The Hobbit

[Bromptonboy]

Dear God - if Jack Black had been Bilbo - as this article suggests - I would have burnt PJ in effigy! 

Okay, so we know that Jack Black has nothing to do with The Hobbit, at least so far anyway. But we do know that he has a good working relationship with Peter Jackson when they made the King Kong film in 2005. An all-around comical actor with a huge history on playing rather silly roles in films, one can only wonder what could have been had he been given a role in The Hobbit by Peter Jackson. After all, it's actually worth mentioning that Peter Jackson briefly considered Jack Black for the role of Bilbo Baggins when it seemed that Martin Freeman was too dedicated to his role as Dr. Watson in Sherlock.
So far, some of Jack Black's most memorable roles include that of Hal Larson in Shallow Hal where he is a man who is too shallow to see people for what they really are but is then hypnotized so that he'll be able to see people's "inner beauty". Hilarity ensues afterwards as he encounters people and sees a morbidly obese woman who is actually played by Gwyneth Paltrow and from there, things get even more floozy. A source of both ire and entertainment for some fans, it is arguable that this was one of the first movies to launch Jack Black's career.
Then we see Jack Black take on the role of a monk named Nacho who seeks to prevent the orphanage he has cared for from being closed down. His solution to said problem? He dons a wrestler's cape and shorts as well as an iconic luchador mask and goes on to become a wrestler. Nacho Libre brings out all the stops in hilarity as Jack Black wrestles some of the most formidable fighters in Mexico just to save the orphanage and earn the hand of a certain Sister Encarnación played by Ana de la Reguera. And did I mention that the latter was a nun. Wait, what?
There is even the film where Jack Black does a homage to Chris Farley where he is an overweight actor struggling with a drug problem. Entitled Tropic Thunder, the film also includes Ben Stiller as an action star trying to regain his fame after a rather humiliating movie and Robert Downey Jr. as a black actor of all things. Seriously, this movie must be seen to believed.
Then we see Jack Black's first role that brought him to work with Peter Jackson: King Kong. Cast in the role of Carl Denham, a desperate director who wants to make a movie on the uncharted Skull Island despite the dangers involved and the possible loss of his crew, this is perhaps one of Jack Black's most memorable roles as a villain. Ruthless and greedy, Denham's crew is slowly devoured and torn limb from limb by the horrors of the island and even actively uses Ann Darrow, played by Naomi Watts in the film proper, as bait to lure out the huge ape and capture him.
Anyway, while it doesn't seem that Jack Black will be given a role for The Hobbit, he did state that he'll be down in Wellington and hope that he can say hi to some of his buddies like Peter Jackson. But then again, Viggo Mortensen just might make an appearance for the film and Orlando Bloom has been confirmed to appear in Desolation of Smaug despite being absent in the book so you never know.

[Bromptonboy]

Benedict Cumberbatch has already been quite a prolific actor before he took on the role of Smaug the Dragon and the Necromancer of The Hobbit film trilogy. A British actor who has made his debut starring in various stage plays, Benedict Cumberbatch would go on to become a famous actor in various TV series. His excellent acting, combined with his charming but somewhat dangerous looks as well as his deep and often menacing voice often serve to make him a formidable villain or at least a grim or powerful protagonist in the various films and TV shows that Benedict Cumberbatch has found himself in.
Before he went on to join the cast and crew of The Hobbit, he played the role of Sherlock Holmes in the British TV series Sherlock. A more modern interpretation of the great detective, Sherlock places the eponymous detective in modern Britain where he must solve a lot of modern crimes using the same deductive reasoning that made him famous in the original works by Arthur Conan Doyle. This isn't at all surprising considering that Sherlock Holmes has had the detective in more outlandish adaptations like with him ending up having a "mouse world" counterpart or being resurrected somewhere in the 22nd century and where Dr. Watson has become some kind of robot. Anyway, another interesting factoid would be that Martin Freeman, the actor playing Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, also plays as Dr. Watson in Sherlock and would've turned down the part of Bilbo and keep his part in Sherlock.
Benedict Cumberbatch also started gaining his fame when he began to star in films. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was one of the said movies where he plays as Peter Guilliam, the head of the British secret service where people like James Bond actually come from. Then, there is also his part in the latest installment of the Star Trek saga, Into Darkness where he is the mysterious John Harrison who seems to be a powerful being that has ties to the darker aspects of the Federation.
Anyway, Benedict Cumberbatch will of course make his first appearance in The Hobbit film trilogy as Smaug the Dragon and the Necromancer. Smaug was the dragon responsible for the destruction of the dwarven kingdom of Erebor and the subsequent exile of the dwarves including that of Thorin Oakenshield and his party of other dwarves. The Necromancer on the other end is an Easter egg for the films and, for those in the know, one of the major links between the Hobbit trilogy and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Needless to say, most of Benedict Cumberbatch's roles for the film will be voice acting although, thanks to the more advanced motion capture technology used by the film's crew, Smaug will be every bit reliant on Cumberbatch's fine movement details. Benedict Cumberbatch has gone on to note that he has had to get a lot of guidance from other actors who worked with prosthetics and special effects to get his parts right and lauded Peter Jackson's skills as a good director.

[Bromptonboy]

J.R.R. Tolkien captured the hearts and minds of the 20th century when he came out with the tales of Middle Earth and what many people came to embrace as the foundation for modern works of fantasy. Works like Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer and World of WarCraft are all blatantly inspired by the elements found in Tolkien's work, most especially the stout-hearted dwarves, the snobbish yet well-intentioned elves and, of course, the little folk that we would come to know as the hobbits, the friendly little folk that often have little to do with the greater powers at work but are all too often caught up in their affairs anyway and serve as a kind of surrogate for the audience.


