HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA — FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2004 — Author Peter S. Beagle, best known for his stunning wordcraft in such tales as “The Last Unicorn” and “A Fine and Private Place,” has signed on to create a new book which will be published as the companion volume for the upcoming independent feature documentary, RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS. Covering the entire past 50 years of the Tolkien phenomenon, Mr. Beagle will bring to the project his unfettered wit and unique personal anecdotes. After seeing the film, readers can then delve deeper into the vibrant history of popular culture surrounding the “Rings.” The book deal allows Mr. Beagle full access to research materials and hundreds of hours of exclusive interview footage gathered for RINGERS. The film’s production company, Planet BB Entertainment, recently interviewed the legendary fantasist regarding his long association with “The Lord of the Rings.” Details of the book’s publication are TBA at a later date.
Peter S. Beagle is the author of numerous screenplays and teleplays ranging from Sarek (Star Trek: The Next Generation TV Series) and The Last Unicorn (Animated movie) to The Lord of the Rings (Animated Movie). The Ballantine paperback editions of the “Lord of the Rings” appearing during the 1970’s and ‘80s were also personally forwarded by Mr. Beagle, and his essay “Tolkien’s Magic Ring” was the opening piece in the otherwise all-Tolkien collection, “The Tolkien Reader”. Mr. Beagle’s classic books and stories have also made him a multiple winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, the Locus Award, the British and World Fantasy awards, France’s Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, and he has been elected to the Fantasy Hall of Fame. His works have been translated into at least 15 languages to date.
Scheduled for release from Conlon Press on October 15, 2004, is “Summerlong,” Peter S. Beagle’s first fantasy novel for adults in 11 years. In addition to this release, the unabridged audiobook edition of “The Last Unicorn” read by Mr. Beagle with art by the award-winning team of Leo and Diane Dillon and original music by Jeff Slingluff, is also scheduled to be released on CD with cassette edition to follow later. Unique to this edition is a bound and hand-signed collector’s version of a brand new, never-before published “Last Unicorn” short story by Mr. Beagle. In this piece of fiction, he returns to the world of his classic novel for the first time since it was originally published in 1967. In March of 2004, the 1982 animated version of “The Last Unicorn” was finally released on DVD in America. Since then, this new edition has sold over 150,000 copies. In its first week of release, “The Last Unicorn” DVD skyrocketed to number 11 on the Amazon.com sales charts, and has been a strong seller ever since. For more information on upcoming releases, signings, etc, you can visit Mr. Beagle’s official site at http://www.peterbeagle.com.
About the documentary:
Very funny yet often moving, RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS shows the hidden power behind Tolkien’s books — and how after 50 years a single literary work continues to spark the minds and hearts of millions, across cultures and across time. Ringers explores the real foundations of Middle-earth; a community of true fans who share a common bond. Moving beyond “cult classic” and over several different generations, the film unearths academics, musicians, authors, filmmakers, and a plethora of pop junkies — the people gathered under the banner of ‘Ringer.’
RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS spent 16 months shooting on three continents. Produced in association with the popular Tolkien fan-site TheOneRing.net, Ringers stands as the most comprehensive film document of the ongoing fandom of “The Lord of the Rings.”
“Ringers” Official Website:
Current “Ringers” Interviewees include:
Actor – Sir Ian McKellen, Actor – Dominic Monaghan, Actor – Andy Serkis, Actor – Sala Baker, Author/Filmmaker – Clive Barker, Writer/Director/Producer – Cameron Crowe, Actor – David Carradine, Author – Terry Pratchett, Author – Peter S. Beagle, Author – Terry Brooks, Musician – Lemmy Kilmister, Musician – Geddy Lee, Tolkien Scholar – Dr. Jane Chance, Chairperson of the Tolkien Society – Christine Crawshaw, Author – Colin Duriez, Filmmaker/Critic – Chris Gore, Writer/Publisher – Forrest J. Ackerman, Actor – Bill Mumy, Author/Broadcaster – Brian Sibley, Illustrator/Author – Colleen Doran, Illustrator/Author – Jill Thompson, Great-Grandson – Royd Tolkien, and hundreds of Tolkien fans!
For additional information, contact:
Melanie Márquez, Publicist
9220 Sunset Blvd Suite 220
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Office: +1 323-669-1173
Cell: +1 626-833-6790
