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Casting for The Hobbit was announced on 22 October 2010, with the news that Martin Freeman will play Bilbo Baggins, the eponymous hero and Richard Armitage will play Thorin Oakenshield, leader of the Company of Dwarves who set off to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the thieving dragon Smaug.
Director Peter Jackson said 'Richard is one of the most exciting and dynamic actors working on screen today and we know he is going to make an amazing Thorin Oakenshield. We cannot wait to start this adventure with him and feel very lucky that one of the most beloved characters in Middle-earth is in such good hands'. Press release 22 October 2010.
The movie will be released in three parts in December 2012, December 2013 and July 2014. Principal photography for the movie started in March 2011* and it will be filmed in Digital 3D, according to the TimeWarner press release 15 Oct 2010.
*originally February, but it was announced on 7 Feb 2011 that it was delayed until March.
US and UK release dates for films 2 and 3:
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - 13 December 2013
The Hobbit: There and Back Again - 17 December 2014
Weta Digital have posted this video on youtube to demonstrate some of the extraordinary visual effects used in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Change the quality settings to watch in HD.
2 Feb 2013
2. The February 2013 issue of Empire magazine has an article about The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and they have printed the first official picture released from the film featuring Bilbo in Smaug's lair.
There's a quote from Richard about the battle in the third film which is yet to be shot. "It's this big thing looming over us. I'm predicting about ten weeks (for the shoot)because it's an extensive battle and each character is going to have their 'hero' moment on the battlefield."
10 Jan 2013
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has received three Oscar nominations for MakeUp and Hairstyling, Production Design and Visual Effects. The awards will be presented on Sunday 24th February.
9 Jan 2013
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has been nominated for three British Academy Film Awards for Sound, Special Visual Effects and Make Up and Hair. The 2013 BAFTA Awards will be presented on Sunday 10th February at London's Royal Opera House.
27 Nov 2012
1. The remaining cast members of The Hobbit including Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish and Sylvester McCoy arrived in Wellington today and were greeted by Peter Jackson, Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman and other cast members for a press call at Wellington airport with the 'Hobbit aircraft'.
2. 3news.co.nz interviewed Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage today. Here is the video in which Richard states that his life has already changed even though the film has not yet been released.
3. Richard visited Zealandia on 26 November, a wildlife sanctuary situated near Wellington, NZ with other stars from The Hobbit. Zealandia tweeted a picture of the group. News reports have appeared on Zealandia's site and the Dominion Post. The cast were there to film an interview with American media.
4. Peter Jackson revealed in a radio interview on RadioNZ on Tuesday morning's 'Morning Report' that there will be another 10-12 weeks of filming in the middle of next year to complete the Hobbit trilogy. He also revealed that The Hobbit was very nearly shot in Britain (a point which has been taken up by some media).
5. Channel 7 (Australia) interviewed Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis today. You can watch the interview on youtube. The aspect ratio is all wrong but it's a nice interview, full of good humour.
This still of Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage was tweeted by @ComingSoonIT earlier today.
Click to enlarge.
26 Nov 2012
The Hobbit's amazing transformations, an article in The New Zealand Herald, shows before and after pictures of each of the thirteen dwarves and Bilbo.
25 Nov 2012
Saturday's Daily Mirror had an article about the Brits in The Hobbit to see if readers could identify the stars familiar to a UK audience. Click below to read. Thanks to Jen for the scan.
2. Rolling Stone's Hobbit Collector's edition is now in stores and scans featuring Thorin Oakenshield are below. Many thanks to Janine and ddhockey for the scans.
3. The french movie magazine, L'Écran Fantastique has published an interesting and insightful interview with Richard about playing Thorin Oakenshield. Scans below are generously provided by Joane. Finished translation courtesy of Lexie171170 is here.
23 Nov 2012
1. Cinemaxx will broadcast a live stream video from the red carpet in Wellington on 28th November for the world premiere of The Hobbit. Broadcasting begins at 4.30pm NZ time.
2. A new picture of Richard from a recent photoshoot in New York by Robert Ascroft has appeared in the December issue of Accion Cine, a Spanish movie magazine. Scroll down this page to see the picture and other scans from the magazine featuring stars ofThe Hobbit, or click the image on the left.
Conchi from http://richardarmitage.mforos.com has provided high quality scans of the interview - click the images on the left. Thanks Conchi!
The interviewer, Jesús Usero, is on twitter and has been answering a lot of tweets about the interview today, including this one. Scroll down his twitter feed for more responses. You do not need to be a member of twitter to read the tweets.
You can order the December issue from this page on Accion Cine's site. The cost is just 3.20 Euros for Spanish buyers and 7 Euros for the rest of us.
Postage to the UK is 1.5 Euros, that's a total of approximately UK £7.00.
For a larger, higher quality image of the new picture by Robert Ascroft, click here:
3. Air New Zealand have revealed the artwork created by Weta Workshop that decorates their Boeing 777-300ER (see this image on Weta's Facebook page). According to the report on TVNZ it is the largest ever graphic to have been applied to an aircraft. It is due to depart for London via Los Angeles and then returning to Wellington, quote "to play a starring role in the global premiere of the first instalment of The Hobbit trilogy in Wellington on November 28." We will have to wait and see what that role will entail.
A new interview with Richard by Tom Cardy has been posted on the Dominion Post's website. Richard describes his audition for Thorin and his determination to play the part despite the delays in getting the movie off the ground. Then he describes feeling immediately at home in New Zealand, what the Hobbit boot camp was like and how the character of Thorin develops across the three movies.
20 Nov 2012
A Hobbit trailer incorporating all clips released from the film so far has been created by a fan and posted on youtube via TheOneRing.net. The 7.5 minute video shows all clips from the official trailers and TV Spots in one cleverly edited video.
19 Nov 2012
The names of those attending The Hobbit premiere in Wellington, NZ have been reported by the New Zealand press, with confirmation that Richard Armitage will be there. Sir Ian McKellen, however, is not able to attend. A report on Stuff.co.nz states that stars of the film Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, Elijah Wood and director Peter Jackson will arrive at around 4.30pm and will walk a 500 metre red carpet. 3news.co.nz states that 10 of the remaining 12 dwarves will attend and Wellington.scoop.co.nz lists those 10 dwarves. Stephen Hunter (Bombur) and Ken Stott (Balin) are omitted from that list, however Stephen Hunter confirmed on twitter today that he will be there. Ken Stott will not be able to attend as he is currently playing Uncle Vanya in London's West End.
Other dwarves on twitter: Adam Brown who plays Ori (@BrownAds), Jed Brophy who plays Nori (@BrophyJed) and Dean O'Gorman who plays Fili (@Deanogormano).
18 Nov 2012
1. Our local Wellingtonian, Pamela, has taken some photos outside the Embassy theatre where The Hobbit premiere will take place on 28th November in Wellington, New Zealand. You can see the construction of a Bag End facade complete with a giant Gandalf. Her collection on Flickr also shows posters around the town, bunting inside the Wellington visitor information centre and plenty of Hobbit/Lord of the Rings memorablia in various locations - for details, click on a picture and see the description underneath each one. Many thanks Pamela for these excellent photos.
2. The Sunday Times has a Hobbit Special Feature in their magazine today, including a double-page spread with quotes from each of the 13 dwarves. Richard's comments are about vocal work and working on location.
Click the image to read.
17 Nov 2012
Information about the Japanese Premiere of The Hobbit
The premiere will take place on Saturday 1st December at TOHO Cinemas, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo. Richard Armitage will be in attendance along with Peter Jackson, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, Hugo Weaving and Elijah Wood according to this article on ameba.jp (English translation here. Apologies that this is the best google can do).
Prior to the screening, there is a red carpet event scheduled at the "Event Arena" at Roppongi Hills from 17:00. Details here (English translation).
16 Nov 2012
1. Warner Bros. have posted Hobbit TV Spot #7 and it's a funny one. Watch on the Hobbit facebook page or here on youtube (adjust the settings to HD):
2. This new picture of Thorin has appeared on the Kili facebook page - source unknown. Click to enlarge.
15 Nov 2012
This week's issue of US Weekly magazine has some new quotes from Richard Armitage about wearing prosthetics and also there is a new (small) picture of him inset, which has not been seen before. A new photoshoot perhaps?
