The Hobbit

[Geekyfanboy]

Del Toro Hobbit News Imminent?

Director Guillermo del Toro told fans at New York Comic Con that the announcement may come as early as this week that he will be helming the Peter Jackson-produced Hobbit movies. Or not.

"It's my personal belief that in the next four of five days ... we will know if we were able to conclude every legal thing that is pending for me to be able to do it or not," del Toro said on April 19 in a panel to promote his upcoming fantasy sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

Del Toro added: "I can assure you that very soon we will know, and that's all I can say about that. Because, frankly, you wake up to a lawsuit of the week. I hope I get to do it."

In answer to another query, about his long-delayed pet project, a film adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness, del Toro said: "Unfortunately, I keep saying this, they don't finance it. That movie I can't finance out of pocket, which I do when I can, because it's huge to create that city and world."

The Hobbit is envisioned as two films, with the first to come out in 2010. Hellboy II: The Golden Army opens in theaters July 11. --Tara Bennett

[Geekyfanboy]

Whoo Hoo.. if Jackson isn't directing I think this is the second best person.

Guillermo del Toro will direct Hobbit

After months of rumors, speculation and conflicting reports, it's finally official: Guillermo del Toro will direct The Hobbit and its sequel for New Line and MGM.

The announcement came Thursday afternoon jointly from exec producers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, New Line president Toby Emmerich, and Mary Parent, newly named chief of MGM's Worldwide Motion Picture Group reports Variety.

New Line is overseeing development and will manage production. Both films are being co-produced and co-financed by New Line Cinema and MGM, with Warner Bros. distributing domestically and MGM handling international.

Del Torro will move to New Zealand to film The Hobbit and its sequel. The films are expected to cover the 60 years leading up to the start of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The films will be filmed back to back.

While a script isn't yet finalized, it's expected the writing team of Jackson, Walsh and Philippa Boyens who worked on the adaption of the Lord of the Rings novels will collaborate with del Toro for these two films. Filming could begin as early as next year with a target date of 2011 and 2012 for the two films to be in theaters.

[Jobydrone]

I'm sure these will be great, but I feel like I would prefer one three hour movie rather than splitting it up over two years and two films.  I mean I can hardly stand waiting a week until the next BSG, waiting a whole year to conclude a movie is too much for me.  I've always felt that cliffhanger endings for major motion pictures are cheap shots.

[Geekyfanboy]

Well rumor has it that the first movie will be the Hobbit novel so the story will be complete.. the next movie is what happens in the 60 years between The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings... I don't think there is anything written about that time in Middle Earth.

[Geekyfanboy]

Guillermo del Toro Chats with TORN About 'The Hobbit' Films!

April 25th, 2008 by xoanon | Discuss

Guillermo Del Toro 2In an exclusive interview with TheOneRing.net, Guillermo del Toro talks about Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Howard Shore, Animatronics vs CGI, the 'tone' of the upcoming 'Hobbit' films and much more!

We had the opportunity to chat with Guillermo del Toro this morning from his current HQ in London. He's hard at work putting the finishing touches on 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army' and taking interviews from news outlets about that film, and the recent announcement that he'll be doing 'The Hobbit' and a subsequent Hobbit sequel down the line.

First things first, YES, that is him on our message boards, he told me he intends to post there as often as he humanly can. And yes, he is as cool and approachable as he sounds. Take a look at my interview!

How did this whole process get started?

GDT: I met Peter (Jackson) a long time ago when we were planning on doing 'Halo' together, I really love how they have that setup in New Zealand, I call it 'Hollywood the way God intended it'. New Zealand has all the technical advantages when doing a big movie and you are shooting it in paradise, both in terms of artistic freedom and commitment.

When 'Halo' didn't happen, Peter and I stayed in contact on a regular basis, and last winter I started getting inklings that 'The Hobbit' may come this way, mainly from the studio. The first thing I said was that I would only be interested if Peter was involved and the (New Line Lawsuit) problem gets resolved. When that issue was resolved I got a call from Peter and we chatted, and it started from then, it was my Christmas gift!

Fans are all abuzz about 'The Second Film', can you tell some of your plans for it?

