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Lego The Lord of the Rings is coming! (Lego The Hobbit, too!)

Friday, December 16th, 2011

Looks like the article I wrote a while ago about the potential for a Lego Lord of the Rings was right on the money.  Back in February of 2010, I wrote that the LEGO company could create products based on the Lord of the Rings.  My article was more about video games than anything else, but this is a good start.  I suspect that video games are only a matter of time, now.

Here’s the press release:

Warner Bros. Consumer Products and The LEGO Group announced today a partnership that awards the world’s leading construction toy brand exclusive rights to develop build-and-play construction sets based on THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ trilogy and the two films based on THE HOBBIT™.  The multi-year licensing agreement grants access to the library of characters, settings, and stories for THE LORD OF THE RINGS property, as well as films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again.  LEGO® THE LORD OF THE RINGS construction sets are slated for a rolling global launch beginning in June 2012 in the United States, with LEGO THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY scheduled for later in the year.

“Only LEGO, with their expertise in the construction category, is capable of doing justice to the incredibly imaginative environments depicted in the world of THE LORD OF THE RINGS and the two films based on THE HOBBIT,” said Karen McTier, executive vice president, domestic licensing and worldwide marketing, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “These films give life to amazing worlds and characters and we are thrilled to bring fans these products that deliver an imaginative play experience befitting of these beloved properties.”

The LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS collection will translate into LEGO form the epic locations, scenes and characters of Middle-earth as depicted in all three films, including The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

In late 2012, LEGO THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY will give fans of all ages a chance to build and play out the fantastical story and new characters of the legendary Middle-earth adventures depicted in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journeyfrom Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, slated to premiere December 14, 2012.

“Our collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products has delivered numerous worldwide successes in the construction toy aisle with lines like LEGO HARRY POTTER and LEGO BATMAN, introducing us to loyal audiences who love great stories, strong characters and the toys that they inspire,” said Jill Wilfert, vice president, licensing and entertainment for The LEGO Group. “It’s particularly exciting to now be able to create sets based on the fantasy worlds and characters from THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and the two films based on THE HOBBIT, not only because we know they will foster collectability and creative play, but also because these are two properties that our fans have been asking us to create for years.”

Information about the sets and collectible minifigures from both collections will be unveiled at a later date at TheLordoftheRings.LEGO.com.

About The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of two films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit.  The second film will be The Hobbit: There and Back Again.  Both films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before 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 Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released beginning December 14, 2012.  The second film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, is slated for release the following year, beginning December 13, 2013.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins.  Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” movies are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; and Andy Serkis as Gollum.  The ensemble cast also includes (in alphabetical order) Richard Armitage, John Bell, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries,Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Evangeline Lilly, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas, and Aidan Turner.

The screenplays for both The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again are by Fran Walsh,Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson.  Jackson is also producing the films, together with Fran Walsh andCarolynne Cunningham.  The executive producers are Alan Horn, Ken Kamins, Toby Emmerich and Zane Weiner, with Boyens serving as co-producer.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again are being co-produced by New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. with New Line managing production.

Warner Bros Pictures will be handling theatrical distribution for most of the world and MGM will handle all international television licensing and theatrical distribution for certain international territories for the films.

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Super 8 – A Film about Letting Go, Forgiveness, Childhood and Film Making

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

Super 8 is a film that is rich with many layers of depth.  It is a love-letter to the inspiration of making movies and provides a lot of heart to match.  After seeing the film, I ordered the score, composed by Michael Giacchino.  Giacchino has worked with Super 8 director J.J. Abrams on every project since Alias.

Having seen the film three times, each time getting something new out of the movie, I found the music and characters began to resonate with me more and more.  Perhaps it’s because my childhood was somewhat similar, but for whatever reason, the themes that the film contained touched me.

The music, masterfully composed by Giacchino, is both reminiscent of the music of John Williams and entirely original.  The first time you hear the music in the film is with the studio logos, before the movie even begins, and I can remember feeling that music already transporting me back to my childhood.

