Our issue arrived yesterday, and Gandalf the White is on the cover. Inside Gandalf also takes over the Table of Contents page, and following, there are fourteen and a half full-color pages of information and screen shots about five new Middle-Earth related games in the works, including the new Return of the King game. Some of these games are movie based, some are book based, and there's even one based on The Hobbit. [More]

Gollum And Sméagol Debate ‘Two Towers’ DVD

9/28/03, 8:41 pm EST - maegwen

bunny of many colors sends in this MOST unusual review of the Two Towers DVD, written by Gollum and Sméagol. [More]

A&W Root Beer in Middle-earth?

9/28/03, 8:05 pm EST - Xoanon

Ringer Spy Carly writes: I just saw this A&W Root Beer Bottle with The Two Towers advertisement on it. I don't know if you guys have posted this, but I thought I'd send it because it's kind of interesting. [More]

More STUDIO Magazine Images

9/28/03, 7:58 pm EST - Xoanon

Tons of fans have sent along even more scans from the ROTK-themed issue of 'Studio Magazine' Take a look! [More]

Sixteen-month ROTK Calendar Images

9/28/03, 7:09 pm EST - Xoanon

Ringer Spy Sailacel sends along the back cover of the new sixteen-month ROTK calendar. It promises to have some exciting images! Take a look! [More]

A 'Baggins Birthday' Report!

9/28/03, 6:59 pm EST - Xoanon

Kyra-LoTRchild from: THE DISTRICT OF DARK WHISPERS writes: I thought you might be interested in the District of Dark Whispers Baggins Birthday report. One of the reasons the party went over so well was because you posted the notice about it on TORN........we had a lot of newbie Rings show up, so thanks so much! [More]

Speculation! Get Your Speculation Here!

9/28/03, 5:20 pm EST - maegwen

Being fans, we aren't content to just sit and observe -- We have to INTERPRET. So, to wile away the next 12 hours or so until we all get a clearer look at the ROTK trailer, TORn offers you a sampling of Fan Speculation. SPOILERS [More]

UPDATE: We've added a considerable number of your responses. Coming soon: Comments from TORn's Staff!

Wenham Moves Past 'Diver Dan'

9/28/03, 3:17 pm EST - maegwen

From Sydney Morning Herald: It's hard to believe, but Diver Dan - the character played by David Wenham in the hit ABC TV series SeaChange - came and went almost six years ago now. Even harder to believe, he was only ever around for 12 episodes anyway. [More]

Music from another world

9/28/03, 1:31 pm EST - maegwen

From The Star, Malaysia: Yes, I know, when you think of music and LOTR, it’s Howard Shore’s orchestral music and Enya ballad’s, May It Be, that come to mind. Amazingly, by the time those recordings were made in conjunction with Peter Jackson’s epic films, more than a dozen albums had already been recorded by various artistes, all in praise of the series! [More]

No Trailer at AOL Saturday Night

9/28/03, 1:12 am EST - maegwen

Michael writes: Just wanted to let you know that I was just over on AOL's Lord of the Rings page waiting for the midnight premiere of the ROTK trailer. However, it wasn't posted, and at 12:30am an AOL representive came in the room to announce that the trailer wasn't being posted till midnight MONDAY morning. Apparently, someone at AOL decided that 12 midnight was still considered Sunday night. There are quite a few angry folk in the AOL Return of the King room right now, I can tell you!

UPDATE: Well, the "which day is midnight" question has always puzzled me too. Now, Bob writes: "An astronomer will tell you that AOL is technically right about the date of showing. Midnight does belong to the day before - the new day starts a nanosecond later." So there you have it!

Armageddon Expo Wellington 2003

9/28/03, 12:10 am EST - maegwen

Ringer Spy frodo’s girl writes in with this excellent report from the recent Armageddon convention in Wellington. [More]

News for Sep. 27, 2003

A Great Trailer and Great Fans!

9/27/03, 9:01 pm EST - maegwen

We want to acknowledge the excitement of the MANY of you who have written in to tell us the details of your viewing the 'Return of the King' trailer this weekend. It's been an amazing 24+ hours to be a LOTR fan, made even more amazing by the sheer giddiness of each of you. So, first of all, we thank Peter Jackson, the actors, all the great folks at WETA, New Line Cinema, and all the crew, for the job they have done and for whetting our appetites for the most anticipated December ever! We also want to thank each of you for being part of the (very very happy) TORn family!

