Yes, boys and girls, it could be a very Middle-Earth Christmas for many this year, between the movie itself and the books, action figures and other collectibles likely to be offered. The guys over at TheOneRing.net provided this article today detailing Harper Collins’ upcoming book tie-ins, including pictures of the five, count ‘em, five covers.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/09/01/61399-harper-collins-releases-movie-tie-in-book-covers/
The Official Movie Guide and the Visual Companion appear to be geared to adults and promise such goodies as behind-the-scenes photos of principal cast members along with exclusive interviews and lots of color photos from the film. Squee!
For younger readers (and the young at heart) there is The World of Hobbits and the Movie Storybook, promising loads of photos from the film offering info on all things hobbit and and a retelling of the movie itself.
Below is a snippet of TORn article offering details of the book that I think will be the real piece de resistance for the artist inside . . . I am salivating slightly at the thought of it.
Then, on Friday December 14, the ultimate film companion book — Chronicles: Art & Design — will be released worldwide by HarperCollins (under the prestigious HarperDesign imprint in the USA)
Chronicles: Art & Design
This sumptuous book celebrates the creative vision of Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. It is packed with more than 1,000 images of concept artwork, photographs and development paintings by the artists working behind the scenes to bring Middle-earth to life, who each provide detailed and entertaining commentary that reveals the story behind the vision. Compiled by Weta Workshop senior concept designer Daniel Falconer, this is the first in a series of lavish hardback books written and designed by the award-winning team at Weta, who are working closely with the production team to guarantee that these books will be bursting with insider information and stunning visual imagery.
All five books are being published in multiple languages by many of Tolkien’s worldwide publishers, all released on the same dates, and we will to bring you more news about them as we get closer to publication.
Obviously, I have to find employment, organize a yard sale, sell a kidney or find some other lucrative means in order to finance my Thorin addiction, which has spread to all things Peter Jackson/The Hobbit. Oh, you knew what you were doing when you posted all those videoblogs, didn’t you, dear PJ? Well, they do say you’re a genius . . .
*starts her Christmas wish list*
*me, too* Will buy lotto ticket…
I’m even thinking of getting a little Thorin figure-at my age!
Does it come with instructions for how to grow it to full size and bring it to life?
I wish! Although Richard’s description of dwarves being raucous, naughty, dirty and filthy gives me pause. Maybe Thorin is a little classier than that, being royalty!
Something tells me he’d be great naughty fun in a big bathtub, throwing the sponge rather than a fish, and play-fighting about who gets to scrub whose back first…
Oooh, now you’re putting ideas in my head! *wags finger at Leigh*
Well, he did mention that he takes baths!!
When we still lived in the UK some houses didn’t have showers in them, just baths. I wonder if that’s still the case?
Don’t know, but in Andalucia, most homes have bathtubs with a “telephone” (hand-held spray) shower, sometimes with a wall bracket to hold it.
My only complaint is that there isn’t a Thorin cover…
A life-size pop-up hologram would do it for me.
Please Angie do NOT sell a kidney, I beg you!
I assumed you were joking, but just in case, I reiterate Judit’s position.
I know she was joking, I was joking too!
Yet one more thing that Richard makes us do!! Buy ALL of the above!!
Might need to take out a loan as I CAN’T put my trip back to Scotland on the back burner. 
I’ve printed out the images of the three books I’d like and put them with my wish list so that there is no doubt which ones I want. Knowing me though, I’ll be too impatient and will buy them myself as soon as I see them in the shop!
Smart girl! If I put them on my Christmas list my “addiction” will be revealed to all!
I’ll just pass it off as my interest in the movie, not you-know-who! After all, my son and I spent many hours together poring over the beautiful big books on the Star Wars trilogy, when he was much younger, so it’s not like it would be the first time.
Good idea but I think I’ve talked about him too much for them to fall for that!!
I bought one of those books for my Pastor’s young son who knows everything about Star Wars – and I mean everything – and he’s not even 10 yet! Before I gave it to him I checked to make sure there wasn’t a close-up of a certain Naboo Fighter Pilot! If there had been I might have kept it!
I just Googled “Naboo Fighter Pilot” for fun and lo and behold in the “images” section there is a picture entitled “Richard in his Naboo Fighter Pilot days”!! LOL And very cute he is too, if I may say!