We will be closing our Forum Community at 2 p.m. PST, 9 p.m. GMT for approx. 2 hours in order to upgrade to the latest version of the VB software.

We are hoping to have the upgrade completed in much less than two hours, but have allowed this time for integrity checking as well.

Thanks!

Have a hankering for being a native on Skull Island, populated by dinosaurs and a 15-metre tall ape? Or do you prefer street scenesin New York City, running and screaming as the hairy beast climbs up the Empire State Building?

Film company Big Primate Pictures, specifically created for the multimillion-dollar movie, has advertised for extras in tomorrow's Dominion Post......more

If ever I've eagerly waited for the fat lady to sing, it was at the Houston Symphony's presentation of The Lord of the Rings Symphony.

Composer Howard Shore has compressed his mountains of music for the film trilogy into a six-movement piece lasting roughly 90 minutes.

With guest conductor Alexander Mickelthwaite urging on the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Chorus and Houston Children's Chorus like King Theoden leading the army of Rohan into battle, it was almost too exciting Thursday evening in Jones Hall.......more

Sales of merchandise linked to movies are set to make the New Zealand-based director even richer.

Jackson saw his wealth balloon from $NZ70 million ($A63.76 million) last year to $NZ184 million ($A167.6 million) this year, according to a list of rich New Zealanders published in a National Business Review magazine survey published.......more

The world's biggest media group, Time Warner (owners of New Line Cinema), has made an offer to buy MGM. According to The Wall Street Journal and New York Times the company has put in an offer of $4.7 billion for the studio.

The interesting bit is that MGM has the international distribution rights to The Hobbit. We think at least this must make Time Warner pretty keen, since they would also get MGM's massive back catalog.

One to keep an eye on for sure.

They join Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody in the Universal Pictures reimagination of the classic story. Hanks is on board to play a production assistant to filmmaker Carl Denham (Black) with Chandler in negotiations to play a 1930s B-movie actor opposite Watts' character, Ann Darrow.

Andy Serkis (Gollum in Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" films) is providing the reference for the character of Kong, who will be a completely computer-generated character, as well as playing the role of Lumpy the cook.......more

British movie heart-throb Orlando Bloom is so grateful to his fans for helping his rise to fame - he writes back to each and every fan letter he receives.

The Lord of the Rings and Troy star is one of the internet's most popular searches and is the subject of many websites, although Bloom admits he hates seeing the sites himself.......more

LORD OF THE RINGS beauty LIV TYLER remains "an old-fashioned kind of girl" despite being brought up in the heady world of rock 'n' roll, surrounded by drugs.

The Hollywood star - daughter of AEROSMITH's legendary wildman STEVE TYLER - is keen to forge a stable home life with husband ROYSTON LANGDON and their future children, after growing up in an environment where she witnessed "kids who overdosed".

Tyler, 26, says, "I like to think of myself as a pretty responsible person. I think I'd do a good job as a parent.........more

Monique Groleau has just sent in another one of her outstanding drawings to be included in our Art Gallery.

Her recent update is a wonderful sketch of our very own Ring Bearer, Frodo Baggins! :o)

Feel free to stop by the gallery and check it out along with all of the other outstanding artists that have been inspired by the world and imagination of Tolkien.

Thanks for the submission Monique!

We are pleased to bring you another installment of our interviews from the Press Junket that I attended here in Los Angeles! Tonight we bring you the one and only...our favourite wizard...Gandalf, also known as Sir Ian McKellan!  We invite you to read the interview, listen to it if you like, and even comment on it directly onto the interview page itself. Sir Ian's interview along with the others we have already posted, can be accessed from the Headline News area on the main page, or you can go there directly via this link: LA Junket Interviews

We also wanted to let you know that time is running out to voice your support for War of the Ring at the Movies.com 2004 Movie Site Awards! While we have been selected as a candidate, the selection process for the final nominees ends on July 7th. We are proud to say that due to the amount of comments so far, that we are still in the top five, but we are unsure exactly how many are going to make it pass this round, so the closer we are to the top three the better! ;-) This is the first annual, and there will be both "People's Choice" and "Editor's Pick" awards.

If you've already posted a comment, then we thank you for your support. If not, we'd like to invite you to go the Best Movie Fan Site category register, and post a message voicing your support for WotR by telling them why we should be nominated for this award. Only one week left to have your voice be heard!

Once the formal nominees are announced, the Movies.com audience (that's you!) will vote. Voting will take place between July 14 and Sept. 10.

Brian Sibley, dramatist of BBC Radio'sThe Lord of the Rings and author of the books on the making  of the film trilogy has launched his official web site with background information of his various projects past and present - including those with a familiar Ring to them! - and albums of photographs of New York, Venice, and....Wellington, Middle-earth.

