The Hobbit will be made!!!

[DuffMan]

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2007/12/18/28150-peter-jackson-and-new-line-cinema-join-with-mgm-to-produce-%e2%80%9cthe-hobbit%e2%80%9d/

Fellow Tolkien fans rejoice!!! At long last Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have reached an agreement and Jackson is set to produce both the Hobbit and a sequel (the sequel will be more of a bridge between The Hobbit and LOTR). Both films will be shot at the same time with the Hobbit coming in 2010 (my guess would be December) and the sequel the following year. It doesn't say who will direct, but I'm hoping PJ does this as well!! I am totally stoked for this, being a huge fan of the trilogy (both novel and film) This legal entanglement has been going on for quite some time and for a while it looked like The Hobbit would never be made I am glad to see this isn't the case. I know the Hobbit will be great, I'm a little skeptical of the sequel, but I won't complain about extra Tolkien goodness!!

Now if they can just make The Silmarillion into a movie as well.......

[Danielos38]

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2007/12/18/28150-peter-jackson-and-new-line-cinema-join-with-mgm-to-produce-%e2%80%9cthe-hobbit%e2%80%9d/

Fellow Tolkien fans rejoice!!! At long last Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have reached an agreement and Jackson is set to produce both the Hobbit and a sequel (the sequel will be more of a bridge between The Hobbit and LOTR). Both films will be shot at the same time with the Hobbit coming in 2010 (my guess would be December) and the sequel the following year. It doesn't say who will direct, but I'm hoping PJ does this as well!! I am totally stoked for this, being a huge fan of the trilogy (both novel and film) This legal entanglement has been going on for quite some time and for a while it looked like The Hobbit would never be made I am glad to see this isn't the case. I know the Hobbit will be great, I'm a little skeptical of the sequel, but I won't complain about extra Tolkien goodness!!

I think I might cry. Thank you god. I love you.

This makes my crappy week rediculously amazing.
Now if they can just make The Silmarillion into a movie as well.......

I think I might cry. Thank you god. I love you.

This makes my crappy week rediculously amazing.

[NewMarketSean]

I agree. Definitely stoked for this. I loved the LOTR movies and the legal battle did get nasty. But I knew in the back of my head the 2 sides would come to an agreement. There is just too much money to be made for both sides. I think New Line caved in because their last few movies have been flops.

And as long as Jackson is involved, I think everything will be OK. I think he will at least direct The Hobbit himself, if not the sequel as well. Heck, might as well make another trilogy!

[bgfield]

What the hell are they going to use as material for the sequel?

[Captain E.]

What the hell are they going to use as material for the sequel?

My thoughts exactly. I'm stoked for the Hobbit, but I don't know how I feel about a non-Tolkien-written sequel.

[gallden]

I wonder if they could do the book into two seperate movies? I hope they stay fairly true to the book this time.

[Gurgi]

Anyone know of any notes Tolkien might of left for the time between the stories? I know there was large amounts of unfinished stuff that he did. Maybe they have a well formed outline to work with. I hope so.

Or it might turn into the travisty of the sequels of "Gone With the Wind."

[square634]

I wonder if they could do the book into two seperate movies? I hope they stay fairly true to the book this time.

LOTR is pretty much the only example I can think of where I liked the movies better than the books. And yes, I have been berated for this opinion by Tolkien fans, but IMO, other than helping to spawn and inspire the fantasy genre, I don't think the books are anything special in their own right. *Ducks under desk*

[gallden]

LOTR is pretty much the only example I can think of where I liked the movies better than the books. And yes, I have been berated for this opinion by Tolkien fans, but IMO, other than helping to spawn and inspire the fantasy genre, I don't think the books are anything special in their own right. *Ducks under desk*

Wow really?! You're the first person I know about that thinks this.
I was watching The fellowship the other day on tnt and it seemed borderline cheesy to me. I def didn't think this when they first came out.

[Mackus]

The Hobbit definitely is a better book to be turned into a movie than the LOTR trilogy was. I'm real excited for this, and I think it'll be very easy to remain quite close to the book whereas that wasn't as possible for LOTR.

[Gurgi]

The Hobbit is shorter. It is a happy book until the very end when greed and other things make it end somewhat sad. It can be a real fun romp and will work well with special effects.

The Hobbit was written before WWII and the FOTR was written after. People belive the horrors of WWII really affected Tolkiens writing.

