Evangeline Lilly joined Orlando Bloom last month in Wellington to become the latest celeb to Hollywoodify NZ. The Daily Mail has posted a picture of Lilly with partner...Lily has been cast as elf Tauriel
Tauriel aka Evangeline Lilly floating around New Zealand
Evangeline Lilly joined Orlando Bloom last month in Wellington to become the latest celeb to Hollywoodify NZ. The Daily Mail has posted a picture of Lilly with partner...Lily has been cast as elf Tauriel
Hobbit to be filmed in Nelson
Stuff NZ reports:
Sir Peter Jackson's movie The Hobbit is set to be filmed in Nelson at the end of this year, with hundreds of crew members expected to stay in the region. Local moteliers have been contacted by the film's production company, 3 Foot 7, which is looking for accommodation for about 400 to 500 people in November and December. Motel Association of New Zealand Nelson's John Gilbertson, who owns Arrow Motels on Golf Rd, confirmed some of the association's members were holding rooms for such a group.
Filming for the anticipated two-part movie resumed last week and will continue until December.
The film features international celebrities such as Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom, Stephen Fry, James Nesbitt and Martin Freeman. Mr Gilbertson said 3 Foot 7 made inquiries for booking 400 to 500 rooms in early December in Nelson and Golden Bay.
He said there were 50 Nelson members in the association with more than 700 rooms among them, so members could accommodate the film bookings across the region. Members were understandably anxious at taking a booking for a film company, as some had been burnt accepting bookings for the movie Kingdom Come, he said. Kingdom Come was to be shot in New Zealand, including in the Nelson region, but the production company folded before shooting. However, he said it was a different situation with 3 Foot 7, and the association would be happy and keen to have them in the region. The Hobbit publicist Melissa Booth said she was unable to confirm locations as they were in the throes of filming. "We're just looking forward and trying to get the film made. I think everyone is happy to be back at work." Pohara motelier Steve du Feu said the filming of The Hobbit was "good news" for businesses in Golden Bay. His motel, The Sandcastle, is one of a number in Golden Bay that have been booked out by 3 Foot 7 for 10 days in mid-November and a week in early December.
"The increased activity in the bay associated with this will be an awesome boost after what has been a pretty quiet winter. The crew will be made to feel very welcome," he said. Bob Haswell of Clifftops Retreat in Ruby Bay said he had friends working on the film in Wellington and "it looks like some of them might be coming to Nelson". Mr Haswell is connected to Tasman Helicopters, which was involved during the filming of parts of The Lord of the Rings trilogy in the Nelson region, but he said the company had not been approached about helping with The Hobbit.
Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio said the likelihood that The Hobbit crew might be coming to Nelson was news to him, but he was not surprised. "It's in line with what we have been hearing – that Nelson is going to be a destination for filming." He said the crew of Kiwi Flyer had told him that word was spreading that Nelson was "the place to come". "I think we're going to see a lot more of this in the future."
Sir Peter Jackson's movie The Hobbit is set to be filmed in Nelson at the end of this year, with hundreds of crew members expected to stay in the region. Local moteliers have been contacted by the film's production company, 3 Foot 7, which is looking for accommodation for about 400 to 500 people in November and December. Motel Association of New Zealand Nelson's John Gilbertson, who owns Arrow Motels on Golf Rd, confirmed some of the association's members were holding rooms for such a group.
Filming for the anticipated two-part movie resumed last week and will continue until December.
The film features international celebrities such as Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom, Stephen Fry, James Nesbitt and Martin Freeman. Mr Gilbertson said 3 Foot 7 made inquiries for booking 400 to 500 rooms in early December in Nelson and Golden Bay.
He said there were 50 Nelson members in the association with more than 700 rooms among them, so members could accommodate the film bookings across the region. Members were understandably anxious at taking a booking for a film company, as some had been burnt accepting bookings for the movie Kingdom Come, he said. Kingdom Come was to be shot in New Zealand, including in the Nelson region, but the production company folded before shooting. However, he said it was a different situation with 3 Foot 7, and the association would be happy and keen to have them in the region. The Hobbit publicist Melissa Booth said she was unable to confirm locations as they were in the throes of filming. "We're just looking forward and trying to get the film made. I think everyone is happy to be back at work." Pohara motelier Steve du Feu said the filming of The Hobbit was "good news" for businesses in Golden Bay. His motel, The Sandcastle, is one of a number in Golden Bay that have been booked out by 3 Foot 7 for 10 days in mid-November and a week in early December.
