The Hobbit

[Jek Porky 2002]

Are the rumours that I have heard true? Is Peter Jackson planning on making The Hobbit as a prequal to The Lord Of The Rings?

I would love to see it, would anyone else?

[Beast]

It's just rumblings now, nothing confirmed yet. But it's possible that it could happen. Especially after the huge success of both Fellowship and Towers. And the likely success of Return as well. I'm sure that Peter Jackson will want to take a while off though, before he actually delves into the world of Middle Earth again. :)

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[derek]

i'd only want to see this made if the same actors play thier roles from FOTR. (bilbow, gandalf and gollum)

[Beast]

They probably would keep the same actors Derek, especially since we saw Bilbo in the flashback to finding the ring at the start of Fellowship. They were able to make him easily look younger, just by pulling back the skin to smooth out his wrinkles.

Ian McKellan can also easily be made to look a bit younger. Though I think Gandalf looks the same in the Hobbit as he does in LOTR's. And Gollum is CGI, so no need to worry about the actual actor aging. :)

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[Pendo]

Because I've never read any of the books, I don't know anything about them. Are The Hobbit and The Lord Of the Rings the only books centered around the Baggins' family, and Gandalf? Or do they appear in more books. Do you think we'll see any more films made from the other books?

PENDO!

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Pendo!- The hobbit isn't really centered on the Baggins family persay, but Bilbo is tapped to help take out the evil dragon, Smaug. Gandalf kinda, i don't wanna say forces him into it, but convinces him to do it. It's kinda like another Fellowship, cause Bilbo has many companions on his journey. You kinda hear him talk about it a bit in the film FOTR where he says he wants to see mountains and see Murkwood (sp?) and stuff. It's in the Hobbit where the Elves give him Sting and hence why Gollum would recognize it. He even tells the hobbit children a story at this party.

It just kinda happens he stumbles upon Gollum in his cave and beats him in a game of riddles and finds the ring. Bilbo uses the ring a few times in the book to take enemies out though.

This is just from my memory of reading the book a few years back in high school. If anybody has any more details or corrections, lemme know. cheers! :D

[kadamontaga]

My girlfriend and I were talking about making the actor who plays Bilbo look younger, and she quite rightly pointed out that there's no need for him to look any younger during The Hobbit than he looks in the Shire at the start of the Fellowship movie - he doesn't really age whilst he has the ring.
She a clever 'un.

[LTBasker]

I think I read something where Jackson said he has NO plans in making the Hobbit. I wish he would though, I've seen the Hobbit cartoon movie and I would love to see it in live-action.

[kadamontaga]

Personally, I hope they don't make The Hobbit. Although I know The Hobbit was originally written and published before the Lord of the Rings books, I think a prequel would still feel like a spin-off.
I'm probably a bit biased though - I don't like The Hobbit book very much.

[bigbarada]

I also heard that Peter Jackson has no plans to make The Hobbit into a film, but he did say that he hopes someone does in the future. Who knows? Maybe he will allow another director to tackle it with WETA at his disposal.

There were also rumors about a Simarillon mini-series airing on the HBO network, directed by PJ. But he specifically stated, in the interview I read, that he wants to move on to smaller movies after ROTK. He stated that he never understood why people didn't film three movies at a time when he started, but he understands now better than anybody.:)

Just think though, that when ROTK is released, it will be a film that has been eight years in the making.

[JON9000]

If the Hobbit were to be translated to film I think it would leave a lot out, even more than LOTR has. The movie would basically consist of Gandalf and the dwarves meeting Bilbo, being captured by the Trolls, Rivendell, going under the Misty Mountains/Bilbo finding the ring, a couple of events in Mirkwood perhaps, then onto the Dragon and the Battle of the Five Armies. That would be tought to fit into a 3 hour film.

[Rogue II]

After reading this tread and seeing both FOTR and TTT in the past 2 weeks, I going to have to go watch the animated version of the Hobbit again.

[Mandalorian Candidat]

I'm in the middle of reading the Hobbit to my kids (it's my first time too) and would really love to see it made into a movie. I think it's totally doable and with the responses of all the actors having such a great time doing LOTR I bet they would come back. However, I would replace Ian Holm for Bilbo with Elijah Wood. It would make sense. IH just doesn't look that young to me in the FOTR prologue and I don't think he'd be believable doing all the action he'd be required to do for the Hobbit.

John Rhys-Davies could be Gloin and possibly other dwarves like he did for the FOTR prologue, but who else could round out the other 12?

[Capitan_Moroni]

I dont think it would be that hard to fill out the other 12 dwarfs, most of them only 1 or 2 lines in the entire book (most have 1 in the cartoon "we are all at your service"). The only dwarfs that have really notible lines are Thorin, Balin, and Bombor (if memory holds). So just get a bunch of big guys like John Ryce Davies and do shrink them down a bit. I dont know who they would get to play Thorin, I cant picture him like the dwarfs look in FOTR, I picture him skinny like in the cartoon.....

I agree that it would be hard to fit all of the story in a 3 hour time slot, but I'd kill to see Beorn in there (they left him out of the cartoon), and the battle of 5 armies (I want to see a huge dwarf army in battle, axes and all). I also want to see the awsome musical numbers like in the cartoon!

I guess theres some stuff they could leave out or speed up, like the months that they are in Lake Town, they could speed up the begining a bit, and they could leave out them journying from Lake town to the Lonley mountian.

[Eternal Padawan]

For some reason, whenever I read the Hobbit, I picture James Earl Jones as Beorn. :)

Sean Connery should play the Bard.

Charles Dance could play the Mirkwood Elf King (that's Legolas' dad to all you continuity buffs!)

I dunno who could do Smaug's voice. I always here the cartoon version in my head.

The thirteen dwarves would be very difficult to individualize. Did anyone notice how only three die in the book, but seven or eight buy it in the cartoon? Weird.

[EricRG]

MandCand...you have to remember that once Bilbo gets the ring, he no longer ages significantly. So I thought that Bilbo actually looked TOO young in the flashback sequence.

The Hobbit is a VERY short book, even shorter then ROTK. I think they could easily do 90% of it in 3 hours. The whole tone would have to be completely different...much less dark then the current films. More aimed at children. And here's my vote for Darth Vader to do Smaug's voice.

[derek]

if i were taking bets, i would wager that the hobbit will become a film in the near future. the LOTR films are making way too much money for new line or whom ever has the rights to just walk away from this franchise. the two towers is on pace to become the 2nd highest grossing film of all time, behind titanic.

http://www.theforce.net/episode2/index.shtml#19281

[Capitan_Moroni]

I think they should stick with the guy that did Smaug's voice in the cartoon...

If they do the dwarfs the same way as in the cartoon, alot of them look alike (i.e. Fili/Kili, Oin/Gloin, Bifor/Bofor, Balin/Dwalin ect.) If I remember correctly, the only ones that were really individualized were Thorin and Bombor (the only diffrence between Balin and Dwalin is the color of their hoods.)

My whole view of elves is also thrown off from the cartoon/movie diffrences. The elves in Mirkwood are blue in the cartoon, blue!

[ConvergeDW]

How on earth did Titanic make 1.8 billion dollars?

[bigbarada]

I think John Huston did Smaug's voice in the cartoon, along with Gandalfs. In fact I didn't think I would ever be able to accept anyone else as the voice of Gandalf but John Huston, fortunately Ian McKellan did such an excellent job as to completely wipe out that concern.

In loved Smaug's voice in the cartoon though. It was so unlike what you would expect a dragon to sound like. Most voice-actors would just give him a hissing snake-like voice, but John Huston made him sound ancient and wise beyond any man (not to mention a little tired of life also).

