Wasn’t sure if this should’ve been in the movie section or here, but what the heck… thought this might interest a few of you…
Norway builds hobbit village
A Norwegian film distributor is building a hobbit village for fans expected to spend days waiting for tickets to the premiere of “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”
Last year, 600 people lined up in Oslo for movie tickets to “The Fellowship of the Ring,” the first of the three fantasy films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
To make the wait a bit more enjoyable this year, Guttorm Pettersen, managing director of Norway’s SF Norge film distributor, has set up a film-inspired village in a park near where the movie tickets will go on sale for the second installment in the series.
“As far as I know, we’re the only ones doing it. It’s our idea,” Pettersen said Wednesday.
The hobbit village will include a tiny inn, several small houses, and teepee-like tents. Fans have to build their own accommodations and can win prizes for the dwellings and costumes inspired by “Middle Earth,” the fictional kingdom of the tale.
“It’s a little crazy,” Pettersen said. “But they really are devoted fans.”
During the long wait until tickets go on sale November 4, there will be Tolkien-related games, contests, performances and – of course – repeated showings of the first film “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” which won four Oscars, including for visual effects.
Pettersen, who refused to reveal the project’s cost, said eight people were already in line for about 500 tickets that will be made available to the general public for the December 18 opening.
The three Tolkien books were filmed at the same time in New Zealand, with one being released each year. In the epic tale, the hobbit Frodo must secretly carry an all-powerful ring across the ancient kingdom of Middle Earth to the land of Mordor and destroy it by throwing it into Mount Doom.