Amazon Studios have revealed the very first look at the anticipated Amazon Original Lord of the Rings series in concurrence with the news that the as-yet-untitled project will debut across 240 countries and territories worldwide from Friday, September 22nd, 2022. As filming for season one ends today in New Zealand, this new epic drama brings to…
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Popular novels don’t always translate well on the big screen. While some adaptations turn into new and interesting beasts, others crumble and leave devout audiences with a bad taste in their mouth. While book to film adaptations appear to be receiving a lot of criticism as of late – take the Divergent franchise for example…
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Hobbiton. It’s a real place. You want to know why? Because I totally went there. Hobbits are real, end of discussion. And they’re beautiful. OK – well, sort of real. Alexander Farm is a 1250 acre property in Matamata, New Zealand, and is home to the set of Hobbiton from the Lord of the Rings…
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This week’s DVD releases feature detectives of all shapes and sizes, and from all across the (Middle) Earth. THE HOBBIT TRILOGY (AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, THE BATTLE OF FIVE ARMIES) This successful trilogy, based on JRR Tolkien’s prequel to The Lord of the Rings, features a group of unlikely friends (a hobbit,…
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We caught up with Stephen Hunter and Jed Brophy during their time at Oz Comic Con to discuss their experiences playing dwarves and interacting with fans. We kicked off the interview discussing the legacy of The Hobbit films, and their impact on film history. “I hope that they stand the test of time like the…
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As one of the beloved cast members of Peter Jackson‘s first venture into J.R.R Tolkein‘s fantasy universe of The Lord of the Rings, Scottish actor Billy Boyd was lucky enough to be able to return through to Middle Earth and The Hobbit, albeit not onscreen as Pippin, as many fans will know. Boyd, also a seasoned musician, added an extra…
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They’re really getting on the nostalgia train to promote the final in The Hobbit trilogy aren’t they? Well, this recent trailer is no different. Highlighting the journey from Lord of the Rings to now, the featurette is a culmination of everything leading up to the defining chapter of the Middle-earth legend. In their own promotional…
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One Last Time. It’s the hashtag that’s being used to promote the last film in the epic Lord of the Rings universe – a reference to a line in the film, but also a clever reminder about how we’re supposed to feel about the film. NOSTALGIC. This is (hopefully) the last time we’ll have the…
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Smaug the Magnificent has made himself comfortable in Wellington Airport’s busy terminal. The sculpture was revealed in front of 200 of the world’s biggest Hobbit fans this week, who made their way to New Zealand as part of the global Hobbit Fan Fellowship competition. Under the art directions from Richard Taylor and Rob Gillies, Smaug…
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Armageddon Melbourne is coming up this weekend, giving fans of sci-fi, pop culture, anime and more the chance to meet some amazing actors, animators, illustrators and more. Taking place at the Melbourne Showgrounds on October 18th and 19th, you can bet that there are going to be some killer cosplays, hilarious panels and more coming…
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I don’t feel like I’m speaking with a member of a multi-million blockbuster film franchise when I’m speaking with New Zealand’s Dean O’Gorman. His role as Fili in Peter Jackson’s recent film adaptation of the Tolkien-created mythology that is The Hobbit is now golden fodder for fanfic writers around the world and with the…
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Dean O’Gorman may as well be an Australian citizen, let’s be real. The NZ born actor who is currently making The Hobbit fans’ hearts melt alongside Aidan Turner as ‘Fili’ has had a long-running connection with us over the pond, having starred in McLeod’s Daughters back in the day, which saw him stationed just outside…
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The production of Peter Jackson’s adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit has not been without its fair share of changes, the most prominent being the expansion of the two-film series into a full-blown trilogy. Initially met with confusion and scepticism by fans and critics alike, the restructuring of the films has allowed Jackson to flesh…
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There’s a lot riding on the second installment in The Hobbit trilogy. The first film, An Unexpected Journey, did fairly well (if grossing over a billion dollars worldwide is your definition of “fairly well”) but received some less than favourable reviews, primarily due to its length and some issues with the High Frame Rate technology. Though…
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Back in November, Supanova took over Adelaide for another year, drawing the pop culture geeks out in force for three days of pure awesomeness. As well as sitting in on some great panels and avoiding being stalked by Chewbacca, I had a chat with Dean O’Gorman, one of the ‘Supa-Star Guests’. O’Gorman, as many of you will…
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While at Supanova in Sydney all the way back in June, Larry Heath sat down with one of the dwarves from Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy to talk about the films, New Zealand based actor Jed Brophy who plays Nori. We address some fan disappointment in the first film, how that might be addressed in the future, and what…
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