Anyways, I would love to see The Hobbit made, even if a different actor is used for Bilbo. If for nothing else than to see the Battle of the Five Armies at the end (I love the idea of watching an army of dwarves in battle).

[The Overlord Returns]

Originally posted by ConvergeDW
How on earth did Titanic make 1.8 billion dollars?

Same reason TTT might......it was released in the winter months ( a slow time for hollywood, filled exclusively with crap) and had no big budget competition.

Still, it's doubtful that TTT will crack a billion worldwide.

[JON9000]

Originally posted by ConvergeDW
How on earth did Titanic make 1.8 billion dollars?

The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of 8-18 year old girls who have a crush collectively on a young male star. That is why New Kids on the Block eclipsed Beatles record sales, and why Titanic was what it was. Its crossover appeal helped too, because the 1.5 hours of schlock was followed by 1.5 hours of the greatest disaster flick ever which brought the likes of me in to see it.

[Beast]

This was in my recent issue of Request magazine. Apperantly, if New Line decides to do "The Hobbit", Peter Jackson would find it hard to not offer himself to direct. :cool: :D

Director Peter Jackson Looks To Break The Hobbit

Peter Jackson may have delivered another stunning masterpiece wih The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, but the New Zealand director's not necessarily going to make hobbits a habit. Asked whether he's intrested in adapting The Hobbit after the final film in his Lord of the Rings trilogy is released in December, Jackson insisted that he and New Line Cinema have not discussed the possibility. "I don't know if I'd do it." Jackson says, "but I'd feel sort of weird not doing it if they decide to make it." Hear that, New Line?

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[Eternal Padawan]

I would love to see it, but give it a few years.

[Greyfolk]

Originally posted by Capitan_Moroni
I guess theres some stuff they could leave out or speed up, like the months that they are in Lake Town, they could speed up the begining a bit, and they could leave out them journying from Lake town to the Lonley mountian.

They'd definatleyt cut out all of the songs. Which would be a shame, but who wants to hear Ian Holm sing?

[Eternal Padawan]

I read that Ian McKellan said he would love to do it as a year long television series (mini series?) with PJ executive producing.

I think that would be sweet!:D

[Pendo]

Yeah that would be great :). I hope something is done to transfer the Hobbit to TV/Cinema.

PENDO!

[187-Maul]

that would definitly by nice, I finished The Hobbit some weeks ago and the book is great, I'd also love to see the scene with the giant spiders if they made a movie

[The Overlord Returns]

OK, I haven't read the hobbit in ages, so someone refresh my memory...

Does Aragorn appear in the book? My gut says no, as I don;t even think he was born when Bilbo got hold of the ring.....but...it's all fuzzy.

[Eternal Padawan]

According to the apendices in LOTR, Aragorn is well over a hundred by the time the Fellowship is formed (something about humans back then...they lived longer, the blood of Numenore and all that) so he alive when Bilbo fought Smaug, etc, but he wasn't in the book.

[Beast]

Some new news about the potential Prequel to the LOTR Trilogy have surfaced. The rights issues that prevented 'The Hobbit' from being made in the first place have been worked out. New Line now owns the rights to produce the film. Now the only question is whether or not P.J. still wants to do it. The info is from 'The Green Dragon: Middle-Earth Collectible Heaven' website. :)
In the News: HUGE Small Little Tidbit of Hobbit News

Today we learned something that should not come to a surprise to anyone who has ever visited this site or any other Lord of the Rings collector /movie site. As most of you know (or don't) Peter Jackson intended to make The Hobbit FIRST, but both he and New Line ran into difficulty with licensing issues. PJ plainly stated this in the most recent Fan Club interview. To avoid dragging it out, they decided to pursue the trilogy instead...and I bet we are all glad they did! Now for the new news...according to sources that I WILL NOT name under penalty of death, New Line has worked out the licensing issues for The Hobbit and now OWNS THE RIGHTS. In other words, they will more than likely be making The Hobbit sometime in the near future. As far as Peter Jackson's being director...unknown at this point, but he definitely wants to be involved (director or producer?). Stay tuned for more details as we learn more.

SPECIAL NOTE: Neither Toybiz, nor any other licenses collectible producer for the New Line Movies has rights to The Hobbit...so it will be ANOTHER bidding war for toys, and collectibles alike if The Hobbit comes to pass. Hope and pray that Toybiz, Sideshow, Play Along, etc. retain the licenses and we get the appropriate scale figures/toys from The Hobbit to go along with their trilogy line. Lets just hope we get a Deluxe SMAUG!
MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[derek]

that's good news jar jar! :) i knew this movie would get made, as the LOTR trilogy has made way to much money for some studio to pass up this movie.

i just hope sideshow makes the 12 inch figures. toy biz makes a nice 6 inch figure, but they stink in the 12 inch departmant. :frus:

[mrmiller]

That's great new! I was pretty sure something would get worked out eventually, but the sooner the better, as I'd like to see all the original actors in the same roles.

BTW- has anyone seen the fan made Trailer for the Hobbit? It's pretty darn good. A friend of mine was convinced it was real. :crazed:

=MATT=

[Mandalorian Candidat]

Great news! Now let the debate continue on who should be cast in this flick.

I still say Elijah Wood should play Bilbo and IMK as Gandalf with Serkis as Gollum.

[RooJay]

Pendo!- The hobbit isn't really centered on the Baggins family persay, but Bilbo is tapped to help take out the evil dragon, Smaug. Gandalf kinda, i don't wanna say forces him into it, but convinces him to do it. It's kinda like another Fellowship, cause Bilbo has many companions on his journey. You kinda hear him talk about it a bit in the film FOTR where he says he wants to see mountains and see [Mirkwood] and stuff. It's in the Hobbit where the Elves give him Sting and hence why Gollum would recognize it. He even tells the hobbit children a story at this party.

It just kinda happens he stumbles upon Gollum in his cave and beats him in a game of riddles and finds the ring. Bilbo uses the ring a few times in the book to take enemies out though.

This is just from my memory of reading the book a few years back in high school. If anybody has any more details or corrections, lemme know. cheers! :D

You forgot about the Mithril shirt that saves Frodo's life during the Cave Troll battle in Fellowship having been given to Bilbo by the dwarves at the end of Hobbit, as well as the appearance of the petrified remains of the three troll brothers in the background of Fellowship just before Aragorn and the Hobbits arrive at Weathertop. ;) Oops - and also the appearance of Smaug (however implied) in firework form during the 'long expected party".

However, I would replace Ian Holm for Bilbo with Elijah Wood. It would make sense. IH just doesn't look that young to me in the FOTR prologue and I don't think he'd be believable doing all the action he'd be required to do for the Hobbit.

An interesting idea, but that would hardly be accurate - Bilbo was 51 years old during The Hobbit, and Hobbit's tend to age (normally) about the same as humans (regular ones, that is - as opposed to Numenoreans). That would make Elijah Wood about 25 or so years too young for the role. I'm really hopin' that if it comes to pass, that Ian Holm would reprise his role as Bilbo.

Does Aragorn appear in the book? My gut says no, as I don;t even think he was born when Bilbo got hold of the ring.....but...it's all fuzzy.

Aragorn is actually 90 years old (Tolkien states that he is 210 years old when he dies - working back from his age at the date of his death to the date of the War of the Ring gives us this info) as we see him in the LOTR film series. Unfortunatly, he had had no dealings with the Baggins family during the story presented in The Hobbit. In fact, he may even have been serving the royal family of either Rohan or Gondor under the alias of Thorongil at this time. :D

[Mandalorian Candidat]

An interesting idea, but that would hardly be accurate - Bilbo was 51 years old during The Hobbit, and Hobbit's tend to age (normally) about the same as humans (regular ones, that is - as opposed to Numenoreans). That would make Elijah Wood about 25 or so years too young for the role. I'm really hopin' that if it comes to pass, that Ian Holm would reprise his role as Bilbo.