Read on for a selection of some of the great comments (and speculation) sent to TORn in the last day and half! (It goes without saying, I think: SPOILERS) [More]

Quickbeam's "For the Love of Arwen"

9/27/03, 9:01 pm EST - Quickbeam

Greetings, Quickbeam here. As part of September's new Green Books articles, go "Out on a Limb" with me and discover all the reasons why Liv Tyler changed my mind.... and renewed my love for Arwen Undómiel. [More]

Andy Serkis Directs "The Double Bass"

9/27/03, 8:54 pm EST - Quickbeam

As if we didn't have enough LOTR goodness going around! This weekend the curtain rises on a fantastic new one-man show directed by our very own Andy Serkis. "The Double Bass" opens on 29 Sept. at the Southwark Playhouse in London. Full details are on Andy's official site www.serkis.com with a link to purchase tickets. Be sure to check the dates when Andy will appear live to discuss his work with the audience! All of us at TORN wish a hearty "broken leg" to Andy and his troupe.

ROTK Trailer Music

9/27/03, 8:35 pm EST - maegwen

MANY people have written in to ask about the music in the ROTK trailer. A breakdown of the speculated music sources for the trailer (as well as previous trailers) can be found at AudibleBeauty.net. [More]

New Zealand Cinemas to Get Trailer Tuesday

9/27/03, 7:37 pm EST - maegwen

Fans of The Lord of the Rings will get a taste of what is to come in the third instalment in the trilogy, The Return of the King, when the trailer hits cinemas next week. The 2½-minute trailer aired on North American screens yesterday but would not make it to New Zealand movie houses till October 2, a spokeswoman for film distributor Roadshow said yesterday. [More]

Hall Of Fire Chats This Weekend

9/27/03, 6:32 am EST - Frode

Gandalf is the first to see the Eagles coming out of the North upon the field of battle. Soon all the hosts of Mordor tremble when the will of Sauron is removed from them, and the armies of the West watch in awe as Barad Dur crumble and the spirit of Sauron makes one last hateful threat against Middle-Earth. But Gandalf bids Gwaihir the Windlord bear him to Mt. Doom. There Frodo and Sam wait for the end in the fires.[More]

News for Sep. 26, 2003

THE FULL ROTK TRAILER IS HERE!

9/26/03, 3:42 pm EST - Xoanon

TheOneRing.net brings you the FULL ROTK trailer for you to feast your eyes on. Enjoy!!! !!!SPOILERS!!! [Apple.com] [Official Site]

Additionally, we have an earlier version taken from a TV source obviously in Asia, this trailer has subtitles and text on the bottom. But you can still enjoy the BEAUTY of it! ROTK BABY! !!!HUMUNGO SPOILERS!!! [More]

UPDATE: We've now converted this to a significantly smaller 14MB Quicktime file. If you are experiencing difficulty connecting to the above link, please be patient and try back a bit later. It is worth the wait, we promise! Thanks.

Studio Magazine Scans

9/26/03, 2:55 pm EST - Celeborn

Ringer Marie has sent us some scans from 'Studio' Magazine which features an article on ROTK, Peter Jackson and some thoughts from the author on the final days of filming. The article begins with a beautiful image of Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn. (Article is in French) !!!Minor Spoilers!!! [More]

More Trailer Video Fun!

9/26/03, 2:28 pm EST - Celeborn

Ringer Beorn sends us a link to a brief video excerpt of the ROTK Trailer posted on Antena 3 (a Spanish TV Station). Click on the link in the lower left that says 'Video.' !!!Minor Spoilers!!! [More]

Reminder: Outdoor FOTR Screening in Montreal

9/26/03, 1:29 pm EST - Xoanon

Lesley writes: There will be a screening of FOTR at 7 pm at McGill University on Friday September 26. It is a free outdoor screening on the lower field. The screening is part of the movie in the park series, hosted by the Student Society of McGill University. [More]

ROTK Trailer Reports!

9/26/03, 12:12 pm EST - Xoanon

Trailer reports are flooding in hot and heavy this morning. It seems the report we wrote yesterday was accurate, all signs point to a very cool trailer indeed! Take a look at some of the lucky few who have seen the trailer for 'The Return of the King'. !!!MUCHO SPOILERS GRANDES!!! [More]

Chris and Dan Hennah Talk LOTR!

