We’re now less than eleven months away from Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-earth with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of his two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s original novel, followed by The Hobbit: There And Back Again next December.

We’ve seen and heard some fantastic things from the new film already, most recently including Evangeline Lilly updating us on her character, Tauriel, created especially for the film. She spoke to Yahoo Movies about her preparations for the role, with thanks to ComicBookMovie for the heads up, and in the same report, Yahoo have put out a great new picture of Martin Freeman as Bilbo, almost lost amongst the dwarves.

“The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.”

We recently saw a much darker image of Freeman this month with his faithful sword, Sting, and this new image looks similar to the first images we saw from the film, still in The Shire. Alongside Freeman, we can look forward to seeing many new and familiar faces, including Andy Serkis, Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee.

The Hobbit will be released in 3D with An Unexpected Journey kicking things off on 14^th December this year, followed by There and Back Again on 13^th December next year. Until then, here’s the new image, which you can click to enlarge. And in case you missed it at the end of last year, you can watch the wonderful first trailer right here, as well as everything else The Hobbit-related here. If you’d like to read more about Lilly’s preparations for the role, click through over here. Enjoy.

*Advanced Plot Spoiler Warning: As you can probably guess from the title, things are going to get a little spoiler-y in a few lines, so if you’re wanting to fly fairly blind with The Hobbit, then look away now!*

We first got word way back in June last year that Evangeline Lilly had been cast in Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-earth in The Hobbit. When the announcement came, Jackson told us that Lilly would be playing a character created especially for the film, which is expected to develop the novel in its adaptation, spanning over two parts:

“Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character—the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Her name means ‘daughter of Mirkwood’ and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! (No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas.)”

Whilst doing an interview with EW for the release of Real Steel on DVD/Blu-Ray this week in the States (we’ll be getting it on 20th February here), Lilly spoke more about her character, revealing some really interesting details:

“EW: Speaking of small and little, I’d be remiss not to bring up The Hobbit. You’re playing a new character named Tauriel, who’s a Mirkwood elf, and that would lead me to believe that she is a warrior of some kind. Did you have to learn archery and swordplay?

Lilly: Yes, she is a warrior. She’s actually the head of the Elven guard. She’s the big shot in the army. So she knows how to wield any weapon, but the primary weapons that she uses are a bow and arrow and two daggers. And she’s lethal and deadly. You definitely wouldn’t want to be caught in a dark alley next to Tauriel.

EW: So then Tauriel must be involved with the dwarves being captured…

Lilly: I think basically what you’re asking is if she’s in the film very much. She’s not in the first film very much. She comes into the first film near the end, and has a very small part to play. Her role in the second film is much more involved. Although, I have to say, when I first read the scripts and took the job, she had a lot less going on in the second film. I think the role is becoming a bit more demanding than I had expected it to be. There’s a lot more for me to do now, which is a lot of fun, but it’s a little more pressure.”

Definitely interesting, especially the fact that she’ll be really involved in the second film in particular. Best known for her work on TV’s Lost, Real Steel last year, and that little-known Oscar winner, The Hurt Locker, Lilly is a fantastic actress, and I’m really looking forward to seeing her in this role, not least because it’s been entirely created for the film.

Time for a bit of 100% good old-fashioned guess-work: It’s looking as though she’ll be playing the female lead in the second film, which makes me wonder if her role will also be a romantic interest. Jackson clearly stated that she’s not a romantic connection to Legolas, but I’d quietly place a small wager (which I would adamantly deny if proven wrong when the films are released) on her being involved somehow with Luke Evans’ character, Bard the Grim, also known as Bard the Bowman.

His character is being likened to that of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, and when the announcement of his involvement came (at the same time as Lilly’s), it was said that he’d be playing a larger role in the second film. So, I could be adding two and two to make five, but it sounds as though there could be a similar relationship to Aragon and Arwen in Tauriel and Bard. Either way, we’ll have to wait until at least December this year, if not December next year with the second part, to find out if I’m right.

Along with Lilly and Evans, the fantastic cast includes both new and familiar faces in the forms of Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee.

The first part, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will be with us on 14th December this year, followed by the second, The Hobbit: There And Back Again, on 13th December next year. If you’ve missed any of our coverage of the films so far, you can catch up on it all right here. I’d particularly recommend the rather brilliant first trailer that Jackson treated us to for Christmas last month.

