Skip to main content

Stephen Colbert attends the Warner Bros. Pictures panel for "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" on Day 3 of Comic-Con International on Saturday, July 26, 2014, in San DiegoRichard Shotwell

ONE RING

Just as we always expected: Stephen Colbert is a die hard devotee of all things Tolkien.

The Colbert Report host and soon-to-be replacement for David Letterman on The Late Show made jaws drop at Comic-Con over the weekend when he showed up in full Middle Earth regalia to host a panel.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Colbert was at Comic-Con to helm the Warner Bros panel for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the third instalment in the film trilogy lensed by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson.

As can be seen in a YouTube video of the event, Colbert bounded into the room for the Hobbit panel accompanied by his son, with both attired in hobbit gear.

Said a beaming Colbert: "If only I could go back in time and show this to my 13-year-old self."

In the lively hour-long panel, Colbert capably holds forth as moderator of the discussion on the third Hobbit film, with the active participation of Jackson and franchise stars Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis and Canadian actress Evangeline Lilly.

Of course, regular viewers of Colbert Report will already know that the bespectacled host is a lifelong aficionado of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings.

Remember that time last year when Colbert schooled James Franco on his Tolkien knowledge?

At Comic-Con, Colbert even talked about his reaction when he first learned that Jackson was going to mount the LOTR trilogy.

"The only problem, as I saw it, with a total running time of 11 and a half hours, they were too damn short," Colbert told Comic-Con attendees.

In fact, Colbert is such a fan of Tolkien's work that he actually has a fleeting cameo in the second Hobbit film, The Desolation of Smaug, as a grubby spy in the Middle Earth community of Lake-town.

And although Colbert only appears on-screen for a moment, he was obviously allowed to keep the costume – which is the outfit he wore at Comic-Con, right down to the eye patch.

STILL HUNGRY

Public anticipation for the upcoming feature The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 just went up a notch with the release of the film's first teaser trailer. Released at the San Diego Comic-Con last weekend, the trailer shows a rapid succession of scenes from the movie, including the central character of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) making her first arrival in District 13. Also shown are brief moments with Plutarch Heavensbee (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Katniss's beau Gale (Liam Hemsworth), along with new cast member Julianne Moore in her role as President Coin. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 opens in theatres on November 21.

Source: Just Jared

STRANGE CASTING

Is Joaquin Phoenix about to step into the cape of Doctor Strange for a new Marvel movie? The Wrap cites "multiple sources" claiming Phoenix is currently having discussions about playing the role of the neurosurgeon-turned-sorcerer, who first surfaced in Marvel Comics in 1963. Phoenix was previously in contention to play the role of villain Lex Luthor in the upcoming feature Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but the role went to Jesse Eisenberg.

Source: Gawker

BIG MONKEY

You just can't keep a character like King Kong away from the big screen. Hollywood studio Legendary Pictures has announced it will produce a new King Kong movie titled Skull Island, which is the fictional island from where King Kong originated in the 1933 film starring Fay Wray. No director or casting decisions have been announced for Skull Island, which is slated for release on November 4, 2016.

Source: Mashable

PULP FICTION

The hit TV series Orphan Black is moving to comic-book form. IDW Publishing recently announced plans to work with the show's producers to create "all-new stories" based on the fictional TV character of Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany), a young woman who discovers she's one of several clones living very different lives. IDW editor-in-chief Chris Ryall said the show presented a "perfect premise for comics." Filmed in Toronto, Orphan Black premiered in 2013 and recently wrapped its second season. The third season will debut on Space in early 2015.

Source: CBC

BAT BUDDY

Original Batman Adam West has given his seal of approval to Ben Affleck playing the caped crime fighter. Best known for his run on ABC's Batman series from 1966 to 1968, the 85-year-old actor recently told People magazine that he has faith in Affleck's ability to pull off the complex comic-book character in the upcoming Batman v Superman film. "My feeling is that Ben Affleck will be really good simply because he's a great talent," said West. "And I'd be very interested in seeing him in the role." West also offered Affleck some free advice: "Just make the costume work for you, Ben."

Source: CNN

Interact with The Globe