But Holm looks much too old to play Bilbo at the younger age. Who's to say that Hobbits don't look similar in age to Frodo in LOTR when they're in their fifties? Holm was perfect for an older Bilbo in LOTR, no doubt about it. However, I can't see him doing the action he'd have to do for The Hobbit like fighting the Mirkwood spiders. On the other hand it would be interesting to see him verbally sparring with Gollum...

If PJ takes the reins on this project, I'm sure the casting will turn out OK.

[Turambar]

Imigosh!!! That's fantastic news!!!
For years I'd read that the Hobbit would never be made into a movie because the rights were so hotly disputed.
What a great story it is. Beorn, goblins, giant spiders, a dragon, and an army of dwarves at the end!!! I must be dreaming.

[ThomasLane]

But Holm looks much too old to play Bilbo at the younger age. Who's to say that Hobbits don't look similar in age to Frodo in LOTR when they're in their fifties? Holm was perfect for an older Bilbo in LOTR, no doubt about it. However, I can't see him doing the action he'd have to do for The Hobbit like fighting the Mirkwood spiders. On the other hand it would be interesting to see him verbally sparring with Gollum...


In LOTR, I believe Frodo was in his mid-forties before he started his journey (it's been a while since I read the books though), so if Elijah Wood can play Frodo at that age, it would probably be age-appropriate to cast him as Bilbo in "The Hobbit". Personally though, I loved Ian Holm as Bilbo, and would be happy to see him reprise the role.

[Phantom-like Menace]

Check this link out:

http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Movies&action=page&type_id=&cat_id=270338&obj_id=40294

That's the latest.

I actually haven't brought myself to read The Hobbit (though the characters seem infinitely less annoying than Tom Bombadil), but despite slight changes to the first book and some rather major changes to the second book I've loved the movies so far, and I'm looking forward to third and final movie like I was awaiting Episode I all those years ago.

For my money, though, I'm one of those who thinks The Silmarillion includes some of the coolest stuff Tolkien ever created. I would be insane with anticipation to see Glorfindel and Ecthelion fighting balrogs during the fall of Gondolin, the sons of Fëanor mercilessly holding to their oath to obtain the Silmarils, and of course Beren and Lúthien's story. It would also be extremely cool to see the events of the Akallabêth, the fall of Númenor, from which Aragorn's direct ancestors escaped.

Actually, I'm such a fan of history (even fictional histories), I'd love to see the early events of the Third Age played out on screen. The fall of Arnor via wars with the Witch-king Angmar, Osgiliath in its prime, and many other things covered in the appendices of The Return of the King would be great to see.

But on my original point of The Hobbit: I'd definitely be interested in seeing this project actually happen, even if I never read the book.


Aragorn is actually 90 years old (Tolkien states that he is 210 years old when he dies - working back from his age at the date of his death to the date of the War of the Ring gives us this info) as we see him in the LOTR film series. Unfortunatly, he had had no dealings with the Baggins family during the story presented in The Hobbit. In fact, he may even have been serving the royal family of either Rohan or Gondor under the alias of Thorongil at this time. :DThird Age 2931 is when Aragorn was born; Third Age 2941 is the year at the beginning of The Hobbit, so he was ten during that time (the Ring is destroyed in 3019 when Aragorn was 88). Third Age 2957 is when Aragorn, as Thorongil, begins serving King Thengel of Rohan, and the next year I find for him is Third Age 2980 when he stops serving in Gondor. So in 2941, during The Hobbit, I imagine a very young Aragorn was living in Rivendell with his mother. However since Rivendell is between the Shire and Mirkwood, I would almost bet a movie from Newline and Peter Jackson would show the young Aragorn. I had no idea when The Hobbit took place nor when the years of Aragorn's service to Rohan and Gondor took place prior to this reply, though.

[arctangent]

i assume the hobbit will be one stand-alone film and they will end up having to leave so much out of it, just as they have with the lord of the rings trilogy, which i personally have found disappointing, the biggest crime being that they are not going to the end of the third book and the hobbits return to the shire.

and i think the silmarillion would be a disaster if they tried to make that for either big or small screen. it is such a convoluted work and covers such a vast timescale i think many people would be confused and lose interest.

[Turambar]

Right on, Phantom-like, about the Silmarillion!

The Silmarillion & Unfinished Tales have some of Tolkien's most amazing works. I believe you forgot to mention the Narn I Hin Hurin (tale of the children of hurin) which is complemented by The Tale of Turambar in Unfinished Tales. What a tragic tale that was! Years ago, I always thought that story would be perfect to make into a great movie.

But yeah, it would be impossible to do a movie of the entire book.

[scruffziller]

I would like to see a series of movies that tells of Sauron's origins.

[El Chuxter]

Gandalf, Elrond, and Gollum would have to be the same actors. Bilbo should be, too.

There should be material brought in from other Tolkien works to explain the context, as with the LOTR movies.

It should be very clear to "unread" viewers that the Necromancer is Sauron.

Arwen, Saruman, and Legolas could easily make cameos, and Aragorn wouldn't be pushing it too much, either.

The dude who played Hagrid (name escapes me) could play Beorn. Beorn has to be there because (altogether now) bears make everything better!

[Mandalorian Candidat]

Gandalf, Elrond, and Gollum would have to be the same actors. Bilbo should be, too.

There should be material brought in from other Tolkien works to explain the context, as with the LOTR movies.

It should be very clear to "unread" viewers that the Necromancer is Sauron.

Arwen, Saruman, and Legolas could easily make cameos, and Aragorn wouldn't be pushing it too much, either.

The dude who played Hagrid (name escapes me) could play Beorn. Beorn has to be there because (altogether now) bears make everything better!

Legolas wouldn't be too much of a stretch since he is from Mirkwood and Thranduil (who makes an appearance in The Hobbit) is his dad. Arwen...I don't know. She's supposed to be in Lorien with Galadriel during this time I believe. Saruman has no place in this story. It would be like a cheesy celebrity cameo on a 70's show like Fred Astaire on Battlestar Galactica.

[Eternal Padawan]

Actually, Gandalf meets up with all the other Wizards to go fight the Necromancer, so having Saruman show up wouldn't bee too far fetched.

I always thought James Earl Jones would make a good Beorn. And Sean Connery as the Dane.

[Mandalorian Candidat]

Actually, Gandalf meets up with all the other Wizards to go fight the Necromancer, so having Saruman show up wouldn't bee too far fetched.

I always thought James Earl Jones would make a good Beorn. And Sean Connery as the Dane.

Having Saruman show up in the Hobbit wouldn't work at all unless they did show a minor scene with the five wizards going off to Dol Guldur. However, I don't see it happenning unless PJ does it and tries to tie Bilbo's adventure closer to the background of LotR.

LOL about JEJ as Beorn! I picture him reprising his role as the baddie in Conan the Barbarian with all that funky fur.

As for Sean Connery...it would only work for me if he could slip in the word "Pooooshy." ;)

[El Chuxter]

I was going to say that about Saruman, but EP beat me to it. :p

Jackson has a tendency to show where Tolkien tells. Like the fight between Gandalf and Saruman. Didn't actually happen in the book. (Well, he tells about it later, but we don't see it.) Just a change that better fits the media of film.

