MarketSaw's Review Of The GANDALF THE GREY Premium Format Figure From Sideshow Collectibles!

Sideshow Collectibles has hit another home run! I received this Gandalf (the Grey) Premium Format Figure from Sideshow before the holidays and was able to video my unboxing and commentary but didn't have time to start the post production of my review. I finally was able to do so this week and here it is!

Sideshow has limited this run to 1000 pieces and this limited edition will sell out so act fast if you are interested. It is in stock right now.

My review production value has increased somewhat with this effort but I am looking forward to further reviews now that I have a top of the line DSLR video setup (Panasonic GH1 - hacked "C" settings). More on those developments soon. This particular review was shot with a Flip Mino HD. Since then I have switched to the Sony Bloggie Touch for pocket HD needs.

During the unboxing of Gandalf, you are immediately struck by the craftsmanship and care in which these pieces are not only built, but packaged for delivery. It is an experience in itself to open and assemble these pieces.

The Gandalf Premium Format Figure has "true to character, handmade clothing" for THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING and in particular the scenes where Gandalf leads the fellowship through the Mines of Moria. The arms, legs and head are solid and lovingly painted.

Gandalf's staff lights up wonderfully! Personally I love Sideshow's statues that light up (illuminated LED) the best as it adds that further dramatic effect to your display shelves.

So here's my detailed unboxing and review! Description and specs follow. ENJOY!



Here is the piece's description and specs:
The Gandalf the Grey Premium Format figure is a truly stunning representation of the Istari wizard, capturing every aspect of this legendary member of the Fellowship of the Ring. Lighting the way as the Fellowship warily moves through the Mines of Moria, Gandalf's staff is raised, its crystal illuminated by an LED light-up feature. The figure's hand-tailored clothing reflect the layers and details of the wizard's intricate film costume, and each piece is individually painted and finished to exacting standards, each with its own unique quality and detail that is the trademark of a handcrafted Sideshow Collectibles product. This stunning figure is an outstanding addition to any 'The Lord of the Rings' collection, and is the ultimate representation of the most beloved wizard of all time.

As a member of the Istari, the ancient and powerful Gandalf the Grey is sent to Middle-earth to orchestrate the forces of light against the growing darkness. Gandalf is a trusted ally and provides wise counsel to the many peoples of Middle-earth. First to discover the true nature of Bilbo's Ring, Gandalf guides Bilbo's heir, Frodo Baggins, to Rivendell. There, Frodo takes up the responsibility for the Ring's destruction. Guide and mentor to Frodo in his quest, Gandalf leads the Fellowship of the Ring on the path to the fires of Mount Doom.

As the Fellowship of the Ring ventures deep within the Mines of Moria, they are confronted by one of the most powerful and evil beings in all of Middle-earth, a Balrog. Narrowly making their way across a vast chasm and near to the exit from Moria, the fellowship is overtaken by the beast of shadow and flame. Only the magic and might of Gandalf the Grey is strong enough to save Frodo and his companions. Standing firm in the path of danger, the noble wizard fends off the Balrog as the others escape certain death. The Balrog falls deep into the mines, and though he saves the fellowship, Gandalf is not able to escape the fiery whip of the Balrog. Urging Frodo and the Fellowship to carry on, Gandalf the Grey falls into the abyss.

Though his mortal body is sacrificed, Gandalf the Grey is strong in spirit, deep in wisdom, and skilled in magic. His words as Frodo's friend and mentor continue to guide Frodo as the Fellowship of the Ring ventures to save Middle-earth. His mission to unite the forces of the light is left unfinished, but hope lives on with Frodo and Aragorn.