Then in the 2000s, director Peter Jackson, the imaginative director behind projects like The Frighteners in 1996, adapted the Lord of the Rings into a film trilogy that took the world by storm and attracted both fans of the original works of Tolkien as well as new fans that have probably just began their forays into the high fantasy genre. With Fellowship of the Ring completed in 2001, The Two Towers in 2002 and, finally, Return of the King in 2003, the franchise quickly rose to prominence as one of the most successful film series in the 2000s.
It comes as little surprise then that Peter Jackson is once again adapting another of Tolkien's work much to the delight of fans. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit has now also been adapted into another film trilogy with An Unexpected Journey (the first installment) already released in late 2012 with a sizable 3 billion dollar profit in the box office and becoming one of the most widely rented and sold home videos of 2013, one can only imagine the reception for the next two installments Desolation of Smaug (second installment) coming in December of this year and There and Back Again (third and last installment) coming late next year.
While the films do possess some of the best cast and crew members available, one can also argue that the success of the films can also be attributed to Peter Jackson's clever choice of setting. New Zealand is perhaps one of the most pristine places in the world and is largely untouched by civilization and seems relatively free from the rampant pollution that saturates most other real world locations.
With Middle Earth imagined by Tolkien as a pristine world that has yet to be fully industrialized by man, it seems that New Zealand seems the perfect place to bring Tolkien's fantasy world to life. The scenery is just jaw-droppingly gorgeous that one can argue that the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films just wouldn't be the same had Peter Jackson chose somewhere else to shoot his films. From the deep and mysterious forests to the crystal clear rivers and streams that run through the landscape, New Zealand feels like Eden and one can speculate how Tolkien himself would have probably approved of making New Zealand the setting as few other places in the world can boast a countryside as lush and savage
Travel to New Zealand is a post from: The Hobbit Movie

[Bromptonboy]

Evangeline Lilly: Getting Lost in Character
Posted: 29 May 2013 07:06 AM PDT

Evangeline Lilly is an actress from Canada and is known for her rather rugged and elegant beauty which continues to shine out even now as she is 33 years old. Earlier in her life she worked as a missionary for the Baptist church in the Philippines and worked as a flight attendant for the Royal Airlines. As expected of a natural born Canadian, she can speak French fluently and also has a good grasp on playing both rather classy characters and rather rugged characters with her more often playing the role of the latter than the former.
She mostly played the parts of extras during the beginning of her career, what with her being just another ordinary high school student (and potential victim) in the clash of monsters movie, Freddie vs. Jason. While it's regrettable that we didn't get anything more than just simply seeing her amidst the student body and hanging out around the lockers of the school and nothing more. It might have been more awesome or at least notable if she managed to face the titular monsters of the film; either within the real world with Jason Voorhees or in her nightmares with Freddy Krueger. Nonetheless, Freddy vs. Jason would mark the beginning of her career.


Later on, she would become one of the most notable characters in the TV series Lost. A truly mysterious, thought-provoking and terrifying film, Lost presents the story of survivors of plane crash who find themselves stranded on a deeply enigmatic island. The island itself seems to contain many secrets, some of which are deeply personal to the survivors of the downed airplane. In the series, Evangeline Lilly plays the role of Kate Austen, a woman on the run from the law but soon finds herself confronting some of the troubles she was determined to escape.
Then, in 2011, we see Evangeline Lilly again as Bailey Tallet in the film Real Steel. The film is actually about the story of an estranged father and son as they struggle to establish themselves in the world of robot boxing and form a meaningful bond with one another. Charlie Kenton (played by Hugh Jackman) is a former boxer trying to make ends meet by joining in robot exhibition contests that often pit robots against other robots. He is soon told that his ex-girlfriend has died and he encounters his son Max (played by Dakota Goyo) and from there, their adventures begin in earnest as they manage to dig up and, with Bailey's help, reactivate an old robot to be their champion.
And now, we're slated to see Evangeline Lilly in the up and coming second installment of The Hobbit film trilogy as Tauriel the elf guard. Although the character has received some flak for being absent in Tolkien's novel, she is nonetheless welcomed by other fans who believe she will be a good addition to the film's cast. Evengeline Lilly herself claims that she found Tauriel to be challenging because of both being a brash and immature character while at the same time possessing the grace and finesse that Tolkien's elves are famous for.
Evangeline Lilly: Getting Lost in Character is a post from: The Hobbit Movie
       

Orlando Bloom: A Road to Success
Posted: 29 May 2013 02:10 AM PDT

We all know, or at least heard, of Orlando Bloom. Yes, I'm talking about that global heartthrob that took the world by storm when he took on the role of Legolas in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Divided into a three part trilogy, the first installment, Fellowship of the Ring which came out in 2001, turned out to be a huge success thanks to the talents of all the actors and actresses involved in the film, not least of all Orlando Bloom who managed to rake in a sizable fandom of his own after flawlessly putting the elf prince of Mirkwood unto the screen.
All things considered, Orlando Bloom's career began in a very humble manner and was mostly an extra. During his starting years, one of his few notable appearances was a rent boy in the 1997 movie Wilde, starring Stepen Fry and Jude Law among others. However, it wouldn't be until 1999 that Orlando Bloom would be cast into the role of Legolas and earn him the acting career that the world would come to love him for. In fact, before being chosen by Peter Jackson himself to take the role of Legolas, Orlando Bloom originally auditioned for the role of Faramir (with the character probably only slated to appear in the second film) but the role of the character was instead given to David Wenham.


