Who should direct "The Hobbit"?

[Mithalwen]

Of those listed it has to be Peter Weir who has directed some of my favourite films including "Picnic at Hanging Rock" and "Witness". I would just about anyone to Jackson. The Hobbit deserves to be taken on its own terms not as a prequel to a franchise movie - if PJ does it it will be same old same old *yawns* and definitely not a children's film. Hate to think what he would do with 13 dwarves to toss... and even more camp elves.

Ang Lee would be my not on the list choice. Crouching Tiger shows he can do myth and Sense and Sensibility shows he can do "English".

[Galendor]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

Of those listed it has to be Peter Weir who has directed some of my favourite films including "Picnic at Hanging Rock" and "Witness". I would just about anyone to Jackson. The Hobbit deserves to be taken on its own terms not as a prequel to a franchise movie - if PJ does it it will be same old same old *yawns* and definitely not a children's film. Hate to think what he would do with 13 dwarves to toss... and even more camp elves.

Peter Weir would be a good choice. At least there have (thankfully?) not been any further statements that The Hobbit will be filmed in 3D...

[Thenamir]

I am not at all sure that a 3-D Hobbit would necessarily be a bad thing. I have seen none of the major 3-D flicks of recent times, but I vivdly remember seeing, during a trip to Disney World (Orlando) circa 1995, a full-color 3-D Muppet film presentation which was utterly smashing! It did require special glasses, but not the old-fashioned red/blue ones. I don't know how they achieved the effect, but the effect astounded me at the time -- very convincing indeed. And with 10+ years to improve the effect, I can only imagine that it has gotten better.

Now, don't mistake me for wanting to overuse the effect just because you can -- the Spy Kids 3-D movie was, according to my kids, an excuse to abuse the effect in virtually (no pun intended) every scene. But as an extra measure of realism in a well-made movie, used with restraint, I would endorse such a move entirely. I get giddy imagining a 3-D Smaug in aerial assult against Lake-Town.

[Galendor]

Posted by Thenamir:
But as an extra measure of realism in a well-made movie, used with restraint, I would endorse such a move entirely. I get giddy imagining a 3-D Smaug in aerial assult against Lake-Town.

I saw the digital 3D Beowulf, the audience had to wear glasses. The 3D took (me at least) some getting used to, but I must admit it was neat. The visuals in the last 30 minutes containing the dragon attack were pretty spectacular. It was the best looking and realistically-moving dragon I have ever seen in a movie.