Gollum to Help Direct the Hobbit

How is this for getting the most from your actors?  It seems that Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, is the second unit director for The Hobbit.  When interviewed Serkis said, "I think I understand Peter's sensibility and we have a common history of understanding Middle Earth.  A lot of the crew from 'The Lord of the Rings' was returning to work on 'The Hobbit.' There is really a sense of Peter wanting people around him who totally understand the material and the work ethic."  It is a real vote of confidence from Jackson, who obviously sees eye to eye with Serkis on their interpretation of the source material.  

 

Peter Jackson is one of the few directors that I have so much confidence in that I just believe that everything they do will work out perfectly.  So though some people might be raising their eyebrows at this development due to Serkis' lack of experience, I say just sit back and relax.

This movie is going to be amazing.

Stephen Colbert schools James Franco

James Franco was recently a guest on the ever entertaining Colbert Report.  During the show the two got into something of a pissing contest about who was the bigger Lord of the Rings fan.  Unfortunately for James Franco, he seemed to come to the battle with an empty bladder.  Still, Colbert's intimate knowledge of Middle Earth Lore, his pity of Franco's limited knowledge, and his passion for the subject matter make it great fun to watch.

Check it out below, it starts around 3:25 with their conversation of Freaks & Geeks.

Fran Kranz Joins Cast of JourneyQuest

Big news for the internet show JourneyQuest!  Fran Kranz, most well known as the genius Topher Brink on Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, is joining the cast for season 2. 

This is a huge casting for Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, an offshoot of Dead Gentlemen and the creators of the show.  The shows principal creator, Matt Vancil is excited by the new casting saying, “We are absolutely thrilled to have Fran on board.  We were really looking to broaden the scope of the series in the second season. Having an actor of his caliber join the cast is a dream come true.”  Kranz himself is eager to join the cast saying, “I love the series and am very excited to get to know everyone involved.  Most importantly, it looks like you guys have a lot of fun making it and I can’t wait to join in on that.”

Season 2 of JourneyQuest is filming this summer and should be released sometime this fall.  Season 1 can be picked up on DVD for the bargain price of $20.

The OSR & Gen Con

Great news for members and fans of the Old School Renaissance who will be attending Gen Con this year.  The Old-School Renaissance Group has been awarded a Gen Con marketing fellowship which means that they will have one of the big end booths (200 square feet rather than the normal 100 square feet).  

I gotta say, this is pretty cool.  They are definitely one of the first booths I'll be stopping by when I visit the dealers hall.  Here is a map of what this year's hall will look like.  The OSR booth is number 1541 and can be found in the top right corner area of the map marked Entrepreneurs Avenue. 

Stop by the  Old-School Renaissance Group website for future updates leading up to Gen Con. 

Watch Fifteen Minutes of Game of Thrones

Last night HBO aired the first fifteen minutes of their new show Game of Thrones which premieres in two weeks.  Get an early start below!

Based on this footage it looks like the show will live up to the hype.  Everything seems exceptionally well done, and true to the material.  April 17th can't get here soon enough.

The Best April Fool's Day Joke of the Year

Most web sites engage in a bit of tom foolery on April 1.  The gags usually run the gambit in terms of quality, but this year I really think one rose high above the rest.  Now I'm not saying that it, "Got" anyone.  I seriously doubt it got anyone, but that doesn't mean that it isn't hilarious. 

I could describe it but hell, just go take a look at dnd5.com.  You'll be glad you did.

Over 10 Feet of Awesome

You know what a battle axe is and you can tell a longsword from a short sword, but how are you when things start to be a bit longer?  Well Wizards of the Coast aims to find out!  Test your mettle in their Pole Arm Quiz, and find out if you can tell a Glaive from a Guisarme.    The quiz has 22 questions in total, only 13 of which I got correct.  Alas, I had thought I would do better.  See how you do and if you can beat my score.

Thanks go out to Grognardia for pointing me toward this awesome quiz.  I agree with James, the gentlemen who runs the site; this is the coolest thing to be seen on the Wizards of the Coast website in a long time.