"The increased activity in the bay associated with this will be an awesome boost after what has been a pretty quiet winter. The crew will be made to feel very welcome," he said. Bob Haswell of Clifftops Retreat in Ruby Bay said he had friends working on the film in Wellington and "it looks like some of them might be coming to Nelson". Mr Haswell is connected to Tasman Helicopters, which was involved during the filming of parts of The Lord of the Rings trilogy in the Nelson region, but he said the company had not been approached about helping with The Hobbit.
Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio said the likelihood that The Hobbit crew might be coming to Nelson was news to him, but he was not surprised. "It's in line with what we have been hearing – that Nelson is going to be a destination for filming." He said the crew of Kiwi Flyer had told him that word was spreading that Nelson was "the place to come". "I think we're going to see a lot more of this in the future."
Orlando Bloom aka Legolas in New Zealand
Stuff Nz reports:
Hollywood star Orlando Bloom has been seen out and about in Wellington, joining a growing number of Hobbit actors arriving in the city as production resumes after a three-month hiatus.
Wellingtonians Miranda Webster, Aggie Galloway, Kayla Carruthers, Sam Walton and Hannah Robson met Bloom yesterday when they saw him shopping in the central city.
Ms Carruthers, 19, said she and her friends were on Vivian St when they saw Bloom go into a photography store.
"We weren't sure at first if it was him or not, so we waited around casually outside the stop, and then when he came out we saw it was definitely him."
They approached the star, who plays elf archer Legolas in Sir Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, and asked if he would pose for a photo or two.
"He was really, really nice, and asked us how we were going. He was dressed really casually, and his hair was a bit shaggy."
Bloom, who recently celebrated the birth of his first child with his wife, model Miranda Kerr, is reportedly set to earn $1 million for his return as Legolas, despite appearing in the film for less than two minutes.
British actor Stephen Fry, who will play the Master of Laketown, has also been seen around the city this week.
Hollywood star Orlando Bloom has been seen out and about in Wellington, joining a growing number of Hobbit actors arriving in the city as production resumes after a three-month hiatus.
Wellingtonians Miranda Webster, Aggie Galloway, Kayla Carruthers, Sam Walton and Hannah Robson met Bloom yesterday when they saw him shopping in the central city.
Ms Carruthers, 19, said she and her friends were on Vivian St when they saw Bloom go into a photography store.
 |
| Orlando Bloom in Wellington with fans |
"We weren't sure at first if it was him or not, so we waited around casually outside the stop, and then when he came out we saw it was definitely him."
They approached the star, who plays elf archer Legolas in Sir Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, and asked if he would pose for a photo or two.
"He was really, really nice, and asked us how we were going. He was dressed really casually, and his hair was a bit shaggy."
Bloom, who recently celebrated the birth of his first child with his wife, model Miranda Kerr, is reportedly set to earn $1 million for his return as Legolas, despite appearing in the film for less than two minutes.
British actor Stephen Fry, who will play the Master of Laketown, has also been seen around the city this week.
Andrew Serkis Talks about playing Gollum
Andrew Serkis Talks to Indie Wire about playing Gollum
And what’s it been like revisiting Gollum in the Hobbit, his breakthrough performance capture character from a decade ago? “Again, now the computers can handle large amounts of data and you can play scenes out in their entirety,” Serkis offered. “That was one of the joys of going back to Gollum after all these years. It’s 60 years before Lord of the Rings , and he’s been living with himself in that craven, lustful, paranoid state for 540 years, so this is obviously a linchpin scene dramatically, with Gollum losing the ring.”
Luke Evens aka Bard Bowman Talks to Empire
Luke Evans who is cast as the archer in the Hobbit talked to Empire about his role and what he is doing to prepare. Evens also has a role in the Three Musketeers. Empire online Reports:
Read more at Empire
The Hobbit director Peter Jackson Drops in at Comic-Con
Entertainment Week reports : “Six thousand people packed into Comic-Con’s Hall H broke out in a simultaneous nerdgasm as Peter Jackson made a surprise appearance alongside Steven Spielberg at this morning’s panel for Dec. 23′s The Adventures of Tintin.