Update: new scan uploaded with thanks to Patricia for the information about the magazine and Janine for the scan.
Screencaps from this trailer and other short trailers shown in the last two months are in the Hobbit Short Trailers gallery. Spoiler warning - some pics taken from TV Spot #6 may be considered spoilers!
13 Nov 2012
1. Thanks to Jessie for her latest signature banner of Thorin Oakenshield on the signatures page. We could do with more Thorin signatures on this page, so if you have any you would like to submit please email me at
[email protected]This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
, thanks!
3. Lots and LOTS of new shots from The Hobbit in this Japanese trailer on youtube, including a different take of Thorin's 'I cannot guarantee his safety' line. I will put screencaps of this trailer on the site very soon.
4. The complete The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey soundtrack can now be heard on Empire magazine's website. Due to copyright, you cannot skip to individual tracks but the soundtrack is there in its entirety. Howard Shore's soundtrack is available to buy from 10th December in standard and deluxe editions. Amazon links are in the news 6th November (item #4) below with RAnet tags to earn referral fees for charity.
12 Nov 2012
1. A larger version of the photo of Richard in the make-up chair has been uploaded to the Hobbit Stills gallery. Click 'original image' in the bottom right corner to see the full size.
2. Two new XL Hobbit banners featuring Thorin are now in the Hobbit Stills gallery: #42a and #71. Click 'original image' to see the full size.
3. Four pictures of Richard taken from the Denny's Behind the Scenes video (see news 7th Nov) are now in the gallery.
4. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend the UK premiere of The Hobbit on 12th December, announced by thefancarpet.com. This tweet confirms that Peter Jackson, Sir Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis and Cate Blanchett will attend the UK premiere, and when I asked about Richard, this was their reply.
You can see Thorin jumping to strike at the trolls and then swinging round with his new sword Orcrist at some goblins.
6. Warner Bros. have listed Richard Armitage in their Best Supporting Actor category suggestion for 2012. Scroll down the left-hand side for their suggested list. Thanks to Monetsmum and 30Rock.
11 Nov 2012
1. New Hobbit banners have appeared on various news sites, but Live for Films has displayed all seven different designs on their site. One of them includes Thorin - click the image on the left to enlarge.
Thanks to Em for the link.
2. I'm afraid there is bad news if you were not able to obtain a Thorin cover of the Empire magazine December 2012 issue, the Empire website has sold out!
10 Nov 2012
1. New high resolution images of Thorin Oakenshield added to the gallery
High quality images from Brian Sibley's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Official Movie Guide have been added to the Hobbit Stills gallery, specifically those numbered #60-69. Each picture is quite large, so click the 'original image' button in the bottom-right corner to see the full size.
Press F5 to refresh the screen if you cannot see the new images in the gallery.
To order the book, see news 27 Oct for Amazon links.
I've also added new images from the Hobbit stamp collection, with thanks to Anna. Pictures 57, 58 and 59 are new. Click 'original image' to enlarge.
2. The Warner Bros shop has a large selection of Hobbit merchandise, should you wish to indulge! If some of these items are the same price (or cheaper) on Amazon, please consider using the Amazon links under the picture of the day on the home page of this site to earn referral fees for charity. Thank you to Emma for the WB shop link.
3. Beautiful animated Hobbit postcards are available on the official Hobbit website. Email to your friends or send via twitter and facebook.
1. One minute previews of each track on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey soundtrack:click here to listen to a preview of each track, including more of Misty Mountains sung by Richard, and also click here to listen to the previews on the Special Edition soundtrack page as the previews are slightly different for some tracks. Spoiler warning! Thanks to MTRougeau on the TORn forum.
Update 9th November: sorry the sample previews have been disabled, but the preview of Misty Mountains has been uploaded to youtube. The 'Blunt the Knives' track is here on youtube.
2. This image of Richard in the make-up chair is taken from Brian Sibley's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Official Movie Guide.
Click the picture to enlarge.
To order the book, see news 27 Oct for Amazon links.
Animated gifs of behind the scenes filming in Bag End have appeared on tumblr, which appear to be associated with the US diner Denny's. As reported by TheOneRing.net in October, Denny's will be sharing exclusive behind the scenes content: "Fans can also experience additional movie content by scanning one of four QR codes on Denny’s placemats in-restaurant, including access to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey exclusive video content, online games and a behind-the-scenes look at Denny’s National TV spot."
Scroll down the tumblr page to see more clips of many of the actors, including Richard, commenting on the dwarves' love of food and the chaos they caused in Bilbo's home.
1. New behind the scenes pictures from The Hobbit have been posted on ComicBookMovie.com, taken from Brian Sibley's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Official Movie Guide. The two pictures of Richard have been added to the Hobbit Stills gallery, one of which is here on the left - click to enlarge.
To order the book, see news 27 Oct for Amazon links.
2. Competition for Australian residents only:The Fix are offering two tickets to the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey for Australians only. The competition closes on 16 November 2012 - good luck! Thanks to TEHI.
3. Competition for UK/Ireland residents only: Play.com have announced a competition to win two tickets to the UK premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey via The Hobbit UK Facebook page. The competition closes on 18 November - best of luck!
4. Hobbit Soundtrack news:TheOneRing.net has posted a link to a preview of Howard Shore's "Radagast the Brown" from the soundtrack of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The soundtrack will be available from 10th December from Watertower Music and includes a track entitled 'Misty Mountains performed by Richard Armitage and The Dwarf Cast'. There will also be a Special Edition of the soundtrack. If you would like to pre-order the soundtrack, here are some Amazon links with the RAnet tags attached so that referral fees are paid to charity:
5. On 2nd November, Empire magazine previewed 17 new Hobbit posters, one of which is a familiar shot of Thorin already found in our Hobbit Stills gallery as it featured on the cover of the December 2012 issue of Empire. Scans from the issue can be found in the news 25 Oct below. The poster is here on the left, click to enlarge.
Nels Israelson, the photographer who took the 3D poster images has displayed moving animation of four of the 3D images on his website. The 3D moving Thorin image is definitely worth a look, and you can watch moving images of Gandalf, Bilbo and Galadriel too from that link. Thanks to Narflet on the TORn forum.
6. TheOneRing.net posted this picture of Fili, Thorin and Kili on their Facebook page on 1st November. Click to enlarge.
7. A new international trailer for The Hobbit was posted on youtube by Warner Bros. Mexico on 1st November.
Update 8th November: this version of the same trailer is without subtitles, posted by Warner Bros. Pictures on youtube and also below:
8. The Official Hobbit Movie twitter account has just posted this banner showing Thorin, to announce that advance tickets for The Hobbit are available in one day in the US and Canada.
9. Huge silhouettes of the thirteen dwarves and the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, constructed by Weta Workshop, have been installed on the New Zealand Post Office headquarters in Wellington, NZ. Read more on the Weta NZ website.
5 Nov 2012
The Hobbit trailer, TV Spot #3 has been released today by Warner Bros. Watch on youtube or click below (remember to choose full screen and HD quality).
A picture from Brian Sibley's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Official Movie Guide has been posted on TheOneRing.net's message boards. This image shows Jed Brophy, Aidan Turner and Richard Armitage (not credited for some reason!) in the early days of training. If you would like to order Brian Sibley's book, here are some Amazon links with the RAnet tags attached so that referral fees are paid to charity. Amazon US and UK will be releasing the book on November 8th:
2. The 3D lenticular cover on Empire's December issue can be removed to show an image underneath without the Empire logo and text. Here's my copy of the 'Thorin cover' on page 3 of the Hobbit Stills gallery.
1. Empire magazine's December issue has a bumper section devoted to The Hobbit (63 pages) including an article about each dwarf, interviews with Richard Armitage, Sir Ian McKellen, Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett, quotes from other cast and crew members, a lengthy article about Peter Jackson, an article about Tolkien's novel and lots and lots of pictures. The relevant Richard Armitage pages have been scanned in below. Click to enlarge.
The issue comes with a separate 3D lenticular cover, which (for subscribers) is not attached to the magazine but has been printed on card and could be displayed as a poster.
2. Members of the press visited the set earlier this year and were given access to cast and crew, although no pictures could be taken. Yesterday, a press embargo was lifted at 9.00am PST for articles about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Further reports relevant to the second film will be issued late next year before the film's release. Here is a list of yesterday's articles that include quotes from, or comments about, Richard:
An interview with Richard by Garth Franklin on Dark Horizons, with quotes from Richard about the inspiration he took for the forced exile of the dwarves, what he thinks of 3D and filming battle scenes including an accident with a shield!
Interview with Richard Armitage from Collider. This was a group interview, which is why much of these quotes appear on other sites.
Weta Workshop's Richard Taylor Talks Creating the Dwarves... from Collider. "Thorin has been our single greatest challenge, both at a prosthetic design level and an armor costume level...his character transforms during that journey. And capturing the nobility, yet darkly held concerns and weight of the world in his face and his character, and complimenting Richard’s amazing stature as an actor through our work was very, very challenging."
Massive secrets of The Hobbit - Revealed! on IO9. "I think Thorin is trying to prove that Gandalf isn't correct, and most of his assumption is that he's trying to usurp his leadership. When Gandalf isn't there, Thorin really becomes a leader, and when [Gandalf] turns up, [Thorin] has to be subservient, and it's not something that he likes at all."
From the Set: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Part 1 and Part 2 by ComingSoon.net. "The Arkenstone is certainly something which he covets and craves," Armitage explains, "and he knows that without that gem, he can never truly be king… I think the burden of taking his people back to their homeland, which is so massive, makes him a lonely figure..."
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Set Visit by IGN. "I figured that why would they want a six-foot-two guy to play a dwarf? And even through the early days of rehearsal and shooting, I didn't really unpack my bag for about three weeks, 'cause I thought that I was going to be on the plane going home. But yeah, it's worked out all right."
1. The Hobbit Movie Official Facebook page has a HD version of a new TV trailer for The Hobbit, with new scenes including some new dialogue from Thorin. Watch it here on Facebook or on youtube and click the button for full screen.
2. EMPIRE Magazine published in the UK and on sale Thursday, has five different Hobbit 3D lenticular covers, a special Hobbit supplement and an exclusive interview with Richard Armitage and other members of the cast. Pictures of the covers and quotes from Richard are on UnrealityTV.co.uk. A link to the Thorin cover is here, click to enlarge.
This picture of Thorin in HD is now in the Hobbit Stills gallery, click 'original image' to enlarge.
20 Oct 2012
A new image of Thorin Oakenshield has appeared on Amazon.com and is available to buy as a life-sized cardboard cutout!
I've added this and other items to the RichardArmitageNet Amazon.com store (the link to Amazon.co.uk store is under picture of the day), or you can use this link to browse the item on the Amazon website with the RAnet tag included. Proceeds from sales via that link will raise money for charity.
This image and other new pictures released in the last few days have been added to the Hobbit Stills gallery.
19 Oct 2012
The Hobbit UK Facebook page has announced that the film will be released a day earlier in the UK on 13th December 2012.
2. TheOneRing.net have posted pictures from the just released Hobbit Playing Cards and this one (also left) shows Richard Armitage and Dean O'Gorman (Thorin and Fili). Warning: some of these pictures show spoilers.
TheOneRing.net have also reported that the release date for The Hobbit in France will be 12th December 2012 and there is a poster too.
16 Oct 2012
TheOneRing have produced a special collector's magazine for The Hobbit and scans showing the article about Richard as Thorin are posted below, with thanks to Saraleee. Click the images to enlarge. This magazine is currently only available in the US (and Canada - see guestbook17th October).
05 Oct 2012
Hobbit stamps and commemorative coins: the New Zealand Post has produced a set of official stamps and coins to commemorate the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey including images of Thorin Oakenshield and other major characters, as reported on the TVNZ site. Sir Ian McKellen is quoted as saying "To put Gandalf on these splendiferous coins is a wizard idea".
NZ Post will ship orders overseas should you wish to order. Details here.
Click the images below to enlarge.
The full image that was used on the stamp has been posted on ComicBookMovie.com and also shown on the left - click to enlarge.
Four new Hobbit banners have been released by Warner Bros and reported on a few sites including Collider.com. One of the banners shows Thorin and has been reproduced here, click to enlarge. Collider also have a clearer image of the stamps and the image above has been replaced to show this better picture of the stamps.
The Argentinian site Cine1.com has revealed a new Hobbit poster, which is an image from the end of the latest Hobbit scroll (click 'original image' to see the full size). Click the image on the left to see more.
All the new Hobbit images have been added to the end of the Hobbit Stills gallery. Click 'original image' to see the full size of each image.
01 Oct 2012
A new Hobbit promo image, officially licensed for printing on t-shirts, has been revealed on ComicBookMovie.com. Click the image on the right to enlarge.
This picture is available as a poster from Amazon UK.
Other Hobbit merchandise, such as statues, books and Lego characters may not always be listed on this news page, but will be added to the RAnet Amazon Stores if available through Amazon (accessible via the links under the picture of the day).
For detailed information on Hobbit merchandise, see TheOneRing.net.
29 Sep 2012
The official Hobbit movie site has released a new Hobbit Character Scroll featuring new images of the cast. Our picture of the day features Thorin from the new scroll. The full XL scroll is in the Hobbit Stills gallery. Click 'original image' to see the full size, and also the close-up of Thorin.
28 Sep 2012
1. The latest Hobbit poster shows all 13 dwarves with Richard in the centre, as revealed yesterday evening on Peter Jackson's Facebook page.
The poster has been added to the Hobbit Stills gallery (press F5 to refresh the screen if you cannot see the image).
2. Another Hobbit Premiere date has been announced: the US premiere will take place on December 6, 2012 at 7.00pm at the Ziegfeld Theatre, New York. The London premiere date was announced in the news 24th September. Thanks to the TORn Hobbit forum for this information.
24 Sep 2012
The UK premiere of The Hobbit will be a Royal Film Performance, a charity performance held in London on 12th December, attended by members of the Royal Family. Reported by The Hollywood Reporter and on the BBC News site.
20 Sep 2012
The Hobbit Trailer 2 gallery now has more screencaps of Richard as Thorin Oakenshield from the alternate trailer 2 ending. The alternate endings are on the Official Hobbit website or here on youtube:
There are actually five different endings to new Hobbit trailer. You can watch all the different versions on the Official Hobbit website (I'll add the extra Thorin screencaps soon).
18 Sep 2012
1. There is now an extra large version (2048px) of yesterday's new Thorin picture in the gallery with thanks to the owner of this Cumberbatched tumblr. Click 'original image' to see the full size and press F5 if you cannot see the larger image.
2. The official Hobbit Movie twitter account has announced the timing of the release of the next Hobbit trailer, due out tomorrow on the Apple iTunes site. It will be available at 7am PT/10am ET, which is 3pm UK time. There is a new picture of Bilbo accompanying the picture.
3. The behind the scenes production video that was shown at Comic-Con in July had extra clips that were not shown in production video #8 on Peter Jackson's Facebook page. The Comic-Con version has appeared on Allocine France and has an extra clip of Richard as Thorin, sitting down with Graham McTavish and William Kircher. The video also includes clips of previously unseen characters, Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans) and the Master of Laketown (Stephen Fry). Update: The video has been taken down - TheOneRing.net says it is at the request of Warner Bros.
4. TheOneRing.net's Facebook page has some new pictures from The Hobbit including two fantastic new shots of Thorin Oakenshield. Click each picture to enlarge (you do not have to be a member of Facebook to see them). These two images have been added to the end of the Hobbit Stills gallery. Click 'original image' to see the full size.
17 Sep 2012
1. Peter Jackson has announced on his facebook page the start of "An Interesting Week" including the debut of the second Hobbit trailer, which will be released on Wednesday 19th September and the reveal of some 'special content' some time this week.
2. New pictures from The Hobbit are on the USA Today site. Picture #6 shows a new picture of Thorin and company with the following quote from co-writer and co-producer Philippa Boyens:
Boyens feels The Hobbit is as much the story of Thorin (Richard Armitage) as it is of Bilbo Baggins. “You want him to inherit this kingdom. You want to feel that if he can take back his homeland, he’ll rule for a good many years.”
A larger version of this picture is now in the Hobbit Stills gallery, click 'original image' to see the full size.
