Rubbermonkey, an online audiovisual superstore and film production company based in Wellington, is currently auctioning a film clapperboard signed by the Hobbit crew to raise money for four local charities — the SPCA, SAFE, NICU, and Ronald McDonald House.

The IKAN clapperboard wasn’t used on the Hobbit, but has been signed by members of the Hobbit cast, including Martin Freeman and Ian McKellan.

The auction is running now on Trade Me, and closes on Monday September 10 at 3:51pm. (Some of you might also be interested in the twin charity auction of a filmclapper signed by the All Blacks.)

[Charity Auction] | [Rubbermonkey Blog]

Peter Jackson and company swooped into Comic-Con and unleashed some footage for the ravenous fans there but now he has unleashed Vlog #8 from his Facebook page full of spoilers, Comic-Con footage, John Howe, lots of actors saying hi and a little nostalgia from the crew. If you can stand a view of stone giants, Beorn’s house, Andy Serkis jamming on a sax and an absurd amount of “Hobbit” stuff, it is a must watch. The film hasn’t been released yet and already producer Michael Pellerin and his crew of behind-the-scenes people are making us nostalgic for it! And, sure sounded like Jackson reads TheOneRing. Find it on his Facebook page or watch it below:

In December last year, I declared the first trailer a study in character.

Introducing and differentiating thirteen different dwarves to a wider audience most likely unfamiliar with the Hobbit and its ultra-beardy cast was critical for Peter Jackson. So Jackson used an entire trailer for the task.

But, because that trailer was so light on plot, we’ve been wondering ever since what degree of fidelity the story will possess and exactly how it might unfold.

The EW storybook addresses this at a single stroke. EW isn’t calling it a storybook, but that’s what Jackson has created. A gorgeously illustrated storybook that guides us through the key points of The Hobbit.

Read on for a spoiler-filled scene-by-scene review of The Hobbit — storytime with Peter Jackson! Continue reading “Storytime with Peter Jackson reassures and puzzles!”

Our message board members were quick to pick up on this very cool scrolling montage of pictures from the upcoming Hobbit movie over at Entertainment Weekly.com. What’s cool is there are new scenes we’ve never seen before. What’s even cooler is you can scroll over the pictures to get a closer look. Check it out and let us know what details *you* pick out on the very active thread in progress on our Hobbit discussion board! Read More…

Earlier this week, Entertainment Weekly posted 10 new images from The Hobbit just in time for Comic-con — featuring Thorin, Gandalf, Mirkwood, Gollum and much more. We were pretty sure the gallery would reveal some nifty new details of what we can expect from the movie.

Then they dropped a couple more with their magazine — a cool image of Balin and Dwalin, and a close-up of Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield.

So TORn’s staffers have put their heads together to analyse the images. Read on to see what we found, and what we think! Of course, this post carries a SPOILER warning. Continue reading “TORn staff analyse all 12 Entertainment Weekly photos!”

Popwatch has just revealed the cover for Entertainment Weekly’s forthcoming Comic-Con edition, and the lead feature is The Hobbit.

Their blurb says that the mag will feature “exclusive images and on-set scoops from the first movies — An Unexpected Journey — including interviews with Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins), Ian McKellen (Gandalf), and director Peter Jackson.”

Even better, EW has also posted a brand-new gallery of set and promotional photos that we think might reveal some nifty new details of what we can expect from the movie! Go check them out!

We suggest not visiting the gallery if you are SPOILER averse!

Choice quote from Martin Freeman: ‘I don’t think I’m particularly hobbit-y,’ says Freeman. ‘But I do like comfort and I’m quite private, so in those ways, maybe I am.’

[EW Cover | [EW Gallery]