Spielberg, making his own first-ever appearance at Comic-Con, was greeted with a raucous standing ovation as the panel began. He introduced what was supposed to be a clip of an animation test of the CGI dog in Tintin and was instead a clip of Jackson, wearing a sailor’s cap and holding a bottle of booze, purportedly doing his own screen test for the role of Captain Haddock. Then Jackson himself took the stage. ‘Working with Steven has been amazing,’ Jackson said. ‘I think he shows real promise. If he decides to stick with filmmaking, I think he could really go places.’”
Hobbit - All 13 dwarves revealed...seven dwarves overshadowed
Onering.net reports all 13 dwarves revealed:
 |
| Click to enlarge |
Left to Right -
Jed Brophy as Nori, Dean O' Gorman as Fili, Mark Hadlow as Dori, James Nesbitt as Bofur, Peter Hambleton as Gloin, Graham McTavish as Dwalin, Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield (center), Ken Stott as Balin, John Callen as Oin, Stephen Hunter as Bombur, Willian Kircher as Bifur, Adam Brown as Ori and Aiden Turner as Kili .
In other news seven dwarves feel overshadowed...
Hobbit Production Video diary online #3
Video Diary number three from the Hobbit Production diary is available from the Official Hobbit Blog with the following caption:
This just in from Peter Jackson, with the following note:
“Good news and bad news today. Bad news is that we won’t be doing any Hobbit presentation at Comic Con in San Diego this year. New Line and Warner Bros were very happy to support a presentation, but I declined, simply because I felt it was too early. There’s so much more of the films still to shoot. I just wanted to get that out there, because I’ve seen various references to the possibility of something Hobbity at Comic Con. Hate to disappoint anyone. But something tells me we will be there in force next year.
Now for the good news… We’ve just finished a new video blog, covering a little more of the first block of shooting. So please enjoy this—at least you don’t have to travel to San Deigo to see it! “
New Dwarves - Bombur, Bofur and Bifer
The Sun reports:
The pint-sized characters Bombur, Bofur and Bifur have been revealed by director Peter Jackson five months before the first film is released. They embark on an adventure with hobbit Bilbo Baggins to reclaim treasure from Smaug the dragon.
The dwarves, played by Stephen Hunter, James Nesbitt and William Kircher respectively, have major roles in the fantasy story.
New dwarves Balin and Dwalin
Time posts pics of new hobbit dwarves:
(L-R) Ken Stott as Balin and Graham McTavish as Dwalin
Peter Jackson's upcoming film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, has been hotly anticipated by everyone from Tolkien obsessives to film buffs. The crew behind the movie, including Jackson himself, has kept fans salivating by documenting the movie's production through blog posts and videos. But TIME is the first to bring you this image of two characters from the film, dwarves named Balin and Dwalin. Below, find Warner Bros.' description of the two, and then click on for more images of The Hobbit's beloved dwarves.
"Dwarf Lords in their own right, Balin and Dwalin are close relatives of Thorin. Beyond this, these brothers are two of his most loyal and trusted friends. An old warrior, Balin has lived through hard times and fought many battles, yet he harbors doubts about the wisdom of the Quest to retake the Lonely Mountain. Dwalin has no such forebodings – his belief in Thorin’s leadership is unshakeable. A powerful and bruising fighter, with a natural tendency to distrust anyone who is not a Dwarf, particularly anyone who might be an Elf, Dwalin is not someone to cross lightly."
Hobbit Production diary online
Stuff NZ reports:
Sir Peter Jackson has provided another insight into the filming of The Hobbit, with a second production video diary posting on his Facebook page.
The video diary was uploaded to Jackson's Facebook page this morning and has already been widely viewed, with some people saying it gave them the "chills", and many stating that the posting made them even more excited for the films' release. The 10-minute video follows Jackson and his team on their mission to find suitable filming locations - and it's much more complicated than one would think.
A team of 17 travel the South Island in five helicopters in the search for ideal landscapes.
They had already identified areas in the Mackenzie Country and Mt Cook and decided that they would also film in Dunedin for the first time. They were also looking to find a suitable location south of Queenstown.The locations had to be appropriate for filming - but they also had to have enough space for two rugby fields of equipment.
"It's weird on locations because you're standing in the middle of a mountain or valley or some beautiful place and you're having to try to figure out where are you going to put the crew tents, where are people going to get changed and where are the portaloos going to go - because all of that stuff has to be where you're not going to want to point the camera," Jackson says.