Since the scene in which Gandalf tells Bilbo (or was it Frodo) that the Necromancer turned out to be Sauron wasn't in the movie, it would be necessary to put something in a Hobbit film to make that connection in the minds of viewers who haven't read the books, and a scene with Gandalf, Saruman, Merlin, Dumbledore, and Willard the Wizard might do it.

Y'know, unless he was planning LOTR when he wrote Hobbit (and I'm not sure about that), Tolkien majorly copped out when he sent Gandalf against "The Necromancer" for half the book.

[Beast]

More news on the 'The Hobbit' project. Ian McKellen sounds ready to go, if it gets made. Since he prefers Gandalf the Grey, to Gandalf the White. The news comes via Dark Horizons. :)
McKellan appeared yesterday on the UK's Richard &Judy chat show where he was asked about the persisting rumours that New Line is planning to go ahead with the prequel to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy now its finally over.

McKellan seemed more upbeat and forthcoming than expected: "There is currently a situation where two companies own the rights, but when that's sorted out Peter (Jackson) and I will sit and talk it over. We've mentioned it recently and Peter is looking forward to getting it into production...It won't be long until I have to put on that blue hat again and become Gandalf - Gandalf The Grey that is!". The actor joked about his Gandalf the White being "a stick in the mud".
MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[JON9000]

Apparently Peter Jakson is up for making the Hobbit with the original cast returning. It sounds like he feels it is his project and doesn't want anyone else mucking it up. The difficulty at the moment is between MGM and Newline. New Line has the right to make the film, while MGM has distribution rights. Click the link for the full article.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040306/D814VP480.html

[scruffziller]

The only thing I feel is that would THE HOBBIT story would not fit one movie. It would have to fit a couple installments of film or three!!!:crazed:

[jjreason]

I think 2 good 2 hr movies would about do it. The story is a little more fast paced; I think it was aimed at a slightly younger audience, almost to tempt them to read LOTR. I hope they can sort out the red tape, it would be amazing to see the movie made in the same style.

[scruffziller]

I think 2 good 2 hr movies would about do it. Then with all the deleted scenes for DVD it would end up being a total of 6 hours between them!!:D

[jjreason]

Sounds great to me! These stories are so fantastic, I'd even love to see "Expanded Universe" stuff - almost in the form of documentaries with commentary - showing the Kings of Men falling to Sauron, how the rings were distributed by him in the first place, the events leading up to the battle we see part of in Fellowship, a brief synopsis of the Silmarillion (set in the same land long before the rings, I believe - I've never read that story) on and on and on. Not all of it suitable for theatre viewing, but there's no end to the stuff that I'd love to watch set in that universe.

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

The movie wouldn't need to be very long, it could be done as one film that's about the same length in time as one of the other LOTR movies, maybe even shorter. The book The Hobbit is only about the same size as one of the books in LOTR (there are six - two for each movie/installment), isn't it?

[Mandalorian Candidat]

Yeah, I agree wit' ya JJL. It doesn't need a whole lotta time--just on the order of 2.5-3 hours would do it. There's no need of a prologue, which would take up 10 minutes or so, and once the battle of the five armies is over there's no need for an extended ending.

What needs to be thrown in?


(Spoilers if you haven't read the book)



1)Intro w/Gandalf,dwarves,Bilbo
2)The trolls
3)Minor Rivendell scene
4)Misty Mountain orcs
5)Running into Gollum (this better be substantial and with Andy Serkis)
6)The wargs and eagles
7)Beorn (though this could be cut down substantially from the book or just snipped like Tom Bombadil)
8)Mirkwood spiders
9)King Thranduil and the woodelves
10)Lake Town (also could be somewhat minor)
11)The Lonely Mtn.
12)Smaug
13)Attack of Lake Town
14)5 armies
15)Roll credits...

Maybe it sounds like a lot, but if they make a decent portion of the movie with Gollum, Smaug, and the final battle, it would shape up to be kick A. The emphasis on the travelling part wouldn't need to be much because how it was done in LotR worked well (a huge trek in a short amount of time yet not seeming so).

If it were done over two movies it wouldn't have the same impact. Yes, some cool stuff may get left out but putting everything in then splitting it into two features would be diluting the plot. I guess the point's moot if MGM and NL don't get it together.

How does MGM have the distribution rights anyway and so what if they do? All NL has to do is let them pay to send the prints out to the theaters, right?

[kool-aid killer]

I think the amount of money this movie could possibly make will be enough to iron out whatever legal issues there are. And with PJ sounding like he wants to do it after King Kong i dont think he will have much problems pushing it through. Im thinking this movie could work in a 3 hour time frame. Two films seems a bit much for it, plus i cant stand the thought of having to wait another year just to see the ending.

[The 'Xir]

A little something whimsical concerning Hobbits:..

One of my favorite lines from any movie is(see sig line) in FotR.
But I was thinking, When Galdalf says that line to Frodo he begins it by stating, "so do all men who see such times, ..."; But Fodo is not a man he's a Hobbit!
So, I was thinking what would be a good nickname for Hobbits, like Human = Man/Men! Obviously I came up with Bits! But what about female Hobbits? Well seeing as how one major diffenece in both human or Hobbit women is more well endowed Breasts or T*ts! So T*ts + Bits = Tidbits!!! lol

So the realm of Hobbits consists of Bits and Tidbits! :D
OK maybe not. :ermm: :crazed:

[RooJay]

Actually Hobbits are considered an offshoot of the race of men. In fact, the name 'halfling' was given to them by the tall Dunedain who noted that Hobbits were (more or less) little men, that were on average about half their own height.

And that's one to grow on! :D ;)

[Card Dreamer]

I would love to see this movie get made with any and all original cast memebers taking up their roles again. This would be worth it for the battle with the dragon alone!

[scruffziller]

I think it needs to be at least 3 1/2 hours if in one installment. Whatever the length of Braveheart was.

[BoShek]

Yeah, two movies of The Hobbit would be a little better than trying to fit into one. Beorn should be John Reese-Davies in his tall grandure.

[Turambar]

I think they could make it right in just over 3 hours.
In the LOTR movies, I felt PJ made Gimli into too much of a baffoon, so I would like to see the Hobbit just to see the serious nature of the dwarves. Not to mention seeing armies of them with chopping people up with mattocks & axes.

[CropDuster]

A more serious portrayal of the dwarves would definitely be a welcome improvement, as would a more heterosexual portrayal of the hobbits. :D

[Mandalorian Candidat]

...as would a more heterosexual portrayal of the hobbits. :D

Huh? Where's that coming from? Didn't Sam get married in RotK and have children?

[Turambar]

A more serious portrayal of the dwarves would definitely be a welcome improvement, as would a more heterosexual portrayal of the hobbits. :D

LOL! Okay, so maybe PJ overdid the relationship between Frodo & Sam.
On the subject, I think the whole thing would have worked better if Frodo was over the hill and 15-20 yrs older that Sam.
In attempting to show the burden of the ring PJ ended up portraying Frodo as both weak and foolish while Sam became the hero.
Although, the ring took its toll on Frodo's physical being, he grew in wisdom throughout the epic. I just never felt that was shown in the movies.

[RooJay]

I don't think the Frodo/Sam relationship was overdone at all. Let's not forget that these are 'hobbits' and not humans; to ascribe human emotion or thought processes to those characters and assume that they are absolute is ludicrous and counteractive to the statement that was being made. Tolkien, and Peter Jackson after him, never once implies anything other than a very close and powerful bond of friendship. To imply sexual context of any kind in the relationship only serves as a great disservice to that particular story arc.

