Xenite.Org News

TheOneRing.Net packs them in at Dragoncon

September 02, 2001 at 00:16:16

4,000 wildly enthusiastic Tolkien fans crowded into Dragoncon's largest venue to watch a special presentation by TheOneRing.Net at Dragoncon.

The hour-long presentation encapsulated two years' worth of spy reports and secret information filtered to fan Web sites by people close to the production of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" movies. Two representatives from the popular fan site explained that some of the material they showed would not be posted on their Web site, as they dared not risk incurring the wrath of New Line Cinema. Nonetheless, so much material was covered, including many pictures from trailers and officially sanctioned publications, that one of the representatives constantly urged the person attending their projector to move on to the next image.

The audience still revelled in some previously unreported images said to be associated with the movies. And though no finished images of the Balrog were provided, they noted that some merchandisers were already publicizing images by John Howe which are very strong indications of how Peter Jackson's Balrog will be potrayed.

The presentation also included the two theatrical trailers and the Internet preview made available in April 2000. Some of the frame-by-frame analyses available on the OneRing Web site were meticulously covered. Fans got to see several variations of Orcs and Elves, including the famous shot of Elven women (and men) fleeing through a forest (a scene most likely derived from a flashback telling the history of the fall of Eregion when Sauron attempted to seize all the Rings of Power) and the scene of Elven warriors coming to the aid of the Fellowship of the Ring (probably depicting how the Fellowship reaches safety in Lothlorien after being pursued from Moria).

Images new and old were included in the presentation, and the audience was stunned by depictions of scenes in Moria, particularly where Gandalf and the Fellowship face off with an army of Orcs. Another stunning image showed Aragorn fighting off a battalion of Saruman's Uruk-hai, many of whom have a white hand imprint on their foreheads and faces.

The venue, normally used only for the largest functions at Dragoncon, was so full that hundreds of curious fans were turned away due to strict observation of attendance guidelines under the stern presence of the Atlanta fire marshal.

Dragoncon continues at the Atlanta Hyatt and Marriott hotels through Sunday, September 2 and Monday, September 3.