For a little over half a year, we’ve been treated to some brilliant things from Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-earth in bringing Tolkien’s The Hobbit to life, all of which you can catch up on right here. Just before Christmas, we were given an excellent new look at the film when the first trailer hit the web, and it was pretty brilliant. Fans of the original The Lord of the Rings will not be disappointed.

We’ve now got a great new image from the film to share with you, courtesy of Hero Complex via Collider, and it shows Martin Freeman as the young Bilbo Baggins looking pretty rough around the edges and somewhat world-weary, with one hand clasped around his sword, Sting.

As you’re no doubt already aware, The Hobbit will be released in two parts and in 3D, first with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and then The Hobbit: There And Back Again. The cast that Jackson has lined up is rather fantastic too, with many familiar faces as well as plenty of new ones joining the cast. Alongside Freeman, we can look forward to seeing Andy Serkis, Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee.

“The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.”

(*Potential plot spoiler coming up; this is your warning!*) It’s been a long time since I read The Hobbit, so alas I can’t quite place the new image in the plot of the film myself. Freeman looks rather cobwebby though, so with a bit of help from Wikipedia…

“Great Spiders:

The Hobbit describes a colony of sapient and over-sized spiders in the northern parts of Mirkwood at the end of the Third Age. The Elves of Thranduil’s realm tried unsuccessfully to exterminate them. During the events of the book, Thorin’s company was captured by spiders and enmeshed in webs; however, Bilbo Baggins managed to free them with the aid of his sword Sting and his magic ring.”

That sounds about right to me. Essentially, expect this scene to be pretty awesome. (Small aside: I really like Richard Armitage for the role of Thorin. I think he’s going to be great in it.)

An Unexpected Journey will be with us in just under a year on 14th December, followed a year later by There And Back Again on 13th December, 2013. Without further ado, here’s the great new image of Freeman as Bilbo. As usual, click to enlarge and take in all the tiny details.

Last night we went image crazy as USA Today released a nice new batch of images from multiple movies including Ridley Scott’s Prometheus as well as first look images from Skyfall, The Bourne Legacy and loads more. Here’s one for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey which shows us another view of Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. If you missed the trailer for the movie, you can watch it here.

Synopsis: The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins , who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey , Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins​ not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey stars Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Christopher Lee, Mikael Persbrandt, James Nesbitt, Brian Blessed, Ian Holm, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Fry, Elijah Wood, Benedict Cumberbatch and Evangeline Lilly.

Source: USA Today

Indeed our cup runneth over with Hobbit goodness this week.

Following the first look at the film with the highly anticipated trailer and poster appearing online Peter Jackson has given us another of his pre-DVD extras in the form of Production Video #5.

As usual there’s much to enjoy here from Jackson and the team in New Zealand though it does have the unfortunate side effect of reminding us that it’s an entire year until the film is out…

The film’s Facebook page debuted the video which comes to us below from The Film Stage. Enjoy!

(And there’s a fair chance that this will be the last post on HeyUuys before Christmas let me wish you an enormously happy Christmas.)

Here’s the video,

So we’ve had the first amazing trailer and now we get the first poster for Peter Jackson’s new movie, The Hobbit. I decided to put the teaser trailer artwork in a separate post as Apple did such a terrible job getting the trailer out, it’s been an age since that went up so I thought it deserved it’s own one. In the poster, we get to see Bilbo (Martin Freeman) wandering out of his house at Bag End.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey stars Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood​, Hugo Weaving,  Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee​, Andy Serkis​, Ian Holm,Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt​, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Like Jon said in the previous post, it’s going to be a long year until December 14th when it’s released.

The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins , who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins​ not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

Source: Apple

After many years of rumours, financial hardship and a long quest to find a director we are once again walking in Middle Earth with Peter Jackson.

The first trailer for The Hobbit has arrived and the long wait has been worth it, Several familiar faces return to Hobbiton and beyond with Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood​, Hugo Weaving,  Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee​, Andy Serkis​ and Ian Holm being joined by newcomers Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Here’s a handy synopsis,

The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins , who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

It’s going to be a long year… Let us know your thoughts in the comments on this first look trailer!

Update: We’ve just added the first teaser trailer artworkfor your viewing pleasure here.

Source: Apple

Earlier this evening I put up the news that Warner Bros. had officially announced that the first trailer for The Hobbit will sit in front of Tintin in the US and no sooner had I put up the news than CBM have placed a nice new image of Martin Freeman aka Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey which is released 14th December 2012.

