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Exclusive: Ringer Spy Mr. Anderson Shares Miramar Shots

News from Bree spymaster@theonering.net Feb 19 2011, 9:22am Views: 5604 Exclusive: Ringer Spy Mr. Anderson Shares Miramar Shots Ringer Spy Mr. Anderson sends along these exclusive pics of The Hobbit sets being built in Miramar, NZ. If you look closely at some of the pictures, you'll notice that the architecture seems to resemble that of Moria. I'm sure we can all draw our own conclusions, but could this be a flashforward sequence for Moria? Maybe we are getting a peak into the Lonely Moutain? Or maybe it has nothing to do with Dwarves at all! Share your thoughts and click the 'continue reading' below for the full gallery. Got a tip or spy report? Send it in!

Welsh hero Gondor Feb 19 2011, 3:28pm Views: 3125 Amazing   http://www.facebook.com/hobbitnz

macfalk Valinor Feb 19 2011, 3:36pm Views: 3159 Definately not Moria, I'd say Those brick-like walls looks like the exterior for a city like Laketown, though it looks a bit odd. One thing that concerns me is that PJ maybe over-use studio-shooting against a green screen which he did in King Kong. Because, despite how good the studio set is, 99/100 you can spot that it's studio built and not a real location which is not good. The greatest adventure is what lies ahead. (This post was edited by macfalk on Feb 19 2011, 3:38pm)

Flagg Tol Eressea Feb 19 2011, 4:05pm Views: 3075 Interesting It doesn't look much like Moria to me, and I don't think it's Laketown either – Laketown should be more wood-based. Judging by the sturdy stone doorways and delapidated arches, I would say this is the ruined interior of Erebor. That's the only location visited in the story which this set somewhat resembles. Unless it's an area exclusive to the film... surely not Dol Guldur, but perhaps some unknown new place?

Faenoriel Tol Eressea Feb 19 2011, 4:12pm Views: 3187 Not Dwarves - they have no round shapes. I'd say they're from Thranduil's halls. They resemble architechture of the Grey Havens miniature, which was made to be like Rivendell, but made out of stone.

B.R.n The Shire Feb 19 2011, 4:27pm Views: 3073 dale? Dale?

Kangi Ska Half-elven Feb 19 2011, 4:41pm Views: 3078 I think you have nailed it. Definately Elvish.//   Kangi Ska Resident Trickster & Wicked White Crebain Life is an adventure, not a contest. At night you can not tell if crows are black or white.

Pipe Dream Gondor Feb 19 2011, 4:54pm Views: 3065 EEEK! I think they should have sat on these pics a bit longer. It's going to make them sit up and take notice of a security problem. It definitely looks like dwarvish stuff to me with other mixed in. Some straight lines and some rounded, but only pieces of a sets, not complete. I bet after this, the sets will have tighter security and far less pictures. <<<<There is a long road yet>>>> (This post was edited by Pipe Dream on Feb 19 2011, 5:03pm)

dormouse Half-elven Feb 19 2011, 4:55pm Views: 3037 That's what I thought... .. seeing those fluted columns. Elves underground, using stone, not wood.

Earl Forum Admin / Moderator Feb 19 2011, 4:58pm Views: 3057 Yeah, the moment I saw rounded stone arches... ... I thought "Thranduil's Halls"

Ruijor Rohan Feb 19 2011, 5:10pm Views: 3031 I will go with the elven architecture possibilty as well...

Flagg Tol Eressea Feb 19 2011, 5:41pm Views: 3052 Thranduil's halls For some reason, I always expected the Halls of the Elvenking to be a bit more... woody. A bit like Rivendell and Lothlórien. It seems strange for an Elven construction to be so stark and stony – not to mention delapidated. We'll see.