9/26/03, 12:03 pm EST - Xoanon

JD sends along some great news from NZ, 3foot6's Chris and Dan Hennah, they were part of an annual arts festival in Nelson. Take a look at the interesting swag of news he picked up! !!!Spoilers!!! [More]

News for Sep. 25, 2003

Snippet of ROTK Trailer on E!

9/25/03, 8:05 pm EST - maegwen

Yes, that was a collective gasp of awe that just resounded throughout the US (and anyplace else that receives the E! channel) as the brief snippet of the ROTK trailer was played. All I know is that there was a high-five spanning the globe between myself on the US east-coast and Demosthenes on the Austrailian east-coast, when our theory of .... [More] SPOILERS

UPDATE: Thanks to Ringer Scorpio and his swifty video skills, we have a version for you to download!

AOL Members to get Early Look at Trailer?

9/25/03, 7:15 pm EST - maegwen

New Line Cinema will debut the new trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in theaters around the world on Friday, September 26. The trailer will then debut online at www.lordoftherings.net on Monday, September 29.

But, several of you have written in to say that the following message has been posted on AOL ROTK Boards: "Join fellow 'Lord of the Rings' fans this Sunday [the 28th] beginning at midnight ET to watch the movie trailer for 'Return of the King.' AOL will be the only place you can see this trailer, so be sure to join us at AOL Keyword: Lord of the Rings!"

A Trailer Report from the UK!

9/25/03, 6:44 pm EST - maegwen

Ringer Spy Pat from Merseyside, writes: Hi - info about the Trailer for the Return of the King - I've just got back from seeing Underworld at Cineworld in St Helens where I live and the first trailer to be shown before the film was for the Return of the King AND it was not either of the two already described on the One Ring Site. SPOILERS! [More]

UPDATE Several more of you have written in to say that you have seen the ROTK trailer at showings of 'Underworld' at Cineworld Cinemas in the UK. Send us details if you have them!

Reminder: Free TTT Screening in Oslo Tomorrow

9/25/03, 1:37 pm EST - Xoanon

hbj writes: There will be a a FREE screening of the TTT this Friday at 11.15 PM. What really makes this exciting though, is the premiere of the theatrical trailer of The Return of the King that will be shown prior to the feature. Other Lord of the Rings trailers will also be shown.

No Trailer in Quebec Cinemas?

9/25/03, 1:30 pm EST - Xoanon

JP sends along this link with some sad information for Quebec LOTR fans. It seems Alliance Atalntis Vivafilm, the company that distributes New Line films in Canada, has confirmed that the trailer will NOT be playing in Quebec cinemas. TheOneRing.net will try to confirm this story with one quick phone call, and some fake crying and blubbering...meanwhile take a look at the story published here, it is in french only. [More]

No Secondhand Lions in the UK? No Problem!

9/25/03, 1:22 pm EST - Xoanon

We've had tons of emails from desperate UK fans wanting to know what, if any, film the ROTK trailer will be attached to in Cinemas this weekend. Well handy Andy has the answer!

I've just had word from Warner Village cinemas in the UK that they will be attaching the following films from Friday: The Italian Job, Calendar Girls, Once Upon a Time in Mexico & Some copies of Bad Boys II

Embassy Theatre Update

9/25/03, 1:10 pm EST - Xoanon

Wellington Embassy Theatre
Wellington Embassy Theatre

Jan writes: I received an email from Amanda, who is working on the "seat funding" for the Embasy restoration. She said that the restoration is going well and is on schedule, but wanted to let anyone out there who might still be interested in purchasing a seat know that there are still about 15 of the Lounge Seats and somewhat over 150 of the Gold Seats still available. Anyone who is interested in supoorting the restoration by funding a seat can email her. She also wanted to thank all of the folks who had contributed so far. To quote her, she's "amazed by the support from all the TORN readers".

'Ringers' Travels in Jolly Old England!

9/25/03, 1:04 pm EST - Xoanon

'Ringers' Producer/Director Carlene Cordova writes: We had a great shoot in the UK and interviewed such luminaries as Terry Pratchett, Dr. Jane Chance and Brian Sibley. The Tolkien Society were so gracious and accommodating to us at Oxonmoot. We could've spent an entire week in Oxford. So...anyway to make a long story longer check out the blog here. [More]

And yes kids there's plenty of pictures!