Price: $289.99 or FLEXPAY $96.66 / month
License: The Lord of the Rings
Product Type: Premium Format Figure
Product Size: 27.5" H (698.5mm) x 9" W (228.6mm) x 13" D (330.2mm)*
Product Weight: 15.00 lbs (6.8 kg)*
Box Size: 30.00" H (762mm) x 11.00" W (279.4mm) x 15.00" L (381mm)*
Est. Shipping Weight: 15.00 lbs (6.8 kg)*

Artists:
Greg Mowry of Geppetto Productions
Kevin Ellis
Trevor Grove
Bernardo Esquivel
Anthony
Mestas
Heath Hammond
Joe Allard
Chadwick Andersen
The Sideshow Collectibles Design and Development Team

You can view all the statue's details right here.



I completely endorse this piece for anyone considering it. I especially recommend this piece for first time collectors as it has that sweeping broad appeal to so many people that it is sure to inspire many conversations in the future. It looks wonderful in any room but especially a home theater!

I am looking forward to the next review - keep checking for more!!

Rumor Mill: Dark Smaug On The Horizon Plus Further Word That THE HOBBIT Will Be In 3 Parts -AND- 3D!!

Jim here. Got some interesting HOBBIT news for you. The information I am sharing is from one of my most trusted sources and so you can rely quite a bit on it despite being very early in the production of THE HOBBIT(s).

Why am I so excited about this news I am about to divulge to you? It's because a lot of it I had already uncovered back in 2007. It is being collaborated right now! Sure, this is not ironclad yet - it is still early in the process, but this is not the first time I have heard these things. So how does this sound to you guys (especially if you are a new reader and didn't hear the first word from us on it):

1. THE HOBBIT(s) will be in stereoscopic 3D.
2. THE HOBBIT will be shot in THREE movies - two Del Toro movies covering the book itself and a third bridge movie.
3. Peter Jackson will direct the bridge movie.
4. Smaug and the characters in THE HOBBIT will be darker than in the book.

Here is what he has to say about the famed dragon that is soon to star in the movie and about PJ potentially bringing us a third HOBBIT movie (emphasis is mine):

"Smaug will be a mixture of practical and animation ...going purely on practical, the design rocks. I think THE HOBBIT may be a different beast to the book, at least in terms of going darker. And judging from Smaug "and the Gollum tweaks" will be something to rival the previous attempts at the very least. It is still very lock and key at the moment. I can tell you this, Peter Jackson is very keen to have the two part Hobbit tale set in 3D. Del Toro however is holding back on that school of thought. At least for the time being. Im hearing word "and its only speculation at the moment", that it wont be two films. It will be three. The two parts and the bridge movie. Word alone is not trustworthy. However I hear this from lots of people. And have seen things to indicate this may be the way it is heading. Del Toro on Hobbit duty, Jackson on the bridge project. Time will tell."

I am completely thrilled about the possibilities! I have been hoping for this eventuality ever since I exclusively posted that PJ's lawsuit was being dropped and that he would indeed be coming back to the project. To me it just makes sense. Del Toro has a grasp on THE HOBBIT from a literary perspective and is a good choice for the first two, but who better than Jackson himself to connect THE HOBBIT to his LOTR trilogy? All in 3D! I am a little worried that Del Toro will not shoot in 3D for some obscure reason, but confident that Jackson will bring him on board. Any bridge movie would definitely be in 3D though I am sure as Jackson would be helming it.

My bet? We will wind up with THE HOBBIT I, II (Del Toro) and III (Jackson) in 3D and then will be treated to a complete conversion of the whole LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy into 3D as well (Peter Jackson confirmed my exclusive story at Comic-Con this year). One sweeping epic, end to end. Magnificent! :-)

Keep it on MarketSaw for the best 3D coverage anywhere on the planet.

Photo courtesy of Raymond Gaustadnes.

Guillermo del Toro Talks More About "The Hobbit" In 3D!

