As contests go, this is one for the ages. And it should be, since it heralds the beginning of the end of the final installment of Middle-earth movies at the hands of Peter Jackson and his movie-making team. It’s also the final cinematic trumpet blast from the director’s home country of New Zealand that has stood in as a real-world wonder for the fictional world of author J.R.R. Tolkien.
Fans from around the world will have a chance to win a trip to see New Zealand in all its glory if they win the trip that will take them eventually to Wellington to watch the first screening of “The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies,” with its director. Along the way they will stop at iconic locations the length of the island nation that helped create the cinematic Middle-earth. No doubt that will include a stop to the Hobbiton Movie Set on the farm where more than a decade ago, the literary village and home of Frodo Baggins left the imagination and books to became tangible as it was constructed for Jackson’s LOTR trilogy.
Many websites will help host the contest and TheOneRing.net will sponsor the portion of the contest that is for “the rest of the world.” Read on for details!
HOW TO ENTER
Entering the contest is a multi-step process (and this is not a replacement for the rules) but each entrant will need a Twitter or Facebook account to get things started. Then four challenges will be presented by each contest sponsor website but the primary judging is to be based on a video participants are asked to submit (two minutes or less). If you want to participate, we urge you to read the rules completely and to comply.
WHO CAN ENTER
Through TheOneRing.net, you can enter if you aren’t from one of the following nations: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mainland China, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom (including Channel Islands & Isle of Man), United States and any country to or on which the United States has embargoed goods or imposed targeted sanctions, such as Cuba.
So readers in Austria, Greece, Romania and the like (just picking off the top of the writer’s head), welcome to the show. For the readers from the nations listed above, your portal to the contest will be elsewhere. For example, those in the United States can go right here.
If you do enter from a nation that isn’t yours, you aren’t eligible so we recommend not trying it. Those wishing to enter TORn’s portal and are from the correct nation need only click RIGHT HERE!
Since it was first announced at Comic-Con International in San Diego on 27 July 2014, upwards of 25,000 people have already registered their interest to participate. We at TORn expect that number to be obliterated quickly.
ABOUT THE PRIZE
Contest winners will land in Auckland, New Zealand, before embarking on a specially designed itinerary to iconic filming locations–the highlight being a special visit to Hobbiton, the famous home of the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins. Fans will enjoy a private tour through the 12-acre site, with a close-up look at the 44 Hobbit homes. (We have been and maybe its time to trot out those photos and video!)
The Hobbit Fan Fellowship will also visit other key film sites throughout New Zealand’s Middle-earth chosen by Sir Peter Jackson and end in Wellington for the ultimate film fan’s dream – a private screening of the final film, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” with Sir Peter Jackson.
About The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Directed by Peter Jackson, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies features a screenplay by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced 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 Philippa Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers. Production took place at Jackson’s own facilities in Miramar, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand. Post production took place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.
For more information and to enter The Hobbit Fan Fellowship Contest visit
TheHobbitFanContest.com
Once again the fine folks at American Cinematheque will be privileging us with the chance to watch all twelve glorious hours of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Extended Editions on the big screen. The screening will take place at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, California, on Saturday, August 30, and the first film kicks off at 1:00pm. There will be a 20-minute intermission between each film, and your nominally awesome TheOneRing.net staffers will be on hand to provide trivia contests and prizes during the breaks. The Meat in the Middle food truck will also be on hand for your elevnses, tea-time, supper, and dinner needs.
Tickets are available online now for $15 ($10 for Cinematheque members). TheOneRing.net is also giving away one pair of tickets to this special screening. How do you win? You show us your #MiddleEarthLife!
Win tickets: Show us your #MiddleEarthLife
Put on your favorite Middle-earth “lifestyle” and upload the best photo of yourself living a #MiddleEarthLife! We are looking for more than just costumes; show us how a Ranger, an Elf of the Woodland Realm, a Dwarf, or a happy Hobbit might enjoy their leisure time at home (or even in the garden). Even Wizards, Orcs, Eagles, or shape-shifting bear men can try their hand at this contest. One winner will receive a pair of tickets to the August 30 LOTR Trilogy screening at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
Imagine if Esquire or Vanity Fair magazines came by to do a “lifestyle interview” of you as a Middle-earth character — what kind of image would be shown as a splash page for your interview? Whether you are shown sporting, relaxing, cooking, gardening, or even other activities like horseback riding or climbing trees to see huge purple butterflies, we are looking for fandom to show us their creativity!
Use hashtag #MiddleEarthLife when you submit your images to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Feel your creativity flow and show us what your lifestyle is like as a character in a casual, fun setting. We will judge entries on how creative the costuming, how appealing the setting, and how closely it ties to the theme. You have until 12:00pm (PST) Wednesday, August 27, 2014, to post your submissions, and the winner will be notified by Thursday, 8/28.
Be sure to use the hashtag #MiddleEarthLife and tell us about your entry!
With a poster signed by Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Luke Evans, Martin Freeman and Evangeline Lilly up for grabs as the prize, many of you were eager to show us your The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug DVDs and Blu-rays, in photos submitted for our #wheresbilbo competition. We loved looking at all the entries, and as usual, it was hard to pick a winner! Lots of people sent in images showing their extensive collections of Middle-earth collectibles, whilst many others took snaps showing their adorable pets taking care of their DVDs. A group of staff from TORn all voted, and our final overall winner was @WadeAcuff, with his ‘sketchy’ entry:
The staffers were impressed by the beautiful artwork shown in Wade’s photo – he’s clearly a talented fellow!
Other images we loved included @LapisLizuli’s dragon eating her DVD:
And @TolkienistView’s clever set of ‘polaroids’:
@crazysirius clearly ‘treasures’ her DVD:
@RSinsir’s dogs are doing a great job of guarding her ‘precious’:
@EmmersChau found her DVD taking a bath – complete with bearded rubber duck! Check out the details on those bottles – the body wash is ‘Elf-repelling’!
Finally, @I_Christina_I was lucky enough to be able to take Bilbo back to his own front door:
There were many more great entries, including some of folks in costume. Many thanks to all of you who sent in fab photos and entertained us with your creativity (and with much cuteness from various pets!) We wish we could have had more than one winner! Congratulations to Wade – the signed poster will be on its way to him very soon.
As part of our fifteenth birthday celebrations this weekend, we have an exciting competition for you all — and a stunning prize!
We will be awarding one clever, imaginative Ringer, a The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug poster — signed by Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Luke Evans, Martin Freeman and Evangeline Lilly (see the photo of it just to the right). Continue reading “Enter our Where’s Bilbo? Contest and win a signed The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug poster”
Smaug the Magnificent indeed! We had some incredible entries to our ‘Show us your passion for Smaug’ contest – it was as difficult to pick winners as we expected it to be. The panel of TORn staff judges really enjoyed seeing entries from all over the world; we received art work from countries such as Serbia, Australia, China, Slovakia, and Thailand, to name but a few! The dragons came in all shapes and sizes; as well as beautiful paintings and sketches, we received photographs of sculptures, decorated cakes, costumes, LEGO creations, knitted and sewn wyverns, and even a candle holder, a carved pumpkin and a jewelry Smaug!
Continue reading “Show us your passion for Smaug – contest WINNERS”
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG is released THIS WEEK on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download!