Objets de Smaug
Since the final chapter of The Hobbit trilogy, There and Back Again, won’t be out until Dec. 17, 2014, die-hard Tolkien fans will have to be satisfied with seeing the first two films over and over again and cherishing the franchise’s many tie-in toys and collectibles. Here are a few new items that are seriously making us wish we had some stupid money to burn:
We know there are lots of art books, storybook adaptations and visual guides to the movie out there, but for our money, you can’t go wrong with the beautiful hardcover The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Chronicles: Art & Design ($24) put out by Weta and Harper Design. This 220-page coffee-table book is packed with over a thousand images of concept art, photos, development paintings and images from the behind-the-scenes craft of this new addition to the Middle-earth saga. Short of jumping into the silver screen itself, this book allows you to trace Bilbo Baggins’ latest adventure, along with Gandalf, the 13 Dwarves, and the unforgettable, magical creatures of Tolkien’s realm.
OK, we all know that the super-smart dragon Smaug is one of the second movie’s biggest attractions. But, how much would you pay to own a bronze replica of the treacherous beast? Smaug the Golden is the first sculpture in John Howe’s and Weta’s range of art pieces from Middle-earth, which is based on Howe’s original artwork created for the 1991 paperback edition of the book. The 11.8” x 15.7” x 15.7” object, which sits on a natural wood base, is a real marvel to behold—but brace yourself for the price—yup, it sells for $4,900. If you’ve stolen a few of the dragon’s golden coins and jewels, you may be able to afford this unique collector’s item, which is made to order and can be purchased at wetanz.com.
For those with less extravagant tastes, there’s an assortment of new items out in conjunction with the second Hobbit pic: Maybe you’d like the Bilbo Baggins in a Barrel ($65) or the Bow and Arrow of Tauriel ($299)? Or maybe you’d prefer the statues of the movie’s two Elf Kingdom newcomers King Thranduil and that feisty heroine Tauriel ($275 each)? We advise you to visit the Weta website soon (wetanz.com) as they seem to be selling out quickly. More affordable items on our must-have list include The Desolation of Smaug board game (Playroom Entertainment, $28.95), Bridge Direct’s The Hobbit Mirkwood Hero Set ($49.98) and the six-inch Legolas Collector Action Figure ($29.27) all of which seem to be available on Amazon. Thanks to these and many similar Smaug-themed objects, we can almost believe that we actually live among Middle-earth’s intriguing creatures.