A guest post from NZfanofRA:
Frenz has very kindly allowed me to share some thoughts with you. I’ve been thinking about Richard. Nothing unusual about that I hear you say. And you might be correct in your assumption.
But the reason for bursting into print is to invite you, with me, to pause in the giddy anticipation of The Hobbit release, and reflect upon this moment. May I urge you not to simply await the premiere or the screening you plan to attend, but enjoy the cusp of something.
And what might that something be? I’m sure you, like me, expect another wondrous performance from Mr. Armitage in his portrayal of Thorin. We also are certain that the huge audiences for The Hobbit will mean RA will become much, much more well known.
I had expected this sort of recognition would occur after the movie had been released and people had seen the performance. But it seems The Hobbit publicity machine is already promoting RA as a star of the movie in posters and by his inclusion in the team that went to Comic Con in July. This movie isn’t called The Dwarf King, it is The Hobbit, isn’t it?
The Warner Bros. publicity machine however, is not the only sign that people are starting to notice Richard Armitage/Thorin. The Geekest Link sells plush toys of Thorin, Bilbo, Gandalf, the Goblin King and Gollum. But there were reports on Twitter of company representatives noticing Thorin was selling far faster than the others. And now there’s a little pink note on the site suggesting the Thorin plush toy might appeal to Richard Armitage fans – no such mention of the actor playing the other plushy toy characters.
Then there’s the fabulous 3D 5 varieties of cover for Empire magazine’s very special Hobbit edition (highly recommended purchase, by the way). The 5 options are Bilbo, Gandalf, Gollum, Galadriel and Thorin. Guess which one has sold out – take a look.
There’s a groundswell out there, and it’s building. Mainstream media might not have discovered it yet, but I think the signs are there. This marvelous actor has been noticed, is being noticed, and certainly is about to be noticed. Big time.
And here’s a piece of complete speculation on my part. Although I am a Kiwi, I have no insider knowledge of the decisions made about The Hobbit production team, but we know the PJ team keep writing and rewriting as they film. Did the Thorin part become larger once they saw what Richard Armitage was doing with the role? I think so, even if the two films becoming three happened in an organic way, contributed to by the richness of the material and the performances of others in the cast as well.
So to return to my original idea, let’s enjoy what’s happening now, not just await what is coming. As Richard Armitage fans we’re kind of along for the ride. Aren’t we lucky?
Note: My thanks to NZfanofRA for sharing her wonderful encouragement to bask in what is happening and about to happen. She also has an enjoyable guest post about meeting RA which I hope you check out if you haven’t already! Further thoughts from me about the imminent fame are coming in another post.
RAFrenzy 
