Now 'ear this, Hobbit fans
16 Jun 2010
Listen up Lord of the Rings fans - you too can have Hobbit ears just like Frodo Baggins’ - hand-made and now available from Middle Earth.
New Zealand’s award-winning special effects studio, Weta Workshop is now selling authentic Hobbit ears - the very thing for dress-ups and LOTR fan parties.
The latex prosthetics have been drawn from the original moulds used for Frodo Baggins’ ears in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
And if your own ears and face don’t mirror that of Elijah Wood, who played Baggins in the movies, don’t panic - the Hobbit ears are
custom-made by the Weta team to fit all shapes and sizes.
Weta legs
Hobbit ears have come hot on the heels of Digital Weta Legs, the reverse stilt ideal for anyone who wants to adopt an authentic animal-style walk - and are part of a rapidly developing list of products Weta Workshop is developing to meet global demand.
The Hobbit and LOTR fan-base grows daily and Weta Workshop says it has interest from all over the world in the hundreds of movie-related products that have been developed following the company’s movie successes.
Ears and scarves
The Hobbit ears are hand made by makeup supervisor Frances Hawker and her team, and can be blended to look like part of the wearer’s individual anatomy.
As well as the smaller Frodo Baggins’ ears, the company has also developed ‘Sam’s Ears’ from the original moulds used for Samwise Gamgee's (Sean Astin) ears in the trilogy.
Interested customers are guided as to how to measure up for the prosthetic ears with a bottom-of-earlobe to top-of-the-tip calculation that must also factor in where the earlobe meets the cheek.
Measuring up
If Frodo’s ears at 3.1in (80mm) don’t fit the bill then Sam’s at 3.3in (84mm) might be a better bet.
And fans can complete the look with a Hobbit scarf made from the authentic silky 'Fellowship Cloak' wool fabric used in the movies.
The scarf is made of the same 100% wool that comes from a special flock at Stansborough sheep station in New Zealand, and was used for garments worn by the lead characters in the LOTR trilogy.
A trip to the factory to view the 19th century looms used to create the fabrics and meet the weavers who worked on the complex garments is part of dedicated LOTR tours that attract many fans to New Zealand every year.
More information
Finding the real Middle Earth
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Sean Astin "Sam" and Elijah Wood "Frodo" who appear as Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.
© New Line Cinema Photography Pierre Vinet |
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