At the Weta Cave

Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Dragons on the gate

This last week we’ve twice been out to the Weta Cave in Miramar. On Wednesday evening the director Guillermo del Toro was signing his new novel (written with Chuck Hogan) The Strain and we took along our copy of The Devils Backbone to get that signed as well. We queued outside in the cold (thankfully not cold, wet and windy) for an hour or so and the queue slowly moved. While signing our things I asked Guillermo a few questions about The Hobbit and also if there would be another movie in the Devils Backbone/Pan’s Labyrinth sequence. The answer is no, Pan’s Labyrinth took so much out of Guillermo that he doesn’t think he could manage another one any time soon (Guillermo lost a lot of weight and struggled to get the movie made at all). Guillermo was as friendly and open as when I last met him back in London at Forbidden Planet. We got some photos taken but the camera hadn’t been set up correctly by yours truly so the there is quite a bit of shake in evidence. Do not adjust your set and contrary to the obvious you do not need 3D glasses to view this image.

Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Keryn and I with Guillermo del Toro at the Weta Cave

Today we returned to the Weta Cave for another signing. Alan Lee is an artist and is best known for his work based on books by J R R Tolkien. Guillermo and Alan are in Wellington working on the forthcoming movie The Hobbit. Alan actually remembered me (again it was a Forbidden Planet signing in London that we last met) and I again asked a few questions about the Hobbit and working in New Zealand (“Wouldn’t you rather be back in England where it’s summer?”, “It’s not that bad here really”). We got some photos taken and I was better prepared this time so the photo isn’t quite so shaky this time.

Photo by Brendon & Keryn

Keryn and I with Alan Lee at the Weta Cave