Jim here. As exclusively posted right here on MarketSaw by yours truly back in November 2007, there stands a very real possibility that THE HOBBIT(s) movies will be shot in stereographic 3D! Back then, there was a good chance that Peter Jackson would be directing, but he changed his mind and instead attached himself as Executive Producer - still much more than what other sites were saying - no PJ at all. We have known about THE HOBBIT in 3D for some time now and I know for a fact that PJ and company have already spoken at length about 3D back in January of this year, from my trusted internal sources at Weta. We even questioned Guillermo del Toro about it live and in person on May 25, 2008.

Now GdT has told MTV the following:

“IMAX is a fantastic medium. I am a shareholder. I love IMAX. I remember seeing ‘Polar Express,’ and then seeing ‘Polar Express’ in 3D and IMAX and having my life completely transformed,” he enthused, excitedly discussing the format’s immersive capabilities. “I think it would be a worthy discussion. But it hasn’t arrived."

“I think that we are experienced enough, I guess would be the term, to know that we should not daydream about [things like that] when we write the screenplay,” he said of whether or not he was even flirting with 3D or IMAX as possibilities. “Right now what we have is, you don’t have two filmmakers and two screenplay writers – you have four screenplay writers. We’ll be talking about 3D, on IMAX – but [not] right now.”

Awesome to hear him openly musing about the possibilities, and I remain steadfast that the movies do indeed get made in 3D and that they are going to be spellbinding. I mean, not spellbinding in only a great story (which we know it damn well will be), but spellbinding in it's immersion and experience. We are going to experience THE HOBBIT in 3D folks - I am staking a lot on this.

What I think GdT is trying to say is that in order to write the screenplay you have to know whether it will be in 3D or not - which makes total sense! Well they ARE writing the screenplays right now and so they have to know RIGHT NOW that it will be in 3D but are keeping it under wraps for some reason. I believe that on that great day back on September 29th where we had financial and contractual commitments to roll out digital and 3D screens, the fate of twin 3D HOBBIT prequels was sealed in victory.

I mean just look at the box office possibilites! 3D means much more revenue and with the potential 2D to 3D conversion of the original LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and cinematic re-release (again - we were the first to report this from our sources here), the potential is staggering. You KNOW PJ and GdT are looking at this very seriously. Besides, the story really does call for 3D - to become totally immersed in Tolkien's world is a no-brainer.

If I should hear differently from my sources or further positive word, you will be the first to know right here, 'cause you know you get the straight stuff here, and not on AICN about anything 3D. Heck we even knew it would be a two part prequel and that the legal issues between PJ and New Line had been resolved.

I am passionate about all things Tolkien and all things 3D. Makes for a pretty good combination for MarketSaw especially with great sources in place! Stay tuned!!

Lord Of The Rings 3D Closer To Reality??

Folks - straight from a tipster to TORn it looks like a CNBC reporter has some knowledge about The Lord Of The Rings "rumblings" about the trilogy being re-released in 3D. The intrepid tipster used his cellphone to capture the video and then posted it to YouTube! Check it out here:



Could it be that my sources were right all along? :-) Of course they are... but hurry up with the announcement already!! Thanks Shawn for bringing this to my attention quickly! Perhaps there are some rumblings taking place at SXSW and ShoWest...

Just When You Thought The Smaug Was Clearing...

Whoa. I had to read this news item twice - it clearly states that New Line has not paid ONE CENT of the Lord Of The Rings contractual agreement to the Tolkien Trust (the estate of the Tolkien family) for revenue earned from J.R.R. Tolkien's writings. So the Trust is suing New Line for:

1. $150 Million in unpaid earnings.
2. Punitive damages (not disclosed).
   

Further - and the one that hurts most - is that the rights to The Hobbit may now be revoked from New Line! The Trust is also suing for a court order to terminate any rights to "The Hobbit" that New Line may hold.

Again, I must reiterate that we feel Peter Jackson will still direct one, if not both Hobbit films no matter who holds the rights, but *sigh* this looks like it may delay the film even more.

Makes me wish the rights had gone to a major studio originally - although Peter Jackson was definitely the key to the success. Hang in there Peter!

