Screen Rant » lord of the rings

‘The Hobbit’ Cast’s Final Addition Is Billy Connolly

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:51:52 +0000

An actor signing on for film nearly a year after it has begun production is not normal practice in Hollywood – but, then again, there’s very little that’s “normal” about Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit.

From the two-movie structure of the estimated $500 million project – to the use of revolutionary 3D camera technology, even while shooting takes place around the New Zealand countryside – Jackson’s live-action treatment of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy novel is the sort of immense (and costly) undertaking that studios would rarely trust any filmmaker to handle. Unless they’re the same fellow who directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, that is.

That’s all to say: today, some eleven months after principal photography began on The Hobbit, the films’ cast has at last been completed – with the addition of ...

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Andy Serkis Discusses The Art of Motion-Capture Acting

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:52:47 +0000

Many people wouldn’t recognize Andy Serkis if they met him in person, yet they’re sure to remember many of the characters he’s portrayed onscreen, via the assistance of performance-capture technology.

Be it the raspy voiced bag of skin and bones that is Gollum from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the eponymous building-sized “monster” from King Kong, the genetically-altered chimp Caesar from Rise of the Planet of the Apes – or, most recently, the burly alcoholic Captain Haddock from The Adventures of Tintin, Serkis has served as the heart and soul of many a memorable digitally-rendered character. Hence, the previous studio-backed pushes for him to receive an Oscar nod for his work in both the Rings trilogy and the Apes franchise reboot/prequel.

Despite the especially-massive push for Serkis to receive recognition for his performance ...

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New ‘Hobbit’ Images; Interviews with Philippa Boyens & Richard Armitage

Sandy Schaefer — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:05:57 +0000

Considering the unadulterated enthusiasm and sheer joy expressed by Peter Jackson and the members of his creative team on The Hobbit in previously-released production diary videos, it’s easy to forget about all the lawsuits, studio financial collapses, directorial change-ups, union conflicts, and personal health issues that have afflicted this project for the past three years (or so).

In a new interview, Jackson touches (very) briefly on the difficulties he and his his crew have encountered, in their efforts to realize J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous predecessor to the Lord of the Rings trilogy on the big screen. We also have some cool new Hobbit images and thoughts from one of its co-writers (Philippa Boyens) and costar (Richard Armitage) to boot.

The first of two Hobbit-based movies (subtitled An Unexpected Journey) picks up with a young Bilbo Baggins, as brought to life by Martin Freeman (the UK version of The Office) who ...

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Peter Jackson Talks ‘The Hobbit’: Fairy Tale Tone, Dwarves, & Del Toro

Sandy Schaefer — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:55:24 +0000

It won’t reach theaters until December 2012, but the first part of Peter Jackson’s two-movie adaptation of The Hobbit has been much-buzzed about recently, thanks to the release of a teaser trailer and production diary video that have provided an early look at the filmmaker’s cinematic return to the world of dwarves, elves, hobbits, wizards, and other mystical Middle-Earth creatures.

One unanswered question that has surrounded the Hobbit flicks for a while now has to do with how much the films will connect to Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings book trilogy – given that the original Hobbit novel is part-prequel to that grand-scale story, but also part self-contained, children-friendly fantasy adventure.

Jackson spoke recently with Total Film about not only the tonal differences between The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings ...

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‘The Hobbit’ Set Video #5: The Return To Hobbiton

Sandy Schaefer — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:35:06 +0000

It’s already been a great week for J.R.R. Tolkien fans, thanks to the release of an official teaser trailer for the first part of director Peter Jackson’s two-movie adaptation of The Hobbit. Early reaction to the footage has been overwhelmingly positive and most everyone is eagerly anticipating the return trip to Middle-Earth.

Now, yet another Hobbit production diary video has been released online, courtesy of Jackson. This particular behind-the-scenes clip follows the project’s filmmaking crew as they prepare to (and do) transition from working on sound stages to shooting around the scenic New Zealand landscape.

However, it is Jackson and his crew’s return to the refurbished version of Hobbiton that’s the real highlight of this new set video. Between brief bits of older behind-the-scenes footage from the Lord of the Rings trilogy production, co-star Elijah Wood (looking virtually unchanged ...

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‘The Hobbit’ Trailer Is Here!

Sandy Schaefer — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:09:05 +0000

It’s been a tumultuous trek for The Hobbit over the past two years. The project was slowly but steadily coming together under the guiding hand of Guillermo del Toro – that is until MGM’s financial blues forced the filmmaker off the project in 2010. Even after Lord of the Rings helmer Peter Jackson finally stepped in to take del Toro’s spot, union issues, funding concerns, and health problems threatened to derail the cinematic return to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth.

Fortunately, those problems were all eventually resolved and the majority of production on The Hobbit has now been complete – enough so as to allow for the release of an actual teaser trailer for the Rings trilogy semi-prequel.

For those who’ve never read Tolkien’s source material, here is an official ...

