LOTR Movie news archives from May 19, 2000 through May 29, 2000

LoTR Movie News Archives

From May 19, 2000 through May 29, 2000

The Lord of the Rings movies

· Peter Jackson, with funding from New Line Cinema, produced three movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings". Filmed entirely in New Zealand, and starring actors such as Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Liv Tyler (Arwen), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), and Christopher Lee (Saruman), the movies approximately follow the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings with which most Tolkien fans are familiar: "The Fellowship of the Ring" (December 19, 2001), "The Two Towers" (December 18, 2002), and "The Return of the King" (December 17, 2003). Xenite.Org has been keeping fans informed about the progress of the movies since February 1998, longer than any other LoTR movie news site. We are also home to some of the best Tolkien and Middle-earth forums, fan fiction, and commentary on the Internet today.

LOTR Movie news archives from May 19, 2000 through May 29, 2000

May 29 news

· Looks like most of the Tolkien movie news sites jumped on the New Zealand Women's Weekly layout for LOTR yesterday, but only Tolkien-Movies.Com scored a real coup by reporting that Harvesters of Death are claiming to be negotiating a contract to provide a humorous heavy metal song for the end credits (which, they claim, will contain out-takes from the films). Any bets on whether the deal falls through now the whole world knows about it? With all due respect to the musicians, we did not listen to any of their songs.

· Gossip is starting to take over the LOTR movie sites these days. Can the dearth of news be the cause? Lately people are discussing the casting call we announced last week. Is it for LOTR? Is it not? It's for LOTR. Was it sanctioned by 3foot6 is the question should be. Um, we didn't try to call the telephone number, but people in New Zealand who answered the call should surely be able to tell someone something....

· In other gossip, TheOneRing.Net is suggesting that scene where Arwen may be outside Moria's west-gate could, in fact, be Arwen fighting outside the Morannon. Um, Xo, unless you've heard something that hasn't shown up elsewhere, there seem to be a few details lacking (like, no Gandalf, no Pippin, no sons of Elrond, no Eomer, no....) Maybe we should start a betting pool with a Xenite.Org t-shirt as a prize or something. And then two weeks down the road every other LOTR movie site will be running betting pools (no, being copied doesn't bother us in the least -- polls, links, background information...we'll keep leading the way....)

· Speaking of gossip, does anyone know what kind of weapon the guy sparring with the Orc in the NZ Women's Weekly layout is using? It looks like a sort of scythe. Purists, please cover your eyes.... (For those of you who haven't seen the picture yet, Imladris has a pretty clear shot. Imladris is located at http://www.lordoftheringsmovie.com/ (EDITOR'S NOTE: Tolkien Enterprises now owns this domain). Other sites which are carrying the photos include TheOneRing.Net (see our TORN index box in the right-hand column), Tolkien Online, and The Realm of the Ring. Sorry if we missed any other sites carrying the photos. There are so many these days. Maybe someone should start a Webring or something. Come to think of it, someone did. Should we join?

· And just to add fuel to the fires of fandom (sorry about the "ventiladores" crack, on Elfenomeno, we're trying to be as fanny as possible), it appears from one of the photos that Peter Jackson has gone with the "Yes, there were Dark Elves in Middle-earth" theory (well, yeah, technically, there were Dark Elves, but we're trying to be funny).

· Word has it that pesticides are destroying the fruits in New Zealand (well, they are killing bees and butterflies, making it impossible for the trees to reproduce). Will we see fruitless trees in the LOTR movies? Will that be okay with people because Tolkien didn't bother to mention any trees with fruit hanging on their boughs as the Hobbits walked past? Maybe we finally know what happened to the Ent-wives....

· Tom Jones, the world-renowned singer ("What's New, Pussycat?") is appearing in Christchurch. Since he had a cameo role in "Invaders from Mars", it's always conceivable we'll be seeing some drab bar scene in Isengard with a very familiar-looking Englishman singing, "What's new, Uruk-hai?" (Whooaa-whoaa-whoaa!)