[arctangent]

I don't think the Frodo/Sam relationship was overdone at all. Let's not forget that these are 'hobbits' and not humans; to ascribe human emotion or thought processes to those characters and assume that they are absolute is ludicrous and counteractive to the statement that was being made. Tolkien, and Peter Jackson after him, never once implies anything other than a very close and powerful bond of friendship. To imply sexual context of any kind in the relationship only serves as a great disservice to that particular story arc.

my brother and sister in law went to a special screening of return of the king (because she works for part of warner bros here in the uk) and many members of the audience who obviously didn't know the books came out asking why all the hobbits were homosexual. so that idea must come across to people somehow. people tend to forget that the lotr was written in a more innocent time.

[Beast]

Looks like 'The Hobbit' may end up happening with New Line and Peter Jackson, if Time Warener can complete it's purchase of MGM. Here's the news from Variety. :)
"With Sony apparently unable to construct a final offer for the purchase of MGM, it's looking increasingly likely that Time Warner will swoop in and grab the prize. Bringing MGM under their wing would give Time Warner a nice little bonus -- worldwide theatrical and television rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit." Time Warner owns New Line Cinema... and what a sweet addition to New Line's "The Lord of the Rings" franchise that could be.
MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[JON9000]

Beorn should be John Reese-Davies in his tall grandure.
I think Brian Blessed would make an awesome Beorn.

I think he would make a lousy Borg. Sorry, couldn't resist. :stupid:

[Mandalorian Candidat]

Thanks for the update, JJB. More good news for the fans.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Has it been over 2 years since this thread last got love? I swear we had a hobbit thread that was more recent!?!? Anyway, things are looking REALLY good right now. Stole this from coming-soon.net:

As for The Hobbit, Sloan confirmed that MGM was in advanced talks with Peter Jackson to make two movies based on JRR Tolkien's "prequel" to "The Lord of the Rings."

The first would be a direct adaptation of The Hobbit, and the second would be drawn from "footnotes and source material connecting 'The Hobbit' with 'Lord of the Rings,'" he explained.

An MGM spokesman emphasized that negotiations with Jackson are still in progress, and that production isn't likely until 2008 or even 2009.


Nice. And here's to hoping for same cast for reoccuring characters. Ian Holm, Sir Ian, etc. :thumbsup:

[figrin bran]

i'll believe it when it happens!

time to keep the fingers crossed. so this second film would be a watered down mishmash of the silmarillion and other Tolkien works?

[Phantom-like Menace]

It's consistently my opinion that these guys really need to get together and stop bickering. Together, these guys have all the necessary parts for some very special movies, just like the main trilogy. Apart, they have a children's book with all the inherent flaws. Beyond that, it seems financially advantageous for them to get together on the same page too.

Just based on that I have to imagine it's a foregone conclusion that these movies will be made and they will be made by Peter Jackson and Weta. Of course, people are seldom that rational, so I keep imagining MGM giving the job to some idiot who will make a terrible movie that entertains people only by way of the jokes they can make about it.

Ah, the Silmarillion. If a movie were to be made of even part of that story I would be ecstatic. Just the Fall of Gondolin would be enough for me.

[RooJay]

Has it been over 2 years since this thread last got love? I swear we had a hobbit thread that was more recent!?!? Anyway, things are looking REALLY good right now. Stole this from coming-soon.net:


As for The Hobbit, Sloan confirmed that MGM was in advanced talks with Peter Jackson to make two movies based on JRR Tolkien's "prequel" to "The Lord of the Rings."

The first would be a direct adaptation of The Hobbit, and the second would be drawn from "footnotes and source material connecting 'The Hobbit' with 'Lord of the Rings,'" he explained.

An MGM spokesman emphasized that negotiations with Jackson are still in progress, and that production isn't likely until 2008 or even 2009.

Nice. And here's to hoping for same cast for reoccuring characters. Ian Holm, Sir Ian, etc. :thumbsup:

That could be incredibly awesome. Maybe we'd get to see the White Council and their confrontation with Sauron as the Necromancer at Dol Goldur! No doubt the diehard book fans would find plenty reason to complain about that though.

[kool-aid killer]

I think the Hobbit would be best done spread over two movies. That would enable most of the book's important parts to be shown on film. Either way, i dont think the diehards will ever be satisfied if it isnt an exact replication of every single line written. Good to hear that the Hobbit has possibilites (and given how much money it would make, ive never doubted that it would be done) of happening relatively soon. I just wish things were happening now rather than later, i want to go back to Middle Earth.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

I think the Hobbit would be best done spread over two movies. That would enable most of the book's important parts to be shown on film. Either way, i dont think the diehards will ever be satisfied if it isnt an exact replication of every single line written. Good to hear that the Hobbit has possibilites (and given how much money it would make, ive never doubted that it would be done) of happening relatively soon. I just wish things were happening now rather than later, i want to go back to Middle Earth.

KAK- Excellent point. The diehards aren't going to be pleased until their vision, word for word, scene for scene is up on on the silver screen and that won't happen. PJ won't ruin his LOTR films and since he's been awnting to do the Hobbit for a while, he'll take care of things. I just hate the diehards who are like, "wait wait wait, Frodo's hair isn't that dark! BLASPHEMY!" :thumbsup:

[El Chuxter]

I just hate the diehards who are like, "wait wait wait, Frodo's hair isn't that dark! BLASPHEMY!" :thumbsup:

But it's not! It's BLASPHEMY!

:p

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

PJ sent this e-mail to the One-Ring.net. Detailing info about the film which he is NOT INVOLVED with directing. Basically, it's all due to this damn MGM/New Line lawsuit. Read on:


Dear One Ringers,

As you know, there's been a lot of speculation about The Hobbit. We are often asked about when or if this film will ever be made. We have always responded that we would be very interested in making the film - if it were offered to us to make.

You may also be aware that Wingnut Films has bought a lawsuit against New Line, which resulted from an audit we undertook on part of the income of The Fellowship of the Ring. Our attitude with the lawsuit has always been that since it's largely based on differences of opinion about certain accounting practices, we would like an independent body - whether it be a judge, a jury, or a mediator, to look at the issues and make an unbiased ruling. We are happy to accept whatever that ruling is. In our minds, it's not much more complex than that and that's exactly why film contracts include right-to-audit clauses.

However, we have always said that we do not want to discuss The Hobbit with New Line until the lawsuit over New Line's accounting practices is resolved. This is simple common sense - you cannot be in a relationship with a film studio, making a complex, expensive movie and dealing with all the pressures and responsibilities that come with the job, while an unresolved lawsuit exists.

We have also said that we do not want to tie settlement of the lawsuit to making a film of The Hobbit. In other words, we would have to agree to make The Hobbit as a condition of New Line settling our lawsuit. In our minds this is not the right reason to make a film and if a film of The Hobbit went ahead on this basis, it would be doomed. Deciding to make a movie should come from the heart - it's not a matter of business convenience. When you agree to make a film, you're taking on a massive commitment and you need to be driven by an absolute passion to want to get the story on screen. It's that passion, and passion alone, that gives the movie its imagination and heart. To us it is not a cold-blooded business decision.

A couple of months ago there was a flurry of Hobbit news in the media. MGM, who own a portion of the film rights in The Hobbit, publicly stated they wanted to make the film with us. It was a little weird at the time because nobody from New Line had ever spoken to us about making a film of The Hobbit and the media had some fun with that. Within a week or two of those stories, our Manager Ken Kamins got a call from the co-president of New Line Cinema, Michael Lynne, who in essence told Ken that the way to settle the lawsuit was to get a commitment from us to make the Hobbit, because "that's how these things are done". Michael Lynne said we would stand to make much more money if we tied the lawsuit and the movie deal together and this may well be true, but it's still the worst reason in the world to agree to make a film.

