Sunday 21 August 2011

Welly-moot #4 - Hobbit meeting on 4th of Sept

I flipped a coin in the air and decided it was time to have ourselves another Hobbit meeting. They're always fun, and enjoyed by everyone there. So, here are the details:

What : Welly-moot #4
When : September the 4th, at 2:00pm
Where : Embassy Theatre, upstairs in the cafe
Who : All Hobbit friends in Wellington on the day (that's you!)
What to bring : Money for coffee & cakes, yourselves.(*)


(*) and cool stuff to show off, if you want to! A good old fashioned Show'n'Tell!


The agenda for the meeting : we all turn up, and have a fun afternoon, meeting old friends and making new ones.

I have set up a facebook event for it as well - if you're on Facebook, add yourself to the attendee list here.


Looking forward to seeing as many of you there as possible!

- Jack M.

Wednesday 17 August 2011

MEN Extras required in Wellington!

Last week, it was widely reported that 3 Foot 7 Ltd had put out a call for ELF Extras via New Zealand's job seeking website, Trademe.co.nz.

Originally, the advertisement stated :

We are currently looking for slim men 17-30 years and between 165cm – 178 cm or 5’5” -5’8” AND slim women 17-30 years between 165cm – 173cm or 5’5” to 5’8” to play ELF extras.

I've just revisited the site, and it seems to have changed completely. It now it says :

We are currently looking for MEN based in the Wellington region aged 30 plus, medium - large build, 5'8" - 6 foot (175cm - 183cm) Character faces, beards, missing teeth - all good.


I'm not sure if that means they're still looking for Elves or no longer - I guess it pays to respond quickly to these advertisements!

I'm also not sure if they're looking for MEN as a race (as opposed to ELVES), or MEN as a gender (as opposed to WOMEN extras). I've put my application in just in case - I didn't qualify for the ELF call, but this time I'm in!

Bonus - it no longer requires applicants to be slim and pretty, in fact being larger and ugly may just count as a plus! So, watch for my name in the credits!


So if you live in Wellington (a requirement, I'm afraid), apply quickly before it all changes again!

- Jack

Tuesday 16 August 2011

Retraction - Laketown not located as previously reported

It appears that the previous rumour about Laketown having been found was incorrect. Although there is a large movie being filmed in the Duntroon-Kurow area, it is apparently NOT The Hobbit.

New information has come to me which suggests that it is in fact a movie called Mister Pip, which will star Hugh Laurie (from the TV hit series House and the classic Black Adder). Hugh Laurie has previously worked with Stephen Fry on a various projects, notably the comedy show A Bit Of Fry and Laurie.

Of note also is that Mister Pip is being directed by Andrew Adamson, who directed the best two Shrek movies (1 and 2), and the best two Narnia movies (1 and 2). Sounds like Mister Pip, (and any eventual sequel?) will be great (although I'd skip Mister Pip 3)...!


So, no Laketown location yet. That's what you get with rumours!

Keep them coming though! If you've heard anything else please drop me a line!

  - Jack M.

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Another two possible locations?

I've heard two interesting but fairly non-specific location rumours from another source.

 To start with, some of the locals in Te Anau are reporting that some "Hobbit people" (their phrase, not mine!) are putting feelers out for mass accommodation in that area around Late November/Early December 2011. Does that mean they'll be out there filming around then? As far as I know, no actual bookings have been made anywhere, so "wait and see" is probably accurate......


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Also, apparently there's "something large" (movie set related) being set up near the town of Middlemarch, inland from Dunedin. The indications I'm getting is that this was also Hobbit related, but I couldn't get that confirmed. Middlemarch is approximately an hour drive from Dunedin, so it until some of these stories firm up, it's probably not worth anybody's time to get out there and investigate...


View Larger Map

So, nothing solid here at all, just the usual rumours and speculation! Nothing changes, in other words! :)

If anybody has heard any other rumours, please drop me a line!


  - Jack M.

Laketown located?

Update 16-Aug-2011 - Rumour retracted...
 =========================================

Last night I heard an interesting rumour from one of my spies who is currently in the South Island. She's been spending the winter in the beautiful Waitaki Valley, somewhere inland between Oamaru and Timaru (which in turn are between Christchurch and Dunedin).


She's heard from a source that "a big movie" is being filmed somewhere between the towns of Duntroon (population 114) and Kurow (population 339), along the Waitaki River.

Coupled with reports (here, and here) of Luke Evans (playing Bard the Bowman) and Stephen Fry (playing Master of Laketown) coming into New Zealand for their scenes, is it possible that the next location to be filmed is Laketown?


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Note also its proximity to the town of Twizel, which was previously used for LOTR's Pelenor Fields battles.


My contact is hoping to get more details by next Monday. Of course, none of this is confirmed or official in any way, and in fact, it may not even be The Hobbit movies at all! That's certainly happened before (Rumour 3 on this previous report turned out to be non-Hobbit, for instance)...

We'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully another report next week!


  - Jack

Thursday 4 August 2011

Elf-Alert - Orlando Bloom arrives in Wellington!

Earlier today, there was a report from his wife Miranda Kerr that he'd left for New Zealand last night, but I've just had it confirmed by one of my spies - Orlando Bloom has been sighted in Wellington.

Apparently the first place he visited was the Scorch-o-Rama cafe (formerly known as the Chocolate Fish Cafe) in Karaka Bay, on the Miramar Peninsula. Which just happens to be the same cafe Andy Serkis visited first when he returned as well.

If you've joined me on a fullday LOTR tour, that's where we generally have lunch. :)


So if you're reading this, Orlando - welcome back to Wellington! Couldn't have caught us on a nicer day!


To everyone else out there - keep the rumours coming! Photos would be great! :)

  - Jack M.