Warner Bros. Consumer Products announced today that The Noble Collection has been granted rights to make products from The 
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again.” Noble will also be expanding their already fantastic “The Lord of the Rings” collection. Noble’s offerings will cover collectibles like prop replicas, artifacts, miniature-sized collectors swords and a full range of jewelry. Prices of these items will range from $20 to the neighborhood of $1000 with these items starting to ship in September of this year.
BURBANK, Calif., – June 12, 2012 – Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) announced: (Read the full press release after the break)
WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND THE NOBLE COLLECTION PARTNER FOR EXPANDED FANTASTICAL OFFERINGS IN SUPPORT OF UPCOMING BLOCKBUSTERS THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
AND THE HOBBIT: THERE AND BACK AGAINThe Noble Collection Also Expands The Lord of the Rings Line
BURBANK, Calif., – June 12, 2012 – Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) announced today that The Noble Collection, a leading maker of fine collectibles, will expand their stunning collection of merchandise to include fantastical offerings inspired by the upcoming films, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again, as well as The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
“Fans of Middle-earth have come to depend upon the craftsmanship and creativity of The Noble Collection products,” said Kelly Gilmore, senior vice president, global toys and themed entertainment, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “Their offerings inspired by the films are faithful to the artistry and spirit of their inventive worlds.”
The Noble Collection, known for its imaginative products across many collectible categories, will develop prop replicas, artifacts, full and miniature-size collector swords, and a full-range jewelry line based on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: There and Back Again and The Lord of The Rings trilogy. The collection will also include a finely crafted collectible chess set. The two films based on The Hobbit, from Academy Award®-winning director Peter Jackson, are set to open in December of 2012 and 2013, respectively, and are productions of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).
“We’re thrilled to be working with properties that generate so much excitement among so many fans,” said Bob Khoury, president, The Noble Collection. “We are collaborating with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to deliver authentic products that will help drive enthusiasm and offer fans another way to engage with their favorite movies.”
The Noble Collection offerings will range from accessible pieces priced under $20 to high-end collector’s pieces costing more than $1,000. Products will be available at specialty retailers and online (www.noblecollection.com) beginning September 2012.
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About The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of two films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit. The second film will be The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Both films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released beginning December 14, 2012. The second film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, is slated for release the following year, beginning December 13, 2013.
Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins. Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” movies are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The ensemble cast also includes (in alphabetical order) Richard Armitage, John Bell, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Evangeline Lilly, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas, and Aidan Turner.
The screenplays for both The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again are by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro. Jackson is also producing the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again are productions of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing, being handled by MGM.
About Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Warner Bros. Consumer Products is a division of Warner Bros., an AOL Time Warner Company, and is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.About The Noble Collection
The Noble Collection is a private held company based in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The Noble Collection has established the premier position in collectibles and movie props.About Middle-earth Enterprises
The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture, legitimate stage, merchandising, and other rights in the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. SZC has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on the Tolkien works for more than 30 years. Its headquarters are located in Berkeley, California and its Middle-earth Enterprises’ website may be found at www.middleearth.com.© Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, THE HOBBIT: THERE AND BACK AGAIN, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.
