Sage Hobbit movie advice for PJ?

[Gil-Galad]

Doesn't have to be cut, they coul make it into a two part movie so theres little cutting...

[Imladris]

Wanting to make it into a two part movie and getting to do it is often difficult. PJ had to fight tooth and nail to get LotR into three movies. I doubt he'll be able to get The Hobbit into two movies.

Another example of studios refusing to make two movies out of one book is the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie. *shakes head* If they (they as in movie people in general) wouldn't make that six hundred page book into a two part movie there is slim hope for the Hobbit, which, technically, doesn't have enough material for a two part movie anyway.

[Gil-Galad]

I thought Peter first wanted 3 movies, but then the company that was paying him said 2, then 1, but then New Line got the rights and said isn't there 3 books? so make 3 movies

[Tuor of Gondolin]

But there are strong arguments for a two-parter, both artistic and $$$.
1) Two movies could be 2 or 2 1/2 hours each, rather then a probably
longer one-off movie, hence more showings per day in theaters.
2) Two movies would not only be twice as many movies (duh!) but
anticipation could grow for the conclusion.

And it's hard to see PJ passing up the cinematic pyrotechnics of
Beorn coming to the rescue (perhaps even him attacking orcs earlier
in the movie). Plus, how about one of the charges by Smaug on Laketown
being similar to the pass by the fireworks dragon at the Birthday Party?

[Elladan and Elrohir]

My $0.02.

I think The Hobbit would make a terrific movie from adventure standpoint. Troll attacks, Warg attacks, Gollum attacks, massive Orc attacks . . . awesomeasoid.

One movie, IMHO. Two would be stretching it, and I think that you could include everything you needed in a movie about the same length as the LOTR films.

The idea about showing Aragorn in Rivendell as a boy but only identifying his mother is a terrific one, but would obviously only appeal to avid book readers (which is fine with me, because I am one).

Ian Holm is not too old to play Bilbo. He looked fine in the flashback "Riddles in the Dark" scene in FOTR, and anyway, is Gandalf lying when he tells him, "You haven't aged a day"?

Obviously Ian McKellen, Hugo Weaving and Andy Serkis come back to play their respective roles. A few White Council scenes would serve as an interesting subplot, if done properly.

Here's the Orlando Bloom cameo: Just before the Battle of Five Armies starts, you show the lines of Mirkwood Elves getting their weapons ready. You take the camera down one of the front lines, and at the end, ol' Orli dramatically raises his head and fits an arrow to the bow in his lightning-quick fashion (causing mass swoons in the audience, of course).

My one question is whether you're going to "fool" parents who thought they were bringing their kids to a children's movie. I mean, you can just picture 9-year-old Haley who reads the book, gets ecstatic about it, makes Mom and Dad take her to the theatre, and then has to watch a PJ-toned, as-violent-as-a-PG-13-movie-can-get film. That's the one con about making this movie: it changes the target audience. But, then again, if Tolkien had known then what he later knew about Middle-earth, it would not have been a children's book. So, I say, go for it, PJ!

[Dûrbelethwen]

He's name is Sadwyn Brophy. (I looked it up on the internet movie database.

[Frodo Baggins]

Hey if Young Aragorn should make a cameo appearence at Rivendell they could use that really cute kid (what's his name) that played Eldarion in ROTK for the part!!

[Bergil]

firstly, I like lhe idea of cameos and "Asterixian" jokes, referring to Lord of the Rings. Maybe, after a scene in Rivendell, Aragorn/Estel could ask Elrond what's going on an Elrond could say "another of Gandalf's plans. trusting a hobbit to do something this important?" or Thranduil could advise his son that "that's how dwarves are, you have to drag everything out of them"

my other Idea is how to start the film. we could have Thorin and Gandalf discussing retaking the mountain and deciding on burglury. the scene ends in Thorin saying "then find me a burgler for the ages. Someone who can make no noise, steal your beard before you notice, and dissapear into the shadows" then quickly cut to Bilbo lounging on a chair, then hear a knock, lose his balance, and crash to the floor then noisily make his way to the door.

what do you think?

[Frodo Baggins]

*chuckles*

That sounds magnificent Bergil! More like a grocer than a burglar!

[Elladan and Elrohir]

Dude, BERGIL, that sounds awesome! That would be a phenomenal way to open the film!

So, would they do a prologue? I would say, no. There's not nearly as much backstory to explain as you had with LOTR. I say everything necessary you can show in a flashback sequence as Thorin tells the story to Bilbo at Bag End.

After much thought and consideration, I must agree that Ian Holm is just too old for Bilbo. *SOB* So, that quite obviously raises the question: Who fills that starring role? Another unknown, would be my vote. I agree that no major stars (other than the ones reprising their roles from LOTR) should appear in the film at all.

[Parmawen]

this might be the most awful idea in the word, but i did see it suggested on another site, and it was Billy Boyd being cast as Bilbo...

Personally I don't really think it'd would just because he's allready so much associated with Pippin...but still it is an interesting idea. He really is the ideal hobbit.

And they actually could tie in a Legolas appearance quite nicely, because doesn't Bilbo end up rescuing the dwarves from Legolas's father's castle? Might be the wrong elvish king...I tend to get them mixed up...

[Elu Ancalime]

There was this one forum that i saw through another link about a guy who wrote an entire screenplay for the hobbit. I knwo its somewhere on this board, does anybody know? Anyway he introduced a few ideas:
-The prolouge would be a lengthy one. the FotR one was 7 minutes. It would start with the whole ring of power thing, with probably Gandalf narrating, or Thorin. Then it would branch off to the dwarven rings, talking about how dragon fire and evil recovered them, and Durin III's was the last. Then The balrog driving out the dwarves, but it probably wouldnt shoe the balrog, just a scene from the balrog's point of view, form his shoulder or something. Then the glory of the mountain, ending with smaug taking over, and a few scenes like when Frodo looked into the mirror and saw Sam, Legolas turning around, except with dwarves. Then somehow fit in a snippet of the war of dwarves and orcs, or save that flashback for later, then Thrains detainment in Dol Gulder, Gandalf getting the key and map and such. This section should wholly be in the prolouge, at least up to smaug, but some could be divided up for this next thing or Bilbos tea party. Anyway, it all needs to be there.

-Next is not the prolouage, but still not the movie. THis is when Gandalf meets Thorin in Bree, then goes to his halls. There more flashbacks, probably of the War of Dwarves and Orcs, then basically the entire disscussion of what was in Unfinished Tales and that bit in The Steward and the King.

-Then finally, Bilbo sitting on his rocking chair infront of his barrow-I mean Hole and the white words "The Hobbit" across the screen.

And all of that will probably take maybe up to 20 minutes, but literature-wise, it is needed.
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