Guillermo del Toro Sets Everything Straight!

You had to know it was not official and yet sites all over the world kept piling on the "Its Official" stamps. Well, NO, it is not official. Says del Toro himself!

“Well, the reality is that the Hobbit story has broken early because the negotiations have not ended and The Hobbit is not a sure thing.”

“The reality is, I will know that it's happening when we have the final word and I am fully and officially on board.”

“I think what happens very often is that these rumours have a way of becoming real or not. I don't expect The Hobbit to be troublesome. But you know, then again, it may never happen... or it may!”

Now I am not telling you "I told you so" - not by a long shot. But until there is official word from Jacksonville, New Zealand then you can speculate all you want. We know for a fact that minds have been made up, then changed and then changed again over in Jackson's camp. We trust that they will make the right decision, but it has NOT BEEN MADE YET.

We still believe that either Jackson directs both Hobbits or del Toro gets a crack at the first (classical Hobbit story) and Jackson retains the bridge movie joining The Hobbit and LOTRs.

Stayed tuned folks. Could it get any more interesting? Oh yeah, they have to announce all the 3D movies they plan to release too :-)

Source: TotalFilm

Hobbit Announcement Followup: There IS TIME to DIRECT!

As promised in the comment section of yesterday's Jackson post, here is an update from the very sources that provided the Jackson announcement details WELL in advance.

We discussed a few things, primarily of course was "The Hobbit". We REMAIN STEADFAST that Jackson will direct The Hobbit. All indications were that he was to be super heavily involved and nothing has changed whatsoever.

What I have heard is that Jackson will wrap up "The Lovely Bones" with a nice bow and then turn around to Steven Spielberg and say that he cannot take the reins of Tintin until the third iteration. That is to say, Spielberg will work his magic for the first Tintin feature, Zemeckis (YES. Zemeckis is the name I heard!) will work his magic for the second and Jackson for the third. Aside from the potential shuffling of the pecking order of Tintin, each iteration will only take about 30 days of shooting and the rest would be post-production.

"District 9" from what I gather will be temporarily back-burnered.

By delaying "District 9" shuffling the "Tintin" order somewhat (but still maintaining his contractual obligations), Jackson frees up enough time to shoot two Hobbit movies back to back and still get another Oscar (or ten). And heck, even if he did Tintin right away - it is a relatively fast shoot.

There is simply FAR too much at stake to risk placing another Director in that chair. Jackson's credibility is on the line here bigtime. The Hobbit must not fail. If he screws up "The Hobbit" by hiring a figurehead Director who is torn between his own vision and that of the Overlord Producer - thats whats gonna happen! Jackson knows that. He will take full responsibility for the success and helm it. He would probably fire ANY director that took the job anyway, just as he did with actor Ryan Gosling. Its gotta be a perfect duo of movies and nobody can do it better than the man himself. Again, he KNOWS that.

Look for the Zemeckis announcement that he is directing the second iteration of Tintin.

I will post more when I get it. Look for a source update on Avatar with the next post!

Its Official: Peter Jackson & New Line Kiss and The Hobbit is ON !

It's a done deal folks! Peter Jackson is involved with "The Hobbit". Here are the details:

1. Peter Jackson is INDEED involved in "The Hobbit". My sources and I REMAIN STEADFAST that Jackson is indeed DIRECTING as well.
2. The Hobbit will be a two part prequel to LOTRs - shot simultaneously as Jackson did with LOTRs. My sources were again BANG ON with this news. We remain steadfast that the two movies will led up elegantly to LOTRs.
3. Peter Jackson and New Line have INDEED settled their litigation issues as I reported exclusively back on October 5th, 2007. Congratulations Peter!

More on this breaking story as I encounter it!!!