It is then that the film begins, with a loss that hangs over the whole film: an accident at a plant that takes the life of Joe Lamb’s mother.  It is this beat that sets up the emotional journey of Joe, as he sets off through the summer, trying to be a kid while also trying to deal with the loss of his mother and a father that doesn’t know how to be there for him.  Joe holds tightly to a locket that had belonged to his mother and finds it difficult to move on.  He finds himself on a journey of discovery as an alien is loose in his small town.  The culmination of his journey is in the moment that he confronts the alien face to face.

“Bad things happen,” he says, “but you can still live.”

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On Movie Theater Etiquette – How to be a Good Cinema Citizen

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

After writing about the etiquette of movie spoilers, I was inspired to write a bit about movie theater etiquette.  This is something that, unfortunately, a lot of people don’t have a good grasp on.  There are a number of things to keep in mind when you’re going to the theater, and the rules do change based on the situation.  I’ll try to be as clear as possible.

Arrival at the Theater

When you arrive at the theater, make sure you plan your time dependent on what movie you’re going to see and when you’re going to see it.  I don’t understand it myself, but every time I go see a film at midnight for the first screening, someone always walks in at 12:01 am and looks up for any open seats.  Seriously?  Couldn’t you have gotten there earlier?

And if you get there late, and you notice a couple of seats that are in a prime spot, don’t just sit there until you know if those seats are available.

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On the Etiquette of Movie Spoilers

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

I just read a blog on Cape Town Community called Please Don’t Spoil My Movies! which I found to be something that I agreed with wholly.  When it comes to movies that I want to see, I don’t want to know what is going to happen.  If I see a trailer, that’s fine, but knowing anything beyond what the studio wants to show is a rarity for me.

It’s also for this reason that I don’t read reviews.  I think most critics are ridiculous, and I have yet to find a single one that I agree with all the time (based on looking at scores after I’ve seen a movie).  As I haven’t found a critic whose reviews match my own point of view 100% of the time, or even 50% of the time, how can I trust any critic to really get how I’ll feel about any movie.  They might hate a movie that I’ll love, or love a movie that I’ll hate.  Critics hold no sway over my perspective, for this reason, and I’ve found that I love some movies that even the critical mass has hated.  If I had listened to them, I wouldn’t have found the movie.

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The Hobbit – Start of Production Video Blog

Friday, April 15th, 2011

This week saw the release of the first video blog from the New Zealand set of The Hobbit.  The long awaited follow-up to The Lord of the Rings, and my most anticipated two films since The Return of the King.  I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for a couple of movies.  And the coolest thing is that they’ll definitely live up to my expectations.  Knowing that many of the same creative team has returned, and that they’re putting the same detail and care into the project, would be a shock if they didn’t measure up at all to The Lord of the Rings.

When I watched the first production video blog that Peter Jackson put together, it gave me the familiar feeling of The Lord of the Rings behind the scenes.  The familiar music added an emotional weight to the video that conjured up memories of the films that have become so familiar to me, while also getting me really excited to hear the new music that Howard Shore is composing for these new adventures.

The video also made me want to build both Bag End and Rivendell at my house.

There hasn’t been a better writer than J.R.R. Tolkien, nor a better book than The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit is part of that world.  Watch the video below.

I love how it ends with what was likely the first shot they filmed for the film: a hand picking up the One Ring, followed by a shot of Bag End.

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Ghostbusters Comic going Monthly, More Animated Series Thoughts

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

A little more than a year ago, I wrote about how I felt that a new Ghostbusters animated series was possible with the upcoming motion picture event that is Ghostbusters 3.  I’m hoping that Bill Murray actually reads the script and says he’ll do the film.  Not only will it satisfy my want for another film in the series, but it’ll also give a lot of people work this year.

I read something else that made me excited today, though, and that is the announcement of the monthly publication of a Ghostbusters comic book.  This is something that I have been hoping for, and the reason that I bought all of the Ghostbusters comics that have been released within the last few years.  IDW has finally decided to make it a monthly series, though, and it seems that fan favorite artist Dapper Dan is going to have a hand in it, if not be the series’ artist for a few issues.  I really like his style.  It evokes thoughts of what an animated series would look like if it were based on his artistic style.  I have a feeling that it would be just different enough from The Real Ghostbusters to make it a new, and not derivative, series that is distinct and original.

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My 10 Favorite Super Bowl Commercials for 2011

Monday, February 7th, 2011

Okay, so this year’s commercials were pretty underwhelming overall. However, there were a number of movies that I am really excited about that had commercials.


