Peter Jackson Making 'The Hobbit'

Big news:

Jackson to make Hobbit
Peter Jackson has won the battle for Middle-earth and is to make The Hobbit.

The Oscar-winning Wellington film-maker and Hollywood studios New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios announced today that they had resolved their legal dispute. Jackson and partner Fran Walsh will serve as executive producers on two Hobbit movies.

Pre-production will begin as soon as possible and both will be shot simultaneously, tentatively in 2009. The Hobbit is likely to be released in 2010 and the sequel in 2011.

Jackson sued New Line in 2005 for unpaid profits, estimated to be about US$100 million, from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which became a stumbling block to his being involved in The Hobbit.

Jackson and New Line said in the announcement that they had settled all legal action. "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. "We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle-earth."

A decision still has to be made on who will direct the films, who will be cast and where they will be filmed.

Critics and audiences cited New Zealand's scenery - a major component in The Lord of the Rings - as one of the main reasons for the films' popularity. Equally popular were the Oscar-winning effects created by Wellington's Weta Workshop and Weta Digital.

Many websites dedicated to The Lord of the Rings have said they not only want Jackson to make The Hobbit, but that it is equally important that the Weta teams be involved.

The announcement also heralded a significant agreement between MGM - which has zealously held the rights to filming The Hobbit for many years - and New Line.

Jackson said MGM chairman and chief executive Harry Sloan helped him reach an accord with New Line.

New Line co-chairman Bob Shaye said the studio was pleased to have resolved its differences with Jackson and Walsh. "We know they will bring the same passion, care and talent to these films that they so ably accomplished with The Lord of the Rings."

Sloan said they would now focus on assembling the team to make the two films.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominionpost/4328796a6000.html

There's a rumor that Sam Raimi ('Spiderman', 'Evil Dead') may direct. And Sir Ian is on the record as saying he wants to play Gandalf again...

I was planning on posting the same thing, but you beat me to it!

I think this is great news if you're a LOTR fan like me!

Aparently Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have put aside their differences.. While I'm not as much of a fan of 'The Hobbit' as I am of 'The Lord of the Rings', in the capable hands of Peter Jackson and the people he surrounded himself with during the making of the LOTR-movies, I'm certain it'll be a smashing succes..

There's also some more information here: http://movies.ign.com/articles/842/842098p1.html

Yay! *Dances round the room*

About ********** time if you ask me!

Why two movies? There's only just enough story in the book for one.

Originally Posted by ThiudareiksGunthigg

Why two movies? There's only just enough story in the book for one.

Which is why I actually came into this thread: why the heck would you need two movies to do the Hobbit?

on two Hobbit movies.

Oh good Lord of the Rings, they're going to make it even longer than the other movies. Why ...

Originally Posted by ThiudareiksGunthigg

Why two movies? There's only just enough story in the book for one.

Aparently, according to this article at SyFy Portal, the second movie is meant to bridge the gap between 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings'..

That is a bit worrying, since Tolkien didn't really write too much about that, other than a few notes in the chronology etc.. :hmmm:

EDIT: Looks like the same thought crossed our minds at almost the same time, DisgruntledGoat!

Originally Posted by jarnomiedema

Aparently, according to this article at SyFy Portal, the second movie is meant to bridge the gap between 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings'..

It looks that way. I found this on one of the more reliable Tolkien movie fan sites:

"Based on many years of gathering tidbits of information, the two prequel movies will encompass the following:

1 - The Hobbit
This will cover all of the events in the Hobbit (including an introduction showing Smaug's destruction of the mountain); It will also cover other contemporary events, specifically the White Council's assault on Dol Guldur.

2 - The Dunedain (???-not certain)
This will tell the story of the adventures of Aragorn prior to the events in LOTR. It will include his life as Thorongil, as well as his romance with Arwen."

That is a bit worrying, since Tolkien didn't really write too much about that, other than a few notes in the chronology etc.. :hmmm:

There's some other stuff in the Appendices that they could mine. It's all a bit sketchy though.

When did Balin go back to Moria? That was after the Hobbit but before the LOTR wasn't it?

EDIT: Some more info on what the other "prequel" movie will entail, from Variety:

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

However, making the film is contingent on negotiations with New Line, which owns the right to produce "The Hobbit" (MGM owns only the right to distribute the films). And people close to Jackson say that until his ongoing lawsuit with New Line -- over monies he says are owed him from the "Lord of the Rings" franchise -- is settled, a serious conversation over "The Hobbit" cannot proceed.

Even so, Sloan remains optimistic. He said the first "Hobbit" pic would be a direct adaptation of "The Hobbit," and the second would be drawn from footnotes and source material connecting "The Hobbit" with "The Lord of the Rings."

Originally Posted by DisgruntledGoat

Haha I win!

Hahaha.. Damnit!

Originally Posted by ThiudareiksGunthigg

2 - The Dunedain (???-not certain)
This will tell the story of the adventures of Aragorn prior to the events in LOTR. It will include his life as Thorongil, as well as his romance with Arwen."

There's some other stuff in the Appendices that they could mine. It's all a bit sketchy though.