Cagliostro The Shire Feb 19 2011, 5:41pm Views: 2995 Hmm... Well, if it is Moria, that's good news. I wasn't much of a fan of the Silmarillion - I found it dead boring. But, I really enjoyed the bit about the dwarves losing Moria. I never really felt for the dwarves in the Hobbit - I thought they were just being greedy when I read it as a young tyke, and never shook it until I read about that. So if this is Moria, and we get to see it overrun, my confidence in this production has just gone up considerably.

Earl Forum Admin / Moderator Feb 19 2011, 6:06pm Views: 3019 Did anyone notice the tree stump and the tree trunk behind it? I'm thinking there's a very high probability we're looking at Thranduil's Halls. As Elves who love nature, they're bound to have trees (or rather trees carved of stone) within their stone halls. I wouldn't be surprised if the designs for Thranduil's Halls were based on the detailed descriptions of Menegroth provided in the Silmarillion and the HoME books.

Ruijor Rohan Feb 19 2011, 6:17pm Views: 2972 I did notice the trees... ...and that´s one of the reasons I believe it´s related to the elves.

Kangi Ska Half-elven Feb 19 2011, 6:26pm Views: 2971 Dale would be another good option. It would have a strong Numenorian influence.//   Kangi Ska Resident Trickster & Wicked White Crebain Life is an adventure, not a contest. At night you can not tell if crows are black or white.

RaoulJ Rivendell Feb 19 2011, 6:47pm Views: 3073 Well... I think we have seen this tree and these 'stones' before. Check the noldorblog - 14th of february. http://nznoldor.blogspot.com/...s-to-have-begun.html We may have the secret name of the 2 Hobbit movies: Cardinal! No scouts this time...

RaoulJ Rivendell Feb 19 2011, 7:00pm Views: 2976 Just thinking Ofcourse it could be that it's vice versa:these pictures are of the game 'cardinal'. After all it was reported that the set was made by Weta. And now they are stored in the studios, after filming was done. Has anybody seen the shoot of the ingamefilm? It was in the Kaitoke Park (Rivendell), apparently shot by Lee Tamahori.

Maiarmike Grey Havens Feb 19 2011, 7:05pm Views: 2950 Hmm Interesting. Those halls look pretty cool. But they could just be getting them ready with paint, etc. and they haven't assembled anything yet. The stone set with trees to the left looks like something from Gondor, maybe they just had it stored somewhere, and are going to re-use parts of it and make it look different. Nice to see that this movie is becoming a reality after all though.

Bound Rohan Feb 19 2011, 7:32pm Views: 2942 Agreed... I think you are right.. there is a stong possibilty that these are picutres from that Cardinal Game. No proff that they from the hobbit. the man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed

RaoulJ Rivendell Feb 19 2011, 7:53pm Views: 2924 Yeah, but the designs look Hobbit/lotr-like. Ofcourse nowadays almost every fantasygame or movie tries to incorparate a LOTR-feel... And with the Weta-link it is probably even more apparent. But especially the (blue) blocks (on the left) do have this dwarven-feel. And the archs too. I can't find a picture of the three doors/gates where Gandalf is using his nose but what did the keystone look like? Because the arch in the back reminds me of something....

Bound Rohan Feb 19 2011, 7:58pm Views: 2900 I agree... That they look like LotR design but as you said with Weta designing stuff for the computer game it's obvious that stuff would look the same. I also agree, having played alot of RPG games since LotR came out - most borrow from their design templates ! the man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed

WilliamJESnider Bree Feb 19 2011, 8:07pm Views: 2891 I agree I agree. It looks a lot like how I imagined Mirkwood elves palaces. admin of http://www.facebook.com/pages/Martin-Freeman-should-portray-Bilbo-Baggins/101180775324

WilliamJESnider Bree Feb 19 2011, 8:08pm Views: 2890 Thank you! I almost pooped my pants with excitement. admin of http://www.facebook.com/pages/Martin-Freeman-should-portray-Bilbo-Baggins/101180775324

SirDennisC Half-elven Feb 19 2011, 8:14pm Views: 2855 Thank goodness excitement is not indelible. /

