[FILM] The Hobbit

[Spindleshanks]

The film is in development and Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy will serve as executive producer and co-writer. Guillermo del Toro worked with Jackson for over two years and would have been director, but left the project in May 2010

Originally, both parts would have served as separate films. The first would have adapted The Hobbit and the second would have bridged the gap between this and The Lord of the Rings. It was del Toro's intention to split and expand the narrative of The Hobbit over two parts of a single film. Jackson has reportedly signed on to direct both parts of "The Hobbit" in July 2010. Actors from the film trilogy, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis (as Gollum), and Hugo Weaving are attached to reprise their roles. In a June 2010 interview on The Graham Norton Show, English comedian and actor Bill Bailey confirmed that he had been asked to audition for the role of Gloin.

Linky



http://derhobbit-film.de/indexengl.shtml

It may be a tad early for this but a project like this deserves maximum EXCITE.

It confirms this: http://www.nag.co.za/forums/showthre...ghlight=hobbit

I am totally excited for this film!

Too bad about del Toro though. I really loved his work on Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy 2.

Commence discussion...

[onona]

CAN'T. ****ING. WAIT.

I'm a huge LOTR fan, so I'm pretty much salivating for this.

[Boggle24]

Bill Bailey....
all I can think of is Black books and QI, and he'll be in an epic :P

Can't wait, didn't realize they had actually even started on -anything- to do with the Hobit in movie form, awesome news :D

[Spindleshanks]

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment now has the rights to develop a video game based on The Hobbit following the expiration in 2008 of Electronic Arts' license to The Lord of the Rings.

Mmm...

Based on what I've seen from AVP I'm not so hyped for a game from Warner Bros. I would rather have EA take the reigns there, but who knows, maybe WB actually learned something.

It would be interesting to see how things develop with a game, because let's face it: there WILL be a game.

[EquinoX]

The firs time I saw this I had to look twice...

[Graal]

Just a pity, I always imagined Smaug to be a brilliant red color, aside from the treasure on his chest. Then again, it's only a color. :P

Still, I'm really glad that things are seeming to speed up. We've been waiting way too long for this movie.

[brazed]

That's from a fansite. There isn't any official material at the moment, I mean, they haven't even started shooting yet,

[Graal]

Aww, serves me right for only skimming over the post. I wish they'd just start, though. I'm tired of only ever hearing about the best book in the Lord of the Rings series' movie adaption and not getting anywhere.

[onona]

Just a pity, I always imagined Smaug to be a brilliant red color, aside from the treasure on his chest.

Um, that's definitely not official artwork.

[willbeonekenobi]

Can't wait for this one to come out.

[dammit]

I'll definitely go see this, but not because I found reading the book particularly inspiring. I guess I just didn't like his style of story telling.

[Spindleshanks]

I guess I just didn't like his style of story telling.

Yes. His technique isn't very unique, as most of his work he simply "borrowed" from other writers and even the Bible.

Like parts the theme for The Hobbit was clearly taken from Beowulf.

In the poem, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, battles three antagonists: Grendel, who has been attacking the resident warriors of the mead hall of Hro?gar (the king of the Danes), Grendel's mother, and an unnamed dragon. The last battle takes place later in life, Beowulf now being king of the Geats. In the final battle, Beowulf is fatally wounded. After his death his retainers bury him in a tumulus in Geatland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf

One can easily see the connotation between the dragon and Smaug and the Shire with Hro?gar.

Later in his life, Beowulf is himself king of the Geats, and finds his realm terrorized by a dragon whose treasure had been stolen from his hoard in a burial mound. He attacks the dragon with the help of his thegns, but they do not succeed. Beowulf decides to follow the dragon into its lair, at Earnan?s, but only his young Swedish relative Wiglaf dares join him. Beowulf finally slays the dragon, but is mortally wounded. He is buried in a tumulus by the sea.

thegns = Dwarfs


LAME.

[onona]

Spindleshanks, saying that Tolkien was "lame" for incorporating character races from Norse mythology is like saying that Dostoyevskiy was lame for writing a story that had a student and murder in in, both of which had been written about before as well.

It's inevitable that authors borrow themes and ideas from elsewhere. The mark of a quality author lies in their ability to captivate and compel their readers, and in that regard, I'd say Tolkien has been pretty damn successful. And I am not suggesting that Tolkien is beyond critique, because personally I find a lot of his prose unnecessarily long winded and sometimes frankly a bit silly, but his tales and the world he created are admirable.