Orlando Bloom would later in other films with some of the most prominent ones being the first trilogy of the Pirates of the Carribean movie franchise. In the films proper, he plays the role of William Turner, a young blacksmith forced into dangerous circumstances as he tries to rescue his love interest Elizabeth Swann, played by the lovely Keira Knightley. And has he progresses from the first film Curse of the Black Pearl, the second being Dead Man's Chestand the last being At World's End, William Turner finds new friends, enemies and everything in between in characters like Captain Jack Sparrow (played by the nigh legendary Johnny Depp) Captain Barbossa (played by Geoffrey Rush) and Davey Jones (played by Bill Nighy).
Orlando Bloom would go on to take a lot of other roles in other films like Black Hawk Down where he plays the rather brief role of PFC Todd Blackburn. For those of you not in the know, it's the guy who falls to his death from the helicopter. Later on we see him as a knight in the film Kingdom of Heaven, struggling to keep the people of Jerusalem safe from the ravages of war during the time of the Crusades.
Today, Orlando Bloom is busy promoting his latest film Zulu, where he plays the role of Brian Epkeen. Zulu is a French film produced by Jerome Salle and tells the story of urban crime and police who struggle to bring it under control. While it seems that little has been heard of him as his wife Miranda Kerr travels about leaving him with their child, it seems that he still found the time to promote his latest film.
Orlando Bloom: A Road to Success is a post from: The Hobbit Movie
       

Artwork for The Hobbit and More
Posted: 28 May 2013 11:23 AM PDT



People tend to have different ideas on what art is or what it should be. It is all too often a hotly debated topic although one can easily agree that the different forms of art are often related to each other and that one theme often has an equivalent in other forms of art. For instance, one can note that poems and literature often serve the basis for paintings and stage plays, such was often the case with older works with countless examples from mythology and folklore like those found amongst the Greeks, Romans and Vikings.
The works of J.R.R. Tolkien, with the most well known being Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, are often based on the older works in antiquity such as Norse mythology and Arthurian legend. One can even take the cue from characters like Gandalf the Grey being very similar to Merlyn the wizard and Tolkien himself stating that Odin of the Viking Pantheon also served as the character's basis. Aragorn also has some of King Arthur to him what with his royal background and a sword which has also served as his family's heirloom. The Lord of the Rings also heavily borrows elements from Ring of the Nibelungs of Viking myth although hobbits and orcs are pretty much original creatures by Tolkien.
The works of Tolkien have indeed gathered a massive fandom that still continues to grow today and somehow grew exponentially when Peter Jackson adapted the Lord of the Rings for film in 2001-2003. The success of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy would later prompt Peter Jackson to also adapt the prequel novel to Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit into film as well and another film trilogy to boot. Due to the popularity of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit as film, it isn't at all surprising that so many artists have rendered a lot of the characters and settings into well-detailed artwork as well.
For instance, we have here the works of Kinko White, an artist on deviant art with some really fine skills in terms of putting the characters of Tolkien's work into images. We have here Benedict Cumberbatch being drawn as the mighty dragon Smaug who devastated the dwarven kingdom of Erebor and what led to the subsequent exile and wandering of Thorin Oakenshield and his company of thirteen dwarves. Then we have image of Gandalf (portrayed by Ian McKellen), otherwise known as Mithrandir who guides the free people's of Middle Earth against the corruption of the forces of evil. We also have images of the royal family of Mirkwood that include Thranduil the elf king played by Lee Pace and his son Legolas who will be played by Orlando Bloom, much to the delight of fans of Lord of the Rings who fell in love with the character in his first appearances. Then we also have an image of the One Ring that became the basis for the story of the Lord of the Rings which the Bilbo Baggins, the hero of the Hobbit, discovers in Gollum's cave.
Artwork for The Hobbit and More is a post from: The Hobbit Movie
       

[Bromptonboy]

Viggo Mortensen Says "No" to The Hobbit
Posted: 31 May 2013 07:00 AM PDT



Viggo Mortensen is another of Hollywood's underrated but nonetheless outstanding actors. An American actor from the Big Apple and of Scandinavian and Celtic decent, one cannot help but associate the man with archetypal knights of medieval times and Peter Jackson probably made no mistake in selecting him for the role of Aragorn, son of Arathorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Of course, Viggo Mortensen has played in plenty of films before but only became properly famous in Lord of the Rings in his portrayals of some of the most badass kings in film to be placed alongside such mythic figures as King Arthur and others. And besides, he gets to mooch a lot on Liv Tyler with the latter playing as Arwen, the daughter of Elrond the elf lord and Aragorn's love interest. Oops. Got carried away back there.
Anyway, Viggo Mortensen has played in various roles before with some of the most memorable (before Lord of the Rings, at least) was his role in the movie J.I. Jane as Master Chief John James "Jack" Urgayle. A strict, bordering on brutal, commander, he brings naïve newcomer Demi Moore into the fold to make her a full member of a special forces unit. This despite all the issues regarding women in the military which is often discussed throughout the film.
Then there's the time when Viggo Mortensen took the role of a father trying to lead his son through the irradiated ruins of civilization in a dying world. The movie, entitled The Road, is based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, the story tells the story of a father and son travelling through an implied nuclear catastrophe. They are often faced by a number of challenges along the way, including that of people who have resorted to cannibalism.
But of course, we all remember him most as that bearded badass in Lord of the Rings who leads the Fellowship of the Ring and serves as one of the most loyal protectors of Frodo Baggins asides from Sam Gamgee on their long and painstaking journey to Mordor to destroy the one ring and put an end once and for all of the evils of the dark lord Sauron. Viggo Mortensen also proves to be one of the most memorable characters in the film trilogy alongside Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom.
Unfortunately however, it seems that Viggo Mortensen will not be appraring in The Hobbit film trilogy. Though the film is supposed to be a prequel to the Lord of the Rings and that Viggo Mortensen had already been given an offer to reprise his role in The Hobbit, the actor refused the opportunity. He stated that The Hobbit is a prequel of the Lord of the Rings and takes place roughly 60 years prior to the latter. It would indeed be somewhat egregious if Aragorn would appear in The Hobbit films as he would have to be more than sixty in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Viggo Mortensen Says "No" to The Hobbit is a post from: The Hobbit Movie
       

