Official The Hobbit thread

[Octoberist]

Yeah, it's kinda weird because Saoirse said "Yeah IF I was asked, certaintly." It sounds like she's open to it but has not been asked, unless Jackson and her are spinning it.

 

[Passdom]

She is a great actress in the making. If she had a role in the movie it would only be good news imo.

 

[Octoberist]

Her and Michael Fassbender!

 

[Dark Sentinel]

Actually, has anyone ever contemplated Dol Guldur's design? John and I were talking about it, and he said I had a "good guess" as to its design (however I was wrong, haha): I imagined a fortress comprising a single stone tower, not very tall, but surrounded by four or five concentric and interconnected stone walls, almost mimicking the Seven Gates of Gondolin from the first age of Middle-earth but in a more sinister or perverted design. Thus in the distance, the fortress would appear to be a hill. Hence "Hill of Sorcery".

 

[Octoberist]

I love how John Howe and Alan Lee are back again, as major players of the Jackson team!

 

[Dark Sentinel]

Yup, Howe's back doing conceptual artwork, and according to Dean Wright Alan Lee is pulling double duty as a VFX supervisor with weta digital in addition to conceptual art and set decorating

 

[Octoberist]

I just hope that Lee, as smart as a man that he is, understands the VFX worklord...

You know what I mean? The naivety that comes when your background is not visual effects.

 

[Dark Sentinel]

Well he got his feet wet on LoTR, don't see any reason why he wouldnt


Btw...all Tolkien fans should check out the "Smashwords" link in my sig not spamming, but I promise you'll like what you find

 

[Jackasscoley15]

New video of Elijah discussing his role:

EXCLUSIVE: Elijah Wood Dishes On His 'Hobbit' Role!

Two weeks ago, news broke that Elijah Wood will be returning to Middle-Earth (a.k.a. New Zealand) as beloved Shire-dweller Frodo for a small role in Peter Jackson's two-part "LOTR" prequel "The Hobbit" -- and now MTV News has scored some exclusive details on the cameo from Wood himself.

While at the Sundance Film Festival to promote the Adam Yauch-directed Beastie Boys short "Fight for Your Right Revisited," Wood opened up to MTV about why he's excited for his "Hobbit" role, what it might entail and why J.R.R. Tolkein purists need not fret -- or snarl like Gollum -- at the idea of Frodo's inclusion in the films (he wasn't in the book). Check out the interview below.

"It's a gift to be able to go back to New Zealand," Wood said. "I mean, it's largely the same crew and the same creative team. It's seven years since we finished on the last film, and it's an opportunity to go back and have a reunion with everyone."

While it's true that Frodo hadn't been born when the events of J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Hobbit" occur -- the story follows Frodo's Uncle Bilbo's quest to destroy the dragon Smaug -- Wood insists that purists need not worry that the films will do injustice to the tome.

"You know, it's a very small piece, and I think that's the most appropriate," he said of his part in the films. "Obviously Frodo's not alive within the context of the 'Hobbit' piece."

So how will Frodo be incorporated? Reports have suggested that the "Hobbit" films will unfold as a story being told in flashback, perhaps with someone reading Bilbo's fictional book "The Hobbit, or There and Back Again" to a group. Our theory -- and hope -- is that Gandalf will unspool the "Hobbit" tale whilst the entire Fellowship of the Ring sits around a campfire in the midst of their "LOTR" quest to destroy the One Ring. That would be a nice way to get the whole original crew back together for sure.

And, judging by what Wood told us, it's a definite possibility. "It's an idea that Peter and Fran [Walsh] and Philippa [Boyens] -- the writers -- came up with," Wood said of how he'll be incorporated. "The way that it'll fit in will not at all infringe upon the integrity of 'The Hobbit.' So I think it's -- it'll fit. And it'll be appropriate. And I'm excited. It'll be great."

 

[Marx]

A flashback-style retelling would be ok.

 

[green]

As much as I still dislike the idea...I have faith in Jackson and his team.

 

[Dark Sentinel]

I'm all for Frodo being in the Hobbit. It seems very appropriate (and smart on the filmmakers' part) to nod back to LOTR for casual fans who only know of the films. But it does make sense, since Frodo would have read the Red Book before writing in it.