Mortensen in Brazil

9/25/03, 1:00 pm EST - Xoanon

Thaisa writes: Yesterday, Warner Bros. in Brazil confirmed that Viggo Mortensen will come to Brazil early november to promote ROTK. He'll spent two days here. And also two weeks before the release of ROTK (Dec 25th), some brazilian movie theathers will show the extended editions of FOTR and TTT. Warner intend to show the whole trilogy together some weeks after ROTK too!


Catching Up With Mr. Bean

9/25/03, 12:56 pm EST - Xoanon

Nona writes: Sean Bean (Boromir) will be co-starring in "National Treasure" (Disney/Touchstone), as Ian Howe. Principal photography starts soon. The film stars Nicholas Cage and Diane Kruger (Sean's co-star in Troy). [More]

Return of The One Party Survey

9/25/03, 1:51 am EST - Calisuri

Interested in attending this year's 'Return of the One Party' to take place February 29th 2004? Before we start releasing details, we would like your input. Please take few moments to fill out the following survey. [Survey]

News for Sep. 24, 2003

3 Words...Sounds Like...Wood, Boyd & Monaghan

9/24/03, 9:45 pm EST - Xoanon

Co- Artistic Directors Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Ortiz, as well as Executive Director Oliver Dow, announced today that on September 29, 2003, actors from stage and screen will come together for an evening of Celebrity Charades to benefit the LAByrinth Theater Company. Along with Hoffman, 20 other actors including Billy Boyd (Pippin), Dominic Monaghan (Merry), and Elijah Wood (Frodo) are hoping tDON, England (CNN) -- The "Lord of the Rings" movies are well known for smashing box office records at the cinema -- now it is breaking records at a new exhibition. The first two films in the trilogy, based on the classic novels by children's author J.R.R Tolkein, were phenomenally successful -- bringing in a total $1.8 billion combined. [More]

Diary of a Hobbit Fiend

9/24/03, 9:25 pm EST - Xoanon

Susan Thea "Frodo" Posnock writes: I must say, I've done an excellent job of keeping my Lord of the Rings: Return of the King anticipation (read: obsession) from consuming me so far. I only check Theonering.net every couple of weeks, and I merely "toyed" with the idea of getting faux fur permanently glued on my feet. [More]

ROTK Preview on E! Thursday 7pm EST

9/24/03, 8:24 pm EST - Calisuri

E! News Live will be showing 'exclusive ROTK footage' this Thursday at 7pm EST. We expect this to be a portion of the trailer shown in front of 'Secondhand Lions' this coming Friday. Set those VCRs! (Thanks to the loads of Ringers who sent in the scoop)

MORE ROTK Trailer Descriptions!

9/24/03, 8:01 pm EST - maegwen

From Ringer Spy Jon comes this "friend-of-a-friend" report on the upcoming ROTK trailer. Despite the roundabout way he got his information, some of it co-relates with our earlier ROTK trailer report... and is VERY cool! HERE BE HUGE SPOILERS, so read at your own risk! [More]

Dernhelm Sticker from Australian 2004 Calendar!

9/24/03, 5:48 pm EST - leo

And another great picture! This time it's DK who chimed in with the following: "Five mile press have brought out a calendar for release in Australia, and in the front section there are some stickers. One of them is a clear shot of Dernhelm." Take a look at the picture here! Mind you, if you've never heard of the character of Dernhelm there's a spoiler waiting for you!

Merry and Pippin on Pelennor Fields!

9/24/03, 5:40 pm EST - leo

Ringer Paladin emailed us this link to this excellent picture from the current issue of Studio Magazine. It features Merry and Pippin in front of an Oliphaunt on the Pelennor Fields! Check it out in our scrapbook! SPOILERS! [More]

Oscar News: Crystal to Host 76th Oscars

9/24/03, 5:14 pm EST - Calisuri

Billy Crystal will be returning to host duties for the 76th Annual Academy Awards taking place at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on Feb 29th 2004. What's this have to do with Tolkien? Well, don't forget! TORn is hosting 'The Return of the One Party' on the same night in the hopes that ROTK will come away with some of that Oscar gold! [More]

RETURN OF THE KING TRAILER DESCRIPTION!