This new images comes from the January issue of Empire Magazine and is a lovely way to end the week.  As well as Freeman, The Hobbit stars Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Lee Pace, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis, Ian Holm, James Nesbitt, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch and is directed by Peter Jackson. I cannot wait to see it. Now all we need a is a trailer please!

Synopsis: The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins , who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey , Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle might be turning in his grave at the use of his work but if he had a sense of humour he might appreciate Guy Ritchie’s more contemporary, humorous interpretation of his British sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, and certainly admire Robert Downey Jr’s eccentric turn as the infamous detective again.

What is certain is Ritchie gets to play out his love of Cockney bromance once more, while taking a European action-packed tour, Orient Express style this time around.

Holmes (Downey Jr) turns sulky schoolboy when his right-hand man, Dr Watson (Jude Law), decides to give up bachelorhood and get hitched, leaving his detecting days behind. After taking over his stag do, ‘Best Man’ Holmes sabotages the happy couple’s honeymoon to Brighton, after discovering his arch nemesis, the brilliant mathematician Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), has hatched a bombing plan to set off a war in Europe, in order to peddle his arms wares. With ample action set-pieces and Matrix-style manoeuvres, plus the help of tag-a-long gypsy beauty Simza (Noomi Rapace), who is searching for her long-lost brother, the ‘brothers-in-clues’ set off on one finale adventure.

Downey Jr and Law have perfected their quick-fire, dry exchange and camp rebuffs in the second film with the finesse and the ease of a comedy duo with years of live performance experience. Downey Jr’s portrayal of Holmes’s borderline insanity is heightened in this film by a touch of transsexual tomfoolery that is inoffensive and relevant to the plot. With the delightful addition of the witty gentleman’s gentleman, Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s equally absurd, ‘naturist’ brother in the mix, there has never been such a display of English idiosyncrasy on-screen in a long time to revel in, and although Downey Jr is always a tonic, Fry steals the scenes they share with aplomb.

Ritchie ramps up the action tenfold, with full slow-mo, sharp-angled purpose to extract every Holmes clue and acute observation while turning parts into impressive cat-and-mouse, war chase scenes that fuel your enthusiasm and adrenaline. The waterfall finale that encompasses a meeting of brilliant minds over a deadly chess match is breathtakingly honed for full effect, leaving us – and even Conan Doyle – wondering on the actual fate of the UK’s most notorious fictional detective; this might leave some Sherlock Holmes fans perplexed, even perturbed.

However, the film has its flaws. First and foremost is its padded length that although punctuated by the impressive action sequences has a lot of lag to it. All the sharp dialogue and subsequent action suffers when it could have been a more succinct viewing experience. For example, the brief appearance of Holmes’s love, Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), at the start is merely present for the benefit of giving Holmes’s mission a deep-felt purpose and to pour salt on the wound that his best pal, Watson, has found happiness in true love.

In addition, although Rapace as Simza is a mysterious beauty to have along on the ride, apart from being there to offload Watson’s trademark knitted scarf and to detect her brother’s presence – which she fails to, is sorely underused and underdeveloped and merely part of a gypsy resistance group that those with historical knowledge on the World Wars might find interesting as a persecuted people still in the news today. Even the snatched sideways glances between Simza and Watson are left lingering in the ether. Thankfully, the climax does make up for any tedious areas, with Downey Jr opposite Harris’s devilish and equally insane villainy in a wonderful sporting standoff of sheer intellectual prowess that befits Conan Doyle’s exceptional literature.

A Game of Shadows is pure period action drama with a delicious camp twist (cross-dressing aside) that demonstrates Downey Jr has made Holmes as much a part of his nature, as Captain Jack Sparrow is to Depp’s. This alone will keep fans more than occupied throughout Ritchie’s second sleuthing romp – inflated run-time aside.

***½~ (3.5/5)

This evening, London plays host to the European Premiere of Guy Ritchie’s new movie, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows which stars Robert Downey Jr​, Jude Law​, Noomi Rapace​, Jared Harris, Stephen Fry​ and Eddie Marsan​. Many of the main cast will be there including Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, Director Guy Ritchie and Producer Joel Silver but if you can’t be there in person, fear not as we have the live stream of the event for you right here!

The lovely Edith Bowman will be hosting the event and interviewing the stars as they arrive. They’ll also be a gypsy band performing to open the evening who are featured in the movie. It’s amazing what you can learn while they’re doing the live sync test!

The stars should be arriving on the carpet from 17:45 so go and get a cuppa and come back to watch it all as it unfolds! Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is in UK cinemas 16th December. While you’re waiting, you can see our extensive Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows coverage including trailers and posters here.

