Official The Hobbit thread

[Spider-Who?]

It's a fourteen month shoot for both films back-to-back.

If they are able to start filming in January 2011 (which is the tentative plan at this point), they'd finish principal photography in March of 2012. That leaves eight months to finish post-production work on the first film for a Winter 2012 release.

Remember. Almost all of the pre-production work has been completed. All that's left to do is hire a director and cast the roles - which PJ has been holding auditions for over the past few months. As soon as this project is greenlit, they should be able to move into production fairly quickly.

well, bare in mind that they won't be able to start shooting as soon as everyone is cast. At LEAST they'll need a month (it was over 6 weeks for LOTR) for weapons training, horse training, dialect training, costume fitting, etc.

And as far as I know, they haven't built all the sets yet - that its mostly just been in the design phase this entire time, and that they've paused all production due to the MGM issue (though, if any one has any updated info concerning that, i'd love to know). Preproduction started well over a year (nearly two, if memory serves me) before cameras even began to roll, for LOTR and we're not talking about just conceptualizing, but also set building. And I would imagine a 12 month shoot for this movie (LOTR was 16, I believe)

I would love for the movie to be out as soon as possible, yet I also do not want a rushed film. With all that has gone on, I think that PJ would be wise to not rush to meet a deadline that isn't entirely reasonable at this point.

 

[Jackasscoley15]

(LOTR was 16, I believe)

14, not counting pick-ups and reshoots.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Cameron gave good advice actually. Apart of me is excited and nervous with Jackson coming to direct again, but I think this was holding Del Toro back with this MGM thing. If this wasn't going on, it would have been fine, but with all of this, why waste the time?

 

[Jackasscoley15]

Not particularly Hobbit news, but:

Spyglass chiefs ready to lead MGM

EXCLUSIVE: Spyglass' plan to erase MGM debt

Looks like things at MGM are moving along quite nicely, which gives me hope for The Hobbit.

 

[Jackasscoley15]

Peter Jackson Hopeful For Hobbit News Soon

Skipping to the mention of 'The Hobbit'

A decision was still to be made on whether he would direct The Hobbit, which is in limbo while problems are resolved with Warner Bros and MGM, which is heavily in debt and up for sale.

But he said yesterday that Warner Bros was "making progress untangling the MGM situation, so we should have certainty with The Hobbit sometime soon".

I'm hoping "soon" actually means "soon" this time, instead of next year.

You can read the rest of the article at the link, where he also mentions he'd like to film a movie about the Anzacs at Gallipoli, with the approach of the 100th anniversary of the battle on the horizon.

 

[Octoberist]

I hope so.

 

[dark_b]

can you imagine how many movies could PJ do after Lovely Bones and the time the Hobbit will be realesed?

i think 2-3 movies

and all of this time will be spend PJ waiting in hes office for the greenlight. i say this is a disaster. so much talent and he is waiting to make a prequel to hes masterpiece trilogy. and i know how fans are. they will complain how its not the same like LOTR and how he changed. of course he changed. it will be more then 10 years after LOTR.

 

[Donut]

can you imagine how many movies could PJ do after Lovely Bones and the time the Hobbit will be realesed?

i think 2-3 movies

and all of this time will be spend PJ waiting in hes office for the greenlight. i say this is a disaster. so much talent and he is waiting to make a prequel to hes masterpiece trilogy. and i know how fans are. they will complain how its not the same like LOTR and how he changed. of course he changed. it will be more then 10 years after LOTR.

Fan boys will be fan boys

 

[Jackasscoley15]

can you imagine how many movies could PJ do after Lovely Bones and the time the Hobbit will be realesed?

i think 2-3 movies

and all of this time will be spend PJ waiting in hes office for the greenlight. i say this is a disaster. so much talent and he is waiting to make a prequel to hes masterpiece trilogy. and i know how fans are. they will complain how its not the same like LOTR and how he changed. of course he changed. it will be more then 10 years after LOTR.

Dude, not to be mean, but you sound grossly uneducated on what is going on with this movie. First of all, PJ has been hard at work since the announcement of GDT directing in mid-2008. As in, BEFORE the release of The Lovely Bones. So that left the rest of that year for him to work on post-production, while probably also silently working on Tin-tin with Speilberg, which he is producing.

Cut to 2009, where they begin the screen-writing process and "pre"-pre-production of The Hobbit, which he was also executive producing. Mind you he was also shepherding District 9 and producing Tin-tin at this time.

Now we come to late 2009/early 2010, where he has to go through all the hoop-la of premieres and interviews following the release of TLB. We keep hearing rumblings about how the script is almost done and shooting should commence by Spring. Spring comes and goes, and by this time everybody knows nothing is going to happen until MGM's bull**** is solved.

And then the big blow. The director of the project, probably the most important person involved, has to quit due to scheduling conflicts. Which means if the project is to ever get off the ground, PJ has to step up as executive producer and do the best he can to find a new director (whether it be him or not), continue the audition process, and most likely work closely with Warner Bros. to help protect the investment they've already made in the project.

So I'm sorry if I came off a little rude, but I find it disrespectful to a filmmaker to say that they've been "waiting in their office" for a green light, when in fact he's probably out there right now trying to get this thing off the ground, and on to the big screen.





whew... I'm never going to write that much again.

 

[CGHulk]

I want to see these films, two visual effects masterpieces from Weta!

 

[Jackasscoley15]

McCoy up for Radagast?

