Andy Serkis Recording Lord of the Rings Audiobooks
HarperCollins is releasing new editions of the Lord of the Rings audiobooks with Andy Serkis narrating. The audiobook announcement follows Andy Serkis’ fundraiser to help two UK charities during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the actor read the entirety of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Serkis, who played Gollum in the Peter Jackson adaptations of the series, said in a statement, “Walking back into Middle-earth over 20 years after my first life-changing adventure there, and experiencing it all over again (this time for many weeks alone in a sound booth) has brought in equal measures of pure joy, sheer madness, immense pleasure and a level of psychological and physical fatigue I have never quite experienced the like of before.” According to J.R.R. Tolkien’s official Facebook page, the audiobook will be available on September 16th from all major audiobook retailers.
Michelle Yeoh to Star in Netflix’s Witcher Prequel, Blood Origin
Netflix has announced that Michelle Yeoh will star in the platform’s six-episode Witcher prequel, Blood Origin. The prequel is set a little over 1,000 year before the events of The Witcher. It will focus on the story of the first Witcher and how the worlds of men, monsters, and elves merged into one. Yeoh will play Scían, the only remaining member of a nomadic tribe of sword-wielding elves. Netflix has yet to set a premiere date for Blood Origin, but the second season of The Witcher wrapped production in April and is expected to premiere later this year.
Sylvia Plath’s Family Album, Wedding Ring, and Letters to Ted Hughes are Being Sold
This Friday, bidding will begin on a Sotheby’s action that includes Sylvia Plath’s family album, wedding ring, and letters to husband and fellow poet Ted Hughes, along with other various personal items. The item that is anticipated to sell for the highest price is Plath’s family photo album, which includes 92 photos of the poet with her children and Ted Hughes. The auction items were made available by Sylvia Plath’s daughter Frieda Hughes.
New LGBTQ Laws in Hungary Land Bookshops with Fines
New anti-LGBT laws in Hungary are banning LGBTQ people from being included in educational material or TV programs for children under 18. Now bookshops are being fined for selling books that differ from “traditional content.”