J.R.R. Tolkien was born on 3rd January 1892 at Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State. When he was four years old his mother, Marry Suffield, and his younger brother Hilary, went to England. At that time his father was ill and soon died of rheumatic fever. After his father’s death the family lived at Sarehole, on the south-eastern edge of Birmingham. Ronald spent his childhood there and later scenes from this area would be depicted in his pictures and writings.

Another tragic event occurred when J.R.R. Tolkien was 12 – the death of his mother who died of diabetes. He and his brother Hilary became wards of a priest at the Birmingham Oratory. The boys attended King Edward’s School in Birmingham. At school Ronald was interested in Classic as well as Anglo-Saxon and Middle English. At that time he began to develop his linguistic talent by creating his own languages with grammar and history. Not surprisingly that Tolkien was First in English Language and Literature at Exeter College.

J.R.R. Tolkien was married to Edith Bratt. He had known her since they had both lived in the same house in Birmingham. Ronald loved Edith and continued to do so despite being forbidden by Father Morgan to contact her when he studied at college. Considering that it would ruin Ronald’s career, Father Morgan would not give his consent to an early marriage.

Tolkien was commissioned in the Lancashire Fusiliers and participated in the battle of the Somme. After the war he obtained a post on the New English Dictionary, and began to write the mythological and legendary cycle which he originally called “The Book of Lost Tales” but which eventually became known as “The Silmarillion”.

Later Tolkien was appointed as Reader in the English Language at the University of Leeds. Among the students he was famous for his strong and popular teaching. Then Professor Tolkien was elected to continue work at Oxford, as a Professor of Anglo-Saxon. He taught Anglo-Saxon and English right up until his retirement in 1959. Honestly, many of the world scientists supposed that Tolkien had been one of the most gifted and clever philologists.

By that time the Tolkien’s family consisted of four children (three sons and a daughter) and more than anything father liked to tell his children about mythical beings – elves, hobbits, etc. At first such stories were simply fairy tales. And the first book, which made him famous worldwide, “the Hobbit” (published in 1937) was written in the genre of a fairy tale. The book was a huge success and the public demanded a sequel. Thus, a popular trilogy “the Lord of the Rings” came into being.

Having retired, Tolkien and his wife lived first in the Headington area of Oxford, then moved to Bournemouth. His wife died in 1971 and after that Tolkien decided to return to Oxford.

He was diagnosed as having a bleeding gastric ulcer, and despite some reassuring reports died on September 2nd 1973, aged 81. Tolkien and his wife are buried together in a single grave in the Catholic section of Wolvercote cemetery in the northern suburbs of Oxford.

Although the greatest master of fantasy passed away, he left the door open for anyone to an enchanting world of his stories, the key to which is love, kindness and loyalty. These are the qualities that help Tolkien’s characters to win over Evil.

What do you do when your geek base demands a prequel to one of their biggest fantasy trilogies, and that it be done right? You hire Guillermo bleepin’ del Toro to get around to it, as soon as he’s done with eighteen other projects. Two things are sure: he’ll find a place for Doug Jones, which is always welcome, and the thing can’t help but end less times than Return of the King did. — WG

Vic & Raewyn James from Red Carpet Tours, send this along: Red Carpet Tours is pleased to announce that it has opened a register for LOTR fans wanting to tour at the time of the New Zealand Premiere of “The Hobbit”. We are ‘guesstimating’ that this will probably happen in December, 2011. For the Premiere of “The Return of the King” in December, 2003, 160 fans toured with Red Carpet. If you wish to add your name to ‘The Hobbit Tour 2011’ register, you can email Vic James directly. Meanwhile, Red Carpet Tours’ monthly 12 day LOTR tours continue. The New Zealand dollar is currently @ 57 cents against the U.S. dollar, which makes this a great time to visit Middle Earth!

What are you waiting for? The Hobbit is just some dollars away, just save your money to 2011, and you’ll be ready for it. Go register, and then you tell us.