Desolation of Smaug: Bigger, Better and More Badass
Posted: 31 May 2013 02:05 AM PDT

Well we all know by now just how successful The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey turned out to be. Being able to rake in as much as 3 billion US dollars in the box office and this doesn't even include its successes in home videos where the film has proven to be one of the most widely sold and rented of all home videos alongside other major blockbusters of the year like Dark Knight Rises, Wreck-it Ralph, G.I. Joe: Retaliation and many, many more. Needless to say An Unexpected Journey was also one of the most awaited films of the decade, what with the Lord of the Rings (the film's predecessor also adapted from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and adapted into film by Peter Jackson) proving to be one of the most memorable and successful films of the first decade of the 21st century. Was it really any surprise at all that An Unexpected Journey was one of the most well received films of 2012?
Well, whatever the case, where in for an even wilder ride once Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit's second installment rolls around this year in December. We're in for quite a bit as we'll meet a lot of new characters that made the story of The Hobbit what it is.
First off, we're in for quite a time when we run into Beorn, a man with the power to transform himself into a huge and powerful bear. According to the fluff, Beorn used to be part of a tribe with similar powers but it seems that the orcs and their masters did something about that. The big man-bear is portrayed by Mikael Persbrandt and is one of the characters that Bilbo and company will encounter on their way to their lost kingdom of Erebor.


Then, we're in for some exciting moments with Evangeline Lilly who'll be playing the role of the strong and beautiful Tauriel, an elf guard of Mirkwood, a loyal subject of Thranduil and a trusted compatriot of Legolas whom we can all easily remember from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The character has received quite a bit of criticism as is an original character introduced into the films by Peter Jackson and not found in the original works of J.R.R. Tolkien. However, much of the fandom accepts her as a welcome addition as Peter Jackson's films remain to be one of the most faithful to the works of Tolkien and an extra character probably won't matter much. Evangeline Lilly goes on to note how challenging the role was as Tauriel walked the thin line between grace and ruthlessness.
Then we have the legendary Benedict Cumberbatch whom we all remember well in previous other films with his most prominent one being John Harrison from the latest film of the rebooted Star Trek film franchise Into Darkness. This time around, Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing the role of Smaug the Dragon, the monstrous dragon that destroyed Erebor and claimed the treasures within for his own.
Desolation of Smaug: Bigger, Better and More Badass is a post from: The Hobbit Movie
       

[X]

The sad part about that is the writer is an idiot. It would be egregious if Aragorn was in the movie because he would have to be more than sixty in LOrd of the rings ... He was 78 at the start of the lord of the rings. Yeah, he would be 10 during the time of the Hobbit, but the line about being more than sixty was not researched at all.

[Bromptonboy]

Ah, Middle Earth, one of the most familiar worlds of fantasy out there. It's easy to recognize with its host of little people, noble and fair elves, stout hearted dwarves and men who are struggling to bring their world under control while it threatens to crumble before the might of the Dark Lord Sauron. This isn't really at all so surprising as it was J.R.R. Tolkien, writer of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, who codified fantasy literature into what it is today as he was largely disappointed with the fantasy genre of his time which was more directly aimed at children.


When both Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were finally adapted into film by Peter Jackson, the fandom was overjoyed now that they were presented with a fully live action interpretation of one of the most celebrated works of fantasy of all time. The film crew used highly advanced technology and motion capture techniques to get even the tiniest of details in the film correct and the general ambience of New Zealand, which some consider to be a perfect analogy to the Middle Earth that J.R.R. Tolkien envisioned.
After the undeniable success of Lord of the Rings in 2001-2003, Peter Jackson went on to direct The Hobbit, another film trilogy this time based on the prequel novel to Lord of the Rings. Many actors from Lord of the Rings like Orlando Bloom who plays as Legolas, Ian McKellen who plays as Gandalf, Andy Serkis who plays as Gollum as well as quite a few others returned to reprise their roles in the film. New actors like Martin Freeman who has been cast as Bilbo Baggins, the hero of the story, and Richard Armitage who will take on the role of the elf king Thorin Oakenshield as well as Benedict Cumberbatch who will be playing not just one, but two, major villains in the film as he gives life to Smaug the Dragon and The Necromancer of Dol Goldur.
Sadly though, there are still those who either could not become part of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit project or were simply tied up in other projects despite the fact that they were indeed willing to make an appearance if only circumstances would allow it.
One such example is Viggo Mortensen who had already established himself as an iconic part of the Lord of the Rings when he played the role of Aragorn. The last heir of the throne of Gondor but has now turned to a life in the wilds as a ranger. He would later become one of Frodo Baggins' most trusted allies when he joins them in the quest to rid the world of the One Ring. Unfortunately, Mortensen has already stated that there is no place for Aragorn in The Hobbit as it takes place 60 years before Lord of the Rings and his appearance would be largely implausible.
Saoirse Ronan, a young actress noted for her performances in The Host and The Lovely Bones, had also been offered a chance to play as an elven character in the films but has turned it down due to other projects on her schedule. However, the 19 year old actress went on to say that she wanted to take on the role if she could and was disappointed to say "no".
Disappointments is a post from: The Hobbit Movie