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‘Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy May Be Given A 3D Re-Release

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:38:39 +0000

Disney has demonstrated (with The Lion King) that there is indeed a profit to be made in post-converting older blockbuster titles to 3D and re-releasing them in theaters. Upcoming 3D theatrical re-releases like Beauty and the Beast, Titanic, and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace aren’t expected to buck that lucrative trend.

It should come as little surprise then that one of the most popular (critically and financially) effects-heavy fantasy series of all time – Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tokien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy – may also end up being re-released in theaters in the stereoscopic (re: 3D) format.

Jackson has casually broached the topic of converting the Rings trilogy to 3D a handful of times in the past (see: this 2010 interview) and ...

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Andy Serkis Teases ‘The Hobbit’ Trailer; Talks Second Unit Directing [Updated]

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:35:12 +0000

It’s been an excellent year for master motion-capture performer Andy Serkis, between his acclaimed turn as the ape Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and his (already well-liked) role as Captain Haddock in Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin.

The actor’s win streak shouldn’t be broken anytime soon, seeing how he’ll soon return in CGI-enhanced form once again – this time, as the miserable Gollum in Peter Jackson’s two-movie adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, a prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Jackson has been keeping fans up-to-date on The Hobbit by releasing production diary videos every so often. However, according to Serkis, the next big treat for Tolkien lovers will take on the form of a teaser trailer.

Serkis informed IGN that the first Hobbit theatrical preview ...

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‘The Hobbit’ Set Video #4 Explains The Schematics of 3D Filmmaking

Sandy Schaefer — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:32:50 +0000

It’s been a few months since Peter Jackson last unveiled a behind-the-scenes look at the ongoing production of his two-movie return to Middle Earth, The Hobbit. Today, though, the filmmaker has released yet another ten-minute clip that explores the intricate technical side of the project.

The fourth Hobbit production diary focuses on one particular aspect of Jackson’s new films: the use of cutting-edge 3D tech (namely, the RED EPIC digital camera system) and how that effects everything from the storyboarding process to how the prosthetics departments dresses and applies makeup to members of the Hobbit cast.

Movie buffs who get a kick out of learning about the schematics and the tricky nature of the filmmaking process (2D or 3D) will hands down love Jackson’s latest video. However, even if you’re the type who normally couldn’t care ...

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DVD/Blu-ray Breakdown: June 28, 2011

Mike Eisenberg — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:48:33 +0000

June closes out with a few worthy titles hitting DVD and Blu-ray. There is at least one epic trilogy and one epic disappointment amongst the bunch.

Some AMC Theater locations have shown The Lord of the Rings extended cuts recently, in honor of this week’s release. Many of the fans held out when the theatrical cuts reached Blu-ray and that patience will finally pay off. This is the week that one of the most legendary trilogies of all time hits Blu-ray – again.

In addition to the epic LOTR trilogy, the epic disappointment that was Sucker Punch hits Blu-ray alongside another relative flop, Season of the Witch. If you are still looking for a title you like, Jumanji on Blu-ray may do the trick.

The following titles can be found on DVD and Blu-ray.

NEW RELEASES

DVD/Blu-ray Breakdown: June 28, 2011

Elijah Wood & Orlando Bloom’s Roles in ‘The Hobbit’

Rob Keyes — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:15:48 +0000

When news first broke that J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit would be adapted into a two-part film, the initial plan was for the second part to act as a “bridge” movie between The Hobbit and the ever-famous Lord of the Rings trilogy. The bridge film would take us many years after The Hobbit, to events just preceding the beginning of the Lord of the Rings, allowing for special return appearances of characters and talent who wouldn’t otherwise appear in the prequels.

As the script treatments were underway, further news indicated that this may not be the case, despite interviews with cast members such as Viggo Mortensen and Dominic Monaghan who thought it possible and hopeful that they could play Aragorn & Merry once again. Would we ever see the ...

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Elijah Wood Will Return as Frodo in ‘The Hobbit’

Chris Schrader — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:15:31 +0000

Yesterday, Deadline reported that Warner Bros had gained worldwide theatrical distribution rights to Peter Jackson’s two-part adaptation of The Hobbit. They later updated their story to announce that the studio would be financing both installments of the project as well.

Their update also briefly mentioned that negotiations were underway for Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis to reprise their roles from The Lord of the Rings trilogy – and that Elijah Wood had been approached as well.

Considering that the Frodo Baggins character doesn’t appear in J.R.R. Tolkien’s original Hobbit story, this seemed like an interesting tidbit that warranted further investigation. Earlier this month, we learned that Orlando Bloom might be returning as Legolas and while his character isn’t featured in The Hobbit either, he still plausibly fits into the timeline. Frodo hasn’t ...

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15 Must-Own Blu-rays of 2010

Mike Eisenberg — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 01:40:36 +0000

2010 was a fantastic year in home video releases. Some of the most revered classics finally made their way to the Blu-ray format, while other titles were given a more in-depth re-release. Without question, 2010 was proof that Blu-ray is here to stay.

If you have a Blu-ray player or get one over the holidays, we’ve got a list of the titles that are must-haves for your home video collection. These Blu-rays make our list for a variety of reasons; Some are incomprehensibly comprehensive collections like Lost: The Complete Collection and The Alien Anthology. Others are beautifully remastered classics like Psycho and The Exorcist. There are even a few that needed no enhancement, but were given star treatment by the always impressive Criterion Collection, like The Thin Red Line and Seven Samurai.

