The Hobbit

[Bromptonboy]

Who's Directing The Hobbit?
Posted: 14 Jun 2010 03:30 PM PDT
Slashfilm are putting forward a case for David Yates as replacement director for The Hobbit now Guillermo Del Toro has vacated the hot seat.
Right from the off Slashfilm admit its only rumor but claim that industry insider tracking boards have him as the studio favorite to take over.
Yates is currently in the editing room putting the finishing touches to the last of the Harry Potter movies which presumably makes him available for The Hobbit.
Slashfilm's case for Yates hinges on him having experience with big screen fantasy adaptations and a relationship with Warner Bros.
Personally I would think having spent the last few years making Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows parts 1 and 2 he would want a change from Wizards and such.
In the Hobbit forum there are strong cases being made for several directors including Sam Raimi, Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton and of course Peter Jackson.
I was playing around with the Tim Burton idea until forum regular Halfwise commented "The inevitable casting of Johnny Depp as Bilbo chills my marrow."
Peter Jackson is the obvious fans favorite but he's not making the right noises - or at least his agent isn't. The fact is PG has a long list of projects and for him to be able to step in would mean some other studio would have to be willing to tear up his contract. That's not going to happen - unless Tintin flops of course - as the saying goes, in Hollywood you're only as good as your last movie.
My personal choice would be Kenneth Branagh. I wasn't even aware he was back behind the camera until last week watching the BAFTA's they announced he couldn't collect his best actor award (for his lead in Wallender) because he was currently in America directing the movie 'Thor'
Branagh has a proven track record in bringing great works of literature to the big screen. He's also been out of film making for a while which means he doesn't currently have the stature or the ego to start demanding to be allowed to 'stamp' his style on the movie.  Presumably he would be happy to go along with the foundation work already done by GDT and PJ, seeing the value of being associated with The Hobbit and working with PJ and Weta.
Thor the movie is based on the Marvel comic book hero so presumably he's had the chance to play around with the latest special effects tools and ok this is pushing it a bit but Thor is from Norse mythology which has strong links to Tolkien's world. Its only a short walk from Asgard to Middle Earth.
The more I think about it the more I like the idea. If he does a good job with Thor and he's available at the right time then Kenneth Branagh would definitely be my choice for the hot seat. Who's yours?

[Bromptonboy]

Neill Blomkamp To Direct The Hobbit
Posted: 19 Jun 2010 06:14 AM PDT
Lord of the Rings fan site TheOneRing.net claim they have inside information naming Neill Blomkamp as the new director of The Hobbit. No announcement has yet been made by the studio to verify but their sources are usually spot on.
So who is Neill Blomkamp? He comes from a background of visual effects and animation and was signed to direct his first movie, the adaptation of the Halo video game but the project died before it started due to lack of funds.
Peter Jackson was to produce Halo but when that movie fell through moved on to make District 9 which was an adaptation of Neill Blomkamp's short movie 'Alive in Joburg'
If correct then presumably the appointment of Blomkamp comes from a recommendation from Peter Jackson who both New Line Cinema and MGM have tried to persuade to take over as replacement director.
Although he has little experience it would probably prove difficult to convince a 'name' to come in and take over a project that for the most part only requires the actual shooting to complete.
The screenplays are written, the design of the creatures is done, Hobbiton is being rebuilt as we speak and the casting is underway. Would a Sam Raimi or a Tim Burton be happy coming in and finishing off a Guillermo Del Toro movie? Probably not.
An up and coming film maker such as Neill Blomkamp willing to work under the wing of Peter Jackson is probably the only route left to the studios, especially taking into consideration the short notice being given.
Neill Blomkamp To Direct The Hobbit is a post from: The Hobbit Movie
       

[Bromptonboy]