#1: Transformers: Dark of the Moon – I’ll start with the movie that I am most excited to see. I will make no apologies for being a fan of Transformers. I will probably always be excited for another Transformers movie. This commercial didn’t have any dialogue, but showed a lot of action and an entire city under siege. I saw someone comment that it looked like “more of the same story” from the first two movies. Technically not true. A battle in the city was done in the first film, but that was to get the cube. The second one had a villain trying to destroy the sun. This one seems to feature a Decepticon invasion. Of course all of them have the same purpose, because the Decepticons have only one goal: victory.

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Ivan Reitman on Ghostbusters 3 Script: It is Complete!

Monday, January 10th, 2011

More exciting news on the Ghostbusters 3 development.  Ivan Reitman has confirmed that the screenplay is complete for the third Ghostbusters film, which he believes could be the best of the three.  While I don’t doubt that it could be, I think it’s going to be a very tough mark to reach.  Depending on what point of view you take, it could be the best in terms of effects, story, cinematography or laughs.  There are any number of variables that it could be the best at.

However, I’ve written in the past about Ghostbusters 3: Thoughts and Feelings on Continuing the Series, and I highly recommend you read it as it has garnered a lot of positive response from fans in some Ghostbusters fan forums.  It’s going to be tough to even live up to our expectations, let alone top all of them.  There will be those of us that find the new film can only sit in the shadow of the original.  There will also be many that feel the new one far overshadows the old (and most of those sentiments will come from younger fans that didn’t grow up with the original).

I admire the confidence, though, and can’t wait to see if it does hold up to things that I have heard about it.

CS: The whole Sigourney Weaver thing about her son taking over and Bill Murray coming back as a ghost…
Reitman: Oh, no, yeah… I mean, Sigourney Weaver has a role in this movie. All the original characters have parts. As well as a whole bunch of new characters… it’s got a really good story, this one. Maybe the best of the whole series. I hope we get to do it.

Read more: Exclusive: Ivan Reitman on Ghostbusters 3 – ComingSoon.net

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Disney’s Prep & Landing – A New Holiday Classic, Returning with Short, Sequel

Friday, November 26th, 2010

Christmas 2009 came with a new gift from Disney • Pixar: Prep & Landing.  This is a new holiday classic featuring a pair of elves that prepare each home for the arrival of Santa Claus.  They make sure that the children are asleep, and any potential problems are neutralized before he comes to deliver presents to the home.  It only took the first few minutes to make it one of my favorite Christmas specials that I have ever seen.  I must have watched it a few dozen times last year.

I learned something very exciting today.  Not only is Prep & Landing going to air again this year (hoping for a Blu-ray release some day), but they’re also working on a sequel!  Now, the sequel isn’t due until Christmas 2011, is a very long wait.

I was a bit disappointed that I would have to wait another year to have another adventure in the world that was so thoroughly established in the original, and then I saw that they are releasing a short this year as well!

I remember the first time that I watched Prep & Landing.  I was blown away.  Not only was it a very short special, but it had a lot of heart and when it ended, I wanted more.  I didn’t expect it to happen, and not this quickly.  Here’s what I know about each new adventure.  The short – Operation: Secret Santa, and the sequel – Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice.

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Ninja Turtles Film Franchise in Platinum Dunes’ hands

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Since last fall’s purchase of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rights by Paramount, the future of the film series has been in the air.  Now we have some idea of where it is going, just not what it’ll look like when it finally hits the big screen in a couple of years or so.  Paramount made a first look deal with the partners in Platinum Dunes, a company created to generate genre films as well as expand their scope.

The most interesting part of the deal is who makes up the partners in Platinum Dunes: Brad Fuller, Andrew Form and Michael Bay.  Yes, the same Michael Bay who is busy working on Transformers 3.  Apparently there is a meeting set in the next few weeks with writers for the project.

I can see how Michael Bay and Transformers was a good fit, but Michael Bay and TMNT?  That’s a mystery that remains to be seen.  He’s not the likely candidate to direct the film, but there isn’t a director list put together yet, at least in the public.

What would TMNT look like with Michael Bay at the helm?  What concerns me is what would become of the character of April O’Neil.

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