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Post by Chicago Jake on Oct 16, 2010 0:40:33 GMT -6
The saga of the making of "The Hobbit" continues... Guillermo del Toro has been out for a while now, and now we're back to Peter Jackson directing the alleged pair of movies.......Jake (or should that be a "brace of movies") ************************************* Peter Jackson Definitely Directing The HobbitIt’s been decided–the movie adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit will (thankfully!) be directed by The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. Unfortunately, the movie still has another obstacle in its way before a February start date can be confirmed for filming. Warner Brothers’ New Line Cinema unit and MGM are financing the film project–which will be broken into two movies–and a budget has already been drawn up for filming in New Zealand. Yet it seems that a union dispute could prevent local actors and contractors from signing on.  www.theonering.net/torwp/2010/10/15/39126-time-peter-jackson-definitely-directing-the-hobbit/ |
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 16, 2010 5:26:18 GMT -6
I never knew that "brace" was the term of venery for "movie". Oh well, the Ring will wait patiently in the dark until the time is right.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 23, 2010 18:32:35 GMT -6
It looks like they now have a cast in place (Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis have been on board for a long time). Basically a lot of British TV actors. More details at LinkMARTIN FREEMAN – BILBO BAGGINS Martin John C. Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Tim Canterbury in the BBC’s Golden Globe-winning comedy The Office, Arthur Dent in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Dr. John Watson in Sherlock. RICHARD ARMITAGE – THORIN OAKENSHIELD Richard Armitage (born 22 August 1971) is an English actor. At 17 he joined a circus in Budapest for 6 weeks to gain his Equity Card. Armitage returned to Britain to pursue a career in musical theater. He appeared on stage in various musicals, including Cats as Admetus and Macavity. AIDAN TURNER – KILI Aidan Turner (born 19 June 1983) is an Irish film and television actor. He is perhaps most notable for playing a vampire, John Mitchell, in Being Human (since 2009), a drama-comedy television series first aired on BBC Three, a United Kingdom television network. ROB KAZINSKY – FILI Robert Kazinsky (born Robert John Appleby; 18 November 1983) is an English actor and model. He is best known for his appearance as Casper Rose in Sky One drama Dream Team in 2005/2006 and Sean Slater in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 2006 to 2009. GRAHAM MCTAVISH – DWALIN Graham McTavish (born 1961) is a British television actor. He has played the character Warden Ackerman in Red Dwarf in five episodes of series 8. McTavish has also had many supporting roles in British dramas and films such as Casualty, Jekyll, The Bill, Taggart and Sisterhood. He also played the ill-tempered Mercenary Commander Lewis in Rambo, had a role as Desmond’s drill sergeant in the fourth season of Lost, starred in Ali G Indahouse as a Customs Officer and played a Russian pirate in NCIS. JOHN CALLEN – OIN John Callen has been a voiceover artist for more than 35 years. He has performed in hundreds of radio plays and narrated more than 120 documentaries as well as a variety of commercial work, straight and character, for New Zealand and around the world. A true professional and a pleasure to work with. STEPHEN HUNTER – BOMBUR Unwittingly cast as “the clown” from an early age, Stephen is at home with comedy roles, and has developed a great sense of comic timing from his many years on stage. This has resulted in him being cast in dozens of comedic roles in TVC’s, and Television Comedy. Stephen is also a very strong dramatic actor, scoring leading guest roles in many TV dramas. And he keeps himself sharp for the next role with regular “Meisner” training at The Actors Pulse in Redfern. MARK HADLOW – DORI Mark Hadlow (born 1957) is a New Zealand actor and comedian. Hadlow is perhaps best known internationally for the role of Harry in King Kong. PETER HAMBLETON – GLOIN Joined the Council in 1996. Graduate – New Zealand Drama School. A well-known actor and theatre director, Peter has worked in stage, radio, television and film. His many performances at Circa include A Doll’s House, I Hate Hamlet, Angels in America, Arcadia, The Herbal Bed, The Bach, Copenhagen (for which he won a Chapmann Tripp Theatre Award for Actor of the Year), Democracy, Home Land, and Who wants to be 100?. He has directed Marathon, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Wait Until Dark and All the World’s a Stage. Recipient of the SGCNZ Artistic Fellowship to Shakespeare’s Globe 2002, and Winston Churchill Fellowship 2007. SPECULATED ROLE BILL NIGHY AS THE VOICE OF SMAUG Nighy is an incredibly accomplished actor with a wide range of roles to his credit including Rufus Scrimgeour in the next Harry Potter film, voice work in “Astro Boy,” and “Flushed Away,” and in video games, stole the show in “Pirate Radio,” played a fantasy vampire in the “Underworld,” series, did astounding voice and under-makeup work in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, appeared in “Hot Fuzz” and “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” as well as “Love Actually,” where he arguably again stole the show from an incredible ensemble cast. All of this only touches on his career. |
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Post by Chicago Jake on Oct 24, 2010 17:12:11 GMT -6
I was hoping they'd get Brian Blessed to play Thorin. Haven't seen him in a long time, but he's always great.
If Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis are said to be returning for their roles, I wonder what the lack of mention of Hugo Weaving implies? His role is certainly important.
As to the rest of the Dwarves, I remember them as being fairly unimportant as individuals; they functioned more like a Greek Chorus or "ensemble character" than as actual personalities, with few of them standing out except for maybe Bombur as comic relief.
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 29, 2010 12:10:00 GMT -6
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Nov 29, 2010 12:19:19 GMT -6
Tolkien... racist? How can anyone who describes the southern and eastern lands in Middle Earth being filled with "swarthy skinned" "barbarians" who were quickly deceived by Sauron call him racist?
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Post by Chicago Jake on Nov 29, 2010 13:30:23 GMT -6
Mordor was called "the Black land" where they spoke "the Black speech." And Radagast the Brown was the least effectual of the Istari. Maybe Tolkien did have a racist motif. But that's the source material; you can hardly blame the film-makers for staying true to the original work.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Nov 29, 2010 13:41:15 GMT -6
I dont judge the filmmakers negatively for being true to the story, nor for Tolkien's racism (I think much of that being a product of his time, much as my grandmother was and so many others).
The story WAS written and intended to fill the place in literature that lacked a true Anglo-mythical epic saga.
No harm no foul in my book.
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Dec 1, 2010 10:24:51 GMT -6
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Dec 1, 2010 10:31:29 GMT -6
I guess even Hobbits need help working the fields.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Apr 14, 2011 6:17:27 GMT -6
And so it begins  |
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Post by Chicago Jake on Apr 14, 2011 10:08:55 GMT -6
Here's a ten-minute video of the ongoing production......
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Post by kosstamojen on Apr 14, 2011 20:39:24 GMT -6
Is Peter Jackson going to fatten up so he looks more like a Hobbit himself again? "Nobody likes a skinny Peter Jackson... Eat Peter, EAT!"
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on May 31, 2011 17:09:58 GMT -6
Bump...
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Post by Chicago Jake on Jun 1, 2011 0:09:10 GMT -6
There is absolutely NO reason for Frodo or Legolas to appear in this film, as they had no role in the book. I suspect it will be some sort of "framing" mechanism, with Frodo narrating the tale to Sam's youngsters or something like that. Possibly the same mechanism will be used to explain Ian Holmes appearance as the older Bilbo.
Galadrial might be shoe-horned into the story, as her character existed at the time, but does not really need to appear. Same with Saruman, who existed but was not an active character. Gandalf, Gollum, and Elrond did actively appear in the story, so their presence makes sense.
I fear that marketing will trump literary legitimacy in this production........Jake
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Jun 1, 2011 17:06:41 GMT -6
Frodo and Bilbo both left Middle Earth at the end of the LOTR, so its going to take a real stretch for that king of framing. It would almost have to be a pre-LOTR setup for that to work.
Legolas was the son of Thranduil, the king of the woodland elves, so its not too much of a stretch to bring a popular character form LOTR into this venture.. IF AND ONLY IF his appearance is restricted to that portion of the story related to Bilbo and the dwarves imprisonment. Sauron was referenced (as the Necromancer), perhaps Saruman will stand in for Sauron, but that would contradict the timing of his betrayal in LOTR.
What appears to be going on makes very little sense other than track record marketing of a formula that has worked very well in the past.
Peter Jackson played pretty fast and loose with the storyline of LOTR. So much so that I lean very heavily on the phrase "based on the book" whenever I watch the DVD's. I suspect that I will have to do the same when The Hobbit comes out.
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Post by Chicago Jake on Jun 1, 2011 17:57:42 GMT -6
Yes, Bilbo and Frodo left ME, so if they are narrating the tale, it would have to take place before the final scene of LOTR. That doesn't bother me too much. It could be after the war, but before their departure. Conceivably, it could be old Bilbo telling the tale to young Frodo before any of the events of LOTR.
I agree that Legolas was probably someplace in Mirkwood at the time of the Dwarves and Bilbo's imprisonment, but the Elves were bad guys in that chapter! I don't think making Legolas a bad guy is a good idea at all. Especially from a marketing perspective!
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Apr 26, 2012 5:56:49 GMT -6
Bump... it looks like there might be some trouble in The Shire..
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Post by Chicago Jake on Apr 26, 2012 7:18:39 GMT -6
That makes sense (that it would look terrible). Too much realism can spoil the necessary illusion and suspension of disbelief. It's like trying to market cosmetics that make you look MORE natural rather than LESS.... you'd go broke trying to sell that!
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Apr 26, 2012 7:31:44 GMT -6
I agree completely. If you look at how the LOTR movies were shot, the only scenes that had any sort of crispness were the broad landscapes of New Zealand. That was almost required by the scene, anything that was close in and personal had a degree or softness to it (very similar to David Lean's approach now that I think of it). When CGI was significant, it was tweaked either way depending on the scene.