· Hey, we're a COOL LINK in New Zealand! Thanks to The Weekender. We think you guys are cool, too (wink, wink, "The check is in the mail."). So, let's look at a few items from the Weekender archives... (EDITOR'S NOTE: The Weekender NZ site was shut down.)

· The busy folks at the Weekender found a little information on Peter Jackson's new studio at Upper Hutt. Read about it here. (EDITOR'S NOTE: The Weekender NZ site was shut down.)

· Here are some pictures of filming locations you may not have seen before. (EDITOR'S NOTE: The Weekender NZ site was shut down.)

· Check out this blue volcano shot, too. It's a pity Peter couldn't get permission to fly a helicopter over the park, but maybe they'll be able to use some stock footage or something to include these fantastic vistas in the movies. (EDITOR'S NOTE: The Weekender NZ site was shut down.)

May 27 news

· We've updated our plot summary for "The Fellowship of the Ring" based on the latest spy report from Altariel at TheOneRing.Net.

· Also according to TheOneRing.Net, part of the Rivendell set is being reconstructed at Wingate (see below) -- probably to facilitate refilming some footage that didn't turn out well.

· Galadriel, another TORN spy, has reported on a possible tomb set for the kings of Gondor. One big problem: no such tomb figures in the story, although Aragorn lays himself down on a bier in "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen". Most likely this is the House of the Stewards, where Denethor will kill himself (and try to kill Faramir). The only real clue to the purpose of the set in Galadriel's description is the dome. The runes (not ruins) used to inscribe things on the pillars might give a better indication, but since she didn't transcribe them....(BTW -- the Dunedain probably did use the Cirth for such inscriptions.)

May 26 news

· Christopher Lee is expected to return to New Zealand soon to additional scenes for "The Lord of the Rings".

· This week's Suite101 Tolkien topic article asks: Will the scenery steal the show?

· Orbiter Explorer has a song called "The Lord of the Rings". It's a repetitive synthesizer-based piece that is sort of a neo-disco sound. It's mostly an instrumental song (about 7 minutes long) but has a couple of short voice-overs. The first one is very distorted and reminds me of the little alien toys from "Toy Story" (I kept expecting to hear, "The CLAW!", but they confined themselves to the Ring-rhyme from LOTR). It's worth at least one listen if you're into MP3s and such. You'll have to give MP3.Com your email address to "register". (EDITOR'S NOTE: This service appears to have been shut down.)

· If Orbiter Explorer isn't to your taste, then maybe you'll enjoy Kris Norris' "Tolkien Interlude", which is a bit more traditional in composition (still very electronic, but there is a piano or electric piano in there somewhere). The piece is just under 2 minutes long. Norris actually has three longer pieces called (collectively) "The Tolkien Trilogy".

· And, well, our third offering today is Kelvin L. Smith's The Grey Havens. This one could be the soundtrack for a light show or something. Now all we have to do is find "How Do I Live Without This Ring?" by Lee Ann Rimes....

· Wouldn't you like to own stock in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" films? Well, now you can...sort of. Hollywood Stock Exchange is an online securities trading game based on films. It's a lot like The Rogue Market game, which has been around for years and let's you invest in famous people. Both games let you win prizes if you earn a lot of "money" through your investments. "The Lord of the Rings" is listed on the Hollywood Stock Exchange.

May 25 news

· Model Pool Talent Ltd. has published a casting call for "tall/slender men/women and short people. Males with solid/rugby type builds. We need very experienced horseriders, all 16+ yrs and we are also looking for families. Children 7 yrs+, parents, grandparents -- come along together!" They have open interviews at Ashburton on Friday, May 26, 12AM - 8PM at the Manchester Unity Hall 306 Havelock St., Ashburton (across from the police station); on Saturday and Sunday, May 27-8, 10AM - 6PM, at the Christchurch Arts Centre, Cnr Hereford St/Rolleston Ave (across from the YMCA); Timaru, Monday, May 29, 12AM - 8PM at the Pharlap Raceway, Greyway Lounge, entrance off Pleasant Point H/way. No appointments. New Zealanders only (of course). Call Model Pool Talent Ltd. at (04) 472-1230, or send them email at this address: talent . at . modelpool.co.nz. Thanks to Daniel Batkin-Smith for the heads up.

