The Hobbit - The Movie: Speculation and Discussion

Riv Res · Post by **Riv Res** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:04 pm

April Fools Merry!

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:16 am

Really?

P.S. Okay, I guess it pays to read the article through to the end! The reference to the Wizards Academy at Valinor must have given it away!

Riv Res · Post by **Riv Res** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:46 am

Don't worry...I fell for it too.

Iolanthe · Post by **Iolanthe** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:51 pm

So did I

.

Chrissiejane · Post by **Chrissiejane** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:16 pm

This evening, EmpireOnline has this to say:

World Excl: Jackson/Del Toro Talk Hobbit
The duo reveal the make-up of both films

We’ve known for a while that Peter Jackson and Guillermo Del Toro’s eagerly-awaited adaptation of the Lord Of The Rings prequel, The Hobbit, would comprise two movies, due in December 2011 and 2012. But the make-up of those two movies has been up for debate… until now.

We spoke exclusively to both Del Toro and Jackson for our birthday issue, and they told us the latest, which is…

“We’ve decided to have The Hobbit span the two movies, including the White Council and the comings and goings of Gandalf to Dol Guldur,” says Del Toro.

“We decided it would be a mistake to try to cram everything into one movie,” adds Jackson. “The essential brief was to do The Hobbit, and it allows us to make The Hobbit in a little more style, if you like, of the [LOTR] trilogy.”

So there you go. The second film will not, as had previously been suggested, a film that will bridge the 60-year gap between The Hobbit and the start of Fellowship Of The Ring...

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 10:51 pm

Thanks for posting that here Chrissiejane.

I think there is nothing to worry about with this news. As Riv pointed out elsewhere the time-line allows this to happen. I can't see bad editing leaving us hanging in an inappropriate place in the Hobbit. I give them a lot of credit they have the sense to be careful with this.

Chrissiejane · Post by **Chrissiejane** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:33 am

Now that we have this news I am very interested in how the the story will be split between the two movies, and where the "enhancements" will be placed within the narrative arc.
One of the things I find most interesting about The Hobbit as a novel is the way the Professor's style of writing changes as the narrative progresses, with the darker and more adult content coming in the latter half of the book. That, and the inclusion of some very dark episodes covering the activities of Sauron and Saruman, makes me wonder how the scriptwriters can portray such complex, unsettling material within the structure required of a movie, which conventionally needs to take its audience to a relatively up-beat closure.

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 3:22 pm

Now I'm having trouble keeping up with all the movie rumors, etc., but haven't they decided that the first movie will end with the killing of Smaug? That's sort of an upbeat moment, I guess.

I'm kind of afraid to say this over at VW, but I'd rather have these new movies be good movies in their own right, with new characters to love, rather than to rehash the old characters in ways that don't make sense. I don't see how they can make Viggo into a younger Aragorn. Sorry! (And I'm thinking Viggo would agree.)

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 4:00 pm

No apologize is necessary Merry. I'd rather not see 'Aragorn' when he's not in the story line, though I have no problem seeing McKellen as Gandalf. Having said that I do not want to see any of the original Hobbits reprise their roles. A big no, no to see Legolas as a speaking role too.

Ian Holmes was a lovely Bilbo but we need someone younger for this film for sure.

Iolanthe · Post by **Iolanthe** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:46 pm

Well - if they are going to keep the two films within the confines of the Hobbit then there will be no older Aragorn or Viggo. I don't want them to manipulate the story to include favourites either, but am sorry to see the 'connecting' film between The Hobbit and LotR (with a mature Aragorn) go. Maybe there wasn't enough material that they could get the rights to? And I guess their ideas of how they could present The Hobbit just took off as they discussed it.

Chrissiejane · Post by **Chrissiejane** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:00 pm

I think filling two feature-length movies with "The Hobbit" alone is a bit if a stretch. I'm expecting quite a lot of enhancement via the extra material referred to this weekend - otherwise I think there would be real problems over pacing the narrative appropriately for a cinematic experience.

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:45 pm

I think they can pull it off. If they are using the time-line from the appendices than there is plenty for back story towards linking the Hobbit to LoTR. I'm sure they will be fine with creating believable dialog where Tolkien has none.

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 5:08 pm

I just read at TOR.n that Hugo Weaving is confirmed to play Elrond in the hobbit movie.

Iolanthe · Post by **Iolanthe** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 7:11 pm

Hooray! I really can't see anyone else in that role now and it's good that they can keep it consistant with the Trilogy

. I expect they'll expand it beyond the book to take in his and Gandalf's concerns about the Necromancer and what should be done about it.

I wonder if we'll finally get to see the Hall of Fire? It would be good to see a bit more of Rivendell and the lighter side of the elves.

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:56 pm

If you haven't seen the photos of Hobbiton being rebuilt at TOR.n, they're worth a look. One of the things I admire about these filmmakers is that the really plant a garden and let it grow!