9/24/03, 11:47 am EST - Xoanon

Kjeft sends along word that he/she was able to see the ROTK trailer! He/she sends along a description of it! Take a look! !!!SUPER BIG SPOILERS!!! [More]

JRD At Blockbuster Video Pics!

9/24/03, 11:36 am EST - Xoanon

JRD At Blockbuster Video Signing in LA
JRD At Blockbuster Video Signing in LA

Kailin writes: Here are some pictures from JRD's signing event yesterday (Sept. 23rd) in LA. The event was actually to help promote the forthcoming Indiana Jones DVD boxset, so LOTR fans only found out about it today. Because of this, the Blockbuster in Hollywood was actually not very busy at all. It was interesting to see the reaction of the people coming into the store to just rent videos. If you have had bad experiences at signing events with lines that went on forever, this would have been the perfect event for you. Also, because JRD likes to chat with people, he didn't feel as pressed for time to keep the line moving. It was a very relaxed atmosphere. Credits for the pictures. Primmy is the lady in the brown jacket that JRD tickles in one pic, Bill is in the Tan jacket, and I'm in the Green One Party, Two Towers shirt. [More]

New LOTR Bookmarks from Antioch

9/24/03, 11:31 am EST - Xoanon

Garfeimao writes: Antioch is releasing a set of High End special bookmarks for TTT. This is a scan of their sell sheet, which is something that bookstores are sent so they can order the bookmarks they want to sell. The general public can't buy most Antioch stuff directly, but they can ask their local bookstores for some of these way cool items. [More]

Free DVD Deal in Oz

9/24/03, 11:03 am EST - Xoanon

Matt writes: A bit of news for Aussies, they can now order the glorious Two Towers Extended Edition Box Set from EzyDVD with the 2-Disc Special Edition DVD "J.R.R. Tolkien - Master Of The Rings" free. All In all that comes to a nice 7 Disc bundle at a price of $149.96 Au. [More]

Making short work of it

9/24/03, 10:59 am EST - Xoanon

Haven't had time to read J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy? And the movies are just too long for you? Well, give Rick Miller less than 10 minutes and he will take care of that for you. "We do The Lord of the Rings in nine minutes -- three minutes for each book," [More]

The Frog Shows The Lion & The King

9/24/03, 10:56 am EST - Xoanon

F.X. Moon writes: Last night (September 23rd), during "Gilmore Girls", a trailer for "SecondHand Lions" played. At the end was a 3 or 4 second "micro-trailer" from ROTK, saying the trailer will play before the film. It looked like all new images, but too fast for me to see much.

News for Sep. 23, 2003

Images from Mortensen's 'Miyelo' Exhibit -UPDATE-

9/23/03, 9:23 pm EST - Xoanon

Samantha writes: These are the pictures I took at Viggo's Gallery Opening, my two best friends and I went on the day it opened to the public, and I must say, these pictures are wonderful! Mr. Mortensen does an incredible job with taking pictures. Some of them have such amazing color to them, you find yourself standing or sitting and just looking at them for an hour or more. The gallery also has Mr. Mortensen's books on sale, including: Hole In The Sun, Signlanguage, 45301, Coincidence of Memory, Miyelo, and Miyelo Special Edition.

UPDATE: Viggo Mortensen and the folks at Stephen Cohen Gallery have asked us to remove these images.

IFILM Presents Veronica Guerin

9/23/03, 9:03 pm EST - Xoanon

Emilie Harkin from Special Ops Media writes: On behalf of IFILM, I wanted to let you know about the clips available only on their site this week. Cate Blanchett stars as Veronica Guerin in the true story of an Irish journalist who was killed for writing several articles about organized crime and drug trafficking in Dublin. The theatrical trailer and an exclusive clip are available here. [More]

2 Be Continued Convention in Indiana

9/23/03, 8:58 pm EST - Xoanon

Tigerlily Gamgee writes: LOTR Fighting Styles Director is going to be at the 2 Be Continued Convention in Merrillville, Indiana this weekend. There will also be a discussion about Women Warriors by Sam, a Babes With Blades member, on Saturday morning. They are also having showings of both the FOTR Extended and TTT on Saturday! [More]

Extended Editions UK Cinema Screenings

9/23/03, 8:54 pm EST - Xoanon

Sambrook writes: I work for UGC Cinemas in the UK and our site received an email yesterday about screenings of the theatrical editions of Fellowship and Two Towers - FOTR will be shown in some UGC's on Wednesday 3rd December, TTT on Wednesday 10th - and we all know what happens a week later... [More]

ROTK Trailer Online This Monday!