"The last thing you want to find out in six months time is you're standing on this beautiful mountain and saying 'Wow this is exactly the shot I want to do' and you've got 20 portaloos in front of the camera." The video also features footage of Jackson talking to actor Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Serkis is directing part of The Hobbit films and chats with Jackson about the pressure they are under.
"I always tell people I get exhausted at the end of the first couple of days and just stay exhausted until it finishes," Jackson tells Serkis. "I think it's a much better way to divide it into three blocks and have some time to look at what you've done... it's a much smarter way to shoot these big films."
There were 254 days of shooting planned and the crew has already finished filming the first block. Filming of the second block would start on September 5.
Many of the staff are taking off overseas and indulging in their favourite hobbies during the break. Sir Ian McKellen who plays Gandalf was heading to London to perform in a stage production, others were travelling to Bali, Las Vegas and Paris for a holiday, one was planning a marathon, another was looking forward to sleeping in and one staff member said he planed to make a psychedelic sludge-rock album.
But for Jackson, the work continues. "It almost feels like you're going on vacation," he says. "But you're not."
The Hobbit Dwarves - First look at Dori, Nori, Ori
The Daily Mail reports:
It is enough to make any JRR Tolkien fan go giddy with delight.
The latest teaser picture for the forthcoming adaptation of the Hobbit has been released, showing a trio of hardy warrior dwarves. The exciting image shows the brothers Dori, Nori and Ori, and was posted on the movie's official Facebook page.
Little surprise: The newly image of Hobbit dwarves Nori, Ori and Dori had the internet buzzing today. The description of the picture said: 'These three brothers, all sons of the same mother, could not be more different from each other. 'Dori, the oldest, spends much of his time watching out for Ori, the youngest; making sure he’s not caught a chill or got himself killed by Wargs or Goblins. 'Nobody quite knows what Nori gets up to most of the time, except that it’s guaranteed to be dodgy and quite probably, illegal.
'Dori, Nori and Ori are intensely loyal to each other – and whilst they are perfectly happy fighting amongst themselves,' New Zealand natives Jed Brophy and Mark Hadlow play Nori and Dori, while Adam Brown, who is best known for appearing in kids show Chucklevision plays Ori. Facebook fans were delighted with the new image, with comments including 'awesome,' 'perfection,' and 'I can''t wait.' The revelation follows the release of the first stills of The Office star Martin Freeman as the story's hero Bilbo Baggins.
First look: Here we see Martin Freeman take on the role of Bilbo Baggins. The drip-drop release of pictures is ramping up the anticipation ahead of the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at the end of this year. The film follows home-loving hobbit Bilbo, who is guided by the wizard Gandalf and a company of 13 dwarves on a dangerous adventure that sees him become an unlikely hero. English acting legend Sir Ian McKellen is reprising the iconic role of Gandalf, and has been seen in his full wizard regalia and flowing grey beard.
Like the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit is filmed in New Zealand under the expert eye of director Peter Jackson. The title role of the J.R.R. Tolkien tale is played by Martin Freeman, who has previously starred in Hot Fuzz, Love Actually and the original British version of The Office.
Smokin': Sir Ian McKellan looks the part as Gandalf the Grey in the upcoming Hobbit movie
The unlikely hero is visited by Gandalf the Grey who tricks him into hosting a party for Thorin and his band of 12 dwarves, who sing of reclaiming Lonely Mountain and their treasure from the dragon, Smaug. Bilbo is persuaded to join them on their quest as the expedition's burglar when Gandalf unveils a map showing a secret door into the mountain. Many characters will return from Lord of the Rings including Gollum, Frodo, Elrond, Galadriel, and Legolas.
Jackson said: 'In the space of ten years, that look he [McKellen] created - the beard, the wig, the voice, the costume - has become iconic, ''So what's weird for me on The Hobbit is that I'll be sitting on the set talking to Ian and - if I look away at the crew and look back - I don't see Ian McKellen, I see Gandalf beside me.'
Watched the movie and want to see Bilbo Baggins' home plan? Find it here
Jackson said: 'You just get in that state of tiredness and stay there, but that's OK. The movie keeps you going. 'We're working with much of the same crew as Lord of the Rings and obviously some of the actors like Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, and Andy Serkis are back so it's like a reunion. 'Plus we've got all the new boys.'Along with Freeman, new stars include Barry Humphries, a.k.a. Dame Edna as the Goblin King, and Evangeline Lilly as beautiful elf Tauriel.
