"There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
-JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
A new Lord of the RingsLEGO set is making it's debut next week. To celebrate, Sean Astin returned to Middle-earth to tell us all about this new set: The Shire.
Like all the Lord of the Rings set, The Shire is incredibly detailed (and incredibly expensive at $269.99), and includes 9 minifigures.
Here's the official description from LEGO:
Journey to Middle-earth with the LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: The Shire (10354) movie memorabilia set. Bursting with features that fans will adore, this intricate diorama captures the magic of Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday party and includes 9 movie characters: Bilbo Baggins, Frodo, Mrs. Proudfoot, Farmer Proudfoot, Merry, Pippin, Rosie, Samwise, and Gandalf the Grey.
Recreate Bilbo’s hillside hobbit hole, complete with a round door and a richly furnished interior, including an entrance hall, study and parlor. Bring scenes to life with interactive functions. Transform a burning letter into The One Ring or make Bilbo vanish at the turn of a dial. Packed with movie details, from Gandalf’s horse and cart to the firework dragon and Party Tree, this set makes an enchanting display for the home or office.
The Shire will be released on April 5th, with early access for LEGO Insiders beginning on April 2nd.
The first trailer for a new Lord of the Ringsanimatedmovie has arrived. Set nearly 200 years before the final saga of the rings, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim tells the tale of Helm Hammerhand, King of Rohan, and that of his daughter, Héra.
Here's the official synopsis from Warner Bros:
New Line Cinema’s original anime feature “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” returns audiences to the epic world brought to life in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama, the talented voice cast is led by Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise as his daughter Héra; and Luke Pasqualino as Wulf. Miranda Otto, who delivered an unforgettable, award-winning performance in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, reprises her role as Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, who serves as the tale’s narrator. The voice ensemble also includes Lorraine Ashbourne, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Laurence Ubong Williams, Shaun Dooley, Michael Wildman, Jude Akuwudike, Bilal Hasna and Janine Duvitski.
Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg— a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim arrives in theaters on December 13th.
Amazon released the first full trailer for season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Powerat ComicCon this past weekend. This season, Sauron has the Rings made and begins to use them. This season is going to get dark.
Here's the official synopsis from Amazon:
Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will. Building on Season 1’s epic scope and ambition, Season 2 of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 arrives on Prime Video on August 29th.
The Rings of Power Season 2: Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will. Building on Season 1’s epic scope and ambition, Season 2 of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 arrives on Amazon Prime Video on August 29th. New episodes will debut each Thursday. Season 1 is available now.
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
Have you seen these adorable Fisher Price Little People figures from Mattel? I love their collector sets, especially the first Lord of the Rings sets. The first set included Legolas, Aragorn, Arwen, Gimli, Gandalf, and Frodo from the Council of Elrond. This new set features the Hobbits at Weathertop, including Merry, Pippin, Sam, and a translucent Frodo who is wearing the Ring. The box even has a special light up feature under Frodo. This set is a bit pricey at $30.00, but so cute! The Weathertop set is available directly from Mattel.
Every time I rewatch Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, I'm reminded how much I truly love the soundtracks. There's just something about them that, while frequently melancholy, is also quite peaceful. This song, "The Last Goodbye", was written and performed by Billy Boyd (Peregrine "Pippin" Took in LOTR) for the end of the Hobbit trilogy. It's just lovely.
We are currently rewatching The Lord of the Ringsmovies. They are still one of my favorite movie series, and the books are even better. I also love the music, which is somewhat haunting and beautiful. "May It Be", which was performed by Enya for the end credits of The Fellowship of the Ring, feels sad, but lovely.
LEGO makes some of the most incredibly intricate building sets for adult collectors. This new set is a recreation of "the Last Homely House" from the Lord of the Rings. Rivendell is made up of 6167 pieces and features an astounding 15 minifigures: Bilbo, Frodo, Samwise, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, Elrond, Arwen, two Elves, and a Dwarf.
Here's the official description from LEGO:
Journey into Rivendell with this LEGO The Lord of the Rings collectible. Based on the Middle-earth valley where the famous quest began, this impressive 6,167-piece project for adults is bursting with details that movie fans will adore.
The building set is decorated with foliage that creates the feeling of being deep inside the Rivendell forest and includes magical details including an elven forge, Elrond's cluttered study, the Shards of Narsil, plus paintings and statues from the history of Middle-earth. It also comes with 15 minifigures to bring favorite scenes to life. The minifigures have detachable legs, so you can seat them around the table to recreate the iconic Council of Elrond scene.
This highly requested building set has been designed for The Lord of the Rings fans and film-lovers who appreciate stunning design.
The set measures over 15 inches high, 29.5 inches wide and 19.5 inches deep and splits into 3 sections: the tower, the council ring and the gazebo with river and bridge.
The Rivendell set costs a whopping $499.99 and will be released on the LEGO website on March 8.
You shall not pass!
If that's a bit out of your budget, there are more affordable options in the form of three new BrickHeadz sets that are available now. The first features Gandalf the Grey and the Balrog in the Mines of Moria from The Fellowship of the Ring. This set sells for $19.99.
Our only wish, to catch a fish, so juicy sweet!
Next up is Gollum, holding a fish, and Frodo, holding Sting and the One Ring, from The Two Towers. This set sells for $14.99.
I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.
And finally, Arwen and Aragorn as they appeared at Aragorn's coronation in Return of the King. This set sells for $19.99.
There are just nine days left until The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerarrives on Amazon Prime Video. The latest trailer looks just as visually beautiful and emotionally overwhelming as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies. I can't wait!
The first two episodes of The Rings of Power arrive on Amazon Prime Video on September 2nd.
Here's a little behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. I've always loved Tolkien’s stories, and this one really does look incredible.
Here'sthe official synopsis from Amazon:
Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power arrives on Amazon Prime Video on September 2.
Amazon has released a new trailer for their upcoming series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power and it looks amazing!
Here's the official synopsis from Amazon:
Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power arrives on Amazon Prime Video on September 2.
