Xoanon here,

What happens when you get a call from the audition people telling you they want you to come back? Ringer Spy 'Elf Boy' knows...he was there...

Yesterday I went to the second audition for elf extras... They just got us to wear shorts (so they could see if we had muscles or not?) and try out some basic sword moves. And if you did the sword movements right you got to try on some fake leather armor. Pretty basic stuff. All the prosthetic stuff looked pretty cool. Swords that made the right noise when they hit. They even had a japanese swordmaster there looking over the moves.

Japanese swordmaster?! I like the sound of that!

Xoanon here,

It seems that Moriarty finally posted that script review he promised. It's his thoughts on the Miramax/2 film deal that was in the works well in the past. Please note: This is not the New Line script, but it's the same writers and has the same basic plot movements, a must read if you want to see some things to come. Click here to read on!

I want to first thank all the people who have submitted fan art for the fan section. It is quite obvious some LOTR fans are professional artists! The new design showcases these masterpieces. Enjoy!

Check out this recipe and more in our Fan Writing section.

Check the Xoanon Rants section for this update.

Dwane has some interesting stuff you all should see, a little info on where you all can pick up some nifty toys. Check it out in the Spy Reports

Also added, Keanu Reeves in NZ? check it out, and hold your breath.....

I just wanted to thank everyone for the overwhelming response to the fan writing area! You are probably asking yourself, "Why haven't there been any new fan writings posted!!!" Well, I have the answer. We have recieved so many submissions that it will take us a while to sort through them all. So look for the fan writing section to be updated next week sometime. I know the folks in the Green Books section are going to kill me for this, but if you would like to submit your fan writing, please email greenbook@theonering.net.

A couple small updates have been made to the locations page. (misty mountains, rohan, mt. doom, and isengard).

Check our Fan Art section for amazing works by Mia.

With kind permission from French Premiere magazine, here is the article in it's entirety. Translated by yours truly. (Note: conflicts with what we here have reported to you at TheOneRing.net are plain to see, I have quoted this article word for word as asked by me from Alexandre Brillant of French Primere)

'The Lord of the Rings Releases it's first Images'

New Line opens some of Peter Jacksons artistic choices on Lordoftherings.net.

By: Alexandre Brillant.

New Line has recently opened it's official site for 'The Fellowship of the Ring', first episode of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, a film Peter Jackson will begin filming in September. Not a single name, apart from rumors about Sean Connery as the role of Gandalf, has been mentioned. The adaptation of JJR Tolkiens books will take 18 months to film in New Zealand, as well as another 18 for pre and post production. Jackson has chosen New Zeland, his homeland, to become Middle-earth because all the geographical features of Middle-earth are available there. Volcanic plateaus, snow capped mountains...

The script, written by Jackson, Fran Walsh (his wife) Philipa Boyens and Stephen Sinclair. Will include a cast of thousands of extras, 20 000 to be exact, as well as 300 crew members, whom have been scouted from the four corners of the Earth. All for 130-150 million dollars.

For the past 2 years, Wingnut Films Ltd. (Jackson's own production Company) and WETA Ltd. (special effects company) Are working together to make people and miniatures, prosthetic creatures and armor. WETA has been asked to push computer technology to new heights. For instance 1200 special effects are in the works. WETA is very occupied with creating Middle-earth, the famous little people with big feet, the Hobbits, as well as their land. Artists such as Alan Lee and John Howe are working with WETA to make this vision a reality.

When New Line announced in August of 1998 that they will make 'The Lord of the Rings', 'The Two Towers' and 'Return of the King'. Fans of the books were excited beyond belief and wanted to contact Jackson to offer their ideas and support. They also created many web sites devoted to the subject. The production then decided to open the official site ratherdiscreetly,(www.lordoftherings.net) At a time when cyberspace is obsessed with The Phantom Menace, it is very obvious that they will soon be pointing their computers in another direction.

Balin, chatroom regular, has written his accounts of the happenings that went down last week end. Check it out here

And are you planning on attending a Tolkien related event? Or do you know where one is going on? Send us the info Here!

Xoanon here,

It seems another magazine has taken up with our interests in cyberspace. The folks over at the ultra cool SFX have an interview with Billy Boyd, better known (or will be) as Pippin.

