WETA returns to LOTR 1:6?

[The Josh]

I don't think they lost the license. My guess is they decided to focus on other projects for now and may come back to Middle-earth in the future.

Woodsy would have warmed up to the great job that Weta is doing and been behind them. What they have done already and have planned is amazing for The Hobbit so what's coming for Lord of the Rings should be as well.

It does appear that may be the case.

They will which is a good thing.

 

[Adolfo]

A 1/6 Merry and Pippin would sell out in a heartbeat. No excuses for SS

 

[NAZGUL-KING]

I wonder whatever happened to Woodsy. Wasn't he a fireman? I hope everything's ok with him. It was just odd that he suddenly stopped posting given how active he was here.

 

[The Josh]

No clue. He was here one day and gone the next. I do hope he's ok wherever he is.

 

[The Ween]

I remember Woodsy! It's been almost 2 years since he's been here.

 

[gideon]

Give us GROND. Nothing else comes close to that.

 

[FrodoEyes]

Wow, i was expecting it to happen, but not this quickly!

I'd still be kinda surprised if Sideshow don't do Merry and Pippin as a thank you and goodbye. If they've already sculpted it they could just announce it soon and fit it in on the end.

Thrilled Weta has the license back. Now we might see statues some of us here have been craving since 2001-2005 - Mouth of Sauron on steed, Eomer on steed, Faramir, Denethor, prologue elven warrior, Lurtz in armour, Treebeard, Fellowship Pippin, improved human characters... i could go on

 

[cstojano]

Just back from my day at Comic-con. Weta hit it out of the park and I can only imagine Gagaliya's take on this. If SS fails to deliver Merry and Pippin, oh my. Even though I abandoned the maquette line I will still feel miffed at that.

Couldn't be more happy with Weta's booth. The other site has a while post devoted to SS disappointment and I have to say this was my take away as well. Not too much new there. For that matter I was disappointed with the entire con this year - both lego and Hasbro seemed to tone down their displays. Still glad I went.

The Azog and warg piece is insane - my wife vetoed it outright though due to it being a pretty large and aggressive piece.

 

[theguru1]

I don't think they lost the license. My guess is they decided to focus on other projects for now and may come back to Middle-earth in the future.

I'm not entirely sure it works that way. Given some of the posting in the past of what Weta could and couldn't do due to license requirements (for example for size and scale of the 'mini' LOTR statues), I just have a feeling that if Weta can now make 1/6th scale statues from LOTR, were before they couldn't, then I find it more likely that now SS can't, not that they have just decided not too for a while.

In effect, from a middle-earth point of view, SS only focus left is PF's. I also would have half expected that if a Merry/Pipin 1/6th scale statue was still an option, then something would have been shown/previewed or hinted at SDCC of it coming.

Could be wrong, guess we will see.

 

[The Josh]

Well when I say they may come back to Middle-earth I mean if Weta was to decide and the license available.

 

[chaber]

It would be nice if SS had the respect for their customers to make an official announcement on this. A lot of people have been waiting for a Merry and Pippin statue, as was promised, to complete the Fellowship, and now are left in limbo...

 

[Geb]

Well when I say they may come back to Middle-earth I mean if Weta was to decide and the license available.

If Sideshow is now OUT of the 1/6th Middle-earth game (figures and statues) I honestly don't think they will EVER return to those formats. They are DONE...plus I'm guessing that the LOTR PF line is also done...they will do Hobbit PFs now...

I'm seriously thinking they are DONE with the LOTR license altogether...hoping perhaps that Weta will dive into some 'mixed media' format for LOTR.

 

[FrodoEyes]

Sideshow are very much a comic-based collectibles company now and it even showed in their LOTR statues. I think they'll only do a handful of Hobbit PF's before getting out of that too.
Weta don't do mixed media, they'll be too busy with LOTR and Hobbit statues. And remember they also do collectibles for other lines such as ray guns, Tintin etc.... oh yeah, and they make movies too!

 

[The Josh]

If Sideshow is now OUT of the 1/6th Middle-earth game (figures and statues) I honestly don't think they will EVER return to those formats. They are DONE...plus I'm guessing that the LOTR PF line is also done...they will do Hobbit PFs now...

I'm seriously thinking they are DONE with the LOTR license altogether...hoping perhaps that Weta will dive into some 'mixed media' format for LOTR.

They may not. We won't know that for a while but it's not something I think anyone is going to worry about either. This license is in good hands and that's all that matters to me.

Sideshow are very much a comic-based collectibles company now and it even showed in their LOTR statues. I think they'll only do a handful of Hobbit PF's before getting out of that too.
Weta don't do mixed media, they'll be too busy with LOTR and Hobbit statues. And remember they also do collectibles for other lines such as ray guns, Tintin etc.... oh yeah, and they make movies too!

They have licenses that are selling right and right now that's Marvel, DC, and Star Wars. In the future the comic stuff may back off but for now that's their focus and I can't blame them. They did a fantastic job on their Lord of the Rings line and showed what they could do with non comic statues. That's one of the bummers is those were so well done and they look so great. I'll give Gandalf the Grey being a little windy but the rest are just so superb. Like I said its a bummer because SS was doing a great job, but its in the great hands of Weta who we know is equally up to the task.

 

[FrodoEyes]

All of their LOTR maquettes had super-hero-like flowing robes.

We'll just agree to disagree on that one

I did like Strider and Legolas, and the ringwraith.... Frodo and Sam is a cool statue too, but i only have Strider as that is the best in the line for me.

 

[The Josh]

I guess we shall have to. Thankfully it went to Weta who I love and not someone else. I know they will create quality items this fan of Middle-earth will love to own and be proud to share.

 

[nexus]

Have never collected WETA because of the SS PF line. I do have a couple of SS 1:6 that I bought as a hedge (Aragorn EX and Arwen). If this means SS has lost the 1:6 maybe they will focus on finishing up the LotR PF and working on Hobbit PFs. I'd at least like to see SS make Gimli, Arwen, Saruman and Borimir in PF from LotR and Frodo, Azog, Thorin and Tauriel for the Hobbit. The remaining Dwarfs could be 1:4 busts. I'd also like to see SS make a Denathor bust.
That said if SS is also out of 1:4 I'd love to see WETA fill the gaps with the characters above even if they are fully sculpted vs. MM. I could always have custom bases made to complement the SS ones.

 

[gideon]

GROND
GROND
and GROND.

 

[bill59]

I do very much hope this is not the end of Sideshow's production of LOTR pieces . They have server us very well, with their wonderful LOTR products over the years . Okay things were not always to our liking, but there is no denying they did produce quality LOTR goodness in the end . I for one do hope they continue with the PF line even if they can no longer produce any 1/6 statues . But I do also hope they can at least produce Merry and Pippin in that form as a sad goodbye to the line.

I for one would like to thank SS for all their wonderful work on the LOTR...I have enjoyed the ride and so sad, as it seems, it has come to an end.

Thank you Sideshow.

 

[Darkmatter]

weta will definitely have to adjust their price point which in my opinion is overpriced. i can give several examples of pieces with greater detail, better paint, and a much lesser pricetag. compare what you get from the examples below to the weta gollum enraged for $249.99

twilight witch king from sideshow...$274.99

gimli from sideshow...$249.99

black orc of mordor from sideshow...$299.99

weta gollum enraged...$249.99