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  • 11
    Dec
    2012
    7:37am, EST

    Judge halts release of 'Age of Hobbits' 'knockoff' movie

    Asylum Home Entertainment

    "Age of the Hobbits."

    By Bruna Nessif, E! Online

    In the case of Hobbit vs. Hobbit, "Hobbit" wins. (Yeah, that's pretty confusing, but you'll understand in a moment.) A California federal judge has granted Warner Bros.' motion for a temporary restraining order on "Age of the Hobbits," indie film company Asylum's low-budget rip-off of Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," which hits theaters Dec. 14, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

    "The majority of factors weigh in favor of a finding of likelihood of confusion, and no factor weighs against such a finding," Judge Philip Gutierrez said in the ruling Monday.

    What we learned about "The Hobbit" from the National Board of Review Awards

    "Moreover, the finding is particularly strong on the three factors that courts have found to be the most important, especially in the context of the Internet: similarity of the marks, relatedness of the goods and use of similar marketing channels."

    Producers of "The Hobbit" filed the lawsuit last month, accusing them of creating a "knockoff" movie based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novel and infringing on their trademark on the word hobbits.

    Asylum's lawyers fired back, claiming their use of hobbits is fair, since it references a term used by archaeologists, not the Tolkien character, but the judge wasn't having it.

    "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" world premiere arrivals

    "Asylum's argument appears to ignore the connection between the term used to describe Homo Floresiensis and Tolkien's hobbits," the judge writes. "Asylum treats the use of the two terms as completely unrelated, but the terms are in fact closely related: Scientists gave Homo Floresiensis the nickname 'Hobbit' because its appearance resembled Tolkien's hobbits, as described in his novels.... Given that Homo Floresiensis received the nickname 'Hobbit' specifically because of its resemblance to Tolkien's fictional hobbits, the Court finds Asylum's argument that its movie is wholly unrelated to Tolkien's work because it is about Homo Floresiensis to be disingenuous."


    Follow @ TODAY_ent

    "Age of the Hobbits," a film about a "last village of clever, peace-loving Hobbits ... attacked and enslaved by Java Men, komodo-worshiping, dragon-riding cannibals," was scheduled to release tomorrow.

    Related content:

    • VIDEO: Peter Jackson back in Middle Earth for 'Hobbit'
    • Martin Freeman: 'Hobbit' sets were 'awe-inspiring'
    • Bilbo Baggins goes on a drunken 'Unexpected Journey' in parody viral video
    • Ian McKellen: I never worked with Elijah Wood on 'Lord of the Rings'
    • 'Hobbit' premiere in New Zealand draws estimated 100K fans
    • VIDEO: Watch the trailer for 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'
    Show more
    Explore related topics: movies, featured, lord-of-the-rings, the-hobbit, hobbit-an-unexpected-journey
  • 4
    Dec
    2012
    9:50am, EST

    Bilbo Baggins goes on a drunken 'Unexpected Journey' in parody viral video

    By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

    Bilbo Baggins appears to enjoy the quiet life of a hobbit -- but when a swarm of boisterous dwarves (and one mysterious wizard named Gandalf) descend on his home one night in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," he's eventually convinced to join them on their adventure. 

    Watch on YouTube

    However, in a new video that's going viral, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Parody" by The Hillywood Show, the way in which Bilbo is convinced is slightly altered.

    To the tune of "Shots" by Lil Jon (don't worry, the obscenities have been altered in the lyrics here), the dwarves take over Bilbo's home and do their convincing with liquor. A lot of liquor. Consumed in large gulps from beer steins. At first, Bilbo isn't too into the party atmosphere -- but once he gets a few steins down his gullet, he becomes quite the party hobbit, signing on to join the dwarves on their quest.

    As the YouTube notes explain, "What happens in Middle Earth, stays in Middle Earth."


    Follow @ NBCNewsEnt

    Bonus trivia note: The video was co-produced by Peter Facinelli, of "Twilight" and "Nurse Jackie" fame. Check it out!

    Related content:

    • 'The Hobbit' star Martin Freeman says film's sets were 'awe-inspiring'
    • Ian McKellen: I never worked with Elijah Wood on 'Lord of the Rings'
    • Hobbits, monsters, Navy SEALs highlight December movies
    • 'Hobbit' premiere in New Zealand draws estimated 100K fans
    • VIDEO: Watch the trailer for 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'
    Show more
    Explore related topics: movies, featured, lord-of-the-rings, viral-video, hobbit-an-unexpected-journey
  • 19
    Sep
    2012
    11:30am, EDT

    Finally! Check out the exclusive first look at 'Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' trailer

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    There's good news for fans of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy who've been waiting patiently for an extended peek at what director Peter Jackson has in store for them with "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." On Wednesday morning, TODAY aired the world-exclusive first look at the trailer for the film.

    Watch the clip below to see Ian McKellen reprise his role as Gandalf the Grey, Martin Freeman take on the role of a young (well, younger) Bilbo Baggins and Andy Serkis bring Gollum to life again.

    The sweeping scenes go by fast, but they offer the most complete look at the film so far.


    Follow @ TODAY_ent

    And there's more to come. On Nov. 28 TODAY will have exclusive interviews with Peter Jackson and "The Hobbit" cast.

    While the wait for the theatrical trailer is finally over, the wait for the full feature film continues. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" hits theaters Dec. 14.

    What do you think of "The Hobbit" trailer? Are you excited to see the film on the big screen when it comes out? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

    Follow @ReeHines

     

    More in TODAY Entertainment:

    • Lindsay Lohan arrested after striking pedestrian with SUV in New York
    • Matthew Fox seeks pies, ice cream after massive 'Alex Cross' weight loss
    • Tony Danza: I was pen pals with Tupac when he was in jail
    Show more
    Explore related topics: hobbit, movies, featured, hobbit-an-unexpected-journey

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Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

Randee Dawn is a frequent TODAY and NBC News contributor. She is the co-author of "The 'Law & Order: SVU' Unofficial Companion."

Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

Ree Hines is a frequent TODAY.com and NBCNews.com contributor.

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