COWAL GAMES EXCLUSIVE
COWAL Highland Gathering Chieftain Sylvester McCoy enjoyed a warm welcome to his home town of Dunoon on Saturday - and the former Dr Who actor confirmed that he is up for a role in the latest of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.


Mr McCoy told the Standard that contrary to widespread internet rumours, he's not vying for the role of Bilbo in The Hobbit (due to start filming next year) - but is one of two actors being considered for one of the wizard parts.
"I am being cast in The Hobbit," he said. "We're currently in negotiations - there are two of us under consideration. It's not the Bilbo role, but could be bigger."
Resplendent in his 'Cowal Games Bling', Mr McCoy said that the gathering was very important to him.
"It was an honour to be asked to be chieftain," he said. "I'm the Chuffed Chief of Cowal Games. I grew up with the games - it was a big part of my childhood. I remember trying to sneak in without paying - and usually succeeding!"
He'd been enjoying the chance to mingle with locals, many of whom remember him from school days. "There are lots of memories and ghosts coming back. This place really means a lot."
More Cowal Games news later online and special pullout in next week's edition, published Friday September 3.

Interesting, seeing as he was speculated to be in the running for Bilbo not too long ago. Another interesting fact is that he was up for the role of Bilbo in Fellowship of the Ring, as well.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Finally, some casting is at least being talked about that we've actually heard about.

 

[Octoberist]

I've got a feeling that everything will be okay with the project..got a gut feeling that everything's falling into place..

It's funny how the name Radagast is brought up because..I don't remember him at all from "The Hobbit". It seems like he was just briefly mentioned but that was it.

Now let's say Radagast's role has been expanded in The Hobbit into an active role; maybe he's a replacement for Christopher Lee's Saruman. At one point, Gandalf held a meeting that connects The Hobbit to Lord of the Rings, but it was done 'off-page' and I can see Radagast getting involved.

 

[regwec]

You couldn't write Saruman out of the White Council, though. His role in flushing the Necromancer out of Mirkwood provides the background to Gandalf's consultation of, and betrayal by him in LOTR.

If Radagast is going to be a significant character, then it seems likely he could end up providing a bit of comic relief, since he will co habit scenes with such stiffs as Saruman, Elrond, Galadriel etc.

 

[Solidus]

Didn't they cast some one as Radagast in LOTR but never used it? Though his scene was brief in LOTR, just passing by I believe to tell Gandalf that Saruman needed him.

I could have sworn there were pics of him.

 

[Jackasscoley15]

^ That was actually just a WETA employee in costume posing for pics for the LOTR trading card game.

 

[Solidus]

Oh okay lol, nm then. I thought I saw some picture one time, but never really looked into it. I remember I thought the EE of FOTR would have Radagast the Brown in it. But looks like we may get him fighting the necromancer with the council.

 

[regwec]

That's right- they had a card for Tom Bombadil, too. Typically, the imaes caused a minor sensation when they hit the internet, with fans drawing lots of conclusions about the extended dvds about to be released.

In fact, there is no way that Radagast could be inserted into Peter Jackson's LOTR. Radagast's role in the book is as a trusted emissary from Saruman to Gandalf, who unwittingly allows the former to entrap the latter. In the movie, Gandalf makes up his own mind to go and see, "the head of my order [...] He'll know what to do".

The two conclusions you could draw from that are that the Istari in the movies had a much more formalized relationship with each other, and that Gandalf was much less suspicious of Saruman than the book would suggest.

 

[Solidus]

True I remember that Radagast was the one that told Gandalf to seek Saruman in the book. I guess I never thought of it the way you put it, how it would have not worked in Jackson's LOTR.

I knew from long ago that Peter said no Tom, I remember some were really upset, I never was, the only thing that interested me was that the ring was of no concern to him, like he was "above" it. But yea I remember some still thinking he would be in the EE. I only thought that the Brown wizard himself would be in the EE but you made a point that I never thought of.

 

[Armored Avenger]

I think Radagast's role in the film will just be as one of the characters in the White Council scenes and the attack on Dol-Guldor. With the White Council getting a few scenes in The Hobbit that means Cirdan should be included as well, as he was one of the few people actually named by Tolkien as being a member of the Council, unlike many other characters who people just assume would logically have been part of it. I hope he has his beard, as I was always fascinated with the fact that Cirdan had lived for so long that he had entered another phase of elven aging allowing him to grow a beard. I know he appeared in the LOTR films, but it was very briefly and in the background of the Havens scene and out of focus in the background of Galadriel's prologue. I have no problem with the character being re-cast so he can be developed within The Hobbit movies.

 

[Solidus]

I figure that as well. I just hope Lee can do his scenes in LA or what ever. See the corruption of Saruman the white. I'm also interested how they will make the Necromancer(Sauron) look visually. I'm excited for that.

 

[regwec]

Radagast is really a plum character for both the actor and the costume designer. He is a really wild, vagrant-like wizard, close to the hedgerow and to birds and beasts. I always suspect that the devoutly Catholic Tolkien might have based him on John the Baptist.

 

[Jackasscoley15]

I just think it's awesome that they're including the driving of the Necromancer from Mirkwood in the movie. I've always wanted to see what Dol Gulder would look like on the big screen. Probably scary as hell.

 

[regwec]

Yes, though I do hope that the director resists the urge to out-do the megalithic Baradur we saw in LOTR. Mirkwood was, after all, only a kind of safe house for Saruman, before he recovered his power.

 

[Jackasscoley15]

You mean Sauron? t: And I wouldn't be surprised at all if Dol Guldur ended up being huge. It is, after all, a fortress. Check this out:

http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Dol_Guldur