Several years ago, Mark Ordesky told us that New Line have rights to make not just The Hobbit but a second "LOTR prequel", covering the events leading up to those depicted in LOTR. Since then, we've always assumed that we would be asked to make The Hobbit and possibly this second film, back to back, as we did the original movies. We assumed that our lawsuit with the studio would come to a natural conclusion and we would then be free to discuss our ideas with the studio, get excited and jump on board. We've assumed that we would possibly get started on development and design next year, whilst filming The Lovely Bones. We even had a meeting planned with MGM executives to talk through our schedule.

However last week, Mark Ordesky called Ken and told him that New Line would no longer be requiring our services on the Hobbit and the LOTR 'prequel'. This was a courtesy call to let us know that the studio was now actively looking to hire another filmmaker for both projects.

Ordesky said that New Line has a limited time option on the film rights they have obtained from Saul Zaentz (this has never been conveyed to us before), and because we won't discuss making the movies until the lawsuit is resolved, the studio is going to have to hire another director.

Given that New Line are committed to this course of action, we felt at the very least, we owed you, the fans, a straightforward account of events as they have unfolded for us.

We have always had the greatest support from The Ringers and we are very sorry our involvement with The Hobbit has been ended in this way. Our journey into Tolkien's world started with a phone call from Ken Kamins to Harvey Weinstein in Nov 1995 and ended with a phone call from Mark Ordesky to Ken in Nov 2006. It has been a great 11 years.

This outcome is not what we anticipated or wanted, but neither do we see any positive value in bitterness and rancor. We now have no choice but to let the idea of a film of The Hobbit go and move forward with other projects.

We send our very best wishes to whomever has the privilege of making The Hobbit and look forward to seeing the film on the big screen.

Warmest regards to you all, and thanks for your incredible support over the years.

We got to go there - but not back again ...

Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh

Well, New Line and MGM both shot themselves in the foot with this one. I don't foresee ANY director showing as respect to the LOTR novels as Fran & PJ did. And they just lost my ticket sale, DVD sale, etc cos i won't see a LOTR flick PJ hasn't been involved with. He made those flicks work due to his love of the material. This new prequel won't be good. :upset:

[El Chuxter]

Can you say "Lord of the Rings, Episode I: The Revenge of the Phantom Clones"?

[kool-aid killer]

Interesting read, unfortunately, im dont like what ive read. Whoever directs "The Hobbit" is going to have high expectations to fill. But its too bad it had to be this way, Jackson had already proven he has the chops to get it done well.

[Blue2th]

Bummer! Who else could possibly do the "Hobbit" justice? They gonna call in Tim Burton to save the day? This is unnaceptable. They need to patch things up right now! Any loss of monies and pride will surely be remedied by the amount of more cash they will make by having PJ at the helm. Why ruin this historic opportunity? I'm seriously doubtful this new course will be as succesful. Surely they can see that :upset:

[2-1B]

fine with me, I'm burned out on all these epic fantasy movies that have been coming out.

[RooJay]

Did anyone else here catch the news last week that MGM is planning on withdrawing from the deal (and I'm assuming taking back their control of the Hobbit film rights) if Peter Jackson isn't involved? I'll try posting a link tomorrow, but it seems as though MGM refuses to go ahead with production without Peter Jackson. It seems like New Line has tried using this as leverage against PJ in his lawsuit, and with MGM involved it's actually backfiring on them. I'm betting it takes a couple extra years, but all of this trouble will get smoothed over and we will eventually see Peter Jackson's The Hobbit.:thumbsup: I could even see New Line losing out on the deal, with PJ eventually doing the film for MGM.

[Phantom-like Menace]

Did anyone else here catch the news last week that MGM is planning on withdrawing from the deal (and I'm assuming taking back their control of the Hobbit film rights) if Peter Jackson isn't involved?

I can't have just read that correctly. I realize it's unconfirmed, but it almost looks like a movie studio is showing a modicum of intelligence about their product. That's just radical thinking if true.

Edit: Oh, I see. This is post number 666 for me, so intelligence in movie studios could signify the end of the world.

[Blue2th]

That is good news if true. A smart thing to do on MGM's part. I'm sure there are alot of people upset by these events. Hopefully it can be smoothed over by the time the Hobbit gets made. I agree but really don't care at all about the glut of epic fantasies that are being made, as I haven't even bothered and don't plan to see any of them since Return of the King. As far as I'm concerned LOTR and the Hobbit are the original, and the rest are wannabee's. Alot of us were influenced by the Tolkien books way before the movies. Peter Jackson is so important as the director to being faithful to the story as he has already proven.

[RooJay]

Did anyone else here catch the news last week that MGM is planning on withdrawing from the deal (and I'm assuming taking back their control of the Hobbit film rights) if Peter Jackson isn't involved? I'll try posting a link tomorrow, but it seems as though MGM refuses to go ahead with production without Peter Jackson. It seems like New Line has tried using this as leverage against PJ in his lawsuit, and with MGM involved it's actually backfiring on them. I'm betting it takes a couple extra years, but all of this trouble will get smoothed over and we will eventually see Peter Jackson's The Hobbit.:thumbsup: I could even see New Line losing out on the deal, with PJ eventually doing the film for MGM.

...and here it goes:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/news/comments/?entryid=381433

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

and now the Sun is reporting that PJ is in fact DIRECTING The Hobbit.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2004580002-2006550342,00.html

Take this with a grain of salt. I'll believe it when PJ SAYS he's directing the film. still, gives me hope, Tycho style "false" hope. :thumbsup:

[RooJay]

The fact that it's the sun reporting makes it suspect to begin with.;)

[bigbarada]

According to an article I found on Yahoo, it seems that there is some dispute between Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema over LOTR profits, so he might not be allowed to be involved in the movie adaption of The Hobbit.

Here's the article with the full story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20070111/en_movies_eo/d1f45be38812_4842_a8ba_17681258dea9

:( I'm not sure if I like the idea of them making The Hobbit without Jackson.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Merging this with "The Hobbit" thread. :thumbsup:

[El Chuxter]

Maybe they should get Burton to direct?

Then it could star Jonny Depp and Pee Wee Herman!

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

I'd have to burst New Lines bubble, but a movie of "The hobbit" without the support of PJ and his people, will bomb, hard. MGM has stated that they want PJ on the project and since both MGM and New Line are involved in this discussion, this is far from over. With PJ, you'll get same love and respect of the material and not to mention that you have a better chance of McKellan and Holm to come back and reprise their characters. Banishing PJ would be one assinine mistake. So, yeah, this probably has no end in sight, sadly. :whip:

[bigbarada]

The Hobbit kind of needs to be made soon if they plan to use Ian McKellan and Ian Holm, otherwise they are going to look too old compared to how they appeared at the beginning of Fellowship.

So if this gets delayed too long, then they'll have to start looking for new actors. Plus I think the two Ian's (not to mention Andy Serkis) would be more loyal to Peter Jackson than some New Line executive, so they would likely bow out of the project if Jackson gets banned.

Didn't Jackson also help create WETA? So would they be out of the project too?

:cry:

[Jayspawn]

I dont know. Looks like PJ might be a one-film-wonder.

[bigbarada]

I dont know. Looks like PJ might be a one-film-wonder.

Last time I checked wasn't LOTR three-films? Maybe he's just a one-saga wonder.

I wasn't really all that thrilled with King Kong, although my brother things it's just one of the best movies ever. He's thinks Peter Jackson could become the next George Lucas. I just say, "Let's hope not!" I like Peter Jackson too much to wish that upon him. lol

[El Chuxter]

I think Peter Jackson is already the next George Lucas.

