Peter Jackson directs "The Hobbit"

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From Yahoo

This just in: there's a report of snow flurries in hell.

"Bury the hatchet, boys! There's profit to be had!"

Hmm I wonder if WETA will be making a Smaug statue...

YESYESYES!!!!

What, no Uwe Boll? Awwww.

RichyRambo wrote:

"Bury the hatchet, boys! There's profit to be had!"

What gave you that idea? That they're splitting it into two movies, perhaps? I wonder where the split will take place. Maybe when Bilbo finds the ring, followed by a quick reveal of Gollum and then a year's wait.

The split should benefit the final battle scene. I'd really like to see that. And since they are splitting it, I don't think 3 hours will be necessary for each film. Something over 2 should be fine.

I'm glad Jackson is involved as Executive Producer but I wonder if the film will suffer with him not on set everyday.

EDIT: There's a good chance it'll be fine. I remember watching the special features for LOTR and so much was filmed second, third, or even fourth unit, if I recall.

A caveat: the report only confirms he's producing. Directing is still up in the air and may not happen due to his schedule for the next couple years.

You know, the Hobbit still rates very high on my all time favorite reads list. It gave birth to a whole new world of imagination and offered the first fury-footed step down the path to becoming a writer.

I'd love to see this story come to full glorious life on the big screen.

My family shall be making a sacrificial offering of flowers, incensed candles, and cake tonight at our sacred Peter Jackson shine.

It says they will split the movie into two films, I'm not sure how that will work out...The Hobbit could make it into one film, I believe.

I wonder where the split will take place. Maybe when Bilbo finds the ring, followed by a quick reveal of Gollum and then a year's wait.

The split should benefit the final battle scene. I'd really like to see that. And since they are splitting it, I don't think 3 hours will be necessary for each film. Something over 2 should be fine.

Yeah, I could see it split logically into two shorter movies, like an hour and a half or two hours each. The first movie would have to go well past Gollum, though, since there isn't a whole lot that happens before that. I would imagine that the first film would cover the events up to the first rescue by the eagles, and ending either just before or just after the visit with Beorn. Two longer films definitely could run the risk of stretching the source material a bit thin, though.

Quintin_Stone wrote:

What, no Uwe Boll? Awwww.

Everytime you say that, even in jest, Uwe Boll gets another 1 million dollars for his movies and he celebrates by punching the only orphan in the cancer ward.

As far as the amount of the material to warrant 2 movies goes, my guess/hope is that they're going to front-load the Hobbit story with some Silmarillion goodness!!

zeroKFE wrote:

Two longer films definitely could run the risk of stretching the source material a bit thin, though.

I agree, unless they include the hinted-at storyline of the witch-king's defeat in Mirkwood. Seeing that the first half of Fellowship was told from Gandalf's perspective, this might just happen.

My kids loved the trilogy even more than I did. For the youngest, the movies gave imagery to some of those fabled creatures she was unfamiliar with, enriching her experience. We have since reread the books, and listened to them on tape as a family. Its been a great literary experience. We are all looking forward to the Hobbit.

~ Val

The Hobbit, was the first novel I read as a kid of my own choice, so it still holds a special place in my heart. This is great news. I would've thought one long film would be enough, but I suppose two will give them the freedom not to cut any corners....

I wonder just what percentage of NZ's GDP is tied up in hobbits and sailboats?

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

As far as the amount of the material to warrant 2 movies goes, my guess/hope is that they're going to front-load the Hobbit story with some Silmarillion goodness!!

They won't be able to do that. The Tolkien Estate hasn't allowed anyone to touch anything from the Silmarillion.

Why not? I think that would make one kick ass anime series.

Quintin_Stone wrote:

What, no Uwe Boll? Awwww.

Speak not his name, lest you invoke another crappy movie.

Two movies? Way to slice up that fat money cake.

Woo!

Wow, two movies is really a suprise. Hopefully Jackson is part of the Book-to-Screenplay writers as they did that very will in Lord of the Rings. I just wonder what they will call the movies. A split somewhere between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood would make the most sence.

I know the two movie idea isn't very well received by everyone here, but I am all for that if it avoids the crammedalltogetherrushedfeel that some other movies have fallen to.

I'm all for two movies, so long as they're excellent. I'm far happier paying $20 for something excellent than $10 for something rushed or incomplete. And I'll probably buy them as well. The whole equation hinges on the quality however, not the number or length.

I am in favor of two films if that means they won't cut out all the dwarf love like they did with the LoTR movies. I have been afraid of a Hobbit movie for a while now because of how little credit Gimli got in Peter Jackson's movies. They will probably add a couple more elves to the party so they can kill everything while the dwarves look on in amazement :(.

ShadeRaven wrote:

I know the two movie idea isn't very well received by everyone here, but I am all for that if it avoids the crammedalltogetherrushedfeel that some other movies have fallen to.

After seeing The Golden Compass, I would prefer they do anything it takes to avoid that feeling for The Hobbit. It's pretty lame to try and portray an epic journey in 120 minutes.

Two films? Ugh. The book just isn't that complex. I've seen what happens when Peter Jackson indulges his director freak, it's called King Kong and it was 1-1.5 hours too long.

Gameraotaku wrote:

I am in favor of two films if that means they won't cut out all the dwarf love like they did with the LoTR movies. I have been afraid of a Hobbit movie for a while now because of how little credit Gimli got in Peter Jackson's movies. They will probably add a couple more elves to the party so they can kill everything while the dwarves look on in amazement :(.

Aye laddie, twas Jackson's portrayal of dwarves that irked me with his films. I mean really, comedy relief? Gimili got a raw deal there. But since dwarves play a much larger role in the Hobbit, I have high hopes that they won't be relegated to that role again.

souldaddy wrote:

Two films? Ugh. The book just isn't that complex.

I disagree. I don't think 2-3 hours would be enough to do justice to:

* An introduction to hobbits, Hobbiton and Bilbo in particular
* The party with the dwarves
* The 3 trolls
* Rivendell
* The Misty Mountains, and the orcs
* What happens to Thorin & co w/ said orcs
* Bilbo finding the ring, meeting Gollum and the riddle contest
* All the stuff in Mirkwood: Beorn, spiders, wolves, Eagles, Sting, that awesome scene where Bilbo climbs the tallest tree and sees only trees for miles
* Getting captured by wood-elves, and their imprisonment
* Escaping in the barrels
* Lake-town and setting up who Bard is
* The Lonely mountain, the thrush, the secret door
* Smaug, stealing the cup, killing Smaug, etc.
* The whole Arkenstone thing
* The War of the Five Armies
* Thorin's death
* Returning home

Plus, all the stuff that Gandalf was up to, and how it fits into everything we already know from the Lord of the Rings movies. And all the awesome songs. And some extended battle scenes. And extra time allotted for the patented Peter Jackson slo-mo sequences. And maybe a Hugo Weaving cameo. So on and so on.

All that's a lot for one movie. I definitely think two could work, and preserve that epic feel from the novel.

souldaddy wrote:

Two films? Ugh. The book just isn't that complex. I've seen what happens when Peter Jackson indulges his director freak, it's called King Kong and it was 1-1.5 hours too long.

He makes a good point.

According to AICN:

"One will be an adaptaion of J.R.R. Tolkien's THE HOBBIT. The second project is believed to be a bridge between THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy - culled from the titanic amount of periphery/ancillary/notated material found in Tolkien's works."

Ew.

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