[PaulFolk]

LOTR is pretty much the only example I can think of where I liked the movies better than the books. And yes, I have been berated for this opinion by Tolkien fans, but IMO, other than helping to spawn and inspire the fantasy genre, I don't think the books are anything special in their own right. *Ducks under desk*
Agreed 100%. I struggled to even get through the books. There were far too many pages wasted on irrelevant details and Elven poetry and freakin' Tom Bombadil or whatever his name was. The over-arching story was a classic, no doubt, but the books got too bogged down in pointless details and didn't move the plot quickly enough.

I much prefer the movies for keeping the important stuff and excising the rest.

[TyCobb]

Can't wait until the battle with the dragon scene.

[bgfield]

Agreed 100%. I struggled to even get through the books. There were far too many pages wasted on irrelevant details and Elven poetry and freakin' Tom Bombadil or whatever his name was. The over-arching story was a classic, no doubt, but the books got too bogged down in pointless details and didn't move the plot quickly enough.

I much prefer the movies for keeping the important stuff and excising the rest.

Agree with this. Tolkien wasn't the best of writers, to put it bluntly.

[scOtt]

What the hell are they going to use as material for the sequel?
I didn't get the feeling that it'd be a sequel... just would split the book into two parts. At some critical juncture. Been a while since I read it.... Maybe Hobbiton to Rivendell, then Rivendel to the conclusion. I don't know...


EDIT: Or a cliffhanger while they're hiding in the cave in the Misty Mountains... then captured by Orcs STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO... :p

[DuffMan]

The Hobbit isn't long enough to be stretched into two films, each book in LOTR was a movie a piece, granted they were long movies, but still only one movie each.

There is plenty of source material at the end of The Return of the King in the appendix that could be used to make a sequel to the Hobbit/prequel to LOTR. Just a few off hand (I'll look at my book later for more) are the meeting of the White Council, The White Council's attack on Dol Guldur causing Sauron to retreat to Mordor, Aragorn and Gandalfs search for Gollum after Gollum leaves the mountain to search for Bilbo, the meeting of Aragorn and Arwen, Frodo's birth and Bilbo taking him as an heir. These are just a few things that they could use.

PaulFolk how can you not like Tom Bombadil!?! He's da man!!!

As much as I love the movies the books are still better IMO. If anyone wants to debate the books versus the movies let me know and I'll gladly nerd it up with the rest of ya:D

Finally, PJ says he is too busy to direct the films and will just produce both of them. There is talk that the studio would be willing to delay the movies so he would have time to direct, but PJ doesn't want the fans to have to wait anymore. If he can't direct them I hope he has alot of say in who gets to direct. (No Sam Rami Pleaseeeeeeeeeee!)

[NewMarketSean]

From Dark Horizons:


Whilst Peter Jackson has been confirmed to be producing New Line's upcoming dual-films based on Tolkien's "The Hobbit", many fans have been left wondering if he or the often rumoured Sam Raimi would sit in the director's chair.

Jackson's manager Ken Kamins tells Entertainment Weekly that "Peter won't be directing because he felt the fans have waited long enough for The Hobbit. It will take the better part of every day of the next four years to write, direct and produce two Hobbit films. Given his current obligations to both The Lovely Bones and Tintin, waiting for Peter, Fran, and Phillippa to write, direct and produce The Hobbit would require the fans wait even longer."

No decision has been made says New Line's co-chair Robert Shaye - "There is obviously a small but significant number of directors who could handle two films of this magnitude, but we have no commitment to anybody. Now that Peter is an integral part of the decision-making process, we all have to see eye-to-eye on any candidate we try to enlist."

The creative powers are expected to start planning the films in early 2008.

[cindyluvsbrady]

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2007/12/18/28150-peter-jackson-and-new-line-cinema-join-with-mgm-to-produce-%e2%80%9cthe-hobbit%e2%80%9d/

Fellow Tolkien fans rejoice!!! At long last Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have reached an agreement and Jackson is set to produce both the Hobbit and a sequel (the sequel will be more of a bridge between The Hobbit and LOTR). Both films will be shot at the same time with the Hobbit coming in 2010 (my guess would be December) and the sequel the following year. It doesn't say who will direct, but I'm hoping PJ does this as well!! I am totally stoked for this, being a huge fan of the trilogy (both novel and film) This legal entanglement has been going on for quite some time and for a while it looked like The Hobbit would never be made I am glad to see this isn't the case. I know the Hobbit will be great, I'm a little skeptical of the sequel, but I won't complain about extra Tolkien goodness!!

Now if they can just make The Silmarillion into a movie as well.......

This is great news!!!

[DuffMan]

Guillermo Del Toro has signed on to direct both films. Since PJ can't direct I really like this move alot. Del Toro is a solid actor with a good resume. Pan's Labyrinth was awesome so I know he can handle the Fantasy genre, and PJ will be over seeing things anyway to make sure this doesn't get screwed up.