15 Sep 2012
The official Hobbit Movie twitter account has posted a picture of Thorin that we have seen before, but this is a wider shot and high resolution. It comes with the following text: "Loyalty, honor and a willing heart... I can ask no more than that." - Thorin Oakenshield (dialogue from the movie). The picture is now in the Hobbit Stills gallery, click 'original image' to see the full size.
09 Sep 2012
Two new additions to the Hobbit Stills gallery today via the the Hobbit Movie App described in yesterday's news: this high resolution image was shown in the first Hobbit trailer and this image is a high resolution close-up of Thorin and Gandalf from the new Hobbit scroll. Click 'original image' to see the full size of each image.
08 Sep 2012
The official twitter account for The Hobbit movie has posted a link to a Hobbit Movies app via iTunes which contains new pictures of all the cast, a location map, 360 views of Hobbiton and Bag End and much more, including a new Hobbit scroll. The scroll reveals a revised ending for the first film, An Unexpected Journey, and differs from the original scroll released on 9th July. The Hobbit Movie app is free and well worth downloading if you can.
Three new pictures of Thorin are at the end of the Hobbit Stills gallery. Click 'original image' to see the full size of each picture.
03 Sep 2012
1. The Hobbit 2013 annual has a couple of new pictures of Thorin Oakenshield including a double page spread about his character. The annual is aimed at children with puzzles and games throughout, and includes facts about the story of The Hobbit and its characters.
All pictures of Thorin have been added to the Hobbit Stills gallery. Click 'original image' to view the full size of each picture. Press F5 to refresh the screen if you cannot see the new pictures.
The Hobbit annual was released on 30 August 2012. Full details about how to order from Amazon and raise commission for charity can be found in the news 30 August.
01 Sep 2012
The title of the second Hobbit film has been announced as The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which will be released on 13 December 2013 in the US and UK. The third film, which takes the name originally given to the second film, will be called The Hobbit: There and Back Again and will be released on 18 July 2014. Many websites are reporting this news from the Warner Bros. press release, such as Entertainment Weekly and Bleeding Cool (with full text from the press release).
The first film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be shown in cinemas in the UK and US on 14 December this year.
30 Aug 2012
The Official 2013 Hobbit annual is out today and available to buy at Amazon UK and Amazon US. The Hobbit annual is published by Harper Collins Children's Books. It contains exclusive pictures and is a companion guide to the first movie in the trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
23 Aug 2012
A new picture of Thorin Oakenshield wielding his sword Orcrist has been posted on a collectibles site CB Swords. Thanks to @Heirs_of_Durin. Click the image to enlarge.
This image and the new picture of Thorin with the key is now in the Hobbit Stills gallery.
22 Aug 2012
The official twitter account for The Hobbit, @TheHobbitMovie, have tweeted a high resolution picture of Richard in honour of his birthday. I've added this to the Hobbit Stills gallery (#30). Click 'original image' to see the full size - it's huge! The original pic from the Entertainment Weekly iPad issue is #29 in the gallery.
21 Aug 2012
1. Heirs of Durin has discovered a new Hobbit Calendar and Special Edition Scroll Calendar, with a fantastic new shot of Thorin as you may have noticed in today's pic of the day. Information has now been withdrawn until the calendar is released in October. The picture mentioned on 19 August below features in the calendar.
2. More high res stills from The Hobbit have been published on Flicks and Bits. The Thorin and other calendar pictures are the same ones mentioned by Heirs of Durin in news item #1 above.
19 Aug 2012
A new Hobbit poster showing Bilbo, Gandalf and the 13 dwarves has been printed in the Aug 2012 White Dwarf magazine (scroll to 3rd post), available at Games Workshop in the UK. There is a clearer view of Thorin on this poster site. Thanks to Karima.
18 Aug 2012
A new gallery of HQ pictures from the Hobbit panel at San Diego Comic-Con has been added to the site. Click 'original image' to view the full size of each image, then click again on the image to zoom in. With many thanks to Heathra who took these photos from just 4 rows from the front!
8 Aug 2012
There is now a SDCC 2012 page on this site (also listed in the menu on the left) summarising all the interviews, pictures and news articles that took place on Saturday 14th July at San Diego Comic-Con.
2 Aug 2012
Regal Cinemas have uploaded a slightly different Hobbit trailer to YouTube that has been showing in some cinemas. There are four scenes which are slightly different from the original trailer and to help you spot them Heirs of Durin have created screencaps.
Peter Jackson has announced that The Hobbit will now be three films instead of two, taking material from the appendices of Lord of the Rings to complete the story of The Hobbit. Variety have posted that the third installment will be released in the summer of 2014. This article is for registered users only, so click below to read the article stating the 3rd film release date:
The Hollywood Reporter also report that the third film will be released in the summer of 2014.
The announcement has now appeared on The Hobbit Facebook page with quotes from the president of New Line Cinema and the president of Warner Bros. Pictures Group. The second film was originally entitled 'There and Back Again', but they have omitted the title of films two and three in this press release only stating that film one will be called 'An Unexpected Journey' as originally titled.
23 July 2012
Peter Jackson has posted Production Video #8 on his facebook page. A fantastic blog with behind-the-scenes clips shown to the audience at Comic-Con. Lots of sightings of Richard and he mentions two lasting memories of working on set. Screencaps in the gallery here.
Have you spotted Richard in the last two pictures? All the cast are standing on the stairs at the back in this picture. Richard is standing near the bottom of the stairs behind Peter Hambleton and in front of William Kircher, with Aidan Turner behind William. He still has Thorin's long hair and has his hands in his pockets, black shirt and trousers. In this picture, Richard is in the same position on the stairs with Lee Pace standing next to him.
There is a full transcript of Peter Jackson's latest production video on TheOneRing.net forums.
13 Jul 2012
Peter Jackson has posted an explanation on facebook of why he will not be showing 3D 48fps footage from The Hobbit at San Diego Comic-Con. Clips from the film might possibly be shown in the next video blog (which will appear soon) and the next trailer is expected in September.
11 Jul 2012
Warner Bros have brought out a wallpaper generator to create images to save on your desktop, mobile, facebook cover, twitter skin or to create icons. Note: does not work if you have an iPhone as it's Flash animation, but you can save the image via your computer and upload to your mobile phone later.
10 Jul 2012 Exclusive collectibles available at San Diego Comic-Con:
Gentle Giant have produced a hand-painted mini-bust of Thorin which can be purchased from their booth for $70 during SDCC, or through online sales which start during Preview Night (Weds 11th) at 6pm. Only 500 pieces have been made. More details at TheOneRing.net. Click image below to enlarge.
A Thorin Oakenshield action figure made by The Bridge Direct has been revealed by MTV- scroll down the page to see the figure or click the image below. Available in both 3.75" and 6” scale, at a cost of $7.99 and $14.99 and available this October.
Weta Workshop have released a special edition statue of Thorin Oakenshield with just 700 pieces made, 500 of which will be available to buy at Comic-Con. Click the image below to see the statue or visit Weta for more information.
9 Jul 2012
1. Entertainment Weekly have a stunning piece of artwork on their site showing ten scenes from The Hobbit. You can magnify each scene by clicking on any area - scroll to the right for more scenes. This is flash animation so may not work on mobile/tablet devices but well worth a look.
Here is the full panorama - click to enlarge and then click again to zoom in:
8 Jul 2012
1. Peter Jackson has revealed the poster for The Hobbit which will be on display at Comic-Con next week.
2. There's a new quote from Richard about Thorin Oakenshield on EW.com: ''There are elements of Tolkien's description of Thorin that I'm trying to evolve,'' says Armitage. ''I'm trying to make him more human and less cantankerous the entire journey.''
3. There's some interesting analysis of the twelve Hobbit pictures released from Entertainment Weekly on TheOneRing.net, including some complementary opinions of Richard as Thorin, for example:
"He looks like the confident leader that he is, and he looks like he knows how use that sword well!"
"Gandalf, Bilbo and Thorin are the center of this film. Let me go on record again and say that Richard Armitage is going to be a gigantic star when these two movies are over."
"I’m still getting used to dwarves looking this cool. But, man does Richard Armitage own that role! He’s going to exemplify what it means to be a warrior dwarf."
