Ian McKellen Sends Updates From The Hobbit Set
Posted 05.12.11 by Ryan
One thing that 71-year-old actor Ian McKellen is not shy about using is social media. In March, with production on The Lord of the Rings prequel The Hobbit still weeks away, McKellen tweeted and blogged about seeing "Bilbo in 3 dimensions." Director Peter Jackson has embraced social media as well, video blogging the start of production almost a month ago.
McKellen's latest missives includes an example of the technological times, as the actor Tweeted a photo of himself in full Gandalf costume wearing 3-D glasses.
THE HOBBIT is being filmed in 3D. Even wizards have to wear the glasses
McKellen was also active with his blog, recently revealing that Martin Freeman, who plays Bilbo in the two-part movie, will be spending time away from the New Zealand-based production to work on another series of Sherlock Holmes TV movies for the BBC, and discussing the return of Hugo Weaving as elven Lord Elrond, as well as a lesser known elf from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Another slim-line elf returning from LOTR, is a local: New Zealand's actor/comedian/singer Bret McKenzie. Last time, he was an extra at Rivendell, the elven Last Homely House in the East. Under a tree at the Council of Elrond, he silently witnessed the forming of the Fellowship. Wordless maybe but not unnoticed by fans of the beautiful, who gave him the acronym F.I.G.W.I.T. ("Frodo Is Great! Who Is That?") I confess Gandalf didn't take much notice, distracted by the main action that involved all the main characters.
I only joined Bret's fan-base, when he joined up with Jermaine Clement in their hilarious tv series Flight of the Conchords. Now he is briefly back in Rivendell as a senior official at Elrond's Court and he has a name "Lindir", which means "singer". [J.R.R.] Tolkien has plenty of songs in The Hobbit but the script doesn't indicate that Lindir will be singing any of them. If, as he promises, Bret makes a Conchord feature film ere long, I shall angle for a non-speaking part as BIGWIT.
Next Showing: the first installment of
The Hobbit is scheduled to open on December 19, 2012