EXCLUSIVE: Middle-earth Net and The Tolkien Professor Launch Mythgard Institute

That's right Tolkien fans! This is big news. Huge News! Thanks to Corey Olsen (The Tolkien Professor) and Middle-earth Network, anyone from around the world can have a chance to study Tolkien, his life, novels, and the effect they've had on us.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:

Mythgard Institite: Offering Tolkien Studies

Starting this fall, Tolkien fans will have an exciting new opportunity to learn more about the works that they love at the Mythgard Institute.

Mythgard is a new center for Tolkien studies, offering fully interactive courses online with world-class professors. The Institute is founded by Professor Corey Olsen, host of the celebrated Tolkien Professor podcast, in partnership with founders of Middle-Earth Network. Mythgard will be offering classes on Tolkien, the Inklings, and other fantasy authors which students can either audit or take for credit towards an MA in English. 

This Fall 2011, Mythgard is offering its first class: Tolkien and the Epic.  Readings will include Beowulf, the Volsungasaga, The Children of Hurin, and the Lord of the Rings.  The course will be taught by Professor Olsen with very special guest lectures by Tom Shippey, Verlyn Flieger, and Michael Drout.

Be sure to listen in to Middle-earth Network Radio this Tuesday, July 19th at 10pm EST for the official live radio announcement of the Mythgard Institute with Dr. Corey Olsen and founders from Middle-earth Network. You can also access MEnet Radio through the Tune-in application for mobile devices.


Follow Mythgard Institute on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest information on class schedules.

UWIC’s "J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth and Middle-earth in Context" Class Starts in October

UWIC’s accredited online course (MA-level) J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth and Middle-earth in Context will run again in the autumn semester starting in October 2011. Enrolment is now open!

For more information about the contents of this online course please see our detailed video presentation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-56l5lYbbM.

To enrol, please use this link: http://www.uwicpress.co.uk/online-courses-c-29.html

For Frequently Asked Questions, please see: http://www3.uwic.ac.uk/English/education/Enterprise/courses/Pages/FAQs.aspx

Sideshow Collectibles Reveals War in the North Snow Troll

Hey Guys more War in the North goodies coming our way with a nice piece head lining the Fearsome Snow Troll. Not much is mentioned in Tolkien Lore about these Savage Brutes, though there is in Merp Lore (Middle Earth Role Playing) referred to as Ice Trolls mainly. Located in the Northern Wastes these Trolls bigger then their Kin and much Nastier (If possible) they do not turn into stone when daylight comes but huge slags of ice instead, so wary Travellers resting and using these seemingly innocent blocks of Ice for shelter may wake in the night to find a hungry Troll looming over them. It does look great with what looks like a Dwarf in a tricky position with the Troll grasping him by the waist.

Sideshow Collectibles are doing a full range mainly of the Fellowship but also including one of the Snow Trolls from War in the North, different looks of Arwen after her encounter with the Ring Wraiths and a celebrating Borromir just after the regaining of Osgiliath, seen in the Extended versions of the film, Borromir has a movable arm from downward into a victory pose, Gimli also looks impressive leaping over a Rock with Axe in hand.

From what we at Middle Earth News have seen the pieces are very well done, great attention to detail they are also a nice size adding a fantastic center piece to any Lord of the Rings fanatics collection. With many more pieces available including busts of the Balrog of Moria other Troll breeds and other well known characters from the series its well worth a look for yourself Here is a link to Sideshow's site so you can check out the Video yourself.

Thorin Oakenshield and Orcrist Revealed!

At long last, the highly anticipated 'first look' at Thorin Oakenshield has been released by TheOneRing.net, thus concluding our preview of the Company of Dwarves.

With their photo, TORN has also released this bio on Thorin:

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.

'Hobbit' Filming in the UK Today?

Earlier this morning, artist/illusionist Derren Brown posted the following on his Twitter account:

@DerrenBrown Off to watch some Ian Holm and Christopher Lee being filmed for The Hobbit. HOW EXCITING!

While no official word has been released confirming or denying this report, there has been talk of Elijah Wood heading to the UK to shoot a few scenes, along with Sir Christopher Lee's desire to be in 'The Hobbit' without having to go all the way to New Zealand.

Hopefully we'll hear more on this update soon!

'The Hobbit' Dwarves Balin and Dwalin Revealed Today

This time around we are introduced to Balin (Ken Stott) and Dwalin (Graham McTavish), thanks to TIME. With these two revealed we now have only one left to go, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). What's you take? Do you approve of Jackson's version of 'The Hobbit' Dwarves? Tell us what you think on our comment section below.

Left to Right: Balin (Ken Stott) and Dwalin (Graham McTavish)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters December 14th 2012 followed by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on Decemeber 13th, 2013.

Miramar Park Bans 'Hobbit' Photos

Photo Credit: Tennessee Mansford

Anyone caught using cameras on Wexford Hill, Wellington Airport-owned property overlooking the Stone St. studios where Peter Jackson's 'Hobbit' films are being made, could risk deletion of their photos and face trespassing charges as well.

Six hard to miss notices - signed by Recon security, a company which works for the 'Hobbit' films' production company, 3Foot7 - have been put in place warning the public that while they may use the land for "usual recreation purposes," they are not permitted to take any photos of the property or people at the Stone St. studios.

Melissa Booth, the publicist for 'The Hobbit' films, said that everyone from the studio is currently on a two month break. A spokesman for the Recon company said that if its security officers find people taking pictures, they will be asked to delete the images and could potentially be issued a trespass notice.

Matt Clarke, chief commercial officer for the Wellington International Airport, acknowledges that the security company has a right to restrict people taking photos because "the land is privately owned and use is able to be restricted."

The airport has issued a license agreement protecting 3Foot7's copyrighted property from being infringed upon by people taking photographs or digital recordings of the site. The license is a practical arrangement, "not a commercial one," Clarke said. Ursula Cheer, associate professor of law at Canterbury University, stated that without actually seeing the license, it is difficult to determine its exact legal status.

"The production company through its agent, the security firm, is like the owner and can put up signs stating the conditions of coming on to the property," she said. "This means the notice looks quite effective."

"It does look as if the company is trying to avoid legal action, however, by confiscating and destroying the films, etc." 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is slated for release on December 14th, 2012. Part 2 of the film adaptation, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, will debut the following year on December 13th, 2013.