Marathon shoot: Jackson and his cast and crew will spend 254 days filming the two Hobbit films back-to-back Down UnderLilly's ex-boyfriend Dominic Monaghan appeared in the Lord of the Rings trilogy as hobbit Merry Brandbuck. Other photos taken on set show the newly-slimmed down Jackson posing in Bilbo's home, Bag End. Jackson said: 'We did keep the original Bag End, but in the intervening ten years we've turned it into a guest house so people can actually live and sleep in Bag End.' 'It's up on a farm that we've got so it wasn't really possible to drag it back in the studio.' Jackson revealed that Martin Freeman has slipped easily into the Hobbit feet of his predecessor, Ian Holm. He said: 'He fits the ears, and he's got some very nice feet. I think he's got the biggest Hobbit feet we've got so far.'
Titles and Release Dates Announced
The hobbit blog releases titles and dates!
Both films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS, which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” The adventure of THE HOBBIT follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.
Barry Humphries is set to join the cast of The Hobbit
The Age reports Barry joins cast!
Australian actor, comedian and satirist Barry Humphries is set to join the cast of The Hobbit, which is filming in New Zealand. Director Peter Jackson announced on Facebook that Humphries will play the role of the Goblin King.
‘‘Barry is perhaps best known for his business and social connections as the long-time manager of Dame Edna Everage. He has also been an ardent supporter of the rather misunderstood and unfairly maligned Australian politician, Sir Les Patterson,’’ Jackson said referring to Humphries’ alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and Sir Les Patterson, a politically incorrect cultural attache.
‘‘However, in his spare time, Barry is also a fine actor, and we’re looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves,’’ Jackson wrote. Also joining the cast of The Hobbit is Evangeline Lilly who will be playing the new character, the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Another recent signing is British comedian Stephen Fry who will play The Master of Laketown.
Jackson, who directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, adds: ‘‘Evangeline and Barry, along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting. I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes!’’
With the first round of shooting over, The Hobbit has started scouting locations for the second block of shooting for which Humphries and Lilly will be joining the cast. The $US500 million ($A474 million) Hobbit movies, a two-part prequel to blockbuster The Lord of the Rings trilogy, began filming in New Zealand in March.
Australian actress Cate Blanchett will return as Galadriel, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Christopher Lee as Saruman, Elijah Wood as Frodo and Andy Serkis as Gollum.
Australian actor, comedian and satirist Barry Humphries is set to join the cast of The Hobbit, which is filming in New Zealand. Director Peter Jackson announced on Facebook that Humphries will play the role of the Goblin King.
‘‘Barry is perhaps best known for his business and social connections as the long-time manager of Dame Edna Everage. He has also been an ardent supporter of the rather misunderstood and unfairly maligned Australian politician, Sir Les Patterson,’’ Jackson said referring to Humphries’ alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and Sir Les Patterson, a politically incorrect cultural attache.
Jackson, who directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, adds: ‘‘Evangeline and Barry, along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting. I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes!’’
With the first round of shooting over, The Hobbit has started scouting locations for the second block of shooting for which Humphries and Lilly will be joining the cast. The $US500 million ($A474 million) Hobbit movies, a two-part prequel to blockbuster The Lord of the Rings trilogy, began filming in New Zealand in March.
Australian actress Cate Blanchett will return as Galadriel, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Christopher Lee as Saruman, Elijah Wood as Frodo and Andy Serkis as Gollum.
Orlando Bloom returns to Middle Earth for The Hobbit
The Age reports Orlando is back!
Orlando Bloom will reprise his role as elf Legolas in the new Hobbit film.Director Peter Jackson announced the casting decision via Facebook late last week. He also revealed that Stephen Fry would be joining the cast as The Master of Laketown, a character he described as a "conniving civil servant".
"I'm thrilled to be working with Orlando again," Jackson wrote.