 

[regwec]

The LOTR movies where very successful without "nodding back" to anything, so I fail to see why it is necessary for The Hobbit to "nod back" (or forward) to LOTR. After all, people have bought their tickets by the time they are sitting in front of the screen.

 

[Doc Ock]

A flashback-style retelling would be ok.

I love the idea!

 

[Dark Sentinel]

The LOTR movies where very successful without "nodding back" to anything, so I fail to see why it is necessary for The Hobbit to "nod back" (or forward) to LOTR. After all, people have bought their tickets by the time they are sitting in front of the screen.

It's all in the eye of the beholder reg..some will love it, some will hate it. I personally am in favor since the book itself is a lot smaller than even Fellowship, so they need to make some sort of expansion to interconnect them.

 

[LOBO3315a]

Yeah, that's not a bad way to do it

I just think the parting scene in the 2nd movie should be a slow pan in onto the Ring, then a snap to the Great Eye, then cut to black.

 

[Jackasscoley15]

If they get Ian Holm back (like some are speculating), I can see it being very moving. If that happens, I would assume he would be telling/reading the story to Frodo in Rivendell; either before Frodo departs for Mordor or on the return journey to the Shire.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Part 1 should end with Gandalf riding away and it is about to end when --

Frodo wakes up and it's the beginning of The Two Towers!

"What is is Mr. Frodo?"

"Nothing... just a dream."

Cut to black.

BRRRRRRMMMMMMMMM.

 

[Jackasscoley15]

Yeah, that's not a bad way to do it

I just think the parting scene in the 2nd movie should be a slow pan in onto the Ring, then a snap to the Great Eye, then cut to black.

Eh, I'm not sure that would be entirely appropriate for this specific story, a little bit too cheesy.

On top of that, the ring has not yet "awoken" during the time of The Hobbit, so any reference to The Eye before Fellowship would seem out of place. We also have to remember that Bilbo was able to wear the ring at the beginning of Fellowship, without experiencing any of the evil effects Frodo experienced.

Unless he just decided not to tell Gandalf that he saw a giant flaming eye. t:

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

It's all in the eye of the beholder reg..some will love it, some will hate it. I personally am in favor since the book itself is a lot smaller than even Fellowship, so they need to make some sort of expansion to interconnect them.

Even though there may be less writing in The Hobbit, there is a lot more going on, event wise, than in Fellowship, which goes into description of every little detail a lot more, I don't think they need to add any scenes to the Hobbit movie/s.
I only ever read the Hobbit and Fellowship, I much preferred the Hobbit, which was a childhood fav, I found FOTR to be a bit of a chore tbh, his descriptive writing is v good, but I just wanted it to move forward faster, and did not find the lead character/s to be as interesting or fun. So, i did not go on to read TTT, although, I did read the chapter near the beginning where the Hobbits are captured by the orcs, which was v good indeed.

I am not that bothered either way about the Frodo add on, but yeah, it is not needed, and actually will be a bit distracting, if you want to want to watch the story in sequence, The hobbit then LOTR trilogy, as it will then play as a weird flashforward.

 

[Dark Sentinel]

Part 1 should end with Gandalf riding away and it is about to end when --

Frodo wakes up and it's the beginning of The Two Towers!

"What is is Mr. Frodo?"

"Nothing... just a dream."

Cut to black.

BRRRRRRMMMMMMMMM.

No, that wouldn't work..Peter Jackson is directing, not Nolan!

 

[WarBlade]

Actually, has anyone ever contemplated Dol Guldur's design?

It's already operational...

 

[redhawk23]

The LOTR movies where very successful without "nodding back" to anything, so I fail to see why it is necessary for The Hobbit to "nod back" (or forward) to LOTR. After all, people have bought their tickets by the time they are sitting in front of the screen.

We're Bilbo's stone trolls in the book of Fellowship? I havent read it in close to 10 years, cant remember.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I don't think so. I thought I heard Jackson saying he put it there as just a nod to The Hobbit.

 

[Jackasscoley15]

From page 200 of Fellowship:

Strider walked forward unconcernedly. 'Get up, old stone!' he said, and broke his stick upon the stooping troll.
Nothing happened. There was a gasp of astonishment from the hobbits, and then even Frodo laughed. 'Well!' he said. 'We are forgetting our family history! These must be the very three that were caught by Gandalf, quarrelling over the right way to cook thirteen dwarves and one hobbit.'