The Return of the King
Posted: 25 Jun 2010 05:11 PM PDT
Can Middle Earth fans rejoice? - Is it really The Return of the King?
The rumor first mooted by TORN about Neil Blomkamp directing The Hobbit did the rounds and then like most other Hobbit rumors promptly got denied and put to bed.
While Blomkamp and a few others more than likely made it on to a short list of possibles the financial problems of MGM meant that it was unlikely the directors job could be offered to anyone at the moment because a job offer means a salary needs to be paid and a schedule needs to be set in stone.
Much more promising news comes from Deadline who say Peter Jackson is trying to clear his schedule so he can fill the directors chair and finish the story he started over a decade ago with his record breaking Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Peter Jackson is not just the choice of most Middle Earth fans - MGM are desperate for him to take the job because with Jackson on a first dollar gross deal its a huge money saver for the studios.
Original clamours for PJ to step in were originally shot down in flames by his management team who said it was a none starter due to other commitments. However just last week Jackson told one of the New Zealand newspapers:
"If that's what I have to do to protect Warner Brothers' investment, then obviously that's one angle which I'll explore."
Its not just Warner Bros investment that needs protecting of course. Jackson and his team have already commited a huge amount of time to the project and all these hold ups must have him just as frustrated as the rest of us.
According to the Deadline report MGM bosses are being told they need to find some money fast to get The Hobbit back on track.
Lets all hope this one turns into fact and we can all rejoice at The Return of the King.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Maybe this time if they pay Jackson the amount he is due, he'll finish the movie.  I am really happy he is coming back though.  But geez, pay the man.  Good grief.

King

[Meds]

Agreed Tim and thanks Brompty for all the updates. PJ is obvious for all fans, he knows the story inside out, developed the script etc etc. They just need to stop messing around, pay the guy and wait fir the rewards because we all know with him in the chair it will succeed :)

[Bromptonboy]

Agreed Tim and thanks Brompty for all the updates. PJ is obvious for all fans, he knows the story inside out, developed the script etc etc. They just need to stop messing around, pay the guy and wait fir the rewards because we all know with him in the chair it will succeed :)

Amen!  Gandalf is not getting any younger either and may be tempted to depart for the West beyond the sea...I would hate to see a Dumbledore happen to that character...

(isn't that terrible of me to think that way!)

:)

[Feathers]

Agreed Tim and thanks Brompty for all the updates. PJ is obvious for all fans, he knows the story inside out, developed the script etc etc. They just need to stop messing around, pay the guy and wait fir the rewards because we all know with him in the chair it will succeed :)

Amen!  Gandalf is not getting any younger either and may be tempted to depart for the West beyond the sea...I would hate to see a Dumbledore happen to that character...

(isn't that terrible of me to think that way!)

:)

Probably, but I agree with the sentiment.

[Bromptonboy]

Sylvester McCoy In The Hobbit?
Posted: 17 Jul 2010 04:36 AM PDT
Peter Jackson is currently on a mini world tour reportedly visiting the various actors penciled in for Hobbit roles. Having just flown out of London it was surely only a matter of time for the Hobbit rumours to start here in the UK.
Screenrush are the first off the mark with a report of Sylvester McCoy being signed up for the role of Bilbo Baggins.
Apparently they bumped into McCoy - best known as the 7th Doctor Who - at a theater in London and were given the news not by McCoy but a source 'close to him.'
The source told them McCoy had got 'the second biggest lead' in The Hobbit.
Sylvester McCoy's agent declined to comment but didn't deny the story although even if its not true why would he kill a story set to do the rounds and bring his client lots of free publicity?
Screenrush speculate he may be given the part of an older Bilbo Baggins looking back on his life and telling the story of his journey there and back again.
McCoy was said to have been very close to getting the role of Bilbo in Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy but just lost out to Sir Ian Holm.
Meanwhile it seems Peter Jackson isn't waiting on the paperwork to seal his deal as director. Reports suggest he is working on the presumption that Warner Bros. are about to do a deal and buy MGM's shares of The Hobbit so the project can kick on again.
Sylvester McCoy In The Hobbit? is a post from: The Hobbit Movie
     
I have to say - he will be an EXCELLENT Bilbo!

[Geekyfanboy]

http://blastr.com/2010/09/this-may-be-nothing-or.php?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Leaked document may show how The Hobbit ending will be changed

This may be nothing, just another random Internet rumor based on not much. Or it may be the first inklings of how Peter Jackson et al are planning to change the ending of The Hobbit to make it more cinematic. Please notice the emphasis on the word "may" as there is a lot of conjecture here.

What's got us so interested is a story on the (very reliable) TheOneRing.Net about some casting information they came across.

    ...if things go well with MGM and Spyglass in the next few weeks, 'The Hobbit' will head to production in January, pending negotiations with [Martin] Freeman and filming could tie up actors for a year. (January happens to be an excellent weather month to shoot at the Hobbiton set.)