Twelve days separate us from catching up with Guy Ritchie’s latest fidgeting with Conan Doyle’s greatest creation with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows unleashed into cinemas.

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law return as Messrs. Holmes and Watson for another round of quick wits and fisticuffs, with a few new cast members along for the ride. Jared Harris enters as Professor Moriarty while Stephen Fry lends himself rather well to the role of the elder Holmes brother Mycroft with Noomi Rapace cast as a gypsy fortune teller who is dragged into the mysterious game of shadows.

Collider have nine clips from the film and present them here as one large chunk. Highlights include out first decent looks at Moriarty and Mycroft as well as Rachel McAdams returning as Irene Adler.

Here’s your eight minutes of Shadowy Games,

And the latest Photoshoppery has Holmes and Watson drawing guns while a train journey goes awry. I think that’s enough posters now, don’t you? As always, Click=big.

It seems the Korean Warner Bros. Marketing department have decided that going with the scary looking posters are the way forward as we have one here of Rachel McAdams from her new movie, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and I think the word ‘scary’ is the most apt. Not sure what happened in Photoshop but anyway, here we are!

Sherlock Holmes is the second movie in the franchise directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris, Stephen Fry, Eddie Marsan. From what we’ve heard, McAdams only has a small cameo in this sequel but I guess time will tell. It’s set for release on Boxing Day, 26th December here in the UK and we can’t wait to see it!

Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and Jude Law returns as his formidable colleague, Dr. Watson​, in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room…until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large–Professor Moriarty​ (Jared Harris)–and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective.

We’re hoping to have lots of Sherlock fun in the run up to release so keep your eyes peeled.

Click the poster below to enlarge.

Source: Cine1

Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes has a second cinematic outing in a few weeks time with leads Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law returning to lead us through the titular Game of Shadows.

Yahoo have a nice new featurette which has Ritchie and his leads waxing lyrical about the film and what a lot of fun it was, and last year’s film managed to enjoy itself without seeming too indulgent. While the detecting duo have already shown their hand there are a few new faces in the mix, not least Jared Harris as Moriarty and Noomi Rapace who joins in the hijinks.

Feast your eyes on this synopsis before diving in.

“Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) has always been the smartest man in the room… until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large—Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris)—and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder—a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by Professor Moriarty. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead of Holmes as he spins a web of death and destruction—all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.”

The film is out next month and if it does well then we can expect another case from the team, as it’s certain that Warners enticed Ritchie with a boatload of cash to take another turn with Holmes and Watson and it’s not done his career any harm, has it?

We got the third video diary for Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-earth back in July, and now he’s given us the fourth instalment through his Facebook page, because he’s pretty awesome like that.

In case you’ve missed them, you can catch up on all the earlier video diaries from The Hobbit and everything else surrounding the project right here.

This latest production video predominantly looks at the 3D filming aspect of the project, and it’s really interesting, with Jackson and the filming crew giving us a very insightful view of how they’re making this film.

According to the video, they’ve got 48 Red Epic cameras, each with its own individual name, which is pretty ridiculously awesome. Each of those cameras has a price tag of no less than $10,000, so if they were all retail price (naturally, they’re not going to be), that’s half a million dollars just on those cameras right there! And they visually show us how much their cameras just utterly out-do our 1080 TV screens and monitors, just to make us feel good about ourselves.

Ain’t It Cool News have also been visiting the set of the film, and have got some great photos of Bilbo and Jackson in Bag End, and if you want to read their report of the set visit, then you can go ahead and click over here.

As I’m sure you’re already aware, the two-parter has a pretty fantastic cast, including Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee.

At the end of the video, Jackson tells us that they’re about to move on to shooting on location, and that the next video he brings us will be from wherever they’re shooting in a few months’ time – so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for that, because it will undoubtedly be filled with amazing landscapes.

The Hobbit will be coming to us in two parts. The first, An Unexpected Journey, will be hitting cinemas at the end of next year on 14th December; and the second, There And Back Again, will be back a year later on 13th December, 2013. As you can imagine, it’s going to be awesome. Without further ado, here’s the brilliant new production video diary, followed by a few photos from the set, which you can click to enlarge. And if you want to see the video in glorious HD, then you can head over to Jackson’s Facebook page here.