We’ve ditched the ranking system ...

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Best & Worst Christmas Movie Releases of the Past 10 Years

Paul Young — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:16:09 +0000

There are several calendar dates throughout the year where studios rush to release all their big tentpole films in an attempt to maximize on the number of people who will see them, and each date corresponds with a major U.S. holiday – Memorial Day, 4^th of July, and Christmas.

Films released during Memorial Day and 4^th of July usually open on the exact dates of those holidays, while films being released for the Christmas season begin showing up in theaters anywhere from ten to fifteen days before December 25^th.

Some of these films are highly anticipated and draw in millions of viewers, generating obscenely large box office numbers (think Avatar), while other films only have moderate expectations. Then there are the failures – the films so bad, so ridiculously inept, that ...

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Orlando Bloom’s Legolas Returning For ‘The Hobbit’

Rob Keyes — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 04:24:55 +0000

Peter Jackson’s two-part adaptation of The Hobbit is finally on the right track, having received the long-awaited official greenlight back in October and two weeks later being confirmed to have its production remain where it belongs in New Zealand.

Since then, the news reports having been rolling in with The Hobbit updates and a plethora of casting announcements, including Cate Blanchett returning to the franchise as Galadriel. Now, believe it or not, we can also add Legolas to the list of characters not a part of The Hobbit novel who will play important roles in The Hobbit films.

Deadline has the exclusive which details that Orlando Bloom, who kick-started his career as the fan-favorite Orc-killing archer in Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, is close to ...

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The 10 Most Badass Movie Combat Units

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:47:58 +0000

The Expendables has pretty much punched its way into theaters on swagger alone, by collecting some of the most badass tough guys ever to appear onscreen into one unbeatable team. With names like Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Terry Crews, and Mickey Rourke all in one film (with appearances from Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, no less), it’s hard to dispute that The Expendables is an impressive collection of name-taking ass-kickers.

To coincide with the release of this action movie extravaganza, we here at Screen Rant selected ten other great combat units who have left their knuckle prints and shell casings indented in the silver screen.

Before we get into the ...

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Will A Voice Actor Ever Get Nominated For An Oscar?

Mike Eisenberg — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:44:00 +0000

As animation and motion-capture continue to expand in the film industry, some of the biggest names in Hollywood have become more involved. But will any of those performances ever turn into an Oscar nomination?

The subject matter in animation has evolved into something spectacular in recent years. What was once reserved for re-imagined fairy tales has now brought us Up and Toy Story 3, films that present serious gravitas that requires some intense emotions from the actors involved.

But in reality, animation is still a fabrication. The characters share little to no qualities with their human counterparts other than voice. One could argue the actors are simply chosen for audience recognition as opposed to their ability to portray that specific character.

The onslaught of award-winning motion capture has presented us with a more realistic possibility ...

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The 10 Best Movie Threequels of All Time

Mike Eisenberg — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:28:35 +0000

This weekend marks the release of Toy Story 3, which is already getting rave reviews as a brilliant third installment to a near-flawless franchise. But when you look back at the handful of threequels in movie history, the memories are not quite as bright.

From Batman Forever to Spider-Man 3, there are far more awful third installments of beloved movie franchises than great ones. So, in honor of the hard work from the good folks at Disney/Pixar, we are going in a different direction… Rather than relish in the horrendous examples of failed threequels, we are going to present our 10 favorite third installments of popular franchises.

Some examples are part of a grand saga, while others are the closing chapter of an unforgettable tale. Either way, they ...

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The 25 Most Awesome Movie Weapons Of All Time

Mike Eisenberg — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:11:24 +0000

There is a long list of awesome weapons in film history, and it’s about time we narrow it down to the top 25 (in our all-knowing, unerring opinion).

The inception of this list came while watching Iron Man and the scene where Tony Stark presented the amazingly destructive Jericho Missile. Then again, maybe it truly began when I bought a replica Hattori Hanzo sword at C2E2 a month ago. Either way, we’ve all been fascinated by the technology filmmakers come up with, and weapons tend to be at the top of amazing innovations that catch the filmgoer’s eye.

I’ve made a compilation video of all the weapons in the style of my previous movie trailers. If you’re not one for lists or words or reading in general, you can ...

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The 12 Best Movie Sequels Ever Made

Mike Eisenberg — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:30:19 +0000

Before I begin with this list of our favorite movie sequels, I want to stress this is strictly opinion and not fact. I hope the following will incite discussion and debate, but let it be known that no list is definitive. Having said that, let’s get it on!

In honor of Iron Man 2 releasing this weekend, it seemed right to come up with a list of cinema’s top sequels. Not to mention, there are endless movie sequels in the mix for the upcoming years.

While the top three picks on our list seemed obvious, setting even them in order was a tough task. More difficult was rounding out a top ten. So, instead of just going with the standard ten, we’ve extended our list to 12. Included are four costumed heroes, a couple ...

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