John Rhys-Davies Discusses the Possibility of ‘Hobbit’ Involvement

Recently, David Sztypuljak of HeyUGuys.co.uk spoke with actor John Rhys-Davies, whose newest film, War of Resistance, comes out next week. John, famous for his roles in such films as Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Lord of the Rings, plays a priest known as Eusi, who is hiding from the Nazis during World War II. And fortunately for us ‘Hobbit’ fans, Sztypuljak couldn’t resist asking a few questions about whether or not John might return to Middle-earth.   

 “I would love to!” John responded when asked about the possibility of a cameo appearance. “I’ve had a great sort of 180 degree turn. After I did The Lord of the Rings, I didn’t want to get near prosthetic masks ever again, I still don’t really, and I didn’t want to play a dwarf to be honest with you. Why be one of thirteen when you can be one of one. As time comes between you and the horrors of that make-up, slowly you begin to see things through rather rosy spectacles. I did go down and see him (Jackson) and I did come as close to grovelling as you can get (Laughs!). I’m sure that Peter knows that I grovelled!”

He adds that Peter Jackson “has everything that a Director needs. His organizational ability alone is completely remarkable. I think it will change the way films are made. I think he’s upping the game for every other film-maker in the world. Projecting in 48 frames alone is going to give a level of clarity that we’ve never had in film before, and I think he’s housebreaking 3d. He is such a grounded level man with all the characteristics that a great Director must have. Added to which, he built a film industry from scratch to an international level. Marvellous intelligence and a marvellous modest nature, Peter has got it all!”

Although he is off to New Zealand, he admits that, “It’s for marital purposes as I have a wife and child there!”

You can read the full interview here.

'Mirkwood' Novel to Become a Hollywood Blockbuster?

By now we all know about Peter Jackson's much anticipated Hobbit films which are based on J. R. R. Tolkien's book The Hobbit, but did you know Tolkien himself is about to hit the big screen? Well sort of. Mirkwood, written by Steve Hillard, caught The Eye of the Tolkien Estate back in March of this year. In it, Hillard uses Tolkien as one of the main characters and sends him to New York City searching for lost documents.



"[Tolkien is] a man haunted by the very myths he rewove into his famous works. As much literary criticism as boisterous epic, this episodically-driven plot explores the blurred borderlands where ancient tales, lost heroines, and epic journeys are stalked by dim monsters that will not be still. In 1970, Professor Tolkien makes a little-known visit to America-and sets in motion elvish powers embodied in a cache of archaic documents. Destinies are altered, legends become real, and two heroines must race for their lives in vastly different worlds."


The Estate cried fowl and demanded all copies of the book be disposed of, however, now it seems they've come to an agreement and not only will the book survive but it is also in the process of becoming a Hollywood script. EMO Films and Steve Hillard plan to make Mirkwood into a blockbuster hit, providing there are no more issues where the word "copyright" is involved. As the author of the novel explains, 


"The adaptation of 'Mirkwood' will follow the template of the novel, but will delve considerably deeper into Tolkien's little-known back story, such as his original plans to become a codebreaker in World War II up through the writing of his enduring works."


Whether EMO Films and Steve Hillard's plans come to fruition or not, Tolkien fans will be revisiting Middle-earth next year when The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters on December 14, 2012 and The Hobbit: There and Back Again premiers the following year on December 13, 2013.

Rumour Retraction - Laketown not yet found

It looks like Laketown's secret location is still unknown to us. I previously reported that the Kurow-Duntroon area was being used for it but it turns out to be the wrong movie altogether - a New Zealand book called Mister Pip is being filmed there , starring Hugh Laurie.

Hugh Laurie (photo by Kristin Dos Santos via WikiMedia)

Mister Pip will be directed by none other than Andrew Adamson (of Narnia and Shrek fame).

So, no Laketown location yet. No apologies for the misinformation, that's just the nature of rumours!

- Jack M,

The NZ Noldor blog ( http://www.nznoldor.com )

Want to Play an Elf in ‘The Hobbit’?

The ‘Hobbit’ films’ production company, 3 Foot 7 LTD, is currently looking for people to play Elves in the upcoming films, for which filming will resume in Wellington in September.

“We are currently looking for slim men 17-30 years and between 165cm – 178 cm or 5’5” -5’8” AND slim women 17-30 years between 165cm – 173cm or 5’5” to 5’8” to play ELF extras,” the job posting states.

If you are interested in applying, the company asks you to send a head and shoulders and full body photograph to extras@3foot7.co.nz. For more information, you can view the job posting here.

Three Hobbit location rumours (none confirmed yet)

I'm hearing a few rumours in the last few days, all of which have been about separate South Island locations that are allegedly to be used for The Hobbit.

Note though - none of these rumours are confirmed, or investigated any further at this stage. I thought I'd share them with you in the meantime though - if nothing else, it shows that New Zealanders are also starting to get Hobbit Fever!

The first one concerns the possible location of Laketown, somewhere between Timaru and Oamaru. Somewhere in the Waitaki Valley there is supposed to be a large set either being considered, or already built (unlikely, I think - we would have heard about that, surely).

On further exploring the location via Google Maps, and considering that Luke Evans and Stephen Fry have just arrived into NZ, it seems a likely match. They are both major players in the Laketown scenes.

View Larger Map

For the full story, check my full report on the NZ Noldor Blog.

Also, Te Anau (south-west of Queenstown) is looking likely to be used again for Middle-earth - anonymous sources are reporting that "Hobbit people" are looking for accommodation in the area for late this year.

And finally, I've heard a small report from a further unnamed source that the town of Middlemarch (inland from Dunedin) is being considered as a Hobbit location.

Again, for the full story on these two reports, check my full report on the NZ Noldor Blog.

Nothing solid so far, but all interesting none the less!

  - Jack M.

Art Contest Update

There is so much going on at Middle-earth Network! With all of the amazing things we're working on for you, we have decided to hold off on the Art Contest for just a little while longer.

Once we launch our new platform and some of our incredible projects are underway, we'll have Contest details for you. There are so many amazing prizes lined up, so stay tuned!

Mythgard Institute Partners with UWIC

Mythgard Institute Press Release:

We are pleased to announce that the Mythgard Institute has agreed to a partnership with UWIC, the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff!  We still have some paperwork to complete, but when it is done, our Mythgard courses will be fully accredited in the UK higher-education system.  We’ll explain all the details when everything is finalized.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dimitra Fimi will again be teaching her online Tolkien course at UWIC this October 2011.

The course is entitled J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth and Middle-earth in Context, and is taught entirely online in 10 week units that explore Tolkien’s medieval sources and cultural context. Enrollment for this UWIC course is now open.

Good news!  The course is fully accredited and carries 20 British/European credits at the Masters level.

Even better news! Dr. Fimi’s course (20 European credits = an American 3-credit course) will be accepted here at the Mythgard Institute as counting towards our M.A. program.