OFFICIAL: PJ, NLC, and MGM producing "The Hobbit"

[Urambo Tauro]

December 18, 2007

:eek: There's just too much to post, so I'll link the article here:
PETER JACKSON AND NEW LINE CINEMA JOIN WITH MGM TO PRODUCE “THE HOBBIT” (http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2007/12/18/28150-peter-jackson-and-new-line-cinema-join-with-mgm-to-produce-%E2%80%9Cthe-hobbit%E2%80%9D/)


The film site, http://www.lordoftherings.net/ (http://www.lordoftherings.net/), has been updated to include the announcement as well.

(Thanks to Chrysophalax for breaking the news (http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showpost.php?p=484512&postcount=45) on TTF.)

[Firawyn]

It's about time we get some solid news. I'm surprised that they'll break it into two films though...unless they are filming every scene, and not this chop job they made of LotR.

That would be a nice change. However, if this is just more room for added characters and screwed up plot lines...:mad: There isn't a non-vulgar way to say it.

[GuardianRanger]

I've read a bunch of articles. One (and I forget which one, if I can find it, I'll update this post) mentioned that the second movie would have more of the story that is between the Hobbit and Fellowship.

[Firawyn]

Um....what book is that in? I mean I know we get bits and pieces here and there from other books...but what are they doing? Making it up?

[Barliman Butterbur]

December 18, 2007

:eek: There's just too much to post, so I'll link the article here:
PETER JACKSON AND NEW LINE CINEMA JOIN WITH MGM TO PRODUCE “THE HOBBIT” (http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2007/12/18/28150-peter-jackson-and-new-line-cinema-join-with-mgm-to-produce-%E2%80%9Cthe-hobbit%E2%80%9D/)


The film site, http://www.lordoftherings.net/ (http://www.lordoftherings.net/), has been updated to include the announcement as well.

(Thanks to Chrysophalax for breaking the news (http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showpost.php?p=484512&postcount=45) on TTF.)

Wow! Incredible news! Let the TTF arguments and donnybrooks begin! :p My only questions: Will Ian McKellen reprise his role as Gandalf? Will Howard Shore write the film score? :D :D :D

Barley

[Firawyn]

McKellen has to play Glandalf and Holm has to play Bilbo or there simply cannot be any way this will be good at all.:mad:

[Barliman Butterbur]

McKellen has to play Glandalf and Holm has to play Bilbo or there simply cannot be any way this will be good at all.:mad:

It's been said before, but I'll say it again: Ian Holme is just too OLD to play Bilbo at this point.

Barley

[baragund]

Reading the article that Chrys provided, the second film was described as a "sequel" to The Hobbit. That sounds like the first film will reproduce the book in some manner, and the second film will be about something that takes place after Bilbo returns to Hobbiton but before his "Long Expected Party".

The trouble is, there are snippets of things happening in that 50 year or so timeline (the hunt for the Ring, the last meeting of the White Council, Balin's ill-fated mission to reclaim Moria), but is there enough to make a whole feature length movie? I think the 2nd film will use bits and pieces of these events but, for the most part, it will be something new created by the screenwriters. Attention purists! Head for the hills and lock your wives and children away until this blasphemy passes!!:D

And Barley's right, Fir. As much as I love the job Ian Holm did as Bilbo, he's just too old to be effective as a young Bilbo. Even more so by 2009-10, the time they are supposed to be filming. I just hope Ian McCellan will be up to the task of playing a younger Gandalf.

[Firawyn]

McKellen hasn't changed in 20 years. He shouldn't be a problem.

Holm...I suppose. I was hoping that makeup could fix it...but I guess they'll have to just recast... not chance Elijah Wood would do it? *cringe* I hope not.

[Barliman Butterbur]

McKellen hasn't changed in 20 years. He shouldn't be a problem. Holm...I suppose. I was hoping that makeup could fix it...but I guess they'll have to just recast... not chance Elijah Wood would do it? *cringe* I hope not.

Outside of McKellen, assuming he can do it, I anticipate a whole new cast. Well, Serkis could reprise Gollum.

Barley

[baragund]

Does anybody have information on what The Hobbit "sequel" will be about?

[Barliman Butterbur]

Does anybody have information on what The Hobbit "sequel" will be about?

I've heard two things (don't ask me how or where): one, that it will be an actual movie leading up to the Hobbit (using material from Unfinished Tales I would guess) and two, that there would be a film on how The Hobbit was made. I'm guessing this is for those who eventually buy the DVD: two of them for all the rabid fans.

Something else of far more importance to me: WHICH DVD format has New Line gone with, HD DVD or Blu-Ray? The industry did the same damn fool thing that Sony did when they came out with the late unlamented Betamax format for videotape: let the public fight it out for the standard format choice.

Barley

[Barliman Butterbur]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-hobbit-peter-jackson,0,1727403.story?coll=chi-site-nav

chicagotribune.com

Peter Jackson signs on for 'Hobbit' films

Settlement with New Line Cinema will add two new movies to Tolkien fantasy saga

Tribune staff and wire reports

6:15 AM CST, December 19, 2007

LOS ANGELES


Goblins, trolls and dragons were a breeze compared with the caustic clash of egos that kept "The Hobbit" in Hollywood limbo for years. But a settlement announced Tuesday between Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema holds the promise that fans could see the first of two resulting movies by December 2010.

The pact, which two people involved said was worth nearly $40 million to Jackson, ends years of litigation and acrimonious auditing over his share of the profits from the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Those movies grossed $2.9 billion worldwide.

Right now, it is unclear who will direct the two Hobbit movies. But Jackson and his wife, Fran Walsh, will be executive producers of the Hobbit films, and they will share with New Line the right to OK all creative elements: director, screenwriter, script, cast, location, even the visual-effects company used (as if there were any doubt that his Weta Digital would be chosen).

"They can assure that the films will be made with the same level of quality as if they were writing and directing," Jackson's manager, Ken Kamins, said.

The settlement freed New Line, which held the rights to make a "Hobbit" movie, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which has distribution rights, to cut a 50-50 financing deal.

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McKellen keen to be Gandalf again

Sir Ian said the Hobbit film was becoming "more and more Likely"

Sir Ian McKellen has said he would be "very pleased" to reprise his role as wizard Gandalf in the planned film of JRR Tolkien's novel The Hobbit.

Full article here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7044649.stm).

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Barley

[Gothmog]

"They can assure that the films will be made with the same level of quality as if they were writing and directing," Jackson's manager, Ken Kamins, said.


Barley
That's depressing, I had hoped that someone would be allowed to improve on this. :(

[Firawyn]

McKellen, Serkis, maybe Rhys-Davis as Gloin.

I'm not really sure what to think of this. The more I delve into the books the more I realize how...*cough* bad LotR was...and part of me was hoping it (the Hobbit) would never happen at all.