[Bromptonboy]

So far, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, has proven to be a huge success and there is little question that the up and coming sequels will definitely receive a warm welcome with Desolation of Smaug, the seconds installment, coming this year in December and the third, There and Back Again, coming late next year. So far, we've followed Bilbo and company travel through Middle Earth in their quest to reclaim the dwarven kingdom of Erebor from the clutches of the greedy and ferocious dragon Smaug. On their way there, they encounter roving bands of orcs, some of which were the same orcs that killed Thorin Oakenshield's grandfather Thror in the Misty Mountains. What little we know is that The Necromancer is up to something in the ruins of Dol Goldur and that Gandalf is now convincing other powerful beings into helping the company of dwarves in their quest although so far his only allies on the matter are Radagast and perhaps Galadriel.
Well, for those who have read the book, you definitely know that Bilbo and his new friends are in a heap of even more trouble as they must now go to confront the mighty dragon himself within the mountains. Waiting for their company of fourteen (fifteen if you add Gandalf), are the orcs which include Azog the Defiler who is hungry for blood now that Thorin has managed to cut off his arm and elude him just when he thought that he could finally get revenge on the dwarf and then there's the dragon of Smaug waiting within the halls of Erebor, laying among the treasures of the devastated dwarven kingdom. We've seen little of the dragon so far but it's quite apparent that he'll be one of the most challenging enemies that Bilbo and his companions will face.


Anyway, for the uninitiated J.R.R. Tolkien's dragons, especially Smaug, are based on the traditional depiction of European dragons. Reptilian, greedy and capable of breathing fire, Tolkien himself mentions that Smaug is inspired by the story of Beowulf and the dragon he faces in the stories. Anyway, Smaug is also one of the early examples of a talking dragon as those found in antiquity are often purely animalistic and capable of only rudimentary intelligence. And, just recently, we discover that Peter Jackson has chosen to cast Benedict Cumberbatch (yep, the same bad guy we saw in Star Trek) take on the role of wicked worm himself.
Unfortunately, we've only seen little of the actual dragon in the films and so far all we've seen are some of his limbs, his back, his nostrils and an eye, although this is actually all that's seen of him in Tolkien's sketches. For those who are interested, there is even a planned up and coming calendar featuring Smaug in the artwork by Jemima Catlin in 2014, a truly must-have for all you fans of the franchise. Jemima Catlin is already noted for her outstanding visual artworks featuring the people and places of Middle Earth.

[Bromptonboy]

3 Iconic Film Scenes of the 21st Century
Posted: 03 Jun 2013 07:09 AM PDT

Well, we may have seen plenty of films and some of those films have turned out to be the most iconic of all time. With the release of numerous blockbusters since the start of the 21st century, it's not surprising that there are now so many iconic scenes that have been fondly remembered and repeatedly parodied. Here are just three films of the 21st century that have been lauded by audiences around the world and remain to be quite popular today:


First off we have the Dark Knight trilogy, a reimagining if you will, of the Batman franchise by director Christopher Nolan. It modernizes the setting and presents us with a much more realistic view of Gotham city where the majority of Batman's adventures take place. Anyway, as noted above, the Dark Knight saga is divided into three films: Batman Begins, Dark Knight and Dark Knight Rises. However, one of its most memorable scenes would be ferry scene when two ferries, one carrying a load of common citizens and the other filled with hardened criminals. The Joker, being the madman that he is, reveals that he has placed explosives in both vessels and that they can prevent the destruction of their own by blowing up the other. Needless to say, though it was certainly very simple, the large African-American prisoner standing up and asks for the remote detonator. However, instead of choosing to destroy the other ferry as implied, he ends up throwing it out a window, showing that he believed that the people in the other ferry deserved to live and perhaps that he had faith that they would do the right thing. This makes it possibly one of the most awesome and heartwarming scenes in the movie.
Then we have King Kong, a 2005 remake directed by Peter Jackson, the same guy that did Lord of the Rings in 2001-2003 and The Hobbit. Anyway, perhaps the most exciting scene of this film would be Kong's battle with the dinosaurs on the island as it shows the gigantic ape in action. It shows just how far special effects technology have gone and, in a way, provides us with an enhanced version of the overly famous 1930s film with new animation techniques and a fairly faithful take on the story. The dinosaurs fought in the film give us the "kaiju" theme of the original and just how scary they can be in real life. However, Kong is shown to be even more awesome when he manages to best all of them!
And now we have Lord of the Rings trilogy, also by Peter Jackson and based on the original novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. The movies are divided and titled after the book's three parts with Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and Return of the King (2003). Anyway, while all three films have some truly inspiring scenes, one of the most memorable ones would be Aragorn's speech to his troops before they invade Mordor in order to provide Frodo and Sam the opportunity they need to destroy the One Ring. While The Hobbit is already being produced and will probably have its own share of epic scenes, one can argue that Aragorn's speech to his troops despite the overwhelming odds of surviving, let alone winning, the upcoming battle proves to be enough to get his troops and his allies to fight the otherwise hopeless battle.
3 Iconic Film Scenes of the 21st Century is a post from: The Hobbit Movie
       

Benedict Cumberbatch in Jerusalem
Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:51 AM PDT