· The Middle-earth Stratics "report" is dated from January. The news is very old. According to one of our sources, a new development team has been in place for some time, but the rumors concerning Tolkien Enterprises' dissatisfaction with Havas have been circulating for more than a month now, and the rumor is appearing in more and more places. There may be a big announcement sometime this summer. If so, fans who have been wanting a multiplayer Tolkien game on the Internet may not be entirely disappointed. But it is our intention to report the fact of the rumor (i.e., that the rumor is circulating), not to start new rumors (about anything).

May 23 news

· Tol Galen is reporting that the Lake Clearwater set (we had previously speculated might serve for the Battles of the Fords of Isen) is actually going to be the site of Edoras. The landscape is equally appropriate for both locations (Tol Galen has pictures). There should not be any battles in or around Edoras, but we'll just have to wait and see....

· The Realm of the Ring is citing a Dominion article which addresses rumors of mistreatment of horses on the LOTR movie sets. There appear to be little truth in the accusations, although some of the rumors have misconstrued actual facts. Authorities are satisfied the animals are being well treated.

· If you're interested in online gaming, you may have heard the rumor that Tolkien Enterprises has withdrawn the license for Middle-earth Online from Havas, the company which owns Sierra (the company which bought...well, the Middle-earth Online guys). Computer Gaming World is reportedly claiming the license has been yanked. Now, if it turns out this rumor is true, well, there may be something else down the line....

· Come join us for a brief tour of Xenite.Org on Thursday, May 25, at 7PM Eastern Time Zone (US East Coast). We'll be checking out the new Sidetalk plugin for Internet Explorer (Netscape version on the way!). If all goes well, Xenite.Org will be hosting regular Web surfing sessions that poke around SF fandom online. (EDITOR'S NOTE: That service has been shut down.)

· Do you think there should have been Ladies of Andunie? (Ruling women in the Numenorean land of Andunie, as there were Ruling Queens.) Stephen Geard, one of the Internet's leading experts on J.R.R. Tolkien, recently asked members of The Tolkien Forum (formerly known as The White Council) what they think. Take a look and share your thoughts.

May 20 news

· Mithrigil Galtirglin is doing it again. Writing great Tolkien fan fiction, that is! Check out The Lord of the Ringers, a parody unlike any other you've ever read! Follow young Fred Baggins as he leaves his rich neighborhood in the suburb called the Shire and embarks upon a quest to save the world from the insane Andrew Saylor. If you think Tolkien is turning over in his grave, it's so he can laugh!

· Can fan-made films be far behind? iFilm (oops! there goes another of Xenite.Org's secret sources) has an interesting article about the spawning of an Internet film industry. Although the article makes no mention of science fiction themes and fandom, we know that a group of resourceful fans have actually already made a spoof of Star Wars and Cops in which the Imperial Storm Troopers deal with a domestic squabble between a certain moisture farmer and his wife (not long after dealing with some hotrodding Jawas in their souped up sand-crawler who may have been involved in a droid theft).

Such gems are not confined to the Internet only. A resourceful group of Australian fans produced a short film telling the story of Star Wars just prior to the opening scene in "A New Hope". The movie, said to have been approved by George Lucas himself, was produced on a shoestring budget. Can LOTR fans be far behind? A fan-produced LOTR movie on the Internet would open up some interesting issues. A number of Web sites have already featured scripts in progress and joint efforts to write a "better" LOTR movie. How long will it be before we hear about the first underground LOTR movie distribution? What do you think?

· Hutt Hobbit has suggested to TheOneRing.Net that the mysterious set by the railway is indeed being used for Moria/Eregion scenes. At one point smoke came from the set, which could be from the fight with the Wargs in Eregion. Two dead trees are also part of the set. These could either be for the gate or part of the battle with the magical wolves. It's starting to sound more and more like this set will be used for multiple scenes.