GDT: You know, I traveled to New Zealand just a little while ago, and one of the main reasons for going was to sit down and talk about the second film. 'The Hobbit', the book, is really one self-contained film, so for the second movie we sat down and worked it out. When we did this we got really excited because this second film is not a 'tag on', it's not 'filler', it's an integral part of telling the story of those 50 years of history lost in the narrative. There will be certain things that we will see from the first movie but from a different point of view, but it will feel like a volume, in the 5 volumes of the entire story. It will not feel like a bridge, I've been hearing it called 'a bridge film', it's not, it's an integral chapter of the story, and I think we're all on the same page.

You will be moving down to New Zealand for 4 years, is that right?

GDT: Approximately, my whole family, but the first stages of design and R&D will be done with me going back and fourth from LA and New Zealand because there are a lot of things I need to put to bed before I finally move to New Zealand. I'm going much sooner than my relatives would like!

We will officially be doing a lot of prep on 'The Hobbit' this summer, there is so much to do, its amazing. Just the reforestation of The Shire, re planting all those trees and plants will take months, and we're going to be as exact as possible.

Films like 'Pan's Labyrinth' used a few studio sets to simulate outdoors, will you be doing the same for 'The Hobbit' or will you be making use of New Zealand's wilderness like Peter did?

GDT: I think green screen photography is exactly like CGI, it is a tool, I don't think it should be overused. Things like 'Pan's Labyrinth' and 'The Devil's Backbone' are incredibly dependent on location, we shot on location for more than half the time. Those locations can be enhanced by technology however, both digital and physical. What I would like to avoid is the recreation of the natural environments in CG, I don't like doing that. The movie is essentially a journey movie, I think you need to use locations as much as possible.

You'll be using WETA Digital for the effects?

GDT: Yes, the essential elements for keeping continuity are on track, in the last few weeks I've been chatting with a ton of people via email, phone, and in person from the previous films. People like Andy Serkis, Sir Ian McKellen, Howard Shore, John Howe, Gino Acevedo, Richard Taylor next week I'm meeting Alan Lee. I'm doing this to ensure that whatever we do we keep continuity with the other films, yes it's a world that is slightly more golden at the beginning, a very innocent environment.

What I'm trying to do is keep the elements in place but allow you to feel a progression from 'The Hobbit' until 'The Return of the King'. I believe 'The Hobbit' is a very crucial volume in The Lord of the Rings, it is a narrative that starts out very much in an innocent and golden way. It is permeated from England going through World War One, so there is a loss of innocence and a darker tone as the book and the film progresses. We'll be doing that in the first film, taking you from a time of more purity to a darker reality throughout the film, but I think that is in the spirit of the book. All these guys, Alan Lee, John Howe, these guys are integral for us to map out that progress in the two movies, and allow you to completely blend in to the universe that is already in place. But this will be a progression, it should not feel at the start of the film that this is the same time (as the beginning of 'Fellowship'). 50 years in Shire time, is not the same as 50 years in human time, if you think about how our world has changed in only 7 or 8 years, you can think of it as decades of turmoil, those 50 years in Middle-earth.

Do you have any roles cast?

GDT: Well, I had the most charming meeting with Sir Ian, and all bureaucracy pending, he's on board, as is Andy Serkis. We will continue giving you progress reports as the occur. It is our intention that we will not lose any of the key elements.

What will differ from your films versus Peter's?

The only thing I will be pushing for more in these films that the other three are full animatronics and animatronic creatures enhanced with CGI, as opposed to CGI creatures themselves. We really want to take the state-of-the-art animatronics and take a leap ten years into the future with the technology we will develop for the creatures in the movie. We have every intention to do for animatronics and special effects what the other films did for virtual reality.

Another thing people will notice, at the beginning of the film will be the palette, that will be slightly different, the world will be the same but it will be a more 'golden' world, a more wide-eyed world. But by no means will we depart from the canon, we will take the three previous films as canon. When I become part of a world that I love, such as this, I really come with a lot of enthusiasm and hard work, and we know we are recreating and creating a world that is part of the mythos of millions of people and we will approach it as passionately and respectfully as it needs to be taken.