Captain Salt Tol Eressea Feb 19 2011, 8:36pm Views: 1106 WOW! Looks like it could be the interior of the Lonely Mountain...those stalactite-looking pillars would blend in well with the fiery aurora around Smaug... BTW, how exciting is this? We're in for a fun ride up until Dec. 2013, (and if there are EE's, late 2014). Samuel L. Jackson for Bilbo, Woody Allen for Thorin, Lewis Black for Bard and Gilbert Gottfried for Smaug! MAKE IT HAPPEN, PETER!!! (This post was edited by Captain Salt on Feb 19 2011, 8:39pm)

Kangi Ska Half-elven Feb 19 2011, 9:11pm Views: 1093 I think it is a mix of props from different sources. The tree and rocks do not seem to be related to the stone building structures. Maybe this is some kind of staging area: perhaps like Shipping & Receiving in a warehouse. Kangi Ska Resident Trickster & Wicked White Crebain Life is an adventure, not a contest. At night you can not tell if crows are black or white.

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Feb 19 2011, 9:12pm Views: 1104 It looks like multiple sets. With interior Erebor to the left, and Elvenking's halls to the right, maybe that door in the back is for a store-room where barrels are kept... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire" "It struck me last night that you might write a fearfully good romantic drama, with as much of the 'supernatural' as you cared to introduce. Have you ever thought of it?" -Geoffrey B. Smith, letter to JRR Tolkien, 1915

DrDeath153 Lorien Feb 19 2011, 9:19pm Views: 1073 Hmmmmm Doesn't scream Dwarvish to me and certainly not elvish (even with the ribbed vaults simulating trees, it's still a bit far removed from the organic aesthetic the elves have been established with). I would say either Dale, possibly the guard tower on Ravenhill (it doesn't look large enough to be anything really relating to the interior of Erebor) which would justify a kind of joint dwarvish/mannish design aesthetic, or possibly either Rhosgobel or Beorn's Hall- in fact those last two almost seem the most likely. Dr Death

duats Grey Havens Feb 19 2011, 9:29pm Views: 1125 Maybe I'm just a skeptic But I find it incredibly hard to believe that they would just leave the doors open like that for anybody walking by to take pictures of top-secret Hobbit sets. So it's either unrelated to The Hobbit, or someone was extremely lucky. But I think the fact that the photos haven't been pulled yet says something. (This post was edited by duats on Feb 19 2011, 9:37pm)

KAOS82 Rohan Feb 19 2011, 9:32pm Views: 1046 for me too imho there are pieces of different places, btw it's nice to already see part of the project... ...project that will be surely magnificient TURIN TURAMBAR DAGNIR GLAURUNGA & NIENOR NINIEL

Kangi Ska Half-elven Feb 19 2011, 9:35pm Views: 1101 Rhosgobel & Beorn's Hall Rhosgobel would probably be an organic structure from all I remember reading and Beorn's Hall is of the type of great hall described in Beowulf. (it would be similar to the Golden Hall in Rohan.) Kangi Ska Resident Trickster & Wicked White Crebain Life is an adventure, not a contest. At night you can not tell if crows are black or white.

Kangi Ska Half-elven Feb 19 2011, 9:40pm Views: 1081 Trust No One! We all should be skeptical. But is still fun to think about and speculate. Kangi Ska Resident Trickster & Wicked White Crebain Life is an adventure, not a contest. At night you can not tell if crows are black or white.