We all know that J.R.R. Tolkien, the man behind Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, was a devout Catholic and was often noted for being quite stubborn in his beliefs; refusing new church reforms that he believed were unmaking of the traditions of the Catholic Church. It was also notable that it was Tolkien who led C.S. Lewis (yes, that C.S. Lewis, the one that wrote about Narnia and is known for the strong Christian themes of all his works) to his conversion to Christianity, although Tolkien was somewhat disappointed that the former did not turn to the Catholic Church. It comes as no surprise then that many of his works often contain subtle religious themes. Note that while there are relatively few temples or places of worship mentioned in Tolkien's books if not at all, there are equivalents of Christian theology in the pantheon of Middle Earth with Illuvatar being Yahweh, Tom Bombadil as a possible equivalent to Jesus, the Valar as angels and Morgoth as a possible Lucifer.
It comes with little surprise then that a lot of the cast and crew of Peter Jackson's adaptations of Tolkien's work also have religious interests. A prime example would of course be Benedict Cumberbatch, the actor who will be portraying both the dragon Smaug a.k.a. "The Wicked Wyrm" and The Necromancer who I'm sure that fans of Lord of the Rings are quite familiar with. We've also seen him in other films and TV shows like Star Trek: Into Darkness where he plays as the mysterious John Harrison a man with superhuman abilities and a deeply enigmatic past as well as playing as the legendary Sherlock Holmes in the British TV series Sherlock which is a modern adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's masterpiece. Apparently, the man himself will serve as a host for a documentary about Jerusalem.


Yep, that Jerusalem, the one situated in Israel and is a melting pot of religions with some of the most prominent ones being Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The documentary itself functions like a tour, giving viewers a bird's eye view of the ancient holy city with Benedict Cumberbatch's deep and magnificent voice narrating to the audience about the city's rich history, the ways of its people and some of its issues. It recounts how the small city became what it is today and becoming the center of the three Abrahamic religions, perhaps some of the most dominant faiths of today.
Well, one can say that the man behind the documentary certainly made a good choice in selecting Benedict Cumberbatch for the spot of narrating the 47-minute film. After all, Benedict Cumberbatch has already been chosen to give life to the character of Smaug in the Hobbit, perhaps one of the most iconic characters of the franchise and also perhaps the most awe-inspiring of them given the fact that he is a mighty dragon capable of razing a city to the ground in a matter of hours. Oh well, whatever the case, we will definitely await more works featuring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Benedict Cumberbatch in Jerusalem is a post from: The Hobbit Movie
       

The Hobbit: A Wellspring of Fantasy Icons
Posted: 02 Jun 2013 12:10 PM PDT

While J.R.R. Tolkien did not create modern fantasy as we know it, it is quite true that he codified it into what we know it as today. Before J.R.R. Tolkien published his works, most stories fantasy were generally aimed at young audiences and most were "children's books" but Tolkien changed all of that somehow. The Hobbit was a story Tolkien originally intended as a story for his own children but was so well received that he went on to write and publish a sequel we all know fondly as Lord of the Rings.


When Lord of the Rings came out in 2001-2003, there were actually people who thought that the films were just another staple story of fantasy with the common elements already used in most if not all fantasy based stories. Of course, few of them are aware that Tolkien's works had come out during the 1930s and that it was actually what paved the way for other works of fantasy like Dungeons & Dragons and WarHammer and had only recently been adapted due to the length of the books, the accessibility to a cast, crew and a place to shoot and budgetary concerns. Fortunately, Peter Jackson managed to pull it off in the 2000s and we are waiting eagerly for the sequels of his latest project, The Hobbit trilogy. So just what makes Tolkien's work so iconic? Well here are a few:
Elves vs. Dwarves. As mentioned above, before the time of Tolkien, most works of fantasy were aimed at young children. As such they were often simplistic and the creatures found in them were benign, malevolent or simply neutral and had few motivations to interact with humanity in general. They were often lumped together as a single group and there was no distinction between "elves" and "dwarves". Tolkien changed all that when he based his elements on older sources like Norse and Celtic mythology. Now the two are clearly separate races with the elves being the snobbish and nature-oriented beings we can regard as idyllic while the dwarves became the stout-hearted and vertically challenged warriors we have come to love.
The Evil Overlord. Well, here is yet another thing that Tolkien largely changed throughout his stories. Most of the time, villains were cruel stepmothers, malevolent spirits, or sometimes a combination of all these in fantasy works of Tolkien's time. As Tolkien's work contained some air of realism, his villains were often megalomaniac rulers seeking to take control of all that is around them. A certain first when it comes to works of fantasy as Tolkien presented the idea of a tyrant with supernatural powers that could call forth all manner of monsters.
Dragons. Oh yes, dragons have always been around in all parts of the world. But Tolkien changed a few things when he created Smaug. Dragons in older forms of literature were often purely animalistic and unthinking monsters that just enjoyed the taste of flesh and somehow had a penchant to hoard shiny things. Smaug on the other hand is intelligent, not unlike that of dragons in the far east, with the only difference with the latter is that Smaug is purely malevolent.
The Hobbit: A Wellspring of Fantasy Icons is a post from: The Hobbit Movie
       

[Bromptonboy]

Well, Lord of the Rings proved to be quite a blast with fans all over the world flooding theaters just to see J.R.R. Tolkien's work finally adapted into film after decades of being considered unfilmable by various other filmmakers. Anyway, the film pleased many fans with some being long-time fans of Tolkien's books while others simply came to see yet another movie by Peter Jackson or have come to see the awesome cast and crew that Peter Jackson assembled for the project. Needless to say, whichever it is, there is no doubt that there was enough of fan demand for Peter Jackson to also adapt The Hobbit into film.
And now, we're surely in for a treat as a number of veteran actors from Lord of the Rings return for their roles in The Hobbit. A truly splendid development now that fans are now over eager to see Desolation of Smaug which we can expect to hit theaters this December. So who are we expecting? Well, here are just a few:
Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey. Well, this is certainly not a surprise as we all know how Gandalf the Grey affects the characters and the story of The Hobbit. It seems that the troubles of Middle Earth are brewing and this is what has brought everyone's favorite wizard into the scene. And while he does indeed support the dwarves quest to reclaim their kingdom Erebor from the clutches of the mighty and cunning dragon Smaug, it should still be noted that the old wizard has plans of his own which included doing some of his own investigation on the topic of the Necromancer in Dol Goldur.


