Observer » Lord of the Rings

Own Some Middle Earth!

Lysandra Ohrstrom — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:32:21 -0400

Gawker alerted us to what could be the most bizarre casualty of the slumping housing market yet: the owners of a Lord of the Rings-themed, 31-unit housing development in Bend, Ore., have defaulted on a $3.4 million dollar loan for the property.

Founder Ron Meyer sold “The Shire”—named for a fictional area of Middle Earth inhabited exclusively by hobbits in the J.R.R Tolkien novels—to Jan McDonald in June, after attracting a lot of media attention and tourists, but only one buyer since 2006.

The 6-acre community is built in an “English Country Village architectural style around contemporary floor plans," according to The Shire Web site; is governed by a set of bylaws called the “Declaration of Interdependence”; has a central area called the "Ring Bearer's Court"; and has homes like the 3,200-square-foot "Butterfly Cottage," complete with a “hobbit hole” in the backyard to store garden supplies, listed for $899,900.

Mr. McDonald is trying to sell The Shire's 14 developed lots, one house, and additional land before the bank puts them on the auction block in December.

Peter Jackson’s Hobbit Gets Green Light

Gillian Reagan — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:44:31 -0400

Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider tells us that New Line and MGM have finally green-lighted Peter Jackson's The Hobbit project. Mr. Jackson will executive produce the Lord of the Rings prequel for a 2010 release, but the studios are still searching for a director.

Production on The Hobbit will begin immediately, though no script has been written, which means they will have to work around the strike. A rep for MGM says, "This is a slamdunk for everybody."

In a New Line press release to be sent out today, Peter Jackson says , “I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line. ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is a legacy we proudly share with Bob and Michael, and together, we share that legacy with millions of loyal fans all over the world. We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth. I also want to thank Harry Sloan and our new friends at MGM for helping us find the common ground necessary to continue that journey.”