When did Balin go back to Moria? That was after the Hobbit but before the LOTR wasn't it?

Well, Aragorn wasn't really my favorite character in the LOTR movies, so that doesn't really appeal to me, but I'd give anything to see the Balrog of Morgoth destroy the dwarves of Moria..

As for the appendices, I'd have to take that out again to see what they might use..

Also, while it's probably never going to get made, here's a very interesting idea for the 'optimal LOTR prequel movie' written by Helge Kåre Fauskanger, a Norwegian linguist and Tolkien enthusiast / scholar. His 'script' (if you can call it that) deals with events in the Silmarillion and, as far as I'm concerned, would make a very interesting movie..

Originally Posted by ThiudareiksGunthigg

When did Balin go back to Moria? That was after the Hobbit but before the LOTR wasn't it?

Yeah, it's about 40 years after the Hobbit, and about 15 years before the Fellowship of the Ring

2 movies = twice the money...

Part II will focus on Legolas and his quest for the Holy Grail.

From what I have read its not 2 "Hobbit" movies, but 1 movie based on the Hobbit and 1 movie based on the events between the hobbit and the lord of the rings.

Haha I win!

I'de be dissapointed if any of the actors from the first movies were replaced. Obviously Ian Holm couldnt play a young Bilbo...

Originally Posted by Dead*Man*Wilson

I'de be dissapointed if any of the actors from the first movies were replaced. Obviously Ian Holm couldnt play a young Bilbo...

Ian McKellan has already said he'd be happy to play Gandalf again. Which is good, because after his performance in the LOTR movies it would seem a bit odd to have the same production company and design team, the same visual style and same sets (for Hobbiton and Rivendell anyway) but someone else as Gandalf.

Ditto for Hugo Weaving and Elrond. Everyone else could be played by new actors of course. For the second movie, though, they'd have to get Viggo and Liv Tyler back as well.

Mmmmmm ... Liv Tyler ...

There's some very interesting stuff between the two books... Tolkien only gave us bits and pieces, but PJ could craft a pretty cool film out of it... surely worse ways to spend 2 hours! Plus, since this is guaranteed to make a fortune, his budget will be huge. We'll see the best dragon in the history of motion pictures... (an honor that currently belongs to Dragonslayer).

I think Ian Holm has to play Bilbo.... just inject some botox into his face and he'll do fine.

And I bet they give Legolas a role in The Hobbit -- he was Thranduil's son, wasn't he?

Originally Posted by cherryfunk

I think Ian Holm has to play Bilbo.... just inject some botox into his face and he'll do fine.

He played the young Bilbo in the flashback sequence where he finds the Ring. But for those scenes they simply stretched his face taut with tape strategically placed under his wig. I don't think that would really work for a whole shoot where Bilbo is in almost every scene.

I also have a vague recollection that Ian Holm said a younger actor should play Bilbo if they made The Hobbit.

And I bet they give Legolas a role in The Hobbit -- he was Thranduil's son, wasn't he?

He was. And considering he was over 500 years old during the events of LOTR, he would have been around during the events of The Hobbit. The LOTR DVD extras made a lot of Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens' knowledge of the novel, but their script constantly had Gimli referring to Legolas as "laddie". Anyone who knew the book well would remember Legolas referring to Gimli (aged 139) and Aragorn (aged 87) as "you children". At about four centuries or more their senior, he was no "laddie".

Yeah, but in Elf years, he was only 5...

Another early christmas gift I hope Howard Shore is to write the music!

Originally Posted by ThiudareiksGunthigg

Aragorn was absolutely my favourite character in both the book and the movies, so I'd be very happy to see his earlier life as a movie. But only if they get Viggo back to play him.

I agree.. And I think Peter Jackson knows that too. People would be outraged if the original actors weren't coming back (unless ofcourse they were dead or severely incapacitated ), simply because people have gotten to know these roles as played by those actors..

Oh, and Liv Tyler back again..

Originally Posted by cherryfunk

I think Ian Holm has to play Bilbo.... just inject some botox into his face and he'll do fine.

And I bet they give Legolas a role in The Hobbit -- he was Thranduil's son, wasn't he?

Haha.. Well, they could always try the 'digital de-aging' X-Men 3 did to Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, but personally I didn't think that was all that succesful, so I hope they'll stay away from that. If anything, they should try to find a young British actor that looks, sounds and acts a lot like him.. (If that's even possible.. Aparently Ian Holm does a little improvisation on each take, never saying quite the same thing..)

As for Legolas, I'm sure they can find a way to fit him in.. The only problem I could see with that is that Legolas doesn't say anything to the effect of 'I had a great adventure with your uncle' whenever he's talking to Frodo in the LOTR.. (But that's just a minor detail)

Originally Posted by Kratos

Another early christmas gift I hope Howard Shore is to write the music!

OoOh! Definitely.. The movie simply wouldn't sound the same without him! He was aparently very happy when he was able to make additional music for the extended cuts, so hopefully he'll agree to the Hobbit..

Unfortunately Peter Jackson and Howard Shore parted on 'creative differences' when PJ was making King Kong, so I hope that hasn't adversely affected their relationship.. :hmmm: