The Hobbit (The Movie)
 

I am sure that you all have been speculating about the topic of a possible movie of The Hobbit. But are the rumors true? And would Peter Jackson be the one directing it? This topic was probably brought up a million times, but, whatever. :p

I would like to see the hobbit made into a movie, and I hope that Peter Jackson would be the one to do it, along with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens (his writers from LOTR).

I wonder if they would have the same guy who played Bilbo in the LOTR movies play him in the Hobbit. They would just make him look younger.

Last I heard, which was about 2 years ago, Jackson really wanted to do it, but had other projects lined up, namely King Kong. In addition to this, there were some legal issues, because 2 different companies had rights to it. IIRC, New Line had production rights, and another company (MGM/UA) had distribution rights. I am not sure how accurate this is though.

here is a website about it that is probably quite old. http://www.thehobbitfilm.com/

the hobbit
 

it would be great if they made the hobbit they could even have ian mckellen as gandalf because gandalf was still old then

i think that as hard as it would be to see a new actor play a character, i dont think i would like ian holm as the young bilbo.

Although Bilbo wasn't exactly young in 'The Hobbit', either, if I remember correctly he was at least 50.

Still, Ian Holm is nearly seventy-five. If a Hobbit movie were made, most likely Holm wouldn't be in it because he is too old in terms of physical work and stunts.

I am afraid I agree with Brinniel, Ian Holm is old now and the days are passing without any sign of the film being made, there may be the day when the question of him being in the film passes, and another actor would have to play Bilbo anyway. The remaking of films like the latest Superman, shows that other actors can do the job, yet who will ever forget Christopher Reeve. I think that if Ian Holm is too old to play Bilbo, then they could find a cameo role for him maybe as his Grandsire The Old Took.

I have no way of knowing if this is real or wishful thinking since I've been unable to verify it, but still it looks interesting.

The Hobbit 2006 Trailer?

But I have run across news that Ian Holm is battle cancer at the moment.

EDIT: Sorry to have been incorrect about something so serious. Ian Holm had been undergoing cancer treatment a few years back. I don't know if he still is, though.

Hilde, I saw that trailer, or something very similar, a year or so back. It has been put together with brief clips from the LotR, with some clips from other films (Reign of Fire, perhaps) added in.

As far as I know, The Hobbit film is no nearer production than at any time in recent years. Jackson's current project, I believe, is a film adaptation of Alice Sebold novel Lovely Bones.

Sadly, if The Hobbit film does ever get made, I very much doubt that Ian Holm will play the lead role. Bilbo was, in human terms, about 30 when he set off on his Quest. While Holm was made up to look younger for those scenes in FotR, it would not work for an entire film.

Yes, it did seem suspicious with all the clips from LotR, but I didn't recognized the additional material. Thanks SpM. (Nice pup, by the way. And happy too. It looks as though he he is sporting an enormous smile!)

I had also come across an old press release mentioning Paul Andersson as director. Does anyone know if this idea fizzled out as well? I think that it probably has, since there is seems to be nothing new out there in the ether.

Ye olde press release

Gotcha!
 

Take a look at the date on that press release. It says April 1, 2004. I remember there was a brouhaha about this article because it said Andersson was directing rather than PJ. As far as I know, PJ is working on Lovely Bones and there's been no further mention of the Hobbit (other than the last problem with working out distribution rights). I can even remember seeing that PJ has give a promise to work on another movie after Lovely Bones. If so, even at best, the Hobbit is a long way off.

I am sadly beginning to think that it will not happen anytime reasonably soon.

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EDIT: Hmm.... Maybe I am too pessimistic. Just did a google search. Look at this list: here. I wonder what those rumors at WETA are. But then again, rumors are still a long way from reality.

I think the last time I heard PJ talk about the Hobbit was over a year ago when he indicated that he was still interested, but that it would not be made for 3-4 more years. As far as I know, the distribution rights still have to be resolved.

Leave the research to a proper researcher! Many thanks Child, I should have looked closer at the date and not just the year! And thanks also for the new rumor, I suspect we aren't the only ones who would like to see The Hobbit played out for us.

I thought that at one point I heard it was to be more along the lines of LotR, with not quite the same tone as the book. Was I dreaming this?

I can't say I've heard of it, but it would make sense. First of all, after LOTR I don't think that you could go back and picture the elves in Rivendell like they are in The Hobbit... I mean, those of us who have read the books will probably enjoy it better that way, but for the gazillions who have only seen the movies and not read the books it would be a bit of a bummer I believe. And it's not only with the elves, I would guess (and specially if PJ is directing it) that the audience would be expecting a story somewhat like LoTR and TH has a very different style... for better or for worse, it's different yet different does not always sell. They have found a winning formula in LoTR so I'd assume that if TH is ever done it would be somewhat like the previous movies.

But then, that's only a bit of guesswork and I might very well be way off.

to The Saucepan Man
 

Bilbo was about 50 when he set off on his journey: per page 11

"The chance never arrived (for the Tookish side to show) until he was about fifty."

If Ian Holm is of good health & up to it, it would be GREAT to see him in the film.

I thought that PJ was having money lawsuits against New Line that were holding up production as well. Did they resolve their issues amicably, PJ and New Line?

Not as of today they have not.
But we can hope.

It said in the beginning of FotR in the chapter "A Long Expected Party" that Bilbo was unchanged because he had posessed The Ring for so long. Therefore Ian Holm might be able to play Bilbo if he was up to it since Bilbo shouldn't have changed since he was fifty...
Have you ever noticed that the first chapter of The Hobbit was called "An Unexpected Party", and the first chapter of The Lord of The Rings was "A Long Expected Party"? And they were both hosted by our dear Bilbo Baggins.

I felt Ian Holm was truly superb as Biblo in all but one scene in the LOTR films. The one scene that he simply did not look right in was the scene in the cave finding the ring. He simply looked too old for it. Figuring that is the Bilbo of THE HOBBIT - Holm would be wrong for a younger looking, more vigorous Bilbo. And at his real world age I cannot imagine Holm treking across vast expanses and doing the exhausting work necessary for that role.

I quite agree. Perhaps, if a Hobbit movie is made, at some point they could return to FOTR and edit it in the 'correct' image.