[Kharrak]

LAME.

I actually find it annoying when people believe and affirm that Tolkien created all the fantastical creatures that his works popularized - it was all picked from a variety of folklore that preceded him by eons.

Does that mean his work is worse for it? Of course not - he used ingredients picked form other foods to create his own stew. If you enjoyed his works, there's no reason learning this should do anything to sully the admiration one has for his work. If you didn't enjoy his works, well, this won't change much, will it? Though I personally did not enjoy reading his fiction, I find the world, its inhabitants, and its history to be quite amazing.

EDIT: Also, what Onona said.

[Chippit]

And I am not suggesting that Tolkien is beyond critique, because personally I find a lot of his prose unnecessarily long winded and sometimes frankly a bit silly, but his tales and the world he created are admirable.

This. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't actually enjoy reading The Hobbit much at all. I'll concede that I may simply have been too old to enjoy the story when I read the book, but, conversely, had I been younger, I expect his... lack of focus and habit of drawing things out for way too long probably wouldn't have held the attention of a young-me.

Similarly, I found reading the LOTR novels rather tedious as well, at many points. The first book in particular just had me wishing it would end. I'd go so far as to say that (and I expect a lot of fanboy hate and other fiery consequences for saying this) the LOTR movies were some of those rare cases were the film is better than the book.

It was just a refined, distilled version of the same story. It too had flaws, of course, and was long-winded in its own way on occasion, but it basically cut 90% of Tolkien's unnecessary bull**** and left just the story. And I don't think I can fault the story and the setting itself too much at all. If anything, I think his imagination and detail are worthy of some praise. After all, it's pretty much a quintessential fantasy adventure story, borrowed themes are not. Jackson just told it better than Tolkien did.

But, winding my way back on topic, I'd say I'd probably go and see this too, just because I figure Jackson could probably shave the fluff off this story too. Maybe.

[dammit]

... the LOTR movies were some of those rare cases were the film is better than the book.

It was just a refined, distilled version of the same story. It too had flaws, of course, and was long-winded in its own way on occasion, but it basically cut 90% of Tolkien's unnecessary bull**** and left just the story...

This is exactly why I'd go see the movie. The story itself is interesting but, like i said, his story telling technique (those long winded paragraphs about nothing of importance) didn't appeal to me at all.

[FaNbOy]

Similarly, I found reading the LOTR novels rather tedious as well, at many points. The first book in particular just had me wishing it would end. I'd go so far as to say that (and I expect a lot of fanboy hate and other fiery consequences for saying this) the LOTR movies were some of those rare cases were the film is better than the book.

You won't be getting any fanboy hate from me. I agree 100% with you. I have attempted to read The Fellowship of the Ring several times, and I still haven't made it past the first 100 pages or so.
The LOTR movies, on the other hand, are superb and I can't get enough of them.
I did finish reading The Hobbit, however, and even though I had to force myself to keep reading it, I was quite satisfied once I had got to the end.

[FaNbOy]

It would be interesting to see how things develop with a game, because let's face it: there WILL be a game.

Actually there are two games based on The Hobbit, and I happen to own one of them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hob...82_video_game)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hob...03_video_game)

[brazed]

Two Hobbit films officially greenlighted with Peter Jackson directing

The two Hobbit films will be shot back to back much like the original LOTR Trilogy was and it looks like cameras will be rolling February 2011.

The Wrap broke the story, I believe, and that posting was followed closely by an official announcement from New Line and Warner Bros, which I first heard about on The Hollywood Reporter.

What's still up in the air is where they'll shoot, which is a bunch of bull**** if you ask me. New Zealand is Middle Earth. This whole actor union bollocks is ridiculous. I know many people who have worked both in front of and behind the camera on the LOTR films and everyone was payed above union minimums. This doesn't feel to me like the unions fighting against a greedy overlord not wanting to pay his employees a fair wage, but a way to flex nuts.

If you want to read more on the goings on, I suggest this interview over at TheOneRing.Net with NZ filmmaker Chaz Harris, who started a petition to drop the boycott.

I don't know about you guys, but I don't want this petty bull**** to force a move to Ireland or somewhere. New Zealand is just as much part of the identity of those films as Jackson himself.

But I'm sure calmer heads will prevail and this power play will dissolve eventually and we'll all be happy.

[Shaderow]

FINALLY!!!!