The Nerd of the Rings

During my time in Wellington, I caught up with Philippa Boyens (The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit trilogies)! Here, she discusses her latest adventure in Middle-earth: the anime film The War of the Rohirrim! We are also introduced to screenwriters Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou in their first official interview for the film! The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim releases December 13, 2024. Taking place 260 years before The Lord of the Rings, the story finds Rohan invaded by the Dunlendings. The story eventually finds Rohan's king, Helm Hammerhand, taking refuge in the fortress that will one day bear his name.

Dr. Tom Shippey joins us to talk about his new book on Beowulf, Tolkien, and why his favorite character is...an orc? Enjoy this great conversation with one of the world's leading Tolkien scholars! Purchase the NEW Beowulf: Translation and Commentary: https://amzn.to/3FndkZx Other links for Dr. Shippey & his books: J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century: https://amzn.to/46z4Udm The Road to Middle-earth: https://amzn.to/3tJvX7u Dr. Shippey's website: https://tomshippey.com/ Dr. Shippey has taught at six universities, including St. Johns, Oxford, and Visiting Professorships at Harvard and the University of Texas. At Leeds, he held the Chair of English Language and Medieval English Literature (a post held by Tolkien in the 1920s.)

Chatting with Bear McCreary about his work on The Rings of Power, God of War, and more! We'll talk about his work creating the themes for the show, connecting to The Lord of the Rings' Third Age, and what's in store for Season 2!

We chat with Gino Acevedo about his road to New Zealand, pranks with John Rhys-Davies, making the transition from practical to digital effects, and more!

We chat with Maxim Baldry about Isildur in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, including diving into the text, a more in-depth look at the dynamics in Númenor, and seeing Isildur as the hero he is in the books.

We chat with Wayne Yip about his directing work on episodes 3, 4, & 5 on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Today, we chat with with Lloyd Owen about his character Elendil, the island realm of Númenor, and his deep dives into Tolkien's more obscure writings to inform the Elendil we meet in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power!

The one and only John Rhys-Davies talks about his experience as Gimli and Sallah, his library, and reads a fan-favorite portion from the books - Gimli's description of the Glittering Caves.  This interview with the Lord of the Rings star was possible through the "It's Time to Shout James" fundraiser.  To donate to a great cause, visit: http://tinyurl.com/47j9wfxr

To get the full effect of my interview with John, check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qNnPE0Hpry8

WETA Workshop Co-Founder and Creative Director Sir Richard Taylor joins us to talk about his time in Middle-earth!  We'll talk about Richard's first exposure to Tolkien and what it was like bringing some of the most iconic locations, weapons, and characters to life in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films trilogies!

For the latest and greatest videos on The Lord of the Rings and Middle-earth, visit youtube.com/NerdoftheRings

Carl Hostetter joins us to talk about the 25-year road to the publication of The Nature of Middle-earth, working with Christopher Tolkien, new discoveries for Tolkien fans, dancing bears, and more!

The Nature of Middle-earth is now available for purchase:

US: https://amzn.to/3mXzYzI

UK: https://amzn.to/3DGgoO5

(affiliate links)

Today, we chat with Dom & Billy as they launch their new podcast, The Friendship Onion!  We talk about the films, The Scouring of the Shire, which cast members were funny, Dom's immunity to hiccups, and more!

For the video version of this interview, as well as all kinds of great Middle-earth videos, go to www.youtube.com/NerdoftheRings

Also, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review The Friendship Onion - available on all podcast platforms and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM2SO69PhFRKKEYwGSV4sHQ

In this interview (recorded in Dec '20), we chat with actor Stephen Hunter, who portrayed Bombur in The Hobbit Trilogy!  We chat about all things The Hobbit - including how much his suit weighed and some amusing stories involving his dwarven castmates!

Today, we welcome the writer of one of my absolute favorite Tolkien adaptations - the 1981 BBC Radio Dramatization of The Lord of the Rings - Brian Sibley! We talk about the radio drama celebrating its 40th anniversary, Brian's experience writing about Peter Jackson and his Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, the challenges of adapting for radio, why Tom Bombadil get's cut from adaptations, and much more!

Visit youtube.com/NerdoftheRings for the video version of this interview, Middle-earth lore videos, theories, and more!

We talk about Peter Jackson and how the Middle-earth films came together with someone who spent time behind the scenes on both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. We hear his favorite stories from the set, what sets Peter Jackson apart from other directors, his idea for a future Lord of the Rings book, the upcoming Amazon show and more!

Ian Nathan is a film author, who has written books on The Terminator, Fantastic Beasts, Ridley Scott, Tim Burton, Quentin Tarantino and most notably, "Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson and the Making of Middle-earth".

Visit YouTube.com/NerdoftheRings for weekly Middle-earth videos, including Tolkien Explained, Complete Travels, Theories, and the video version of this episode.  To Support NOTR, visit Patreon.com/NerdoftheRings

Today we are joined by the incredible Jed Brophy, one of the very few actors to appear in all six Middle-earth films!  His roles include the orcs Snaga and Sharku, as well as the dwarf Nori.  During this live chat on the Nerd of the Rings YouTube channel, we chat about all things Middle-earth, while raising money for frontline healthcare workers.

Visit YouTube.com/NerdoftheRings for weekly Middle-earth videos, including Tolkien Explained, Complete Travels, Theories, and the video version of this episode.  To Support NOTR, visit Patreon.com/NerdoftheRings

Today, we chat with Francesco Nepitello about the brand new Second Edition of The One Ring RPG.  We talk about what's new in this second edition, adapting Tolkien's world, and advice for players who are new to tabletop gaming!  At time of release, The One Ring Second Edition has earned $1.9 Million on Kickstarter and is due for release in late 2021. 

Visit YouTube.com/NerdoftheRings for weekly Middle-earth videos, including Tolkien Explained, Complete Travels, Theories, and the video version of this episode.  To Support NOTR, visit Patreon.com/NerdoftheRings

Talking with the Tolkien Professor about LOTRonPrime, LOTRO, The Silmarillion, and why balrogs don't have wings! Corey is the President and Founder of Signum University and the Mythgard Institute. For more info, visit Signum University on YouTube!

Visit YouTube.com/NerdoftheRings for weekly Middle-earth videos, including Tolkien Explained, Complete Travels, Theories, and the video version of this episode.  To Support NOTR, visit Patreon.com/NerdoftheRings