6 Jul 2012
Peter Jackson has posted on his facebook page to announce that principal photography on The Hobbit has finished and to thank cast and crew and everyone else for their support. Billy Connolly stated previously that the wrap party would take place on 7th July.
4 Jul 2012
The Entertainment Weekly 13 July 2012 tablet version has two new images, one new picture of Thorin and one of Dwalin, Balin and Bilbo which you can see if you click the thumbnails below. These have also been added to the Hobbit Stills gallery including another image of Bilbo in Mirkwood (#27) as it's higher resolution.
3 Jul 2012
The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly (available to non-subscribers on Friday) has a special Hobbit preview to promote the film's attendance at San Diego Comic-Con, with Gandalf and Bilbo on the cover and ten new photos from the film - the last one is Thorin which is also the picture of the day today. The new pictures are now in the Hobbit Stills gallery.
Article scans below courtesy of JasRangoon (click to enlarge):
1 Jul 2012
The announcement that was made on 29th June about Comic-Con attendees has now appeared on The Hobbit facebook page, Digital Spy and IMDB news pages amongst others. ComicBookResources has posted the Comic-Con schedule for Saturday 14 July, which shows that the Warner Bros panel featuring The Hobbit will take place between 2.30-5.00. Plus Peter Jackson has posted a question on his facebook page saying he's looking forward to Comic-Con.
29 Jun 2012
From TheOneRing.net: Warner Bros have finally confirmed there will be a Hobbit panel with cast members including Richard Armitage on Saturday 14th July in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. Also in attendance will be Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman and Sir Ian McKellen. Rumours that Richard would be there began with the recent article in Total Film magazine.
24 Jun 2012
RAFrenzy has a first hand report from an audience member at Saturday night's performance of Sir Ian McKellen's show in Wellington, with an account of her chat with Richard and another video to watch. Thanks to NZfanofRA for sharing.
23 Jun 2012
The cast of The Hobbit joined Sir Ian McKellen on stage at the State Opera House, Wellington, NZ last night to raise money for Christchurch's earthquake-damaged Isaac Theatre Royal. Lots of pictures have been posted by audience members in the last few hours, several of which include Richard. Peter Jackson was also in the audience.
Two audience members have tweeted that Lee Pace confirmed Richard Armitage and Martin Freeman will be attending San Diego ComicCon. This has not been officially announced yet.
22 Jun 2012
Sir Ian McKellen has revealed that The Hobbit will premiere in London, New York, Berlin and Tokyo after the world premiere in Wellington, NZ on 28 November 2012.
13 Jun 2012
1. The Hobbit will finish filming in the first week of July. Billy Connolly, who plays Dain Ironfoot in the film has revealed that the wrap party will take place on 7th July.
2. The Hobbit panel at ComicCon, San Diego: "Warner Bros. Pictures, which has reserved a three-hour block on Saturday, July 14, is expected to anchor its presentation with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey..."
7 Jun 2012
An article in Total Film this month has a quote from Richard and suggests that he might attend the Hobbit panel at Comic Con 2012 in San Diego. Comic Con takes place from 12 - 15 July.
Total Film summer 2012 magazine: 'The New Faces of The Hobbit'. Click to enlarge.
6 Jun 2012
Peter Jackson's 7th Production Video is now on his Facebook page, in which he gives us a tour of Stone Street Studios in Wellington. There are not many glimpses of Richard, but screencaps are now in the 7th Production Video gallery.
5 Jun 2012
The date for The Hobbit world premiere has been announced: 28 November 2012. It will take place at The Embassy theatre in Wellington, NZ. Further details on stuff.co.nz.
23 May 2012
Movieclips.com have put all six of Peter Jackson's Hobbit video blogs in one video on youtube. No new clips but now all in one place. Click the quality button in the bottom-right corner to view in HD.
25 Apr 2012
Following on from the news on 23rd April below about the 10 minute Hobbit preview clip there are lots of reactions on various websites today, but Middle Earth News has an excellent summary with links to some of the more interesting reviews. Avoid the italics if you don't want to read spoilers about the footage.
Report in The Guardian 'The Hobbit: first glimpse gets mixed response'
23 Apr 2012
A special preview clip of The Hobbit will be shown at CinemaCon in Las Vegas this week, where cinema owners will get the chance to see up to ten minutes of the film in 3D at 48 frames per second. More details here.
04 Apr 2012
1. In an article on NextMovie.com, 'Who Will Be the Breakout Star of 'The Hobbit'?, Larry D Curtis of TheOneRing.net has listed the actors whose careers he believes will benefit most after the release of The Hobbit. "In terms of skyrocketing career moves, Armitage will be the ultimate winner. Thorin will be a more important part of this film than many realize and the Shakespearian tragedy elements, with his talent and good looks, make this a perfect situation for him".
2. According to TheOneRing.net, a possible behind the scenes book about filming The Hobbit will be released on 6th November 2012 by Weta Workshop.
01 Mar 2012
Click here to watch Peter Jackson's 6th video blog, showing location shooting of The Hobbit with some wonderful scenery and a few glimpses of Richard as Thorin.
Screencaps of Richard as Thorin Oakenshield are in the 6th Production Video gallery. One or two of those pictures may actually be Richard's double but it's too difficult to tell!
07 Feb 2012
The UK sci-fi magazine SFX has a 5 page article about the Hobbit called '50 things you need to know about The Hobbit'. The only mention of Richard is as follows: "You may know Mr Armitage from Spooks or Robin Hood, but here he's the leader of the ragtag band of Dwarves determined to win back his lands from the dragon who chased him out of them. He's an honourable Dwarf who is the real hero of this story if you're not that into Hobbits."
Click images to enlarge:
06 Feb 2012
The February issue of the French movie magazine L’écran Fantastique has a Hobbit article with pictures of Richard as Thorin and other images from the Hobbit trailer. No new information but thanks to Isabelle for sharing this article with us all. Click images to enlarge:
11 Jan 2012
MTV.com has interviewed Richard and named him One to Watch in 2012. He states that filming block 3 will start end of January and continue to end of July, with more filming to take place in 2013. Richard gives us plenty of detail about his experience of playing Thorin Oakenshield: "It's really weird now because I can't play the character when I haven't gotten everything on. It's very hard to rehearse when you're not in costume, when you haven't gotten the prosthetics on, but I look in the mirror when it's all finished and I don't see it. I can't see where it starts and where it ends. I just see the character. I've never had that before. It's such a unique experience."
NB: the video clip on the interview page is just The Hobbit trailer - it's blocked to those outside the US for some reason, but you're not missing anything new.
Interview uploaded to this site:
22 Dec 2011
1. The International Business Times has a great review of The Hobbit trailer with specific mention of Richard: "Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) is especially convincing. He has the arrogant majesty of a deposed king and the underlying steeliness of the dwarves Tolkien fans know."
2. Empire magazine has an excellent breakdown of the Hobbit trailer with descriptions and pictures of pivotal scenes. Praise for Richard's performance too.
3. This clip of the Misty Mountains song on YouTube is edited so that the ending fades nicely without dialogue. If you click to reveal the description there is a free download link, and here it is again in mp3 format (right-click the link to download).
21 Dec 2011
1. The Hobbit trailer is here on the Apple Trailers site - make sure you watch in HD! If you have RealPlayer or QuickTime Pro you can download while watching, otherwise a download is available on Bccmee's site. Her YouTube video on the blog has closed captioning and a transcript.
Warner Bros have also put a HD version of the trailer on YouTube (below). Press play then change the settings to 1080p to see HD and zoom out to full screen.
3. Eric Vespe has posted his sixth behind the scenes Hobbit report.
4. Screencaps from the trailer are in the Hobbit Trailer gallery. These images are high resolution 1920x1080 size images. Press 'original image' when viewing a picture to see the full size. Refresh your screen (press F5) if you cannot see the latest version of the gallery.
5. The Guardian mentions Richard in its review: "The dwarves look suitably jolly, though rather more youthful and fresh-faced than I'd imagined them. Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield has a certain Aragornish regality to him that I did not expect, though it makes a sort of sense in the context of the later films." Thank you for all the emails regarding this review.
6. Peter Jackson has posted a teaser on his facebook page. Hopefully we'll have an answer to this "Christmas treat" soon.
