Mabye some good news for Hobbits!! (1 Viewer)

[Holadem]

Well, production and distribution are two theoretically distinct parts of the business, so it does happens, most often with indies, who by definition, are produced without a distribution deal with a major studio (that's what festivals are for). But you're probably right, it's gotta be uncommon for the rights to be split between two major studios before the movie is made.

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H

 

[Ricardo C]

Those were carefully staged shots with very little motion on the part of the actors, though. I don't think the technology is ready to handle the demands of a film full of action sequences.

I agree with the idea of having Ian bookend the film by narrating the story. Perhaps at the end we see the person he's telling the story to is... Frodo? Too much?

 

[Robert Anthony]

For as much as Jackson took liberties with Lord of the Rings, the idea of him re-casting Bilbo even after the prelude in Fellowship, isn't beyond the pale at all. It makes perfect sense, to me.

Even so--there's no way this rumor is real.

 

[JediFonger]

isn't LOTR part of the red book. i thought there were references to LOTR being part of annals of history.

 

[Brett_M]

This is a rumor. Even if it was true, Jackson & Co have a full plate already.

A while ago I read that Richard Taylor may direct The Hobbit. I realize that technical expertise in special effects don't necessarily make a great director. He's well aware of the special effects side -- make-up, armor, miniatures, costumes, etc. Doesn't he have a few Oscars for his contributions?

The Hobbit has a bunch of great moments -- some could rival many in the LOTR franchise: the battle of the five armies, the desolation of Smaug and his attack on Laketown, shape-shifting/a$$-kicking Beorn, the spiders of Mirkwood, the Goblin city, the finding of Sting, Orcrist and Glamdring, the Stone Trolls, riddles in the dark with Gollum -- the list goes on and on. It would be a perfect 3 hour epic and a great prequel for the LOTR trilogy. It would be stupid to NOT make it. There's a built-in audience. The whole trilogy is in the domestic top 20 (2 in the top 10).

While I'm thinking of it, Hugo Weaving would have to reprise his role as Elrond and even John Rhys-Davies could play Gloin (Gimli's father). Legolas was probably also at the Battle of Five Armies although he is not named in the book. Is Orlando Bloom too big for a cameo?

I hope it's not a rumor. I'd love to see this get made.

 

[JediFonger]

my fav part of hob is


i'm paraphrasing now but, i liked how the dwarve that dies in the end parts to Bilbo the words about how he wouldn't trade a mountain of gold for his friendship with Bilbo =).

 

[Ray H]

Sean Connery IS Thorin Oakenshield.

 

[Brett_M]

Agreed. Even the cartoon nails the theme -- I get a little weepy when the "end" comes.

 

[Michael:M]

I've always seen Brian Blessed as an overtall dwarf, myself, but he's probably too energetic to play Thorin.

 

[JediFonger]

that's dwarves in Tolkien's world. he'd have a fit about that . in letters of JRRT he goes into depth on why it isn't spelled "dwarf"s.

as for height, if the hobbits are the shortest (like children) then wouldn't dwarves be between hobbits and regular height men? that's one of the biggest pix i've had about LOTR. i didn't feel the forced perspective worked.

 

[Sean Bryan]

While I don't think it is necessary to have Holm, if they really wanted "him" and they were looking to do something that pushes the envelope of digital effects, they could take the "digital young make up" idea to it's ultimate evolution.... a completely CG Holm using the real actor as a model (like Andy Serkis for Gollum).

It would be interesting if they made Bilbo a completely CG character like Gollum. They could cast Holm to do the voice acting and some motion capture, etc... Basically he'd be doing lots of the kind of stuff Andy Serkis did. So they'd get the voice, the mannerisms, the face just at the right age, the ability to do all the physical stuff they want, etc....

But I think this would be extremely unlikely to happen because they probably just aren't at the point where they can make a realistic CG human. They've been getting better, but they probably still can't pull it off at the level they'd need to for this. But if they thought they could, it is an interesting possibility.

Still, it would be much more practical to just re-cast.

I would love to see this movie because it will have the feel of The Lord of the Rings but it will also be a one shot deal that is a fun, yet slightly dark, epic adventure. Set-up and pay-off all in one film! But then we'll have another 3 (hopefully at least that much) hours to add to the Middle-Earth saga.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

But they're not making a realistic CG human.
They're making a realistic CG hobbit.

 

[Ricardo C]

And hobbits are played by humans. Their faces, save for the oversized ears, are completely unadorned, And that's a challenge CGI isn't up to yet.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Apparently my effort at humour was not as obvious as I thought.

 

[PattyFraser]

Yes, and I hope it's soon. We certainly won't be getting any more Middle-earth until and unless the Tolkien estate changes its collective mind (read Christopher Tolkien) and allows, for example "The Silmarillion" to be put on screen.
Now THAT would be even more of a challange for adaptation and screenplay. And as it all holds together I don't think it would be adequate just to do bits and pieces, like Beren and Luthien by itself.

 

[Ricardo C]

I guess so, Matthew

Patty: The story of Béren and Lúthien could be the greatest tear-jerker in the history of cinema. I'd love to see it get made, though I fear for the uality of the writing, since most of the dialogue will need to be made up by the screenwriter(s).

 

[JediFonger]

we're going to have to wait until JRRT's direct descedents die off (michael, priscilla, chris) before the maddening greed of THEIR offsprings sign over the IP's of Silmarillion =).

besides, adapting both Hobbit&LOTR will have been hard enough... i think Silmarillion is extremely difficult to adapt. imho, it should work better as a mini series or have one of those film serial runs again. it's too difficult to SHOW the creation of Arda. besides i remember there was an entire chapter devoted to DESCRIBING the landscape. stuff like that can be skipped.

 

[Holadem]

That would be like trying to cover the Bible with one movie. Select stories work much better: 10 Commandents, Passion of the Christ, and many others, including movies about Samson, Salomon, David & Goliath, John the Baptist, the Apostles etc... whose titles I can't remember.

The world of Tolkien, of which Middle Earth is only a part, albeit the most detailed, is FULL of epic stories which would translate fantastically to the screen in the hands of a skilled writer/director team. The War of the Ring is a skirmish compared to some of the earlier wars where mountains got raised and entire continents got sunk, Balrogs roamed the earth and Sauron was only an apprentice of the primordial evil.

That said, my preference is for smaller stories. I would love to see how the Witch King wore down and eventually destroyed the North Kingdom, a millenia (IIRC) before the War of the Ring for instance. Eh... a geek can dream....

--
H

 

[Jeff(R)]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=16424

"MGM to Unveil New Tentpoles!"

 

[Brett_M]

One or two installments? Peter Jackson to direct?

I'll believe it when I see it. This is hopeful speculation by a studio that doesn't have the rights to make the film -- they can only distribute it. It also says that Rocky Balboa comes out next February. It comes out this Christmas.