It seems that as we get closer to “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” premiere–Nov. 28th in Wellington, NZ and Dec. 14 in U.S.–the media and fan marketing just keeps coming. My Hobbit Annual 2013 arrived last week [(1) left]. Goody!
The Heirs of Durin web site [(2) above] blogger, DarkJackalThirtyTwo shared a pos
t about a new free “Hobbit Strategy Game”[right and below]. It sounds cool! Be sure to check out this link:
http://thorinoakenshield.net/2012/09/25/new-hobbit-strategy-game-from-kabam/
Though I’m not a gamer–unless you count the rare online scrabble, solitaire, or Suduko that I might play–I am totally enthused these days by anything about “The Hobbit” and including Thorin Oakenshield (portrayed commandingly by British actor Richard Armitage).
And the Heirs of Durin web site–coupled with the TORN (www.theonering.net) web site and other sites–are great for Hobbit and Tolkien specific news and insights!
P.S. And it looks like England’s Queen Elizabeth has commanded that “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” give a royal performance to benefit charity in London on December 12th. Now that’s the way to insure that the Commonwealth has their rightful place in the Hobbit Premieres scheduling calendar. Snap! Snap!
One can only presume that Richard Armitage will once more be resplendently attired in a full tuxedo for the London Premiere of his film “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”–no doubt looking devastatingly handsome as he did at the 2010 BAFTA’s with his former Spooks costar, the lovely Miranda Raison, on his arm [(3) right]. Striking couple, don’t you think? I wonder whom Mr. Armitage will escort to the London Premiere with the Queen? Sentimentally, I hope he takes his Mum and Dad, in addition to his lady friend (whomever she might be, lucky lucky lady).
Please visit RANet’s Sept. 24th news item about the London benefit premiere to find out more:
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/news.html#sep24
a) I had earlier seen “The Hollywood Reporter” article:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-gets-373366
b) But RANet posting the BBC link was new to me:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19698562
As always, RANEt (www.RichardArmitageNet.com) is my primary go to source for all things Richard Armitage.
References
(1) Picture collage of my Hobbit Annual 2013 that arrived last week. It is chock full of info and fun activities. But you can bet that I won’t be cutting it up to do the puzzle. Ha!
(2) This is the stunning cover banner of British actor Richard Armitage portraying Thorin Oakenshield that is used for the “Heirs of Durin” blog produced by DarkJackalThirtyTwo. The site is found at: http://thorinoakenshield.net/
(3) Richard Armitage and Amanda Raison attended the 2010 BAFTA’s together. The image was found at http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/EventsandAppearances/BAFTA2010/slides/BAFTA2010-22.html
Something About Love (A) 
I’m pretty sure he won’t take anyone, neither family nor a “special friend” to any Hobbit related event. Wouldn’t be a good move for someone who doesn’t want to draw attention towards his private life. Should he do that, gossip will explode the next minute, if not in the tabloids, then among fans. I think they will appear as a group of key cast and crew members and that’s just fine.
BTW it’s Miranda Raison and she wasn’t a date.
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Dear Jane,
Well that’s your opinion. Personally, I hope RA has a marvelous time at all his Hobbit premieres and that he enjoys sharing these wonderful moments with family, friends, and loved ones–the media and impolite fans be damned.
And thanks for the correction about Ms. Raison’s first name. I’ll fix that after I swim laps this morning. I was in a feverish haze yesterday when I wrote this post. I’m still under the weather, but I have to get back to my regular routine.
Cheers! Grati ;->
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It is different for Martin Freeman to share this with his wife respectively long term partner, she won’t cause any raised eyebrows. But for RA it would mean introducing a previously completely unknown person to the public at an event that could not be any more high profile. If he has a partner and we learn about it, I think it will be because paparazzi pics start to turn up. We will see how he handles his private the issue of his private life and the people in it in the future.
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How RA handles the media–on any topic–is “his” choice. We are not here to judge or second guess him. Our role as fans is to enjoy his films and audiobooks, etc., and wish him well in all his endeavors.
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I don’t judge or criticize how he handles this topic at all. (Though I don’t see why as a fans I shouldn’t have an opinion and should support him unconditionally. I wouldn’t even support my son or husband or best friend unconditionally.)
I’m just making assumptions based on how he has handled it in the past and what he said on the topic in the past. He has always been reluctant to expose his private life and separated it strictly from his professional life (and Hobbit premier and possibly award shows would be part of his professional life). In the last round of interviews there wasn’t even a single word about his private life, and I guess perhaps by now he is in a position to make “no private questions” a condition when he does interviews. I would be very much surprised if he makes a U-turn and takes a date to the Hobbit premier. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t celebrate with family and friends, but not at a public event.
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Perhaps if you were to stop fixating on RA’s private life in your continuing posts here, then you would resolve the question with regard to why any celebrity might hope to maintain a small modicum of privacy.
Let us instead focus on RA’s artistic projects and interviews regarding his roles and such. He owes us nothing else. In truth, he owes “us”–his fans, the media, etc.–nothing at all. And if we are polite and respectful, we accept that and move on.
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Jane, I think you are right. Based on Mr. Armitage’s past public appearances it seems unlikely that he would take someone to any of the premieres or award shows. The Hobbit will be in the international spotlight and as guarded as he has traditionally been with his privacy, this would be an incredibly strange occasion for him to suddenly do an about face.
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Again, why do we care? His private life is his own.
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I find this comment interesting since the issue of who he might bring to the premieres was addressed in the post. That seemed like an opening to have a discussion. I’m sorry I misunderstood. Apparently discussion is only open if we agree with the the blogger’s point of view. :(
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Not at all Jas,
Whom RA takes to the premiere was a “throw away” comment on my part–in a P.S. no less. The subsequent fixation on what RA should or shouldn’t do–and his motivations behind it seemed entirely “proscriptive” to me–which is not the intent of this blog, or post, and not within our purview.
Cheers! Grati ;->
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Now, back to the intended focus of this post. Is anyone a gamer out there who has done beta’s of software?
Or maybe you have actually downloaded the beta of this new software and have any insights or tips to impart.
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Ooh! Delia just shared the link to The Hobbit Facebook’s album with a new group shot of the Dwarfs. Don’t know if this long link will work here:
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It does!
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But if you need a shorter link version, here is what “The Hobbit” tweeted:
http://twitpic.com/ayuv6q
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Empire Magazine also shares the poster with a short article at
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=35321
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Here is another take on the new Hobbit Dwarf poster from Firstshowing.net
http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/new-poster-for-peter-jacksons-the-hobbit-has-dwarves-aplenty/
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I put the pix over in my sidebar with a link to The Hobbit’s Facebook Albums page.
Here aiso is the poster link from the WETA Workshop Facebook page
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Hmmm. Heirs of Durin RT an interesting Middle Earth News article about Thorin and Orcrist at
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