19 Dec 2011
On the Official Hobbit Facebook page today: "Return to Middle-earth on Tuesday, December 20th, with the worldwide debut of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" announcement trailer at 7pm PST!"
Also you can see a larger, uncropped version of the still of Bilbo first seen online a couple of days ago.
18 Dec 2011
More Hobbit images (sorry no Thorin) and an interview with Martin Freeman in Total Film magazine - scans here with thanks to DarkJackal's site. There's a short quote from Richard on page 5.
17 Dec 2011
Warner Bros have announced that satellite feed of The Hobbit trailer will go online on Dec 20 and 21, and also that it will be shown in cinemas on Dec 21 in front of the US release of Tintin. More details on Examiner.com who also show the latest image which was released by Empire magazine of Bilbo - click the image of Bilbo to enlarge. Empire magazine is released next week and the image appears in their '2012: The Best Year for Movies Ever' feature - more details on ComicBookMovie.com.
Update: scans of the two page article on The Hobbit from Empire magazine have been posted on TheOneRing.Net's forum (post #3 from Jim). You don't have to be a member of the forum to read the posts or see the scans. This is an interview with Martin Freeman only.
16 Dec 2011
Lego have been awarded the rights to make Lego Hobbit and LOTR toys. The official press release is here on Collider.com. So we can hope to see a miniature Thorin lego figure available late 2012!
14 Dec 2011
Hobbit filming at the Pelorus bridge in New Zealand has been halted due to poor weather, reports The Nelson Mail.
12 Dec 2011
The Hobbit trailer was shown at the BNAT movie festival this weekend organised by Harry Knowles of Aintitcool.com: report here. According to reports on twitter the trailer was shown three times back to back but those who saw the trailer have been forbidden from revealing any details. Elijah Wood and Eric Vespe (from the Hobbit set reports, see 1st Dec below) attended BNAT to deliver the trailer.
Elijah Wood has said that he believes The Hobbit trailer will be shown before Tintin when it is released in the US. Tintin is already showing at cinemas here in the UK, so the trailer is rumoured to be shown before the second Sherlock Holmes film.
11 Dec 2011
Best Movie, an Italian movie magazine, has an article about The Hobbit with large pictures of Richard as Thorin in their December issue. There is no mention of Richard in the text though. Scans courtesy of Mamma_T.
01 Dec 2011
Filming of The Hobbit is still on location in the South Island of New Zealand, with very few details about the scenes they are shooting. There's a report in the Otago Daily Times, a new blog from Sir Ian McKellen (29 Nov) and as mentioned below, Eric Vespe's latest (#5) set report is on Aintitcool.com.
28 Nov 2011
Another Hobbit set report today from Eric Vespe of Aintitcool.com: 'Thorin's Dilemma'. There are details of an intense scene between Thorin and Gandalf, but no pictures of Richard as Thorin unfortunately - although in one picture of the dwarfs on horses, that might be him emerging from behind a rock...
24 Nov 2011
1. There are three news reports today about Hobbit filming with some descriptions of scenes that were filmed at Beorn's house, a purpose built set in Paradise, near Glenorchy and Queenstown.
2. Another Hobbit set report is up on AintItCool.com with spoilers about scenes they have been filming with the dwarfs, Gandalf, Bilbo and Radagast. Apparently we will enjoy the next report which is due very soon.
21 Nov 2011
Article in french magazine Studio Ciné Live below or online: Click the red 'Feuilleter ce magazine' button to see a minature of the pages. The Hobbit article starts with a double page picture of Thorin on page 50.
Translation:
Thorin
The proud leader played by Richard Armitage. English actor born in 1971, from classical theatre to musicals (Cats). He appeared in the British series (MI-5) and Robin Hood in the role of Guy of Gisborne.
And another article in the french magazine L'écran Fantastique:
There are quotes from Richard in this article, although they may have been taken from The Scotsman interview and the Project magazine interview as they are similar quotes.
Translation as follows:
Richard Armitage (Captain America) plays the valiant heir of the Dwarves’ kingdom, Thorin Oakenshield. “When I auditioned for the role of Thorin, I’ve never imagined for a second that I would get the part”, says the British actor, “when I’ve learned the good news, I was incredulous. It was the same when I had to do make-up and costume screen-tests. However, when I finally met Peter Jackson, I indeed realised that I was going to explore Middle Earth!”. When he was a young dwarf prince, Thorin witnessed the destruction of the realm of Erebor. Forced to exile, he became a strong fighter and a charismatic leader, whose only desire is to destroy the creature responsible for his people's misfortune. “Thorin feels a surpressed anger and I take advantage of this role to express my own dark side”, adds Richard Armitage. “It’s liberating! I pushed limits of my performance outside my “comfort zone”. I do not want to rest on my laurels”.
15 Nov 2011
Andy Serkis, aka Gollum in The Hobbit and also Second Unit Director, has told IGN.com that a Hobbit trailer will be shown "fairly soon, actually. Around Christmas time, I believe."
13 Nov 2011
Ian McKellen has updated his Hobbit blog after almost six months. After recounting some memories from his acting career he mentions the following about filming The Hobbit: "Musings during a long wait today, which has been a respite from a lot of fighting in Middle-earth. In The Hobbit, Gandalf is part old duffer but more he's a soldier. Peter Jackson, who likes to see the old guys fighting it out, reminded me the other day that Gandalf is a commander, a general. Having slain the Great Goblin I was being a bit too indulgent with the dwarves who meanwhile had mislaid Bilbo in the goblin tunnels. I've played enough soldiers to see that PJ was right and in the next take I was very stern."
12 Nov 2011
Latest reports from the NZ press suggest that location shoots for The Hobbit are taking place near Dunedin, Otago and also at Tataka Hill, Tasman near the Golden Bay.
4 Nov 2011
There is a new video blog from Peter Jackson on his facebook page. The blog describes the 3D technology they are using and there are lots of quick glimpses of actors and scenes from the film. Screencaps of Richard as Thorin are in the Hobbit gallery.
31 Oct 0211
Following the news on 27th October that Eric Vespe will be reporting from the Hobbit set, his first report is now up. Spoiler warning: there is some detail and pictures about scenes that were filmed in Hobbiton (Matamata). There is no Richard in this report - Eric describes scenes with Elijah Wood as Frodo.
28 Oct 2011
The Hobbit premiere will be held in November 2012 in Wellington, New Zealand. Reports with video on Stuff.co.nz and TVNZ.
27 Oct 2011
Eric Vespe of Aintitcool.com has announced that he will be reporting from the set of The Hobbit on a regular basis: "I am currently in New Zealand on the set of The Hobbit and I will be reporting biweekly from the set. I’m embedded with the crew as they run around the North and South Islands of New Zealand for the next two months on their location shoot and will be bringing you guys reports as we go along." In the comments that follow the article he states that a video blog from Peter Jackson may be imminent (click the comment by Quint dated Oct 27, 2011 5:44:48am). Eric is also on twitter: @EricVespe.
25 Oct 2011
Filming of The Hobbit has gone on location to Matamata's Hobbiton film set and also to Queenstown, as reported in the NZ press.
21 Oct 2011
Warner Bros are planning to release a video game of The Hobbit next year before the film is released. It is not yet clear if this is a tie-in with the movie or if it will be a Lego version. More details on Filmomic.com.
19 Oct 2011
1. There is a Hobbit article in the latest issue of the french movie magazine Studio Ciné Live, which has some pictures of Richard and the dwarves. Click the thumbnails below to see the scans in full size.
The article mentions the length of filming and the cost, the location of the studios in Wellington and quotes from Peter that we have heard in the video blogs that he has posted on facebook so far. On the left hand side of the main article they list the 'Three new actors arriving in Middle-earth'
Martin Freeman the British actor, who will have the main role of Bilbo. Mostly known for his funny roles in sitcoms.
Richard Armitage, an Englishman, that we could see in "Captain America" and who is famous in British television, will be Thorin the chief of dwarves.
Evangeline Lilly, the star of "Lost" will be an Elf. Her character of Tauriel does not exist in Tolkien's novel.
Many thanks to Joane for the translation and the scans.
Contents page:
9 Oct 2011
ComingSoon.net have announced that The Hobbit movie merchanise will be produced by The Bridge Direct Inc. Thanks to Ana Cris on the C19 forum.