    And, inadvertently, we know of a possible change to the plot. The character summary says:

        although . . . he doesn't have huge courage he does become, particularly in the last battle, very brave.

    As readers will remember, Bilbo is mostly knocked out for "the last battle" which we can assume is The Battle of Five Armies. (That title would mean very little to some actors.) No filmmaker, definitely including producer and probable director Peter Jackson could resist filming and showing such a battle with all its action and emotional wallop, despite the titular character from the source glossing over it (and that is obvious with no spy information at all). But this information is a possible plot reveal that Bilbo will remain conscious and the 'film Bilbo' will get to see wonders of battle that 'book Bilbo' never did and perhaps play a brave role.

This sounds like it could be true to us because is it's exactly the kind of change we'd expect to see Jackson make as he translates the pages of The Hobbit into film. (Another reason is that a lot of solid information has come out of production and casting documents over the years.)

He made quite a few adjustments to The Lord of the Rings story as well, and most of those made similar sense and turned out well. So although this is pretty thin (one line in a casting document that may or may not even be real), we think it's worth taking note of and remembering as The Hobbit continues to movie forward, if you're the kind of person interested in such things.

For the record, if all the above is true, we're perfectly fine with this potential revision to the end of The Hobbit for exactly the reasons TheOneRing.Net outlines.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

That's a change I could live with.  If that's the "worst" thing they change in the movie, I'll live ;)

King

[Bromptonboy]

In a joint statement today movie studios behind The Hobbit movies, Warner Bros, New Line and MGM said they were "exploring all alternative options in order to protect our business interests."
This comes after Peter Jacksons press conference yesterday where he said he was looking to Eastern Europe for an alternative filming location.
Trouble started on Monday when acting unions called for an international boycott of The Hobbit until it's producers accepted New Zealand Equity's right to negotiate on behalf of it's members for minimum rights.
The call came from an Australian actors union, the MEAA, which quickly got backing from other major acting unions in America and the UK
The MEAA said makers of The Hobbit had refused to enter into a union negotiated agreement and advised members not to accept work on the movie.
They also claim to have the support of Sir Ian McKellen who is due back in Middle Earth to reprise his role as Gandalf.
In response to the threats of taking the movie to Eastern Europe the union released a statement saying:
"We have been seeking the opportunity to meet with the production for over a month now to discuss the minimum terms and conditions for New Zealand actors on The Hobbit," Jennifer Ward-Lealand, President of the NZ Actors Equity said today.
"NZ Actors Equity is concerned that local actors working on the production receive a fair and equitable contract, just as their international colleagues will do."
"This is only fair."
"Once again we have written to Peter Jackson's production office seeking a meeting to resolve this."
There is a union meeting in Auckland tonight with details being released in the moring – local time.

[Geekyfanboy]

I understand both sides to this.. but I think New Zealand is shooting themselves in the foot.. there are plenty of other countries that will roll out the red carpet to get The Hobbit to film in their country.

[Bryancd]

I understand both sides to this.. but I think New Zealand is shooting themselves in the foot.. there are plenty of other countries that will roll out the red carpet to get The Hobbit to film in their country.

Having been there, I can tell you that New Zealand has basically built it's entire tourism industry around LOTR. It's EVERYWHERE. Curiously, it's actually very much resented by a great many of the population (ie those NOT directly involved in the tourism industry and who don't understand macro-economics either it seems). This is posturing and looking for leverage, but it really is a big cluster you know what at this point. They would be fools to not accommodate the filming in country and I would be shocked if they don't eventually come to an agreement.

[Blackride]

I understand both sides to this.. but I think New Zealand is shooting themselves in the foot.. there are plenty of other countries that will roll out the red carpet to get The Hobbit to film in their country.

The U.S. does it all the time :)

[Blackride]

I understand both sides to this.. but I think New Zealand is shooting themselves in the foot.. there are plenty of other countries that will roll out the red carpet to get The Hobbit to film in their country.

Having been there, I can tell you that New Zealand has basically built it's entire tourism industry around LOTR. It's EVERYWHERE. Curiously, it's actually very much resented by a great many of the population (ie those NOT directly involved in the tourism industry and who don't understand macro-economics either it seems). This is posturing and looking for leverage, but it really is a big cluster you know what at this point. They would be fools to not accommodate the filming in country and I would be shocked if they don't eventually come to an agreement.

Obviously it's not all about the money to those people.