He has one incredible trilogy under his belt. And he's surrounded himself by sycophants and yes-men. Look at King Kong. It wasn't bad, but it needed some serious editing--maybe as much as a half hour. And, yet, no one seems to have said, "Uh, Peter, maybe releasing a longer version isn't a good idea."

If the circumstances surrounding King Kong and the extended cut of King Kong don't scream "Star Wars Prequels!" then I don't know what does.

[Blue2th]

Well, for one thing though. If George Lucas would have done three hour episodes of the Prequels, we wouldn't have this shortage of characters to make action figures out of. We wouldn't have to make up one more clone from the Umpteenth Battalion :ninja:

[Kidhuman]

I think Peter Jackson is already the next George Lucas.

He has one incredible trilogy under his belt. And he's surrounded himself by sycophants and yes-men. Look at King Kong. It wasn't bad, but it needed some serious editing--maybe as much as a half hour. And, yet, no one seems to have said, "Uh, Peter, maybe releasing a longer version isn't a good idea."

If the circumstances surrounding King Kong and the extended cut of King Kong don't scream "Star Wars Prequels!" then I don't know what does.


I concur with this statement totally. You took the words right off my keyboard. It was way too long, needed to be edited down by at least 30-45 minutes. What hey should have done was cut a bunch of s**t out and put in some other stuff if you wanted a 3 hour movie. I still wanna know how they got his fat a55 on the boat?

[bigbarada]

I think Peter Jackson is already the next George Lucas.

He has one incredible trilogy under his belt. And he's surrounded himself by sycophants and yes-men. Look at King Kong. It wasn't bad, but it needed some serious editing--maybe as much as a half hour. And, yet, no one seems to have said, "Uh, Peter, maybe releasing a longer version isn't a good idea."

If the circumstances surrounding King Kong and the extended cut of King Kong don't scream "Star Wars Prequels!" then I don't know what does.

I watched King Kong for the first time on DVD, and I got a phone call about ten minutes into the movie and talked on the phone for over 45 minutes, when I got off the phone, I just continued watching the movie and it was like I hadn't missed anything. That entire first hour was completely unnecessary.

I couldn't really figure out what was up with the visual effects either. Were they supposed to look like crap? Was that an artistic choice? :confused: I'm talking mainly about the dinosaur stampede scene, it was comically bad.

So I was less than impressed with King Kong. Some great action sequences and some memorable scenes, not much of a story though.

Unfortunately, it seems that when directors experience a certain amount of success, they tend to just indulge their whims without really considering if it is a good idea.

[Mad Slanted Powers]

I still like the 1976 version of King Kong.

[Old Fossil]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071218/ap_en_ot/film_the_hobbit

[Blue2th]

YES!!!!! Victory at last against the dark forces of New Line. Good thing MGM helped solve this conundrum by insisting PJ direct.
We don't need the Hobbit done like Beowulf or Aragon typical Hollywood style.

I noticed it will be a two-part movie. The longer the better. This tale needs to be told in great detail and love as only PJ can do.:thumbsup:

[Jayspawn]

Just read about it -great news!

Let casting speculation begin!

[DarthQuack]

See...I'm not sure how they can do two movies...according to comingsoon it's saying The Hobbit and a sequel....so I'm not sure how that's gonna work.

[El Chuxter]

It looks to me like The Hobbit is going to be broken into two movies. That sounds like a good idea to me.

[Ji'dai]

Welcome news indeed, though it says that Jackson will produce, not direct. Hopefully Ian McKellen will reprise his role as Gandalf. I don't think Ian Holm could pull off a younger Bilbo. 2010 seems so far away :sad:

Man, it feels weird just to type 2010.

[General_Grievous]

Good news to me. I just hope Ian McKellen returns. You know, even if Ian Holm doesn't return as Bilbo, I say they cast James McAvoy (dude who played Mr. Tumnus in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe") in the part.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Jackson not directing is kind of a major blow to the film, IMHO. The dude better have a serious say in how the film goes down or else it's gonna suck.

and basically if they don't get McKellen and Holms, I don't even bother. PJ needs to make sure this film goes down properly or he's going to **** off millions of fans.

I trust he'll have a voice in the casting/directing process too. Or at least, I hope.

still, GREAT NEWS though! :thumbsup:

[TeeEye7]

Given Jackson's horsepower since LOTR, I think he will be a lot more hands-on in the process and have the ultimate say in the success of final product. I think his clout behind the scenes will be substantial.

If he's going to have his name on the product, I think he'll be mindful of the result and not let us (fans) down.

¡No te preocupes! (That's Elvish for "Don't worry!")

[RooJay]

I've heard that Guillermo Del Toro is supposedly directing, though I cannot seem to find reliable confirmation of that anywhere. If true, I'd say that's pretty awesome!

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Given Jackson's horsepower since LOTR, I think he will be a lot more hands-on in the process and have the ultimate say in the success of final product. I think his clout behind the scenes will be substantial.

If he's going to have his name on the product, I think he'll be mindful of the result and not let us (fans) down.

¡No te preocupes! (That's Elvish for "Don't worry!")

Really? That looks an awful lot like spanish! But I hope you're right!

I've heard that Guillermo Del Toro is supposedly directing, though I cannot seem to find reliable confirmation of that anywhere. If true, I'd say that's pretty awesome!

I'd say that'd be the best news ever. What's odd is that last night in my blog about the film, he was on a short list of people who could direct it; the other being Alfonso Cuaron and sam raimi, as he's expressed interest in the hobbit film. He needs to be kept on a short leash after the debacle of Spider-Man 3 though.

If Del Toro gets it, all my fears will be gone. :thumbsup:

[Old Fossil]

I wish they could somehow convince Sean Connery to come out of retirement and play Thorin Oakenshield. He'd make for a very convincing hoary old Dwarven king-in-exile.

[Qui-Long Gone]

What about Tommy Lee Jones as Oaken?

[RooJay]

What about Tommy Lee Jones as Oaken?

I don't know...I think I'd have a bit of a problem with dwarf lords with down home southern drawls.

[Mad Slanted Powers]

How about we get some real dwarfs this time? Actually, I guess real dwarfs are probably more hobbit sized, while the dwarves of Middle Earth are a bit taller.

[Jargo]

Brian Blesed as a Dwarf. If they could slip him a little valium so he's not so loud. He even comes with his own beard. Robbie Coltrane, won't wear prosthetics but is already fat enough and scottish so no need for a fake accent or padding. John Goodman and George Wendt could probably manage it with voice coaching. They'll need an international cast to sell this thing. They should hire someone with an eastern european accent to voice Smaug. deep thick and treacley.
as for Bilbo, with CGI they can have anyone play the part and just have Ian Holm provide dialogue. slap a CGI mask of ian Holm's face over the other guy and poor old Ian wouldn't have to do any action stuff. Or suffer the feet.
As for who directs it doesn't really matter. Jackson is producing and will have a say in the creative process during pre-production and ongoing through the shoot. He's got half of middle earth in storage at Weta so if they use any of that armour and weaponary then they'll have access to the Warg props and the Bag End stuff. providing at least some continuity.
the big question for me is who's writing the script? And will Howard Shore be doing the score?

[bigbarada]

I don't think Ian Holm could pull off a younger Bilbo.

If you remember at the beginning of FOTR, when Gandalf saw Bilbo again for the first time, he commented that Bilbo "Hadn't aged a day" since they last met. So the Bilbo in The Hobbit, should look the same as the Bilbo at the beginning of FOTR.

[Blue2th]

McKellen will probably play Gandalf. The Wizard is already old in the story. A little less salt in the hair and some make-up, He's good to go.
We know Sirkis will play Gollum again.