Then we have both Ian Holm and Elijah Wood who play as an old Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins respectively. Apparently, their appearances are more or less a framing device as Bilbo recounts to his young nephew the details of his adventures as he went off to join the company of Thorin Oakenshield and twelve other dwarves. While Ian Holm was also considered for the full role of Bilbo Baggins, the actor proved to be too frail to resume the role due to his age.
Then we have Orlando Bloom returning to play the part of Legolas again whom we all remember well from Lord of the Rings where he played as the team's all around marksman. Of course, the character has also received criticisms from various fans due to the fact that he wasn't present in the book by Tolkien. Although there are also quite a number of fans who welcome his presence into the films.
Cate Blanchett also returns to reprise her role as the elf queen Galadriel who provides quidance to the party and helps them on their quest despite knowing that their journey may indeed hold more importance than some may think. Hugo Weaving and Christopher Lee, Elrond and Saruman respectively, have also made an appearance in An Unexpected Journey and there's little doubt that we're sure to see them again.

[Rico]

Love this picture!

We've previously seen an image of Evangeline Lilly as the Elf Tauriel in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, but it wasn't as amazing as this one. EW spoke with the actress about the film and debuted the new image, which you can see below.

"Tauriel is the head of the Elven Guard," Lilly said. "She's a Sylvan Elf, which means she's of a much lower order than the elves we all became acquainted with in The Lord of the Rings. She doesn't hold the same kind of status that Arwen or Galadriel or Elrond or Legolas do — she's much more lowly. She sort of goes against the social order of the elves a little bit."

Lilly also teased a love story for he character in the film, "She will definitely have a love story. I can't give away too much about it. It's not a huge focus but it is there and it is important and it does drive Tauriel and her story and her actions."

When asked if this love story would involve fan favorite Orlando Bloom's Legolas, she replied: "Tauriel's relationship with Legolas is significant. They've known each other since they were children, and Legolas' dad, [Elven king] Thrandruil, has a soft spot for Tauriel and sees something very special in her. So if you grow up side by side, and your dad has a very special spot in his heart for this young woman who's a fantastic warrior, I think it's hard not to notice her. That's probably as much as I can say."

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug hits theaters on December 13 of this year while The Hobbit: There and Back Again concludes Peter Jackson's second J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy on December 17, 2014.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=105106

[Bromptonboy]

Okay Ringers, this is the moment we've been waiting for, it seems that we're finally going to get a trailer for Desolation of Smaug, the second installment of the much sought after The Hobbit trilogy. Well, whatever the case, it's about time as fans from all over the world have been awaiting eagerly regarding any news and developments about Peter Jackson't latest and perhaps biggest project to date. Currently, it seems that Peter Jackson along with his cast and crew are still in New Zealand filming pick-up shots for the finished product which is slated for release this year in December. While it may be six months yet, it seems that a lot of fans just can't wait for materials and products from the epic franchise to appear. After all, trailers often come with posters and we can only hope that The Hobbit will be the same.
After the first installment made more than 1 billion dollars in just the box office, we can only hope for more successes once Desolation of Smaug finally rolls around. So, what sights and sounds can we expect from the up and coming sequel? Well, here are just a few guesses on the few things we're likely to take note of:
Well, again we'll be following the trail of Bilbo Baggins and company as they make their inexorable way towards the kingdom of Erebor, the dwarven kingdom they've come to reclaim from the clutches of the terrible dragon known only as Smaug. On their way there though, fans will be in for quite a treat once the party encounter Beorn, the powerful "skin-changer" in the woods between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood. To be more precise, Beorn is a man with the power to transform himself into a gigantic black bear. Portrayed on the big screen by Mikael Persbrandt, one can argue that the actor renders the character even more formidable.


We're also going to see more of the orcs, particularly the pale orc we all remember well from An Unexpected Journey. Played by Manu Bennett who also plays as Crixus of Spartacus fame, the man is slated to appear alongside his old friend Conan Stevens who will be playing the part of Bolg the orc chieftain. And to complicate things further, the two bash brothers must now play the role of father and son as many readers of the original novel probably well know. However, the character of Azog has received some cristicism for being just a posthumous character in the original novel by Tolkien. Nonetheless, there are those who claim that his presence in the films serve to enrich the story further.
Then we have the Necromancer who readers of Tolkien know all too well and is played by none other than Benedict Cumberbatch himself, the same guy who plays John Harrison in Star Trek: Into Darkness as well as Smaug the dragon in the same movie. Oh well, guess his voice is just that menacing.
Anyway, it would be a good idea to wait for the appearance of the planned trailer of The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug in the upcoming movies of June. It just might be worth the look.

