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Kristin here–
Last autumn I was contacted by Nick, aka The Voice of Nick, asking for my consent to his creating an audio-book of The Frodo Franchise. This was quite a surprise—a pleasant one of course. Naturally I gave him the go-ahead.
I wrote The Frodo Franchise for two main reasons. First, after The Fellowship of the Ring came out in 2001, the wild enthusiasm created a new generation of fans. That enthusiasm reminded me of the Tolkien rage that followed the 1965 Ballentine publication. I was fifteen at the time and became an instant fan. The fact that Tolkien’s work could generate a similar level of devotion thirty-five years later intrigued me.
Second, it rapidly became obvious that much of what was happening around the film was going to have a huge impact on the film industry. Sophisticated digital effects were invented specifically for Jackson’s films in his own filmmaking facilities. New Line created one of the most successful online publicity campaigns in the infancy of the Internet. Fans followed suit and created their own sites devoted to the films. The filmmakers actually cooperated with the videogames producer, an unheard-of thing in those days. Actors had their faces scanned for the action figures. In short, the films were one of the most influential franchise series in a time when big franchises were becoming vital to the Hollywood studios.
Through extraordinary luck on my part and Kiwi hospitality on the part of the filmmakers, I was able to interview dozens of people, including all the main designers, key figures at Weta Digital, and Peter Jackson himself. Beyond that I talked with representatives of Electronic Arts, Air New Zealand, and various government officials who “leveraged off” the films to transform New Zealand itself. Witnessing part of the post-production work on the trilogy was an extraordinary privilege and joy. I hope with the release of the audiobook, what I learned during that period will be shared with fans who continue to adore these films.
The paper version of the book came out in 2007. But enthusiastic fans are experiencing anniversary re-releases of Peter Jackson’s trilogy and enjoying casting news for the upcoming film, The Hunt for Gollum. New licensed products continue to be made. Tours of New Zealand/Middle-earth still sell out. I agreed to write an epilogue for the audiobook, discussing some of the enduring strength of the franchise and the unabated enthusiasm of the fans.
Now I’ll turn this entry over to Nick for him to explain how he became a fan and why he decided to share his enthusiasm with others.
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Hi everyone – I’m Nick, better known under my narrator and content creator persona as The Voice of Nick. I recently had the opportunity to produce a special new audiobook release of The Frodo Franchise, in honor of The Fellowship of the Ring’s 25th anniversary, and I’m proud to say the audiobook version is now available worldwide.
I’m one of the new generation of Tolkien fans described in The Frodo Franchise, who was introduced to the world of Middle-earth by Peter Jackson’s films as a boy. I didn’t know what to expect when I went to the first film for a school friend’s birthday party, but I was immediately hooked from that point on. My brother and I collected the toys, played the EA games, and devoured every minute of the incredible Extended Edition films along with their behind-the-scenes documentaries. Since then I’ve grown to appreciate all things Tolkien, reading his unfinished epics, and then delving into the various Finnish, Norse and Old English legends thanks to his influence. And of course, I read The Lord of the Rings every year!
I was gifted a copy of The Frodo Franchise last year by a friend and couldn’t believe I hadn’t read it before. It touched on every aspect of not just the films I loved, but the licensed products, promotions (yes, I had all the talking Burger King toys!), internet fandom (I was happy to see Figwit included!), and home video releases that I spent so much time with. It was pure luck that I would find the book right on the eve of Fellowship’s 25th anniversary. Then, when Kristin and publisher UC Press agreed to license me the rights to create this new audiobook, Kristin graciously wrote a brand new epilogue addressing all the amazing things the franchise has been up to in the years since its original publication.
The Frodo Franchise audiobook is now available on Audible [3], Apple Books [4], Spotify [5], Storytel [6], Kobo [7], and is rolling out across all other major platforms. It’s also available in the systems for libraries nationwide, so ask your local library about stocking it in their catalogue if you’d like to listen that way!
If you’d like to see more of me, you can find me on YouTube [8], where I livestream creative work, language study, game development, gameplay videos and behind-the-scenes audiobook production.
To give one example of the lasting power of these films, I introduced my mother to LOTR in 2003 by dragging her to a theater to see The Return of the King, and since then she’s been a fan right along with me. Last year, over 20 years after that introduction, the two of us went to The Return of the King live orchestra performance at Radio City in New York (above). These movies are important and have brought an incredible richness to my life and many of those around me. I’m thrilled to be able to bring this book to a new audience of listeners. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed narrating and producing it.
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