Ethel Duath Half-elven Feb 19 2011, 10:02pm Views: 1039 Yes, that was my first thought :) //

Flagg Tol Eressea Feb 19 2011, 10:03pm Views: 1083 Perhaps this was deliberate? The filmmakers may have invited the photographer in and allowed him to take a few pictures and post them on the internet. It would explain why the photos haven't been pulled – maybe they're just meant to generate some buzz and keep the fans interested without revealing too much?

duats Grey Havens Feb 19 2011, 10:06pm Views: 1302 These aren't for The Hobbit I think others have hit it on the head. These are for a production called "Cardinal." In this picture, look at the stone and pathway to the left of the tree trunk: http://www-images.theonering.org/.../021811miramar06.jpg Now look at the stone and pathway here (two photos down): http://nznoldor.blogspot.com/...s-to-have-begun.html It's the exact same stone, and the exact same pathway. A minus the roots, I'd say it's even the exact same tree trunk. I sincerely doubt they'd be storing Cardinal and Hobbit sets together. Couple that with my other suspicions (no security, doors wide open), I'm going to go ahead and say these aren't for The Hobbit. (This post was edited by duats on Feb 19 2011, 10:10pm)

Flagg Tol Eressea Feb 19 2011, 10:19pm Views: 1113 'Cardinal' How do we know that 'Cardinal' isn't just a code-name for The Hobbit? For example, The Dark Knight was known as 'Rory's First Kiss' during its production.

Oiotári Tol Eressea Feb 19 2011, 10:29pm Views: 1074 photo pulling can they technically demand the photos be taken down if there was no non-disclosure form signed? ..The land of long-forgotten name: ......no man may ever anchor near; ..No steering star his hope may aim, ......for nether Night its marches drear, ..And waters wide no sail may tame, ......with shores encircled dark and sheer. ..O! Haven where my heart would be! ......the waves beat upon thy bar ..For ever echo endlessly, ......when longing leads thy thought afar

Oiotári Tol Eressea Feb 19 2011, 10:32pm Views: 1023 My initial reaction was that it doesn't all fit together, so perhaps you're right ..The land of long-forgotten name: ......no man may ever anchor near; ..No steering star his hope may aim, ......for nether Night its marches drear, ..And waters wide no sail may tame, ......with shores encircled dark and sheer. ..O! Haven where my heart would be! ......the waves beat upon thy bar ..For ever echo endlessly, ......when longing leads thy thought afar

Oiotári Tol Eressea Feb 19 2011, 10:36pm Views: 1088 Those are definitely the same but as others have said there's the issue of code names (or whatever you call them) Unfortunately the shots that imply they're filming is pretty convincing that it's not for The Hobbit (I won't completely give up hope though) ..The land of long-forgotten name: ......no man may ever anchor near; ..No steering star his hope may aim, ......for nether Night its marches drear, ..And waters wide no sail may tame, ......with shores encircled dark and sheer. ..O! Haven where my heart would be! ......the waves beat upon thy bar ..For ever echo endlessly, ......when longing leads thy thought afar

entmaiden Forum Admin / Moderator Feb 19 2011, 10:40pm Views: 1027 Yes, exactly! How fun is this! Not on the scale of the spiky-wheel, but very exciting!

duats Grey Havens Feb 19 2011, 10:42pm Views: 1126 Here is information on Cardinal http://nznoldor.blogspot.com/...dell-not-hobbit.html Plus, it's already started shooting. As we know, The Hobbit doesn't start for another month.

entmaiden Forum Admin / Moderator Feb 19 2011, 10:43pm Views: 1050 Probably more like a request There have been instances where TORN will pull the photos at the request of Peter, WETA and/or the studios, but as far as I know, no request has been made on these photos.

SirDennisC Half-elven Feb 19 2011, 10:57pm Views: 1068 Good eye duats well, this was interesting while it lasted.