]]> http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/11/04/must-watch-elijah-wood-martin-freeman-fighting-dwarves-and-3d-in-the-hobbit-production-video-diary-%e2%80%93-part-4/feed/ 0 http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/11/03/six-fantastic-new-character-posters-for-sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows/ http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/11/03/six-fantastic-new-character-posters-for-sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:00:29 +0000 Kenji Lloyd http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/?p=114423

We’ve been getting a pretty great look so far at Guy Ritchie’s upcoming sequel to his brilliant first Sherlock Holmes film, entitled Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and it’s all looking likely that he’ll be repeating the great success he found with the first film.

If you’ve missed it, you can catch up on the full trailer here, which landed last month, and most recently the three TV spots that surfaced just a few days ago.

We’ve now got six brilliant new character posters to share with you, courtesy of ComingSoon.net, which follow in the same footsteps visually as the first two sets of posters we saw back in July and last month.

The film will of course see the return of Robert Downey, Jr. in the titular role, with Jude Law naturally reprising his role as Watson, Rachel McAdams returning for a small reprisal of Irene Adler, and Eddie Marsan returning as Inspector Lestrade, and they’ll be joined by Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty, Stephen Fry as Holmes’ brother Mycroft, and Noomi Rapace as the gypsy woman Sim, whose full name on the posters is revealed as Simza.

“Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) has always been the smartest man in the room… until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large—Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris)—and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder—a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by Professor Moriarty. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead of Holmes as he spins a web of death and destruction—all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.”

A Game of Shadows is due to hit cinemas on 16th December, just over a month away, which is a date I can’t wait for. Expect this to be awesome. Until then, here are the great new character posters to enjoy; two each for Moriarty and Simza, and one each for Watson and Holmes. As usual, click to enlarge.

More Holmes to welcome in the week, and there’s the requsite fast paced fists and quick wits on show here in Guy Ritchie’s sequel which has own favourite literary detective duo coming face to face with Professor Moriarty in the titular shadowy game.

Stephen Fry and Noomi Rapace are two of the new faces in the film and there is a surprising amount to live up to as the first film was so well received that this follow up was fast tracked into production and we have only a few short weeks until the film flies into cinemas on the 16th of December.

The Movie Box (via ComingSoon) have a trio of tasty TV spots to tease and tantalise.

Our friends over at MSN have just launched the first Full Length trailer for Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows. We’ve had a teaser before but this one gives us a lot more footage and storyline.

Guy Ritchie returns to direct this movie after the success of the 2009 movie with a cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris, Eddie Marsan, Stephen Fry, Gilles Lellouche. We can expect to see it in UK cinemas 16th December. Scroll down for the brand new trailer.

Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and Jude Law returns as his formidable colleague, Dr. Watson, in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room…until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large–Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris)–and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder–a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by one Professor Moriarty. Mixing business with pleasure, Holmes tracks the clues to an underground gentlemen’s club, where he and his brother, Mycroft Holmes (Stephen Fry) are toasting Dr. Watson on his last night of bachelorhood. It is there that Holmes encounters Sim (Noomi Rapace), a Gypsy fortune teller, who sees more than she is telling and whose unwitting involvement in the prince’s murder makes her the killer’s next target. Holmes barely manages to save her life and, in return, she reluctantly agrees to help him. The investigation becomes ever more dangerous as it leads Holmes, Watson and Sim across the continent, from England to France to Germany and finally to Switzerland. But the cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead as he spins a web of death and destruction–all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history. Filmmaker Guy Ritchie returns to direct “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” the follow-up to the smash hit “Sherlock Holmes.” The sequel also reunites producers Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin. Bruce Berman serves as executive producer, with Steve Clark-Hall co-producing. Jared Harris (TV’s “Mad Men,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) joins the cast as the notorious Professor Moriarty. Also joining the cast, in her first English-speaking role, is Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, who gained international attention in the Swedish film “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Stephen Fry (“Alice in Wonderland,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”) plays Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s older brother. Additional cast members returning from the first film include Eddie Marsan as Inspector Lestrade; Kelly Reilly as Watson’s bride, Mary Morstan; and Geraldine James as Holmes’s long-suffering landlady, Mrs. Hudson. “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” is written by Michele Mulroney and Kieran Mulroney. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were created by the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and appear in stories and novels by him.

We’re getting closer to our next appointment with Messrs. Holmes and Watson on the 16th of December and what better way to celebrate the oncoming consultation than by allowing our eyes to feast on two new posters?

Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. return as the slueth and his sidekick with a host of new friends to play with. Not least we finally get to see Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty and Stephen Fry as the older Holmes brother but there’s a fine addition to the cast in Noomi Rapace who dashed through exploding forests with our two leads in the trailers and images we’ve seen so far.

As you can see in the posters Paris and London are represented, and unless those are two very large steam trains in the background we can assume a couple of parliamentary explosions as part of Guy Ritchie’s Game of Shadows.

Here are your posters, but first bow your heads in the direction of Yahoo, for twas they who bequeathed.

Sometimes it’s the simplest things in life that are the most rewarding. Walk on the Wild Side, if you’ve never heard of it before, takes clips from wildlife shows and adds comedian’s voices over the top to impersonate the animals. A simple yet very effective form of comedy, this show is perfect for a Saturday night in, which is exactly when it’s shown on BBC1.

Starring a paranoid monkey, a pirate bird and dolphins with a peculiar wind problem to name a few, the clips usually last about 30 seconds. You’re laughing all through the one, then quickly taken to the next scenario. It’s this fast moving, varying show that keeps your eyes fixed on the screen, and your throats sore by the end after laughing so much. Some sketches may not be to your taste, but that doesn’t matter, because soon enough that’s over and you’re taken to the next one.

The comedians involved with the narration include Jason Manford and Stephen Fry, so you can guarantee the show’s got that edge to its comedy. The scenes vary from typical household problems that would occur in any family, to quirky odd humour along the lines of Flight of the Corchords. It really is an all-rounder when it comes to the audience. Even those with a heart of stone will lighten to this show as it’s just such a silly and easy thing to laugh along with.

The DVD includes all episodes from the TV series, with an added bonus of a behind the scenes feature to show how the programme is put together. Those involved look like they have a great time recording this show, and you can see why. As soon as the programme comes on, you’re quickly taken back to a childlike state, laughing at the ridiculousness of the plot to this programme.

If you enjoyed series 1, there’s no doubt about it, you’ll enjoy series 2. If you’ve never watched an episode, believe me, once you’ve watched one, you’re hooked – You’ll be Youtubing clips, sending them to your friends, and mimicking their voices for a very long time afterwards.

****½ (4.5/5)

Click here to order your copy of the series which is released today.

In the past few months, we’ve seen some brilliant things from Guy Ritchie’s highly anticipated follow-up to his 2009 film, Sherlock Holmes, entitled Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

We got the first trailer for the film back in July, along with some terrific posters introducing and re-introducing us to the new and returning characters alike, and most recently some great stills that included a shot of Holmes and Moriarty head-to-head in a game of chess.

The only thing that was missing from all of this was Rachel McAdams. In the first film, McAdams played the lead female role of Irene Adler, and she was terrific. When Ritchie announced the sequel, there was a lot of speculation about whether or not McAdams’ character would be returning, and for a long time it was thought that she wouldn’t be when Noomi Rapace was announced as the film’s female lead.

Thankfully, however, McAdams was finally confirmed for A Game of Shadows, in cameo capacity, back in February, and we’ve now got the first photos from the set, courtesy of Just Jared via ComicBookMovie.com, that show her looking wonderful opposite Robert Downey, Jr.’s Holmes, who is himself dressed up in one of his excellent disguises.

“Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room…until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large—Professor Moriarty —and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade, points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder—a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by one Professor Moriarty.

Mixing business with pleasure, Holmes tracks the clues to an underground gentlemen’s club, where he and his brother, Mycroft Holmes are toasting Dr. Watson on his last night of bachelorhood. It is there that Holmes encounters Sim, a Gypsy fortune teller, who sees more than she is telling and whose unwitting involvement in the prince’s murder makes her the killer’s next target. Holmes barely manages to save her life and, in return, she reluctantly agrees to help him. The investigation becomes ever more dangerous as it leads Holmes, Watson and Sim across the continent, from England to France to Germany and finally to Switzerland. But the cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead as he spins a web of death and destruction—all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.”

Along with Downey, Jr. and McAdams, the film will see the return of Jude Law as Watson, and will introduce Stephen Fry and Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s brother; Noomi Rapace as Sim, a mysterious Gypsy woman; and Jared Harris and the notorious Professor Moriarty.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Thrones comes out on 16^th December, and I personally can’t wait to see how the sequel turns out. I’m a big fan of everything Ritchie does, and with less than three months to go now, it’s not too long before we get to see how the sequel unfolds. Without further ado, here are the great new set photos revealing Rachel McAdams’ return. As usual, click to enlarge.