[Bromptonboy]

Tolkien's works have been around since the early part of the 20th century. While his books, particularly The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings proved to be very successful and his works revolutionized the fantasy genre for decades to come, there are a surprising number of individuals out there who criticize his works as it is quite clear that writing conventions of the time are quite different from what they are today. Indeed, Tolkien's works, which have been adapted into film by Peter Jackson have received quite some criticism in modern times due to the lack of a feminine presence despite the latter's efforts to add a few more action scenes with female characters in them (Eowyn in the book and Arwen in the films are a prime example of this). Whatever the case, it seems that a lot of modern audiences are a bit troubled by the fact there are few pivotal female characters in the story but is completely justifiable on Tolkien's part as Eowyn's role in the slaying the Lord of the Nazgul was probably something unorthodox in his day. To remedy the situation, Peter Jackson went on to add or even alter some of the characters in the films in order fulfill the expectation of audiences but one must also ask if the changes are entirely necessary. Here are three of the characters in question:
Well, let's start with Eowyn. She appears in the films The Two Towers and Return of the King and is portrayed by the lovely Miranda Otto. She is the niece of King Théoden and is depicted to be as headstrong as her brother Eomer and both have similar traits such as their strong will and their long blond hair. She is often called a "Shield Maiden" by other characters which is similar to and often associated with valkyries. Anyway, while most of Eowyn's role is faithful to the book, she is depicted to be stronger and a bit more badass in the films(being able to take down her own share of orcs and even manage to take down one of those oliphaunt riders) which is probably not at all that unlikely given her devotion to her uncle and Rohan, her homeland, in general.
Then we have Arwen and this is when Peter Jackson really starts to stretch things. Played by the gorgeous Liv Tyler (one can only imagine what could have been had they cast her real father into the role of Elrond), Arwen serves as a love interest for Aragorn and is the daughter of Elrond. While she does have a pivotal role in the original Lord of the Rings what with being instrumental in helping the fellowship much like Galadriel, she is nowhere near as combative as her film counterpart. Of course, it is quite a sight to see Liv Tyler in action, flowing dark locks in motion and swinging her sword about.


Now we have Tauriel, a new character slated to be shown once The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug rolls around this December. Portrayed on screen by the luscious Evangeline Lilly, the character has received even greater criticism than the last two because she was never included in the original novel and is a character that Peter Jackson invented for the film. While this is true, a lot of fans also argue that there is perhaps nothing wrong with a little more flair for the story and that a male-dominated story like The Hobbit could use a feminine touch. Whatever the case, we can only hope that the redheaded elf guard will enrich the story instead of overshadowing it as some may fear.
Hey, wait. So we've seen a blond (Eowyn), a brunette (Arwen) and finally, a redhead (Tauriel). Well, I guess Middle Earth does have a wealth of hotties after all. Then you can throw in Galadriel (which I think is very lovely too) and Rosie Cotton!

[Bromptonboy]

Well, it's been announced that the first trailer for Desolation of Smaug will be coming out soon and we can already feel the excitement and anticipation exuding from fans. There really is no questioning the popularity of Wingnut Films' adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's work as one can argue that billions flocked over to just see Return of the King in 2003 and managed to trump that of many other blockbuster films of its time. When The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey came out, it seemed that fans of the original Lord of the Rings film trilogy couldn't wait to see the first part of Peter Jackson's interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien's prequel novel for Lord of the Rings.
When the film finally came in late 2012, the fandom seemed to swoon over the way Peter Jackson put Middle Earth into film again. Apparently they were overjoyed at their return to Middle Earth which has now been further enhanced with better techniques such as using more advanced motion capture cameras to make CGI characters like Gollum more realistic and using more durable materials for sets to make them more believable. Heck, there are now tours in New Zealand that tourists can take to immerse themselves in Middle Earth as if they were actually there.
So what can we expect on the trailer for Desolation of Smaug? Well, here are a few guesses as to what we'll see:
Spiders
Well, we don't want to offend all the people with arachnophobia out there but yes, we're expecting spiders. And lots of them. Bonus points for those who managed to spot the silhouette of one of the giant spiders in An Unexpected Journey as Radagast was trying to heal a hedgehog of the ills that had taken hold on the forest.
Indeed, to any of those familiar with the original lore of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, it's common knowledge that Bilbo and company will have to face a host of gigantic spiders who are quite ravenous for living flesh. According to the lore, these feisty things are actually related to Shelob, the giant spider that Sam had to fight in Return of the King. If you go back in further, they are all associated with an entity called Ugoliant which, based on available descriptions, makes her appear more like a creation of H.P. Lovecraft than J.R.R. Tolkien. Apparently, even Morgoth and Sauron, the latter being the well-known villain of Lord of the Rings, were actually terrified of Ungoliant and only tolerated Shelob as she was nowhere as destructive as her mother.
Either way though, we're probably likely to see the hairy buggers pretty soon so you can sleep tight...
The White Council
On a more positive note, we're likely to see more of Gandalf and the other big wheels of the free peoples of Middle Earth. After all, Peter Jackson did mention something about linking Lord of the Rings with The Hobbit and this might be a prime example of that. After all, due to a number of legal reasons, Peter Jackson can't make use of any books beyond Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. As such, to link the two trilogies together, it seems that Pete Jackson will have to make use of the appendices in both books to make it work.
Whatever the case though, Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond as well as any other "Big Good" in the series is welcome as Middle Earth continues to darken due to influence of the Necromancer.
The Nazgul
Yet another good reason to sleep, it seems that Peter Jackson might show off the riders in black escaping their tombs. Well, if they're going to throw in huge ass spiders, one supposes that nine black-clad wraiths won't make things any worse for viewers.
Nonetheless, it would also be another good way to link The Hobbit to Lord of the Rings as it would mark the beginning of the nine's search for the One Ring.

[Geekyfanboy]

Trailer for the next movie.. gonna be EPIC!!!

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Official Teaser Trailer [HD]