Thanks TheOneRing!

Wishing you all the best for 2009,
BilboHobbit.com Staff

Original Art by Ktshy

Earlier this year, it was announced Guillermo del Toro would direct the new film, based on JRR Tolkien’s novel.

Lord of the Rings Oscar winner Peter Jackson is producing the project, and he and del Toro will pen the screenplay.

Sir Ian McKellen has already signed on to reprise his role of Gandalf, and Andy Serkis is expected to play Gollum once again.

Shooting was scheduled to start in New Zealand this winter (08/09), but it has now been postponed until 2010 - with the release day pushed back to 2012.

We are awaiting confirmation of New Line Cinema.

Source: IndiaTimes

Update: TheOneRing have received confirmation from the source of all sources, Guillermo del Toro himself stating that this rumor is NOT TRUE.

He (Del Toro) came from a travel of 17 hours from New Zealand, where he was working on the pre-production of The Hobbit, that he will shot in 2010.
“It’s a long pre-production, I’ve been seeing drawings and figures; Guillermo Navarro (cinematographer) is already in the project, now we’ll keep doing the job.”

In addition to this report, it has been reported that Pablo Angeles and Francisco Ruiz Velasco have also joined the crew, in the designer field.

The director’s idea is to use as many Mexicans as possible in their productions. Therefore he is also talking with the designer Paul Angeles and Francisco Ruiz Velasco on the conceptual design, according to Reforma.

Source: Informador

If so then please follow this link.

All are welcome to apply!

~BilboHobbit.com staff

Too many of my waking hours are given over to thinking about the Hobbit films due in December of 2011 and December of 2012; no sooner is my attention directed elsewhere than the voluble and value-adding Guillermo del Toro is interviewed again and — sproing! – my thoughts ricochet back to the movies he’s about to make.”

Thanks to The One Ring for the tip!

Capone: So, I’ve got to ask this, or I’ll lose my job…

VM: THE HOBBIT? [laughs]

Capone: Yeah. I’m guessing that Peter Jackson has not contacted you about participating, but would you even want there to be a place for you?

VM: Well, the first movie, if it’s going to be the book, I’m not in the book.

Capone: Right, exactly.

VM: The second movie, I would think they would do for story fun and also for economic reasons, I’m sure.

Capone: I would think it would like THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RING.

VM: Yeah, but that’s what I’m saying. They would do that, using what they legally have the right to, which I assume are the appendices of THE LORD OF THE RINGS. I don’t think they have the right to take whatever they want from the SILMARILLION, for example, but they could take from the appendices.

For example, we shot a sequence, Liv Tyler and I, and it’s in Lorien, and we’re walking around, and it’s when I’m still…you know, I’m wearing clothes that are more like something you’d see Legolas wearing. I have no beard. I have really long hair, and it’s partly in a braid. And, I’m wearing definitely elvish kind of clothing. I look like some young elvish lord. And, I think, I’m barefoot, walking in these flowers with her. And, we’re in that courtship period, you know, and because of our aging thing, we look similar. I look a little younger than usual, the no beard helps and all that.

And, it’s a memory, right, and it was meant to be used as one of those moments where I’m remembering something about her. They didn’t use it. So, they could use that, and then they could shoot other things in that vein. I don’t know, they could make up a certain amount of things that would be in the spirit of Tolkien, I have no doubt. People ask me about it a lot, and I say, obviously, “Nobody’s come to me,” but I won’t be surprised if they do, if I’m right for it in their eyes. Obviously, as an actor who originated on film that role, I’d rather finish the job, all things being equal, meaning, Is it a good script, and do they have their shit together, than see another actor do it.

Capone: Right. Well, yeah, yeah, nobody wants that.

VM: I mean, I’m as interested in principle in the idea as, maybe, some of your readers are. [laughs]

Capone: Well, that’s good to hear.

VM: Yeah, why not?

Source: The One Ring.