"Warner Bros. Consumer Products is pleased to announce today that it has awarded the worldwide master toy and game licensing rights for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again to The Bridge Direct, Inc., the global children's consumer products company. The Bridge will develop an exciting array of products inspired by the two films being directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson—who previously brought Middle-earth to life with the award-winning blockbuster The Lord of the Rings trilogy—including action figures, playsets, and role play accessories, which are expected to debut at retail in fall 2012 prior to the December 14 release of the first film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." Read more...
30 Sep 2011
Peter Jackson was interviewed by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key earlier today on NZ station RadioLive and an eight minute extract is on this RadioLive site. Peter Jackson says they are on day 94 or 95 of a 250 day shoot, filming with about 30 goblins, dwarves and the hobbit today. Yesterday he says "we spent all day in the middle of a storm we had dwarves walking up a rocky path on the side of a cliff... today we show up and we have flames and fire and goblins...". He also says they will be filming until the middle of next year. Thanks to vikszabo74 on twitter.
16 Aug 2011
Here's a scan of the Hobbit feature in Total Film magazine September 2011 (click to enlarge):
27 July 2011
Empire magazine are running a feature showing the dwarves from The Hobbit in make-up alongside the actors who play them, with a short character and actor history. This is the Richard/Thorin page, page 6 of 6, but you can view the other pages from that link.
22 July 2011
An official photograph of all 13 dwarves together has been posted on The Hobbit Movie facebook page, showing Thorin/Richard in the centre of the image. This has been added to the Hobbit Stills gallery. If image #13 doesn't appear at first, refresh your screen. Press 'original image' in the bottom right corner to see the full size, or click the image below:
21 July 2011
Peter Jackson has published a third production video of The Hobbit on his Facebook page and it's the best yet in terms of humour and action behind the scenes from the film. You do not need to be a member of Facebook to see the video. Richard Armitage appears a few times both in and out of dwarf costume, and it seems that Peter is currently in the UK filming at Pinewood Studios - a clue at the end of the video as to why he's there. Screencaps from the video are in the Third Production Video gallery.
To see Richard-only parts of the video, with a transcription and close captioning, go to Bccmee's blog.
18 July 2011
Theonering.net have posted a full length picture of Thorin Oakenshield with the rest of the company of dwarves - however this is a photoshop manipulation and not a true full length image of Thorin. I've put this image in the Hobbit Stills gallery and below. Once open, click again to enlarge to full size.
17 July 2011
Theonering.net have posted a picture of Richard as Thorin Oakenshield on their site. Here he is:
As a young Dwarf prince, Thorin witnessed the destruction and terror wrought when a great fire-breathing Dragon attacked the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. After slaughtering many of Thorin’s kin, the great serpent, Smaug, entered The Lonely Mountain and took possession of its vast store of gold and jewels. No-one came to the aid of the surviving Dwarves, and thus, a once proud and noble race was forced into exile. Through long years of hardship, Thorin grew to be a strong and fearless fighter and revered leader. In his heart a fierce desire grew; a desire to reclaim his homeland and destroy the beast that had brought such misery upon his people. So when fate offers him an unusual ally, he seizes the chance for revenge.
Wallpapers of Thorin on his own and Thorin and the dwarves are available on Theonering.net's site. There are links to multiple sizes just above the first picture of the rest of the dwarves. Here's one of the wallpapers:
Theonering.net's Hobbit in 5 video, a roundup of the week's Hobbit news, includes a character study of Thorin Oakenshield and an abridged summary of Richard's career to date.
Peter Jackson has posted a second production video on his Facebook page, stating that the first block of shooting has finished and most of the cast and crew are taking a break. There is a brief chat with some cast members, including Richard, about what they will be doing on their break and then an insight into what is involved when location scouting around New Zealand.
This video on youtube is also available to watch in HD. Click on the button that says '360p' and change to '720p' for HD quality, then click on the 'full screen' button in the bottom-right corner.
07 July 2011
In his first interview for over six months, Richard is interviewed in the August issue of the UK magazine Total Film about working on The Hobbit. There is a short preview on their website and the full article is below (click to enlarge):
30 June 2011 Empire Magazine Feature
Empire magazine has a 7 page article describing a recent visit to the set of The Hobbit. Scans are below, click to enlarge:
29 June 2011 Entertainment Weekly magazine
Entertainment Weekly released the first images from The Hobbit this week (see news 23 June) and below are scans from the print edition of the magazine with comments from director Peter Jackson. He tells us that the paper Bilbo is holding is the contract between himself and the dwarves, the original Bag End is now a guesthouse and the dwarves are a 'crazy ensemble'.
Many thanks to Bccmee for these scans. To view, click the images below then click again to zoom in further.
29 June 2011
Empire magazine online has released a couple of photos from their article about The Hobbit, one of which is another picture of Bilbo and the dwarves but slightly clearer than the Entertainment Weekly picture. The magazine is published tomorrow and I will post a scan on this site. The new image is below (click to enlarge) from the Hobbit Stills gallery.
26 June 2011
The UK film magazine Empire will run a feature on The Hobbit in the next issue out June 30th - more details here.
"Personally invited onto the set barely a month into production, Empire delightedly watched a film — two films — already in full swing. Thirteen cantankerous dwarves, one barely tolerant wizard, and a befuddled hobbit are seen arriving at the gates of Rivendell and sneered at by local elves. Jackson assures us he is once again reaching for the mighty spectacle of Lord Of The Rings, but also bringing a certain ‘Hobbity-ness’ all its own. “The tone is actually the part of it I’m enjoying the most,” he laughs, casting a fond eye upon his rabble of exotic dwarves, clattering about set like they own the place. “They have a healthy disregard for the icons of Middle-earth.”
23 June 2011
The first pictures have emerged from the set of The Hobbit, showing Bilbo inside his home Bag End, with a number of dwarves in the background! That's Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield sitting at the head of the table by the way.
The new picture of Bilbo, Thorin and the dwarves plus close ups have been added to the Hobbit Stills gallery.
30 May 2011
The full titles of the two Hobbit films and the official release dates have been announced. Here's a link to the official Hobbit blog. The first film will be called 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' released December 14, 2012 and the second film will be called 'The Hobbit: There and Back Again' released December 13, 2013.
25 May 2011
The Hobbit book signed by all 13 dwarves and Gandalf is now on sella.co.nz. According to their T&C you must be a resident of New Zealand or Australia to register on the site. Richard has signed 'For Christchurch love Richard A'. Click pics to enlarge:
21 May 2011
Some of the dwarves of The Hobbit, including Richard, recorded a funny sketch for the Rise Up Christchurch telethon which was shown in the last few hours. RichardArmitageCentral have put it on youtube - many thanks ladies. The dwarves appear at 4min 17s. After the dwarf sketch, Sir Ian shows a copy of The Hobbit book with signatures of the cast inside.
More news about the Rise Up Christchurch telethon and Sir Ian McKellen's involvement on the NZ News site: "Sir Ian McKellen is making an appearance at Te Papa. He’s bringing with him a copy of Tolkien’s The Hobbit, signed by the film’s cast, which will be auctioned on sella.co.nz. Later in the day, Telethon viewers will get to see a unique glimpse behind the scenes of The Hobbit film with a specially-shot short film."
According to this article on stuff.co.nz "stars of the Hobbit" will be involved in a charity telethon on Sunday 22 May to help raise funds for rebuilding Christchurch after the earthquake in February. This event will be broadcast online around the world. For details, see the Rise Up Christchurch site.
10 May 2011
Ian McKellen has posted his latest blog about The Hobbit, in which he announces lots of cast news plus the fact that Martin Freeman has begun working on Sherlock, but... "The rest of the cast remains on duty for another few weeks, working on hobbit-less sections of the film. These involve dwarves of course..."
Bccmee has posted a transcript and close-captioned the video of the Powhiri ceremony part of Peter Jackson's pre-production Hobbit video. You can find it on her blog.
14 Apr 2011
Peter Jackson has uploaded his first video from the set of The Hobbit on his facebook page - note this link goes direct to the Comments page where the video is available in HD, rather than PJ's Facebook home page.
