More Lord of the Rings from Sideshow/ WETA. Today we are showing off the 1:4 scale busts for the first LOTR movie. The info from Sideshow is:

The essence of each character is brilliantly captured in these 1:4 scale busts. As with the statues, each bust has been hand cast in heavy weight polystone and hand painted to the highest standards. Each bust sits on a classically turned base that includes the name of the character and the sculptor's signature.

Frodo and Peregrin "Pippin" Took will be $50 each, Gandalf the Grey, Aragorn (Son of Arathorn), Moria Orc Swordsman and Orc Overseer will be $60 each.

The Sideshow / WETA partnership brings together two respected and talented organizations. Sideshow is the creative force responsible for the highly praised line of figure collectibles based on the Universal Studio Classic Monsters. The Sideshow team has been recognized for its ability to consistently achieve character likenesses in both collectible toys and statues.

Weta is New Zealand's foremost effects facility, which was established fourteen years ago to support New Zealand's fledgling film and television industry. Among Weta's credits are several of Peter Jackson's earlier films and also television's popular Xena and Hercules' series. Weta is comprised of a group of artists united in their love of art and film: from blacksmiths to leather workers, skilled prosthetic technicians, miniature makers, painters to wigmakers, casting and molding experts, engineers and sword smiths. The Weta Workshop has been immersed for more than four years in the conceptualizing, creation and the on-set operation of the creatures, miniatures, armor, weapons and special make-up effects for the three epic films.

More information is available at www.SideShowToy.com