As for who's writing it, or when it gets written, I read that is on hold because of the strike. I'm sure they'll get someone good eventually if they don't already have someone lined up unofficially, ready to work on it as soon as the strike ends.

[bigbarada]

McKellen will probably play Gandalf. The Wizard is already old in the story. A little less salt in the hair and some make-up, He's good to go.
We know Sirkis will play Gollum again.

As for who's writing it, or when it gets written, I read that is on hold because of the strike. I'm sure they'll get someone good eventually if they don't already have someone lined up unofficially, ready to work on it as soon as the strike ends.

Are Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyen on strike? Or do they just not want to write it?

[Blue2th]

Don't know, but there isn't a script written for it, and the producer(s) can't even approach any writers to start on it yet till the strike is over. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071218/jackson_hobbit_071218/20071218?hub=Entertainment

Maybe if they went the George Lucas way and got non-union people to work on it.
Most of us know how George got sued by the Writers Guild for something like putting the credits at the end of his OTC movies instead of at the beginning.

He filmed the last two SW films in Australia I do believe so he could use non union people ( maybe most but not all non-union?)
I remember reading how Gary Oldman was approached to do General Grievous' voice but turned it down because he didn't want to go against the Screen Actors Guild.
(please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this :) )

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

MTV interviewed Elijah Wood and he had some interesting blips:

Elijah Wood Wants To Go Back Again To ‘The Hobbit’
Attention Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, and Sean Astin: You’ve gone “There.” Now get ready to go “Back Again” - at least according to Elijah Wood’s conversations with “Hobbit” maestro Peter Jackson.

“I haven’t spoken to him directly about it [but] I’ve e-mailed him, and as far as I know, the two films that they’re doing, one will be ‘The Hobbit’ and another will take place between the 60 years that happened between ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings,’” the once and future Frodo enthused to MTV News, possibly confirming rumors that the second planned film would not be a Part II, but instead a narrative bridge.

Which means plenty of opportunities for all the stars of “LOTR” to reprise their famous characters in some capacity. None more so, perhaps, than Wood himself, who would arguably be a central figure along with Gandalf, Aragorn, Galadriel, and Gollum in any connecting story.

For his part, Wood is positively thrilled at the possibility.

“If I’m asked to go back and revisit that character and it makes sense, I would love to. I would absolutely love to,” he said.

True, hard-core Tolkien aficionados could tell you that not much is known about Frodo in the intervening years between “The Hobbit” and “LOTR,” excepting, of course, his parents’ deaths and some conversations and journeys with Bilbo which are alluded to in the later legendarium.

That makes it all the more a guarantee that Wood would return, he declared.

“Nothing was really written with Frodo involved in it. That was sort of an ancillary tale outside of ‘Lord of the Rings.’ I can’t imagine that they [Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens] would write great reams of information regarding my character,” he said of necessary invention outside of Tolkien’s established canon. “But if he [Frodo] should show up, it would actually be the perfect way to revisit because it could be small enough that I could go back and have a nice sort of reunion with the memories that I have of the experience.”

As an actor, Wood is excited about the possibility of returning with Jackson to the world of Middle-earth. But he’s even more excited, he said, as a fan.

“It’s a great triumph [that Peter is involved.] I think that’s really important that the same team that worked on the [earlier] films [work on “The Hobbit”], the same effects team, that it be shot in New Zealand. I think that it’s important that Ian McKellen is cast as Gandalf, just so that there’s a synergy between the films,” he insisted. “I think people want it to exist in the same world. So at least now we are assured that it will be done through that same lens, which is great. It’s exciting.”

Sounds pretty interesting and I kinda dig what this could be about.:thumbsup:

[Kidhuman]

Sounds like it could be interesting. I am looking forward to the Hobbit, but the second one, the only thing I would question is age of the Characters. Gandalf is cool because they make him look alot older, but the other characters will show their ages.

[General_Grievous]

I'd rather see a "Hobbit" movie alone. There's no need to go back to Frodo.

[Jargo]

why do we need a narrative bridge? the hobbit is pretty self contained and the lord of the rings comes with a lengthy introduction explaining about the ages and different groups of characters. sounds like the two movies would be filmed back to back and the second one just used as a pure money spinner to reap profits on the back of the first.
I'd love to see the Hobbit made and add it to my DVD rack but the second movie sounds like a bad idea. If Christopher Tolkien is involved in the writing process it might make a difference though.

[RooJay]

Sounds more like wishful thinking on Mr. Woods' part to me. Anyone familiar with the novels knows how difficult (read: impossible) it would be to work any action with Frodo into any kind of narrative bridge between Hobbit and Fellowship. They would have had to have rewritten the story for Fellowship previously in order to make that happen, which I can pretty much promise at this point just ain't gonna.

In fact, if I'm not mistaken Frodo was not even yet born during the story in The Hobbit. Having been born in 2968 of the third age (according to Tolkien's calendar) and Bilbo's journey to Erebor having previously happened twenty-seven years earlier in 2941 of the third age.

[scruffziller]

I'd rather see a "Hobbit" movie alone. There's no need to go back to Frodo.

I agree, no need to water it down. I would opt for a 2 parter to tell the story of The Hobbit, as much could be shown.

[El Chuxter]

I support this if it means the restoration of the true hero of Middle Earth, Tom Bombadillo. And he has to sing. A lot. He should be played by Tom Petty.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Del Toro to direct THE HOBBIT?!?!

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i331d7d05b8008476b2fae087024a2b8e

God, let this work out. :thumbsup:

[RooJay]

Commencing nerdgasm...

[General_Grievous]

That's what I'm TOLKIEN about!!!! :thumbsup:

(sorry...that was really lame :p)

Sure, it ain't Jackson, but it's the next best thing. Now all we need is Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving and Ian Holm if he's up for it. If Holm declines to play Bilbo (which is possible...the dude's pushing 80), I'll say what I said before: James McAvoy would be an awesome Bilbo.

[RooJay]

That's what I'm TOLKIEN about!!!! :thumbsup:

(sorry...that was really lame :p)

Sure, it ain't Jackson, but it's the next best thing. Now all we need is Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving and Ian Holm if he's up for it. If Holm declines to play Bilbo (which is possible...the dude's pushing 80), I'll say what I said before: James McAvoy would be an awesome Bilbo.

He would be awesome, if not perhaps a little young for the role - let's not forget (rather - let's the director not forget) that Bilbo was already considered middle aged as far as Hobbits go when the story starts.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

God f****** dammit.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080212/ap_en_mo/tolkien_lawsuit

I swear, New Line needs to stop being sketchy. This sucks and is probably gonna hurt the film. :upset::upset::upset::upset::upset:

[General_Grievous]

I'm not worried. I strongly believe it'll still happen. My main concern is if it'll still be split into two movies. I mean, the book wasn't THAT long. I wouldn't mind seeing a three-hour "Hobbit" film in theaters and a four hour director's cut on DVD.

[scruffziller]

It shows on IMDB.com that Del Torro is listed for the director and the first film is released in 2010 and The Hobbit 2 is released in 2011.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0868219/

AND!!!!

PJ is executive producing!!!!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001392/

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

no offense Scruff, but I don't trust IMDB. I read an interview with Del Toro just a few days ago and he says they're still talking and figuring stuff out, etc.

[Kidhuman]

I heard the same ting elsewhere. I cant rememer but DelToro is directing and PJ is exec. Prod because he is on other projects right now.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

I heard the same ting elsewhere. I cant rememer but DelToro is directing and PJ is exec. Prod because he is on other projects right now.

That's been the plan all along, folks. Here is the interview with Del Toro that was posted on the 14th where he talks about how nothing is final yet.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/hobbitnews.php?id=42017