Flagg Tol Eressea Feb 19 2011, 10:59pm Views: 1109 Well that's strange I follow videogame news closely, and I've never heard of this 'Cardinal' project. In fact, I can't find a single mention of it anywhere on the internet apart from the Noldor Blog post you linked to; nor is there any information to be found regarding the game's publisher or developer. Live-action cutscenes are also very uncommon in games. This 'Cardinal' business just doesn't seem to add up... I can't help but wonder if this isn't some sort of odd cover-story.

duats Grey Havens Feb 19 2011, 11:20pm Views: 1125 Well If we're going by what they blog is saying, the videogame may not have an official title yet. And they have a director listed. Lee Tamahori. A fake title for The Hobbit I can understand. But a fake director as well? I don't buy it. I know that if I were Mr. Tamahori, I'd be pretty annoyed. There is no way WB/NL will let TheOneRing keep these up if they're official. So if these pictures are pulled by the end of the weekend, then I'll be more inclined to think they're for The Hobbit. Otherwise, I'm sticking with my instinct that these are unrelated. (This post was edited by duats on Feb 19 2011, 11:22pm)

Steerpike Bree Feb 20 2011, 12:42am Views: 1038 Indeed... One does not simply walk into Miramar... //

lurtz2010 Rohan Feb 20 2011, 1:41am Views: 1000 It would've been easy It wouldve been easy to just walk up to the garage door and take photos. The carpark is usually open so I think anyone who walked in there could just blend in easily

Steerpike Bree Feb 20 2011, 2:30am Views: 997 It was a joke I was misquoting Boromir - "One does not simply walk into Mordor". In truth I have no idea about the security arrangements at film studios and given that Miramar is a suburb of Wellington I suspect walking into it would be quite simple.

grammaboodawg Immortal Feb 20 2011, 5:25am Views: 1017 *slams on geeky brakes!!!!* Well if that isn't a plague and a nuisance!!! But what a tease for the geek-feasts that are sure to come! I like having a look-see at the interior behind those huge doors, though. I think those shots are seen right from the road that runs by the studio. When I went on the tour, I got an identical shot as the first one with the green wall, except it still had stacks of huge containers (like for shipping) along the outside. The tour guide told us it was used most recently for Avatar... but that was LAST year :) I really need these new films to take me back to, and not re-introduce me to, that magical world. TORn's Observations Lists Unused Scenes

Rodu Rivendell Feb 20 2011, 2:57pm Views: 843 Why would Dale have any Numenorian influence?

Kangi Ska Half-elven Feb 20 2011, 6:05pm Views: 875 Dale was an ancient city. It traced its genealogical roots back to the Edain from which the Numenorians also decended Kangi Ska Resident Trickster & Wicked White Crebain Life is an adventure, not a contest. At night you can not tell if crows are black or white.

squire Half-elven Feb 20 2011, 7:07pm Views: 824 Ancientry or shared roots do not dictate culture I don't think we can say that Dale would have Numenorean cultural influences, just because both places were inhabited by the descendants of the early Men of western Middle-earth, the Edain. Numenor's culture was quite different from its mainland antecedents, because of the blessings of Elvish education and guidance that it received for so many centuries. Dale and its predecessor settlements received nothing of the kind, as far as we know. To use an inexact analogy, one might as well say that York, England must look and feel like New York City, because both places were primarily built up by men of Northwestern European stock. I should think that Dale in the Hobbit films would have some kind of medieval Scandinavian feel to it, analogous to early Stockholm perhaps. squire online: RR Discussions: The Valaquenta, A Shortcut to Mushrooms, and Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit Lights! Action! Discuss on the Movie board!: 'A Journey in the Dark'. and 'Designing The Two Towers'. Footeramas: The 3rd (and NOW the 4th too!) TORn Reading Room LotR Discussion; and "Tolkien would have LOVED it!" squiretalk introduces the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: A Reader's Diary = Forum has no new posts. Forum needs no new posts.