Thanks to my readers and sources for sticking beside me throughout the past couple of months - there are some naysayers of course but I have not led anyone astray - we shall see who directs and who does not. I intend to keep on reporting exclusive and breaking news from my trusted sources and to ensure MarketSaw remains your go-to destination for all things 3D.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

-jim

Image source: AP

Partial Confirmation: Jackson Directs "The Hobbit" If New Line Loses Rights (2008)!

More confirmation that Peter Jackson will be directing "The Hobbit"! The CBC is reporting that Saul Zaentz told the German film magazine "Cinema" in a recent interview that Peter Jackson WILL BE directing "The Hobbit".

This obviously backs up MarketSaw's (here and here) as well as our sources going out on a limb and guaranteeing that this would indeed happen. So in essence, even if worse comes to worse and Jackson and New Line cannot agree to a settlement, Peter still directs when the rights to "The Hobbit" revert back to Zaentz in 2008! Of course New Line wants to keep the franchise and they are working feverishly to come to terms (my sources claim an agreement in principal has been reached). As I have said before - mark my words folks, Peter Jackson is directing "The Hobbit" - I guarantee it.

Now that Jackson is in, it is a matter of seeing an official announcement as well as details such as that the movies are in two parts AND IN 3D, as exclusively exposed here on MarketSaw. A cool byproduct of that is seeing the original LOTR trilogy being re-released in 3D too.

Awesome. Simply awesome.

Update: I am digging deeper into this story by checking with the CBC's due diligence on it. One of my readers, David, pointed out that the German magazine quote could in fact be referring to a 2006 interview and is not fresh news. Needless to say I am acting quickly to ensure the veracity of the post with the CBC. Normally I trust them without question. I will update one way or the other ASAP. Also, thanks to Aaron for alerting me to the story to begin with.

Digg This!

Confirmed: The Serkis Is Coming To Town Again!

It's confirmed. Andy Serkis, known for his excellent performance capture work as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and as the big ape in King Kong will now turn his sights towards the new 3D Peter Jackson / Steven Spielberg trilogy Tintin. He will NOT play the lead role of Tintin however. I will let you know more as I get it.

It is great to hear he is aboard. He is obviously the master actor you think of when performance capture is mentioned! As if it were even possible, that trilogy in development just rose up a notch in my books.

Source: Variety

This New Lawsuit Has A Familiar Ring To It...

The Lord of the Rings producer, Saul Zaentz is suing New Line for his share of the proceeds from the trilogies worldwide take of $3 Billion. Ok. The timing is interesting on this one. Why did he wait until now (or rather this past Thursday) to file? Peter Jackson also has a pending case against New Line filed in 2005. Could it be that New Line and Peter Jackson are nearing an agreement that does not include Zaentz? Rhetorical question as I believe they are.

Could it be that Zaentz was counting on Jackson forcing New Line's hand in court to reveal all audit documents to come up with what money was owed to both parties? One of my sources has indicated that Peter Jackson and New Line have a new agreement in principal that forgives past transgressions in favor of a better deal for "The Hobbit".

I have said all along that Jackson will be the director of "The Hobbit". I stand by that statement. It'll be interesting to see what happens here in the short term. Quite the soap opera we've got going here.

Updated Avatar Exterior Photo & More...

Some very cool images coming from a blogger from a recent trip to Jacksonville, err... Wellington, New Zealand.

He did some tours of the area including some great photos of him in the same locales as scenes from Lord of the Rings. Apparently the tours bring along a laptop computer with the LOTR trilogy on DVD and they play the scene where the sets used to be; tourists can stand where the characters did and pose for photos. Here are some photos from him showing us more update to date Avatar set exteriors (looks much more busier there now than earlier shots!), the Park Road Building, and the Weta studio exterior. Take a closer look at the bottom image - The Weta sign is kinda dark and in behind some sort of creature's head (maybe it's just a dog?). Check 'em out...

Hot Hobbit News! Jackson Will Helm "The Hobbit" As Two 3D Prequels to LOTRs! AND...