[NewMarketSean]

Guillermo Del Toro has signed on to direct both films. Since PJ can't direct I really like this move alot. Del Toro is a solid actor with a good resume. Pan's Labyrinth was awesome so I know he can handle the Fantasy genre, and PJ will be over seeing things anyway to make sure this doesn't get screwed up.

This is about the best thing that could have happened for the LOTR franchise once Jackson elected not to direct them.

[Mackus]

This is about the best thing that could have happened for the LOTR franchise once Jackson elected not to direct them.Agreed, Pan's Labyrinth was a freaking masterpiece. I can't wait to see how cool Del Toro makes the Hobbitt look.

[Tank]

Guillermo Del Toro has signed on to direct both films. Since PJ can't direct I really like this move alot. Del Toro is a solid actor with a good resume. Pan's Labyrinth was awesome so I know he can handle the Fantasy genre, and PJ will be over seeing things anyway to make sure this doesn't get screwed up.

Cool. Del Toro is awesome. Can't wait to see how this turns out.

[DuffMan]

To quote one Lee-Corso. After all of the lawsuits and disputes had been settled, a Director in place, and the end of the writers strike it appeared work would finally commence on The Hobbit! (insert inane Corso chatter here) unfortunately the Tolkien Estate has file a 150 million dollar law suit against New Line. What this means is that there will be no more progress on this movie until this Lawsuit is settled. Ugh, what next!?!?

[NewMarketSean]

If this is true, and New Line hasn't paid the Tolken estate their share from the original movies, then shame on them. How can they think this is proper business etiquette? I hate movie studios.

[DuffMan]

http://www.kristinthompson.net/blog/?p=193

This is a pretty good take on the lawsuit and where both sides stand. To me it does sound like that New Line could be trying to pay money that is owed to the Tolkien Estate. While I am upset that they are suing (only because I want this movie made and made ASAP) I understand why they are doing this.

[DuffMan]

BUMP!

I never posted another updated, but here it is. All things are a go!! While the lawsuit has not been settled yet, it won't prevent the movies from being made or being released. Del Toro is officially on as Director and the wheels are finally in motion. Ian McKellan is already confirmed to come back as Gandalf! That said were still a ways off from the release of the movies. The Hobbit will be out in 2011 and the second film will be out in 2012. My guess is they will come out in December just like the Trilogy did. So who wants to start camping out now??

[Crazy O]

WOw....and I'm reading this all for the frst time! I do agree...J.r.r. TOlkien is extremely prone to rambling....WAAAAAYYY to much poetry.

[DuffMan]

Update. The two movies being made will both be about the Hobbit. No more making the 2nd film a bridge film between the events in the Hobbit and LOTR. I'm curious as to how they will have the Hobbit stretched into 2 movies and not one seeing as this book was shorter than the LOTR. This should lead to less being left out of the movie though, so thats a plus.

[Mackus]

Update. The two movies being made will both be about the Hobbit. No more making the 2nd film a bridge film between the events in the Hobbit and LOTR. I'm curious as to how they will have the Hobbit stretched into 2 movies and not one seeing as this book was shorter than the LOTR. This should lead to less being left out of the movie though, so thats a plus.The extended versions of each LOTR movie are about 4 hours. The Hobbit is roughly the same length as each of the three books, so I think dividing this up into two 2ish-hour long movies is a good idea.

I don't really know where the best break point would be, and I haven't read the book in a while, but I'm excited. I enjoyed the Hobbit a lot more than any of the LOTR books. Maybe not the same character development, but there is a lot more action. And Guillermo del Toro should make this be just an amazing piece of eye candy at the absolute very least.

[scOtt]

The extended versions of each LOTR movie are about 4 hours. The Hobbit is roughly the same length as each of the three books, so I think dividing this up into two 2ish-hour long movies is a good idea.

I don't really know where the best break point would be, and I haven't read the book in a while, but I'm excited. I enjoyed the Hobbit a lot more than any of the LOTR books. Maybe not the same character development, but there is a lot more action. And Guillermo del Toro should make this be just an amazing piece of eye candy at the absolute very least.



I didn't get the feeling that it'd be a sequel... just would split the book into two parts. At some critical juncture. Been a while since I read it.... Maybe Hobbiton to Rivendell, then Rivendel to the conclusion. I don't know...


EDIT: Or a cliffhanger while they're hiding in the cave in the Misty Mountains... then captured by Orcs STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO... :p

I already offered two possibilities. :D

[scOtt]

Wow!



Rush - Rivendell (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_2y3_PZdGI)