Kangi Ska Half-elven Feb 20 2011, 7:41pm Views: 860 I never said nor did I intend to infere that Ancientry or shared roots dictate culture. But the roots of the tree influences the growth of the branches. York, England & New York City do share certain physical and intellectual traits that can be traced to both English and Germanic influences. The main idea I had in mind was the primary use of stone to construct walls and fortifications rather than primarily wooden structures as i have always envisioned the Town on the Lake. Kangi Ska Resident Trickster & Wicked White Crebain Life is an adventure, not a contest. At night you can not tell if crows are black or white.

squire Half-elven Feb 20 2011, 7:44pm Views: 822 OK, then It was just a misunderstanding. I agree that Dale should be of stone construction! But I don't think it should look at all like the buildings in Minas Tirith or Osgiliath in the LotR films - which is the design team's take on "Numenorean" architecture. squire online: RR Discussions: The Valaquenta, A Shortcut to Mushrooms, and Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit Lights! Action! Discuss on the Movie board!: 'A Journey in the Dark'. and 'Designing The Two Towers'. Footeramas: The 3rd (and NOW the 4th too!) TORn Reading Room LotR Discussion; and "Tolkien would have LOVED it!" squiretalk introduces the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: A Reader's Diary = Forum has no new posts. Forum needs no new posts. (This post was edited by squire on Feb 20 2011, 7:46pm)

Kangi Ska Half-elven Feb 20 2011, 8:03pm Views: 847 I would not want it to reflect the Romanesque/Gothic style of Minas Tirith & Osgiliath. I would think of something more Germanic and a good deal less decorative. Kangi Ska Resident Trickster & Wicked White Crebain Life is an adventure, not a contest. At night you can not tell if crows are black or white.

Rodu Rivendell Feb 20 2011, 8:42pm Views: 806 But if you look at when their common ancestor was from, most likely the first age, that's mny thousands of years for both of their cultures to develop in differant directions. And at that time, the Edain were basically hunter gatherers or nomads

Rodu Rivendell Feb 20 2011, 8:45pm Views: 819 I would think that Dale would have a slight Rohan-esque feel to it, mixed with a bit of dwarven. If there is a lot of stone work involved in dale, it was probably done with the help of the dwarves

Kangi Ska Half-elven Feb 20 2011, 9:27pm Views: 813 It appears that those at Dale settled and built a city rather than being nomadic. It was there long before the Dwarf Kingdom under the mountain, so the stone work was most likely human. Kangi Ska Resident Trickster & Wicked White Crebain Life is an adventure, not a contest. At night you can not tell if crows are black or white.

Rodu Rivendell Feb 20 2011, 9:53pm Views: 787 Not sure how accurate this is http://www.glyphweb.com/ARDA/d/dale.html This says Dale was founded after Erebor

painjoiker Grey Havens Feb 21 2011, 11:44am Views: 719 RE-found ;)

Owain Tol Eressea Feb 21 2011, 7:44pm Views: 732 Flagg... It's very possible... there is enough going on in the set picture to cause all kinds of inconclusive speculation. I wouldn't be shocked if this was deliberate. Middle Earth is New Zealand! "Question everything, embrace the bad, and hold on to the good."

NZNoldor The Shire Feb 27 2011, 9:55pm Views: 753 I think it was a deliberate leak but not from Hobbit. I think The Hobbit sets will be totally under wraps for a lot longer, and they won't be stored at street level like these ones were. As you can see the photos in the warehouse here are of the same set pieces that were used at the Rivendell location as I posted on my blog. Also, if this WAS Hobbit sets, posting these photos would seriously put TORn off-side with 3foot7, which I'm sure they wouldn't want to do. I had avoided taking the photos for the same reason - I drive past it every day when I'm LOTR touring (I'm a LOTR Tourguide), but I didn't photograph them as I didn't want to upset the studio. My theory: - The doors to the warehouse were intentionally left open, or at the very least security was a lot less than it will be for Hobbit. - The set is for the trailer for a videogame that may not eventually be called "Cardinal" (I heard from a production person that it's a trailer, and not between-levels footage) - TORn posted this, knowing full well that it wasn't Hobbit, as they would have been reprimanded by the Studios within 15 minutes of posting, and potentially lost future opportunities. - It served excellently for extra publicity for the video game, and for Hobbit as well without revealing anything of The Hobbit. - Jack M, from the NZ Noldor Blog -- Jack M, The Noldor Blog. Follow me on Twitter or on Facebook. ==================================