9/23/03, 4:12 pm EST - Xoanon

Los Angeles, CA, September 23, 2003 - New Line Cinema will debut the new trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in theaters around the world on Friday, September 26. In North America, the 2 min., 30 sec. trailer will play exclusively with New Line's Secondhand Lions, now in its second weekend of release. It will be in theaters throughout the weekend and will then debut online on Monday, September 29. [More]

Dell silences AMD and IBM

9/23/03, 11:14 am EST - Xoanon

Lord of the Rings special effects company Weta Digital is refusing to say anything about buying a powerful new AMD-based computer because Dell Computer is trying to tie up marketing rights. A Dell spokeswoman confirmed there were talks between Dell and the owner of The Lord of the Rings movies, New Line Cinema, about promotional opportunities. [More]

Live in LA? Wanna Meet JRD?

9/23/03, 11:11 am EST - Xoanon

Robert writes: John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) is going to make an appearance at BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO today (September 23rd) between 7pm-9pm. Follow the directions below thanks to Yahoo! Maps:

[ Yahoo! Maps ]

Map of
4470 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027-6305

Bilbo Birthday Bash 2003 in LA Report

9/23/03, 11:05 am EST - Xoanon

Garfeimao writes: LA Ringers got together on Sunday, Sept. 21, to celebrate the combined Bilbo and Frodo Baggins' birthday party. The location was set at Griffith Park in the middle of Los Angeles. We moved from the more remote location of last year, to a central spot right next to the Merry-go-Round. The caliope music proved a bit maddening at times, but it did make it easy to find us. [More]

VARIETY: 'Lions' leaps to No. 2 slot

9/23/03, 10:54 am EST - Xoanon

HOLLYWOOD -- Turns out New Line's "Secondhand Lions" was second in line at the box office this weekend, as Monday's official tallies reversed the No. 2 and 3 positions on the frame. New Line distribution prexy David Tuckerman welcomed the validation of a silver-medal finish for "Lions," a performance-driven family pic toplined by Michael Caine, Robert Duvall and Haley Joel Osment. "We were very careful in picking this date," Tuckerman said. "We are probably supporting this picture more in its second week than we have with the majority of our films, because we feel it's going to have legs." Helping in that cause will be distrib's attaching a trailer for the final "Lord of the Rings" movie, "The Return of the King," which is set for release Dec. 17.

Gandalf actor to be honoured

9/23/03, 10:49 am EST - Xoanon

Sir Ian McKellen is to be honoured at this year's British Independent Film Awards. The actor, who plays Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, will receive the Variety UK Personality award for his contribution to the British movie industry. [More]

News for Sep. 22, 2003

Oh No! Could it be!...SHELOB? Nope, it's not!

9/22/03, 11:13 pm EST - Xoanon

TheOneRing.net brings you the first ever look at the SHELOB action figure! The first glimpse anywhere of what this monster will look like on the silver screen in RETURN OF THE KING! Take a look! spoilers [More]

Update! - Well, seems like we were a bit too enthusiastic there. Kudos to Ringer Spy John for noting the following: Sorry, that's the "Shelob's Lair" boxed set from Mithril Miniatures, released back in 1999 [More] I guess we'll have to wait a few days longer, because Shelob will be appearing in the ROTK trailer which we'll see friday!

Bilbo's LA Birthday Bash Pics

9/22/03, 11:08 pm EST - Xoanon

Take a look at these great pics from Bilbo's Birthday bash, held in LA. Hosted by none other than our very own Calisuri. Take a look! [More]

Brand New Green Books

9/22/03, 10:20 pm EST - maegwen

Cool weather brings cooler Green Books!

Bilbo's Birthday Celebration in Brazil

9/22/03, 8:08 pm EST - Xoanon

Shelob writes: Many brazilian fans have been celebrating Bilbo and Frodo's Birthday this Sunday, September 21st. The Smial Sao Paulo, one of 14 Smials that belong to the Conselho Branco (White Council Tolkien Society), had its Second Hobbit Party as part of the festivities. [More]

Howard Shore in Columbus, Ohio

9/22/03, 7:47 pm EST - Xoanon

Anthea writes: Howard Shore is going to be conducting the Columbus Symphony Orchestra playing music from The Lord of the Rings on March 26th, 2004 in Columbus, Ohio. [More]

Happy Birthday Sala!