· Whoops! More plate armor will be appearing in Middle-earth, it seems. Although Tolkien was always careful to adorn his warriors in chain shirts (or less), it appears that the Rohirrim will also have a few plate-armored folks, besides the Uruk-hai. Just keep repeating softly to yourselves: it's the journey of the Ringbearers that matters. It's the journey of the Ringbearers that matters....

· On the other side of the globe, Planet Tolkien has announced it is merging with The Barrowdowns and they are getting some corporate backing. Xenite.Org continues to go it alone, David against the Goliaths. Of course, corporate backing in Poland is not exactly like selling a 20% stake to Microsoft....

· We went looking at other Tolkien movie sites again to see what news they had and many were still picking up our older stories as "scoops". So we just had to find something new to talk about while surfing. Hey, what a NEAT idea! Let's chat while we surf! How can we do that, you say? Just take a peek at Sidetalk. Xenite.Org will be scheduling some Web tours in the future. The software is free and plugs into your Microsoft browser (a Netscape version is in development). Yup, it won't be long before you start seeing Sidetalk featured on those other sites....(EDITOR'S NOTE: That service has been shut down.)

· Dozens of inside movie sites around the Web rushed to mention that Karl Urban is at Cannes and cannot talk about "The Lord of the Rings". You won't see us making a big fuss over that....

May 19 news

· What's that, you say? What's new on the Tolkien and Middle-earth track at Dragoncon you say? We're glad you asked that. It just so happens that Tolkien Online has agreed to do some Audiocasts from the convention for us. Each day (if all goes as hoped) we'll do 1 or 2 broadcasts over the Internet from Dragoncon with sound bytes, news, and maybe even some personal comments from Brad Dourif and Karl Urban (or the maintenance people if we can't scarf up anyone else) about how great the convention is, what a good time they're having, and how everyone will be blown away by the movies. Keep your eyes peeled to this page. We're hoping to announce more neat things about the convention in the coming weeks. Thanks to both these great Tolkien sites for pitching in and helping make the track a real Tolkien fan community experience. You'll be able to talk to the Webmasters in opposing corners of the ring...er, they'll be walking around talking to people!

Each Web site, btw, will be posting news about their participation in the convention as they iron out the details.

· Well, several sites are carrying new spy pictures of a set they believe may be Rivendell. Is there enough evidence to conclude this is Rivendell? Not really, not if Peter Jackson intends to be faithful to the book for whatever scenes are to be filmed there. Why? Because Bill the Pony was never saddled. Ever. If the pony that was spotted was Bill, expect a lot of howling from your local purists (they must be Wargs or something). So, what other places could the set represent? Possibly Fangorn Forest or the area outside the west-gate of Moria. Or Isengard. The large backdrops in the picture appear to be the kind used for bluescreen technology. The clifs may or may not be significant, that really depends on whether they are shown. Of course, this could also be a multi-purpose set, since the quarry where Helms Deep was filmed will also be used for Minas Tirith. On the other hand, maybe Ethan Hawke will play Bombadil in the DVD version....

· Well, TheOneRing.Net has passed on a report from Galadriel the super ninja spy (who probably delivers the milk and cookies to the sets in everyday life) which states, among other things, that the Ents will be computer generated. Hey, we said A tear for the Ents might be a little too much anticipation, didn't we? What other deep, dark secrets will Xenite.Org hint at? Note that Viggo wanders from tent to tent in the Dunharrow set. Now, why would he do that? Hm...

· The movies will be released worldwide on December 15, 2000.

· Looks like someone finally told Harry Knowles the first script for Peter Jackson's LOTR movies was vastly inferior to the current script. Well, yeah, they added a third movie and put Lothlorien back in. Of course the first script was vastly inferior. Sheesh!

· In other related news, Ringzone.Net announced it was pulling out of the 25 Hobbits promotion system. Xenite.Org has never carried the 25 Hobbits banner, but we do have a text link where people occasionally vote for us. We have carried the link more as a courtesy to an idea that seemed to represent the enthusiasm of the fannish community.

· Peter Jackson spoke with FilmScouts about the impact of computers on entertainment technology and they've provided a 22-second Quicktime clip here.