British actor Bloom, who is married to Australian model Miranda Kerr, shot to stardom on the back of his performance in the Lord of the Rings trilogy."Funny thing is, I look older—and he doesn't! I guess that's why he makes such a wonderful elf."His return to Middle Earth has excited fans with almost 14,000 people opting to 'like' the announcement on Facebook."Eeek that's so great! And it doesn't matter that he wasn't in the book, the fact that his father is in it you can assume Legolas would be right with him," wrote one fan.He is not the only cast member from the highly successful films to be reprising their roles. Cate Blanchett will return as Galadriel, Sir Ian McKellan as Gandalf, Andy Serkis as Gollum, Elijah Wood as Frodo and Hugo Weaving as Elrond.The lead role of Bilbo Baggins will be played by Martin Freeman.Jackson has been using his Facebook wall to update fans on the progress of the highly anticipated film version of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel. It is set 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, and follows Baggins and a group of 13 dwarves on a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.The project has been in the works for more than a decade, delayed by legal issues and a union dispute. Filming commenced in Wellington, New Zealand, in March. The Hobbit will be shot in digital 3D and told in two films. The first film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will be released on December 14, 2012. The second film is expected to be released in December the following year.Another of Jackson's films, an adaptation of the Tintin books, is almost completed. For the past five years he has been working on the project with Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy.
Orlando Bloom will reprise his role as elf Legolas in the new Hobbit film.Director Peter Jackson announced the casting decision via Facebook late last week. He also revealed that Stephen Fry would be joining the cast as The Master of Laketown, a character he described as a "conniving civil servant".
"I'm thrilled to be working with Orlando again," Jackson wrote.
British actor Bloom, who is married to Australian model Miranda Kerr, shot to stardom on the back of his performance in the Lord of the Rings trilogy."Funny thing is, I look older—and he doesn't! I guess that's why he makes such a wonderful elf."His return to Middle Earth has excited fans with almost 14,000 people opting to 'like' the announcement on Facebook."Eeek that's so great! And it doesn't matter that he wasn't in the book, the fact that his father is in it you can assume Legolas would be right with him," wrote one fan.He is not the only cast member from the highly successful films to be reprising their roles. Cate Blanchett will return as Galadriel, Sir Ian McKellan as Gandalf, Andy Serkis as Gollum, Elijah Wood as Frodo and Hugo Weaving as Elrond.The lead role of Bilbo Baggins will be played by Martin Freeman.Jackson has been using his Facebook wall to update fans on the progress of the highly anticipated film version of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel. It is set 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, and follows Baggins and a group of 13 dwarves on a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.The project has been in the works for more than a decade, delayed by legal issues and a union dispute. Filming commenced in Wellington, New Zealand, in March. The Hobbit will be shot in digital 3D and told in two films. The first film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will be released on December 14, 2012. The second film is expected to be released in December the following year.Another of Jackson's films, an adaptation of the Tintin books, is almost completed. For the past five years he has been working on the project with Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy.
Totally Look like....
cate blanchett to star as galadriel...
Ian McKellen as gandalf...
Andy Serkis as Gollum
Orlando Bloom as Legolas...
Elijah Wood as frodo ...
Hugo Weaving as Eldrond
Christopher Lee as saruman...
hundreds of short people try out for elven roles...
wannabe elves queue for hours...
stuff.nz.co reports:
People queued for about two hours for the Elf extras call for the Hobbit at Te Whaea Men had to be taller than 183 cm and women 175 cm. Rowan Fordham, 32 , left, Samantha Lee, 21 and Max Austin, 42. Max came from the Blue Mountains, Australia to audition he works in the film industry as a fight scene choreographer.
Some tried to stack the odds with platform heels, but there was no fooling casting agents on the hunt for elvish folk.
Hundreds of people flocked to Te Whaea dance and drama centre in Newtown on Saturday in response to a casting call for The Hobbit, seeking people to play elves and elven riders in the Lord of the Rings precursors, which are due to start shooting next month.
The audition called for men over 1.83m tall and women over 1.75m, aged between 17 and 40.
Wellington woman Carys Lloyd, 24 and 1.85m tall, said she arrived 15 minutes before the advertised time, and there were already about 200 people ahead of her.
''There were some girls in really, really high heels and they would have had to wait for three hours just to get turned away because they were too short.''
She and her husband waited for about two hours in line for their turn.
''We got in the room, they took our height, measured our head circumference, bust, waist, hips and shoe size, took a close-up and a full-body shot, and that was it.
''It was literally a two-hour wait for two minutes inside.''
Ms Lloyd said despite the cold wind that kept those in line shivering during their wait, she did not mind all the standing around.