You can check it out here.

Thanks Ian!

"When it was announced that Jack Black would be starring in the new remake of "King Kong," a lot of people wondered: He's not going all serious-actor guy, is he?

"There are some funny things about my character but, yeah, it is a different thing for me," Black revealed backstage at the 2004 MTV Movie Awards. "But I'm not approaching it differently. I'm approaching it with the same balls-to-the-wall attitude."

And there'll be a similar attitude throughout Peter Jackson's "Kong" remake, which Black promised will feature a much fiercer giant gorilla than some of the kinder, gentler versions.... More

"The sixth book in the popular Harry Potter series will be titled "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," the books' author J.K. Rowling has announced.

The title of the sixth Harry Potter book will be "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince."
Rowling made the announcement on her Web site, JKRowling.com, although it took some knowledge of her site by dedicated fans to reveal the title. The path to find the title was explained on a fan's site, WizardNews.com, and was confirmed Tuesday by her literary agent, Christopher Little Agency, which was reached in London by CNN/Money.".. Source.

Mark Johnson is interviewed by TV3 reporter on set:
MJ: …[I’ve been working] on this for about a year and a half, and Andrew Adamson for almost two years, so it’s interesting, because on the one hand we’re thrilled, and there were different times when we never quite thought we’d get to this point, and it’s so exciting to be there. It’s also – you have to understand we’ve been imagining the movie for such a long time, but starting today & in a strange way we have to stop imagining and actually make it finite.

Q: Is it a bit overwhelming, if you think of the task that lies before you? I mean, it’s day one of a hundred day shoot; you’ve still got a long way to go.

MJ: Yes, if you think of what we have to do, and the number of Extras, and the Locations we have in the South Island, and we’re doing this and we’re doing that, you’d probably achieve some sort of stasis and not be able to do anything!
The biggest pressure we’re getting is from ourselves.......more (plus some pictures)

This year Sideshow/Weta have produced four exclusive products for the Comic Con event. Unlike previous years you do not queue for hours to get one. Instead you must purchase online and then simply pick up at the event.

Full details of the $55 exclusive Smeagol bust here.

NB You must be attending the event to pick it up!

Stay tuned to WOTR for more Comic Con news.

Sideshow/Weta have updated us on their products:

Sold Out!
* Uruk-hai Swordsman
* Numenorean Infantry Helm: LOTR
* Grima Wormtongue Statue: LOTR

Limited Numbers Left
* Ringwriath Bust
* Orc Legionnaire Helm
* Gandalf the White Statue
* Uruk-hai Berserker Statue
* Lady Galadriel bust
* Hellbaby Faux Bronze Statue
* Gimli's Helm
* Numenorean Helm
* Moria Orc Helm
* Gandalf's Hat
* "No Admittance" bookends
* King Theoden Statue
* Boromir Statue
* Treebeard Bust
* Legalos Bust

Now Shipping - US
* LOTR Weapons set #2
* LOTR Weapons set #3

Now Shipping - EU
* Gimli's Helm
* Numenorean Helm
* Elendil's Helm
* Moria Orc Helm

Gandalf Bronze Statue Available

Previously listed as having one left, we are now informed they have five. So if you are feeling flush check out this weighty and rather spectacular bronze.....more

Balrog Statue Selling Fast

They tell us the new Balrog statue is selling very quickly, again details can be found here.

You can visit them here. 

British heart-throb Orlando Bloom has been chosen as the perfect partner for an adventure holiday by British women.

After showing off his fighting and sporting skills in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and The Calcium Kid, the English actor is seen as the ideal companion for an action-packed vacation, in a survey by deodorant company Right Guard for Women.

Nearly half of women questioned chose Bloom as a top Holiday pal, while a majority of Welsh ladies plumped for Irish heart-throb Colin Farrell.......source

Billy Boyd, one of Scotland’s most acclaimed stage and screen actors, and the other British “hobbit” star, Dominic Monaghan, have linked up with a leading Scottish playwright to write a buddy movie.

The two actors, who met on the set of Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning film trilogy, formed such a strong personal fellowship that they want to play themselves in a comedy about two inept Brits on a road trip around America......more

No, the recently released DVD of "The Return of the King," the last part of the movie trilogy "The Lord of the Rings," does not have an alternate ending. But any number of endings and middles -- especially middles -- are possible with Duke Seifried's latest game.

Read more from StarTribune.com

An American Indian drum is one of the rarely used instruments that Brian Del-Signore, principal percussionist with the Houston Symphony, will play in The Lord of the Rings Symphony. The concert-with-visuals evokes scenes from the movie trilogy.

Read more at The Houston Chronicle