9/22/03, 7:40 pm EST - Xoanon


Not that we forgot or anything....we love you Sala! Today, September 22nd is Sala Baker's (Sauron) birthday! Sala was born on September 22nd, 1976 in Wellington New Zealand. That makes him 27 today! Happy Birthday Sala!

Cate Blanchett Preggers

9/22/03, 2:34 pm EST - Xoanon

No word if Galadriel foresaw this one in her magic bird bath, but Lord of the Rings star Cate Blanchett has revealed she's in the family way. Blanchett's publicist confirmed Thursday that the Australian-born actress was pregnant with her second child by film editor-screenwriter hubby Andrew Upton. The baby is not expected to make its debut until spring 2004. No further details were released. [More]

New Edition of Bestselling 'The Lord of the Rings Location Guide Book'

9/22/03, 2:13 pm EST - Xoanon

When The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook by Ian Brodie was released in November 2002, to coincide with the worldwide film release of The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers, it went straight onto the bestseller chart, and sold an astounding 75,000 copies in New Zealand and Australia alone in its first five months. The book enjoyed 18 weeks at No 1 on the New Zealand Bestseller List and by September 2003 has sold a phenomenal 90,000 copies. [More]

Troy Boy

9/22/03, 1:59 pm EST - Xoanon

The Sunday Telegraph printed what appears to be one of the first images of Orlando Bloom (Legolas) in Troy. He rides alongside 'Hulk' star Eric Bana. [More]

Free TTT Screening in Oslo

9/22/03, 1:46 pm EST - Xoanon

hbj writes: Members of a LOTR mailing list in Oslo, Norway received an invitation by Oslo Kinematografer, a movie theatre chain, today for a FREE screening of TTT this Friday, September 26th, at 11:15PM. What really makes this exciting though, is the premiere of the theatrical trailer of The Return of the King that will be shown prior to the feature. Other Lord of the Rings trailers will also be shown.

'Into the Ring' Play Review

9/22/03, 1:40 pm EST - Xoanon

Starfish writes: Some time ago, TORN posted a blurb about a two-man play called "Into the Ring," in which the actors play dozens of characters obsessed with Tolkien's works. I attended the one-night-only performance, and I had to share. [More]

Jackson seeking Watts as apple of Kong's eye

9/22/03, 1:33 pm EST - Xoanon

Director Peter Jackson is eyeing Naomi Watts to follow in the footsteps of Fay Wray and become the obsession of the giant ape in "King Kong." Jackson has offered the lead role to Watts for Universal's Christmas 2005 film. [More]

Media Watch: The London 'Metro' Newspaper

9/22/03, 1:30 pm EST - Xoanon

On Sunday, a special opening of Borough Market will see Andy Serkis - Gollum in the Lord of the Rings triology - talking about his role and signing autographs.

One lucky reader can win the chance to present him with the Guinness World Record he has been awarded for the Most Expressive Digital Character in a film. You could also take home a signed copy of the Guinness World Records 2004 edition, signed Lord of the Rings DVDs and tickets to the opening of The Double Bass directed by Andy Serkis. For your chance to win, log on to www.metro.co.uk and click on competitions.

Middle-earth Ball in Sunnyvale, CA

9/22/03, 1:23 pm EST - Xoanon

Deborah sends in some information on a Middle-earth themed Ball in Sunnyvale, California in late October. Take a look! [More]

Bruce Hopkins: MacBeth Review

9/22/03, 7:09 am EST - Tehanu

Those following Kiwi actor Bruce Hopkins [Gamling the Old]'s career will enjoy this highly complimentary review he gained for his role as MacBeth. [More] His talent has not gone unnoticed in the world of LOTR, and word is that Gamling the Old will have more to do in ROTK.

Teaching with the LOTR Soundtrack

9/22/03, 6:16 am EST - Tehanu

Here's a story that follows on from last week's The Deal. Ringer 205 uses the LOTR soundtracks in her classes, inspiring them to learn how music works and understand how it is composed. [More]

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