Inching closer to The Hobbit film

[Quempel]

I just noticed this on a couple of other sites, and the reaction is strange, from happy to disappointed. Me I am just happy it's being made. Finally.

[Thenamir]

Here's the scoop as reported from FoxNews: link here

NEW YORK — Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have reached agreement to make J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," a planned prequel to the blockbuster trilogy "The Lord of the Rings."

Jackson, who directed the "Rings" trilogy, will serve as executive producer for "The Hobbit." A director for the prequel films has yet to be named.

Relations between Jackson and New Line had soured after "Rings," despite a collective worldwide box office gross of nearly $3 billion -- an enormous success. The two sides nevertheless were able to reconcile, with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) splitting "The Hobbit" 50/50, spokemen for both studios said Tuesday.

"I'm very pleased that we've been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line," Jackson said in a statement. "We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth."

Two "Hobbit" films are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, similar to how the three "Lord of the Rings" films were made. Production is set to begin in 2009 with a released planned for 2010, with the sequel scheduled for a 2011 release.

[Galendor]

Originally Posted by Quempel

I just noticed this on a couple of other sites, and the reaction is strange, from happy to disappointed. Me I am just happy it's being made. Finally.

Me too - but my happiness is laced with dread over what Jackson might do to the story.

In LOTR he only had one dwarf to work with, but still managed to insert multiple instances of short jokes, dwarf tossings, and general comic behavior from and surrounding poor Gimli. In The Hobbit, he will have 13 dwarves as main charcters, and potentially hundreds more in The Battle of Five Armies - just think of the opportunities for basal humor! Jackson may be salivating already at this prospect - if his comic portrayal of Gimli is any guide for expectations - it might be hard to fit any real Tolkien dialogue into The Hobbit between all of the potential short jokes, dwarf tossings, body humor, etc. The audience could be rolling the isles at the whole grand slapstick comedy of it all !

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Galendor

Me too - but my happiness is laced with dread over what Jackson might do to the story.

In LOTR he only had one dwarf to work with, but still managed to insert multiple instances of short jokes, dwarf tossings, and general comic behavior from and surrounding poor Gimli. In The Hobbit, he will have 13 dwarves as main charcters, and potentially hundreds more in The Battle of Five Armies - just think of the opportunities for basal humor! Jackson may be salivating already at this prospect - if his comic portrayal of Gimli is any guide for expectations - it might be hard to fit any real Tolkien dialogue into The Hobbit between all of the potential short jokes, dwarf tossings, body humor, etc. The audience could be rolling the isles at the whole grand slapstick comedy of it all !

I know. When I go to see this film I'll be taking some earplugs because I don't want my eardrums bursting with the inevitable inclusion of a resounding chorus of 13 dwarves belching at once. I'm totally looking forwards to resumption of lots of "But it's not part of the Legendarium" rants from davem though

Two films? Eh?! Maybe, just maybe, they will not have enough material so they will slip in a little extra based on Tom Bombadil and the Barrow Wight?

Is Jackson actually going to direct this? Or just produce?

[Oddwen]

My brother bets that John Rhys-Davies will play the voice of Smaug...Smaug won't have wings...Legolas will have brown hair...Arwen will have the *huge* warrior-princess role she was cheated out of in TTT...Andy Serkis will provide the mo-cap for all thirteen dwarves and Smaug...he also thinks Martin Freeman would make a good Bilbo. Oh, and that Legolas will help the Dwarves escape the prisons of the wood elves by creating "A Diversion!", namely, putting on a dress and attempting to seduce the guards away.

I think that at the beginning of FotR, when we first see Frodo and he's reading a book, I think that's Bilbo's book, and The Hobbit begins with Frodo reading it and it "coming alive", and PJ will edit FotR to add the line "The End" or something. Hey, better than "Storytime in Rivendell".

I, for one, wouldn't be a bit surprised at any of it, but am pleased as punch that the movie/s are being made. Yay!

Oh - and I hope Gimli makes a cameo - it'd be cool to see him begging to go with his father, and being told "No, you're too young". I'd like to see the White Council and more of the Rangers - maybe Halbarad could make an appearance? And Elladan and Elrohir! Perhaps they could be given a death scene, explaining their sad absence in LotR.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Oddwen

My brother bets that John Rhys-Davies will play the voice of Smaug...Smaug won't have wings...Legolas will have brown hair...Arwen will have the *huge* warrior-princess role she was cheated out of in TTT...Andy Serkis will provide the mo-cap for all thirteen dwarves and Smaug...he also thinks Martin Freeman would make a good Bilbo. Oh, and that Legolas will help the Dwarves escape the prisons of the wood elves by creating "A Diversion!", namely, putting on a dress and attempting to seduce the guards away.

If he doesn't there will be trouble. Serious trouble.

Ooooh, just thought.... the action figure will be good!

Martin Freeman would be pretty good as Bilbo actually.

[Thenamir]

My vote goes to Morgan Freeman as Bilbo...Danny DeVito as Thranduil...Gilbert Gottlieb as Thorin...Will Farrell as Bard...Warwick Davis as Beorn...The Backstreet Boys as the trolls...and David Tennant (Doctor Who) as the mayor of Lake Town. Throw in Judi Densch as the voice of Smaug, and you've got a winner.

[Thenamir]

Other ideas for Bilbo:

• Martin Short
• Steve Martin
• Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite)
• Mike Myers
• Ray Winstone

[Thenamir]

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions as to where you might split the story in two? My money is on having the final scene of Hobbit I be a medium-shot of 13 barrels, Bilbo astride the last, drifting out of the dark of Mirkwood into the daylight on Long Lake...fade to black...roll credits.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Thenamir

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions as to where you might split the story in two? My money is on having the final scene of Hobbit I be a medium-shot of 13 barrels, Bilbo astride the last, drifting out of the dark of Mirkwood into the daylight on Long Lake...fade to black...roll credits.

If they do try and pull in a bit about Tom then maybe somewhere around the Gollum encounter.

Otherwise, maybe when they meet Beorn? Or at the point they get captured by the Elves?

One thing you can be sure of is that Legolas will appear in these films and he will be in it/them for some time as this will reel in the girlies. So that will influence where the split happens.

[Galendor]

Originally Posted by Thenamir

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions as to where you might split the story in two? My money is on having the final scene of Hobbit I be a medium-shot of 13 barrels, Bilbo astride the last, drifting out of the dark of Mirkwood into the daylight on Long Lake...fade to black...roll credits.

And right as the fade to black occurs, a loud apple-scented belch is heard coming from one or more of the barrels...Sigh, I hope not!