The 10 minute video includes a walk around the sets, the wardrobe department, a cast meeting inside the Bag End set and the Powhiri ceremony on the first day of shooting. It seems that the rumour was correct that Richard Armitage led the ceremony and spoke Maori (see news 30 March) as clips from this event are shown, including speeches from Richard, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis and Peter Jackson to the cast and crew.
You can download the video or just the Powhiri clip & speech from Richard here (right-mouse-click and choose 'Save Link As' to save): Powhiri ceremony (HD)
Screencaps from a practise session and the Powhiri ceremony are now in Hobbit Pre-Production Video Gallery - taken from the HD video. Here's a few:
31 Mar 2011
In Sir Ian McKellen's latest blog from the set of The Hobbit shoot, he says: "I’m very sorry to have missed, the other sunny day, the first mass emergence from their trailers and make-up chairs, of not only our 13 heroic dwarves but also their 13 small-scale doubles — shorter, near-identical versions of the principals. Looking at the designs, they are nothing like garden furniture (those are gnomes NOT dwarves). Everyone who saw the first parade of two Thoren Oakenshields plus 24 assorted dwarves was mightily impressed!"
30 Mar 2011
Prior to the start of filming The Hobbit, we learnt from Robert Kazinsky's twitter feed and the King under the Mountain site that the cast attended a Powhiri, a traditional Maori welcoming ceremony. A unconfirmed source has stated on RAFrenzy's blog that Richard led the cast in this ceremony and spoke some Maori in reply. Note - although unsure at the time posting, it now appears this report is factual and proof can be seen in Peter Jackson's video of 14 April 2010 (see above).
21 Mar 2011
Filming on The Hobbit started today in Wellington, NZ and there were many reports in the media, Twitter and Facebook:
Sir Ian McKellen has blogged again to tell us that the first group rehearsal of The Hobbit has taken place at Stone Street Studios in Miramar, Wellington.
James Nesbitt has talked about training for The Hobbit and mentions Richard's skill at horse-riding, down to three years spent filming Robin Hood of course: James Nesbitt talks 'The Hobbit' on Digital Spy.
3 Mar 2011
The April issue of Empire magazine has an article about The Hobbit Press Conference which took place on Feb 11th (see news below). Here is a scan of the artilce (click thumbnails to enlarge):
3 Mar 2011
The Hobbit full titles have been registered according to TheOneRing.net. 'The Hobbit: There and Back Again' and 'The Hobbit: An/The Unexpected Journey'. (See update 30 May 2011 above for confirmation).
22 Feb 2011
Sir Ian McKellen has blogged from New Zealand after arriving there recently and meeting with all 13 dwarves.
Jack from the Noldor Blog has written of his recent meeting with Andy Serkis in Wellington.
15 Feb 2011
An article about The Hobbit press conference and a picture of Richard, Martin Freeman and Ken Stott, also here in the gallery, appeared in last Sunday's New York Times. Thanks to an anonymous visitor for the scan. Click the thumbnail below to enlarge.
11 Feb 2011
Richard attends The Hobbit press conference: a press conference in Wellington, New Zealand was held on Friday morning. All 13 dwarves and Martin Freeman playing Bilbo Baggins were in attendance, but Peter Jackson could not attend due to being "under a form of medical house arrest" in order to recover fully from his recent operation.
Why he thinks he is suited to the role: "I just think it’s just a really amazing opportunity to take a character from a book that I was brought to as a child. I mean my first experience onstage was in a production of The Hobbit...So it’s kind of been in my childhood very prominently so to come to it as an adult, a middle-aged man, and have another look at it is a brilliant opportunity."
Looking forward to acting against green screens? "Yeah, I was in the mocap studio yesterday which is a first for me. I’ve never quite understood the technogy behind it but it really does appear that it’s like being in Avatar the movie and I quite look forward to that. But also I think with this film in particular there’s enough creative genius in terms of the art department and the technological department but at the same time I think we’re going to get out there in nature and really experience this possibly more so than a purely technical film which is really exciting. It’s a good marriage of both I think."
On being covered in prosthetics: "We don’t know yet actually. It’s still up for grabs, hence the little bit of experimentation in the facial hair department."
A longer report from stuff.co.nz quotes Richard: 10.38am: Richard Armitage says he played an elf in a stage production of The Hobbit when he was a child and Gollum was a paper mâché puppet. Says the 3D aspect is like working on Avatar.
Hobbit filming latest: according to the Waikato Times, filming on The Hobbit has been put back to March 21st as a result of "practical considerations of the filming schedule requirements, actor availability and the NZ seasons".
27 Jan 2011
Filming of The Hobbit movies will be delayed slightly after director Peter Jackson was taken to hospital with a perforated stomach ulcer. More info on stuff.co.nz and the-hobbit-movie.com.
27 Jan 2011
Some great comments from The Hobbit casting director Ros Hubbard on the IFTN site about casting for the films. On the casting process: "It was a huge event but it was smaller than the three Lord of the Rings. And it is still going on to a degree in that little things change, but the actors are all out in New Zealand now" and "working with Peter Jackson is like working with a family. So they’ll have a great time...everyone is very close and very loving on those sorts of jobs. It’s not like typical studio movies at all."
18 Jan 2011
The Hobbiton movie set is closed to the public between 14th February and 20th March, suggesting that the cast will be filming in Hobbiton during this time.
17 Jan 2011
Two articles from a NZ site which suggests that filming on The Hobbit will start February 14th: www.stuff.co.nz and another via the Waikato Times.
11 Jan 2011
Principal Photography is due to start 14 February 2011 according to The Examiner, which also reports that Sir Ian McKellen will return to the role of Gandalf that he played in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In his blog, Sir Ian reports that he will start filming on 21 February 2011.
22 Dec 2010
The Sun and Digital Spy have quoted James Nesbitt, who is playing Bofur. He will be off to New Zealand in January to start a month's "Dwarf training", learning sword fighting and horse riding.
Further details on theMoviefone site. The article says that Richard will be joining him for dwarf training, that he's filming for a year with time off in the summer and there will be more filming for him in 2012.
15 Nov 2010
Leicester Mercury announcing the casting of Richard as Thorin Oakenshield.
Empire magazine December issue - casting announcement
03 Nov 2010
Fictional Frontiers, a show on a radio station based in Philadelphia, interviewed Larry Curtis, senior contributor to TORn (www.theonering.net). They discussed the casting Richard Armitage as Thorin and you can listen to the extract here:
Peter Jackson explains his reasons for casting Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield in an article in the Entertainment Weekly magazine.
An abridged version of the article above is on the EW Popwatch site.
"Thorin Oakenshield is a tough, heroic character, and he certainly should give Leggie and Aragorn a run for their money in the heartthrob stakes — despite being four feet tall...Richard is a powerful actor with a wide range, and we’re very excited to be handing Thorn over to him. In this partnership, we need Richard to give us his depth, range, and emotion as an actor — and we’ll make him look like a dwarf!”
27 Oct 2010
The Prime Minister of New Zealand announces that The Hobbit movies will be filmed in New Zealand.
The Hobbit movies will be the most expensive movies made to date.
Richard gets another mention on the Digital Spy site with regard to The Hobbit, which is apparently set to be the most expensive feature film ever made. The decision on where the filming will take place may be decided in the next 24-36 hours according to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, as reported on the BBC News site.
24 Oct 2010
Article in the Sunday Express announcing Richard's casting in the film
23 Oct 2010
The main page of the United Agents site announced the news that Richard has been cast as Thorin Oakenshield (this article has now moved to the News Archive), or click image below to read the announcement.
Empire Online - 'Richard Armitage appears to be on a hot streak'
BBC News site: reporting on the casting news, and the decisions still to be made about the filming location. New Zealand was the original choice, but co-creator Fran Walsh recently said that film producers 'had people in the UK taking location photographs'.
Coventry Telegraph - with a couple of pictures of Richard as Guy of Gisborne
CBS News - reporting that shooting will start in February
Further details about the location dispute are on the Variety site. The film producers are set to meet with the New Zealand prime minister and other government officials on Monday 25 October to discuss the issue.
15 Oct 2010
TimeWarner press release announcing that filming is due to start in February 2011 although filming locations are still not confirmed, and both movies will be filmed in digital 3D.