UPDATE: DEC 2, 2007
Apparently Ain't It Cool News contacted Jackson's camp to confirm all of what I reported here - as if they are going to say something! (nice to try though). It will be no less than Peter Jackson and New Line (probably Bob Shaye) making this announcement when they do get around to it. I doubt they would give the honor to anyone else to break or confirm major stories. My source (who could also be considered in Jackson's camp) was very clear in stating that there is a +/- of 1 to 2 years for scheduling everything; my posting was not focusing on dates, but rather that Jackson will be doing The Hobbit, and doing it in 3D. At no time did I say he had signed a contract already! However I remain 100% certain he will direct based on my sources. It is only a question of when the announcement will be. If I could tell you that, then my source would have to be the man himself now wouldn't it? No, Peter is directing and I have the odds very high that the two Hobbit movies will be in 3D. Let's just see who is right in the end shall we?

ORIGINAL POST:
Ok folks - this is hot off my sources and they are the ones who provided the Avatar Ney'tiri image so it is pretty darn reliable:

Peter Jackson will indeed DIRECT "The Hobbit"! This is my second source telling me this. You can be 100% SURE that this is happening. The story will be split into two separate movies as was previously thought with the second relating much more to "Lord of the Rings" than the first.

Wait, as if that wasn't enough: Here is the kicker people: "The Hobbit" will be in 3D. Yes. You heard it on MarketSaw first - both Hobbit movies will be shot in 3D. FURTHER, New Line and Peter Jackson then intend on converting the Lord of the Rings trilogy into 3D as well and re-releasing them in theaters between 2012 and 2014! How is that for big news??Awesome stuff!! I have this news from one source, not two.

Of course this is exclusive news and has not been announced by New Line or Peter Jackson yet. If my sources are 100% correct (and I have plenty of trust in them, believe me) then we are going to see an announcement relatively soon as "The Hobbit" is not a trivial project to be sure and needs to get ramped up!

Just what does this mean for the 3D movie industry? It means total validation. It underscores that if you are going to do a huge motion picture from today on, it had better be in 3D. George Lucas is still intending on converting his entire stable of Star Wars films into 3D too. The validation is huge for the movie industry as a whole and for the theater customers! Lets just hope that my sources are bang on as they usually are.

SAME DAY UPDATE: Here is an excerpt from my email with my source regarding CASTING:

"No casting info yet. But they are looking forward to bring back Sir Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis and Hugo Weaving. For these 3 actors, the chances are really good.
I'm not sure about the release date, but I think 2010 for the first film, and 2011 for second, is what they are trying to get into everybodys calendar. So it would make sense with my information of following with the converted Trilogy in 2012 – 2014. That is all happening, but there must be said, that there is a possibility of +/- 1 to 2 years to the whole thing. If I get to know more, I try to tell ya."

I would heavily suspect that Jackson will shoot "The Hobbit" back to back as he is an old pro at that now and heck you know damn well that its gonna rake in cash. And as my source pointed out, finding a window to fit everyone's schedule is going to be damn hard.

Is Bob Swayed? Jackson Directed "The Hobbit" Soon To Be Announced

Is Bob Shaye swayed? As posted earlier, I believe Peter Jackson will soon be announced as the director of "The Hobbit". I have heard from an internal source that a very generous percentage sharing deal with New Line is in the works concurrently with ongoing litigation between the two parties. Further, and here is the kicker: In return for the deal, the litigation that is pending between Jackson and New Line will be withdrawn. It all hinges on continued good faith dialogue between everyone involved.

Entertainment Weekly echoes my findings as well although they stop short of saying the litigation will be dropped. "There has been a détente,” says one insider. There is now the beginning of a discourse between Peter Jackson and New Line that’s running parallel to the litigation proceedings."

I suspect that the deal will be even more lucrative than what is expected for someone of Peter Jackson's stature to help him forget about the litigation. Hey whatever works. Just. Get. Him. Directing.