[Bryancd]

That sounds great. I can attest to Hobbitown still being intact! It's a tourist destination and I was there 2 years ago! Here is Bag End, the Party Tree and Lake, and the path Gandalf arrives on.

[Geekyfanboy]

McKellen Returns as Gandalf

Actor Ian McKellen (X-Men) will return to the Shire in his familiar role as the great wizard Gandalf the Gray in the upcoming trilogy of films to be based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit."

McKellen, now 68, made the announcement in the latest edition of Empire Magazine.

The last time we saw him in Tolkien's universe was in the "Lord of the Rings" (LOTR) trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson.

For the Hobbit films Jackson will stay out of the center seat, at least for the first one and second one, and famed "Pan's Labyrinth" filmmaker Guillermo del Toro will direct entries one and two. Jackson will act as the film's producer.

"Yes, it's true," McKellen said. "I spoke to Guillermo in the very room that Peter Jackson offered me the part and he confirmed that I would be reprising the role. Obviously, it's not a part that you turn down, I loved playing Gandalf."

"The Hobbit" will enjoy the same gorgeous scenery as the LOTR because all three of the films will also be shot on locations throughout New Zealand.

The shooting schedule is all set for next year with film number one slated for release sometime in 2010 and the second in 2011. All three movies will be filmed back-to-back as was done with the LOTR.

[Blackride]

http://www.mania.com/hobbit-enters-preproduction-returning-cast_article_58417.html

[Rico]

About time!

[Geekyfanboy]

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.

[Meds]

So looking forward to this, he's a great director and i'm so happy that Sir ian is on board and of course the great Andy Serkis as well. Top stuff.

[Geekyfanboy]

Hugo Weaving to Return for The Hobbit
Source: TheOneRing.net
June 12, 2009

Guillermo del Toro has confirmed in a chat with BBC Radio 5's Simon Mayo (at the 02:10:55 mark) that Hugo Weaving will reunite with Andy Serkis and Ian McKellen in The Hobbit.

Del Toro says the trio will return "...as the roles they originated in the trilogy." Weaving of course played Elrond in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

The first of the two films is scheduled to be released in December of 2011 followed by the second in December of 2012.

[Meds]

Time for ANOMALY to do the rings trilogy day. May do that myself. Andy Serkis is coming back as well.

[Ktrek]

This doesn't sound good.


DeadlineHollywood is reporting that MGM held a very long conference call with bondholders/lenders that caused lots of people to become "very loud and very upset." It turns out MGM is on the verge of bankruptcy.

The story, which is being heavily covered, says MGM is $3.5 billion in debt and has requested that the bondholders waive the company's interest payments until February 2010. The bondholders know that they probably won't get all their money back if MGM goes bankrupt, since it's only worth about $1.5 billion.

Bondholders are leaning towards bankruptcy so they can recover as much money as possible rather than run the risk.

According to reports, if MGM goes bankrupt then it will lose the rights to James Bond (to pay part of the debt) and "The Hobbit" could be delayed until the rights could be negotiated to interested parties like New Line Cinema or Warner Bros.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

This doesn't sound good.


DeadlineHollywood is reporting that MGM held a very long conference call with bondholders/lenders that caused lots of people to become "very loud and very upset." It turns out MGM is on the verge of bankruptcy.

The story, which is being heavily covered, says MGM is $3.5 billion in debt and has requested that the bondholders waive the company's interest payments until February 2010. The bondholders know that they probably won't get all their money back if MGM goes bankrupt, since it's only worth about $1.5 billion.

Bondholders are leaning towards bankruptcy so they can recover as much money as possible rather than run the risk.

According to reports, if MGM goes bankrupt then it will lose the rights to James Bond (to pay part of the debt) and "The Hobbit" could be delayed until the rights could be negotiated to interested parties like New Line Cinema or Warner Bros.

Cute, I wonder how they got into debt and why they are now revealing it.  Sheesh.  This sort of thing always sickens me how it takes forever for companies to say: hey, we're in debt, your screwed, have a nice day....*sigh*

King