''It was just good practice for if we do get in, because I know it's just going to be a full-on day of waiting around. ''But I just want to experience it and see what it's like it'd be cool to be able to say I was in a movie.''
stuff.nz.co reports:
People queued for about two hours for the Elf extras call for the Hobbit at Te Whaea Men had to be taller than 183 cm and women 175 cm. Rowan Fordham, 32 , left, Samantha Lee, 21 and Max Austin, 42. Max came from the Blue Mountains, Australia to audition he works in the film industry as a fight scene choreographer.
Some tried to stack the odds with platform heels, but there was no fooling casting agents on the hunt for elvish folk.
Hundreds of people flocked to Te Whaea dance and drama centre in Newtown on Saturday in response to a casting call for The Hobbit, seeking people to play elves and elven riders in the Lord of the Rings precursors, which are due to start shooting next month.
The audition called for men over 1.83m tall and women over 1.75m, aged between 17 and 40.
Wellington woman Carys Lloyd, 24 and 1.85m tall, said she arrived 15 minutes before the advertised time, and there were already about 200 people ahead of her.
''There were some girls in really, really high heels and they would have had to wait for three hours just to get turned away because they were too short.''
She and her husband waited for about two hours in line for their turn.
''We got in the room, they took our height, measured our head circumference, bust, waist, hips and shoe size, took a close-up and a full-body shot, and that was it.
''It was literally a two-hour wait for two minutes inside.''
Ms Lloyd said despite the cold wind that kept those in line shivering during their wait, she did not mind all the standing around.
''It was just good practice for if we do get in, because I know it's just going to be a full-on day of waiting around. ''But I just want to experience it and see what it's like it'd be cool to be able to say I was in a movie.''
Ian Holms not sure if he should be heading to NZ yet..
the actor who plays bilbo baggins doesn't know if he is coming back for the third movie
the belfast telegraphs reports
Sir Ian Holm apparently still doesn't know if he'll be packing his bags to head to New Zealand for The Hobbit.
The acclaimed actor had been in talks with the film's producers about reprising his role as hobbit Bilbo Baggins, which he played in the first and third Lord Of The Rings films, and it had been reported that he was included in the star-studded cast for Peter Jackson's forthcoming prequel, due to start filming in New Zealand next month.
But he told the Daily Telegraph: "I don't know what's happening - I haven't heard anything for weeks."
The 79-year-old was keen to return to the part and was hoping to act alongside Martin Freeman, who plays the younger version of the character.
"I had great fun playing Baggins in the first two films and the plan had been, with Martin Freeman playing Young Baggins, I would be the Old Baggins. I suppose the earthquake in Christchurch couldn't have helped with communications," he said.
Melissa Booth, a spokesperson for the company making the film, said: "Filming starts on March 21," without addressing Sir Ian's remarks.
casting call for elves
if you happen to be in new zealand - the land of the long white cloud and also happen to match the following criteria then YOU too can be an elf:
physical build is tall and slender.
aged between 17 to 40 years old (yep elves top out at 40 years old, no wrinkles here)
men should be at least 6ft (183cm) or taller
women at least 5ft 9 (175cm) tall.
physical build is tall and slender.
aged between 17 to 40 years old (yep elves top out at 40 years old, no wrinkles here)
men should be at least 6ft (183cm) or taller
women at least 5ft 9 (175cm) tall.
hobbit movie titles
hobbit movie titles
collider recently reports that New Line Cinema recently registered two film titles:
The Hobbit: There and Back Again
and
The Hobbit: An/The Unexpected Journey.
collider recently reports that New Line Cinema recently registered two film titles:
The Hobbit: There and Back Again
and
The Hobbit: An/The Unexpected Journey.
the cast
the cast
Beorn - Mikael Persbrandt
Bifur - William Kircher
Bilbo Baggins - Martin Freeman
Bofur - James Nesbitt
Bombur - Steven Hunter
Dori - Mark Hadlow
Drogo Baggins - Ryan Cage
Dwalin - Graham McTavish
Fili - Rob Kazinsky
Frodo Baggins - Elijah Wood
Galadriel - Cate Blanchett
Gandalf - Sir Ian McKellen
Gloin - Peter Hambleton
Gollum - Andy Serkis
Kili - Aidan Turner
Legolas - Orlando Bloom
Lord Balin - Ken Stott
Nori - Jed Brophy
Oin - John Callen
Ori - Adam Brown
Radagast -Sylvester McCoy
Saruman - Sir Cristopher Lee
Thorin - Richard Armitage