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Post by Chicago Jake on Jul 30, 2012 19:15:37 GMT -6
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Jul 31, 2012 5:31:28 GMT -6
He probably needed the third movie to make sure there would be a sufficient revenue stream. Why make people pay to see two movies, when you can make them pay to see three.
Given that the book is about 1/3 the size of the LOTR book, one has to wonder if he is telling the story verbatim OR bringing in elements of LOTR book that he left out of those movies (thinking Tom Bombadil et.al.)
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Post by Chicago Jake on Jul 31, 2012 8:46:40 GMT -6
I'm guessing he'll pull in a lot of the behind-the-scenes machinations that didn't get told until LOTR, but were set concurrent with The Hobbit. Stuff like the Necromancer and the White Council. There is also the "framing device" with Frodo, which will take up some screen time.
But not to worry. George Lucas proved that when you tell an epic tale in three movies, and then go back and do a prequel in three movies, they HAVE to be great!
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Jul 31, 2012 10:03:34 GMT -6
Sounds to me like The Silmarilliion is on deck, which does have a great story embedded deeply within it
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Nov 15, 2012 8:59:42 GMT -6
Apparently a 9 minute preview of the new Star Trek movie will be showing with The Hobbit.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Dec 17, 2012 8:49:46 GMT -6
Daughter reports that The Hobbit was very enjoyable. In places VERY true to the book, down to minutia, a LOT of backstory (most likely taken from The Silmarillion, she has not read that tome). In other places complete flights of fancy conjured up by evil wizard writers to fill the time allocated... including something about an albino orc hot on the tail of Thorin Oakenshield.
We will be seeing it after Christmas, when the lines have slowed down. I will report back with my own report then.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Dec 27, 2012 14:45:41 GMT -6
Saw The Hobbit last night in 2D. It was a bloated behemoth that was both enjoyable and at time painful to endure.
There is no question that when you sit down your bladder should be recently emptied, because what is served up is the Blu Ray extended version of what should have been put on screen.
Jackson, when he follows the book, goes into minutia in setting the scenes and dialogue. Beyond that, he borrows characters from The Silmarillion, creates plausible scenes that "could" have reasonably have occurred in the world of The Hobbit (a council between Elrond, Saruman, and Galadriel), embarrassingly ridiculous scenes (Radagast, Peter Jackson of all people should know that orcs rarely go out in the light), and overly long battles to fill in the time allocated.
Frodo and "Old" Bilbo set the scene for the story just prior to Bilbo's going away party that happens at the beginning of the first LOTR movie. The dwarves are well cast. Gloin looks sufficiently similar to Gimli (LOTR) to be recognized as his father. Thorin Oakenshield looks TOO HUMAN however. To me he never comes across as belonging to the party.
Those without the knowledge of the book may find Gandalf, the orcs, the dwarves and others a bit on the silly side, but that is consistent with The Hobbit in written form. It was written as a children's book after all.
It was worth seeing on the big screen. I wont bother with PPV, and I wont buy the DVD.
MAYBE... just MAYBE, after all three episodes have come out, Jackson will produce a "two movie version" sort of a directors cut in reverse that would get rid of so much slop.
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Post by Chicago Jake on Dec 27, 2012 16:08:29 GMT -6
Thanks for the review. I was hoping to see it today, but things didn't work out. Hopefully, tomorrow. It is kind of tough to fit into my schedule. What with the running length, and many of the showings being in 3D and HFR (both of which I refuse to endure), there aren't many showtimes to choose from!
Re: Thorin, I thought the same thing from the previews and advance stills: this dude looks like a man, not a Dwarf! And way too young and dashing.
As for a "reverse director's cut," that's what the Fast Forward button is for on the DVD player!
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Post by Chicago Jake on Dec 28, 2012 17:22:53 GMT -6
Saw it today. LOVED it. I didn't think anything was overly long or made out of whole cloth, with the possible exception of the "rock giants" (is that what they called them?) - I don't remember them from the book, but it's been awhile.
(Edit: "Stone Giants." Briefly mentioned in the book of The Hobbit, but it was almost in a metaphorical sense; I kind of dismissed it as Tolkien being poetic rather than literal. I guess Peter Jackson took it the other way.)
Full review soon come, but suffice it to say I loved it a lot, and will be seeing it again before it leaves the theaters.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Dec 29, 2012 7:07:35 GMT -6
Sorry to disagree Jake, but the scenes with Radagast definitely fall into the "whole cloth" category.
Radagast is mentioned by name once in the Hobbit (and that is it, he is mentioned), his only interaction with other characters is in LOTR, where he meet Gandalf on the road and reports that Saruman wants to talk with him about the Nazgul crossing the river. The impetus for Gandalf's capture at Isengard... which Jackson completely left out of THAT movie.
In the book there is no battle between the orcs and the dwarves/Bilbo/Gandalf after their encounter with the trolls and they slip into Rivendell quietly and unmolested. That entire sequence is "whole cloth"
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