Come face to face with Smaug the Magnificent, the most realistic, breathtaking and destructive dragon ever to appear on screen, in this gallery of exclusive images that tell the story of how he was created. Smaug is possibly the most memorable character in JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit: a huge, malevolent, fire-breathing, talking dragon! But while he makes quite an impact in the book, in Peter Jackson’s film adaptation he is definitely the most spectacular creature ever to appear on screen. So how did the filmmakers manage to take the dragon that has lived in millions of readers’ imaginations and turn him into a totally unique and unforgettable living, breathing character? The answer can be found in Smaug: Unleashing the Dragon. Packed with stunning, exclusive new images, it reveals how he grew out of thousands of detailed and fantastical concept designs into the beast that is unleashed in awesome digital glory. Compiled by the Academy Award™-winning teams at Weta Digital and Weta Workshop, who provide fascinating insights telling the story of the dragon’s creation, this is the perfect companion for every fan who was blown away by Smaug, the Magnificent!

The ultimate celebration of the first Hobbit movie reveals the culmination of the creative vision for the film through exclusive interviews with the designers, cast and crew, and more than 500 previously unpublished photographs, written and designed by the team at Weta Workshop. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles - Creatures and Characters explores the amazing cast of heroes and villains, beasts and beings that populate Middle-earth in the first chapter of Peter Jackson's film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Richly illustrated with behind-the-scenes photographs, digital renders and film stills, this comprehensive book goes species by species, character by character, through the film's huge ensemble of characters and bustling menagerie of creatures, both physical and digital, telling the stories of how each came to be realized for the film. In first-hand quotes from the actors, make-up artists, digital effects artists, dialect coaches, prosthetics technicians, movement coach and many other crew, the stories of the production unfold, processes are described and insights into characters shared. As a bonus feature, unique to this book, there is a special fold-out Character Size Chart, which compares all the major creatures and characters of the film, from Radagast's hedgehog friend to the towering Stone Giants! Compiled by Weta Workshop designer Daniel Falconer, and featuring a wealth of stunning imagery, this book puts the reader face to face with the Dwarf heroes of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the dark denizens of Middle-earth, such as Orcs, Goblins, Trolls and Wargs, and of course, the hobbit himself, Bilbo Baggins.

Howard Shore's Academy Award-winning score for The Lord of the Rings has been hailed as among the greatest film music ever written. Sweeping in scope, it is an interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth as music --- an operatic tapestry of cultures, histories, languages, and principles. The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films takes the reader on an unprecedented journey into the heart of this history-making opus with extensive music examples, original manuscript scores, a rarities CD, and fascinating glimpses into the creative process from the composer himself. Includes: Foreword by Howard Shore Introduction by Fran Walsh Sketches by John Howe and Alan Lee Includes Exclusive Rarities CD of unreleased LOTR music Color stills from the films

A dual-edition full-color book for the millions of fans who have taken The Lord of the Rings to heart through the celebrated film trilogy. Many of the images included in this volume, depicting pivotal scenes and characters, were previously embargoed and have never appeared in book form. The work of Alan Lee and John Howe — the two artists most closely associated with Tolkien"s world — is featured, along with that of many other talented artists and designers. The artists" own descriptions of the design process used in creating the look of the films both enlighten and enliven this essential book.

A companion to The Art of The Fellowship of the Ring, this authoritative and insightful book is packed with more than five hundred full-color images — many exclusive to this volume — and shows the development of the imagery in The Two Towers from concept drawings to wide-screen glory. With illuminating captions telling the story of the images in the words of the artists and designers responsible for the look of the film, including the renowned artists Alan Lee and John Howe, and contributions from Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, Grant Major, Ngila Dickson, Paul Lasaine, and others, this book is a must for all fans of The Lord of the Rings. In this essential reference to the architecture and costumes of Jackson"s onscreen Middle-earth, the stunning large-format art, from sketches to paintings to three-dimensional maquettes and digital art, is lovingly reproduced with lavish production values to create a spectacular keepsake for the film"s millions of fans.

Alan Lee, the beloved illustrator of many of Houghton Mifflin"s Tolkien editions, and a talented team of other artists, including the renowned Tolkien illustrator John Howe, have spent more than three years creating the sets, props, creatures, and locations that truly bring Tolkien"s Middle-earth to life. Hobbiton, Rivendell, and Minas Tirith are no longer designations on the map. Literally hundreds of designers and craftspeople have been painstakingly adding authentic cultural details to each of more than 48,000 separate objects shown in The Fellowship of the Ring, from armor to props to architecture. All this and more is shown in Gary Russell"s lavishly illustrated book. Russell spent time on the set in New Zealand, conducting interviews with director Peter Jackson, special effects guru Richard Taylor, art directors Paul Lasainne, Dan Hennah, and Chris Hennah, costumer Ngila Dickson, and Alan Lee and John Howe. Featuring everything from pencil sketches to the finished objects, his book gives detailed descriptions of why and how this groundbreaking film looks as exciting as it does. The millions of fans dazzled by the results will find here everything they want to know about the genesis and evolution of the movie"s incredible look.