The little teaser on the web site: Billy Boyd, who is to play Pippin in the forthcomingLord of the Rings trilogy, was kind enough to speak to SFX yesterday.To find out what he’d like to do with a Pippin toy,you’re just going to have to wait until SFX 56. Don’t worry, the time will fly by. UPDATE! Watch this space for an exclusive extract from an interview with Pippin himself, Billy Boyd, when he spoke to SFX magazine, Before the mag comes out! Watch out for that!

Check our Fan Site for these amazing new images.

(Do you speak french?) I do, living in Quebec it's a fair mix of French/English here so it's no surprize that we recieve French Premiere magazine.

In the August issue, Alexandre Brilliant has written a fairly well detailed report of the goings on in NZ. Titles "'LE SEIGNEUR DES ANNEAUX' DEROULE SES PREMIERES IMAGES" ('The Lord of the Rings' releases it's first images) there is nothing that people who visit sites like ours already don't know, but at least news of the movie is making headlines in magazines.

It's recently been reported that New Line Cinema are seeking the rights to the cartoon fim 'The Hobbit' in order to re-release the film prior to PJ's FOTR.

As far as my New Line contact, he's never heard of it. That usually means something. But that doesn't mean it might not be true, you never know...

Xoanon here,

Just a quick post to thank the webmasters at 'One Ring: The complete guide to Tolkien resources' for their great comments!

TheOneRing.net spends the time gathering the information you want about the Lord of the Rings upcoming movies, your one source

And also a big thank you to my good friend Tom over at SFX Magazine (I'm sure you've all heard of it) for his great comments:

TheOnering.net...check out the link to the best Lord of the Rings fan site out there.

Thanks to both of you! It's great to see legitimate sites and media behind the best site out there!

Check our Past Event Reports for this update.

There have been some additions to the fan art section.

Thanks to Balin and Jincey for this weeks poll. It will be a two part poll, so expect something with a twist next week!

A new section will open soon. I can't say what it is yet, but we look forward to launching it mid-week.

Have a great week everyone!

Thanks to 'Jincey' Chatroom Queen, for the idea!

With all the new travelers along the byways of middle earth, Barliman Butterbur has opened another establishment here at TheOneRing.net™ for all fair peoples, both big and little folk. Though many have patronized this wonderful inn since its opening, Barli feels a new name is in order for this particular tavern.

Barli, knowing the passions of his regulars, feels it would be appropriate for them to choose a new name. Thus, he has asked the staff of TheOneRing.net™ to devise a method of doing so.

And so, it is with great pleasure, we announce a space for write-in suggestions to name our tavern. We ask that your suggestion be of Hobbitish or Breeish origin. At the end of the week, all qualified suggestions will be posted for voting. The new name will be announced as soon as the votes are tallied.

Barliman and TheOneRing.net™ staff know this will be a challenge to all, and so they would like to offer a prize for the winning entry. A 'Ringer' suggested a brand new TheOneRing.net™ T-shirt, and this was roundly applauded by Barli and the staff.

So everybody! Don your thinking caps,and let the contest begin!

Dwane has published a heartfelt letter I recieved from a Stewart C. It seems that Stewart and PJ were old classmates. Stew would like to talk with you PJ. Go here to read the letter.

Hollywood company New Line Cinema is showing signs of strengthening its commitment to the Lord of the Rings film project. Hot on the heels of a $100million cash injection for LOTR comes the news that New Line producer Barrie M Osborne (The Matrix, Face Off, China Moon) has bought a waterfront mansion in Wellington, near Karaka Bay where Peter Jackson and other 'Wellywood' film industry notables live. The implication is that Osborne, who will co-produce 'The Lord of the Rings' with Peter Jackson and New Zealander Tom Sanders, will be using the new house as his base while filming is underway. This may reflect a desire on the part of New Line to keep a closer watch on the project, or may simply be a practical necessity given the complexity of the shooting schedule. Filming is due to start next month and will continue simultaneously at different sites throughout the country.
Osborne's million-dollar house may not be a mansion by Hollywood standards, being three storeys of stuccoed conrete under a waveform roof squeezed into the space between the harbour channel and the scrubby near-vertical hillside overlooking Cook Strait. Instead of vast rolling lawns, there is a modest few square metres of rockery plants that can withstand the frequent lashing salt gales. Hopefully Mr. Osborne can too.