Peter Jackson will produce The Hobbit

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:36 pm

http://imdb.com/news/wenn/2007-12-19/#2

Filmmaker Peter Jackson has signed on to produce two movies based on author J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, after resolving his legal feud with studio bosses over unpaid royalties. Jackson has been involved in a long and bitter despite with bosses at New Line Cinema after claiming he had not been properly paid following the success of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, which he directed. But Jackson has now settled the disagreement and has confirmed he will be on board for the two new films, both of which are prequels to the Lord Of The Rings. He says, "I'm very pleased that we've been able to put our differences behind us. We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth." A director for the two new Tolkien movies has yet to be announced.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:50 pm

McKellan thinks it'd be a shame if all the common parts from LOTR aren't played by their LOTR cast.

I tend to agree.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:07 am

Just produce?

Two movies?

So will there be a Hobbit movie and a... Beren and Luthien movie?

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:14 am

But who's directing?

That's more important.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:02 am

Andrew Adamson would do a good Hobbit.

Post by **Kaylee** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:43 am

AWESOME!

yayness!

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:11 am

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2007/12/ ... o-mid.html

It's back to Middle Earth for Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and the boys from New Line. Finally, the years of disputes have ended, and the partners (including co-producer and co-distributor MGM) are gearing up for two new Hobbit movies. EW investigated, talking to the parties behind the negotiations to uncover how everything got resolved, and to get an idea of what viewers can expect of these adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's original literary masterpiece. Here's the lowdown:

Jackson and his life/creative partner Walsh have always envisioned the big-screen adaptation of The Hobbit as two movies. The first would deal with the 80-year old novel. The second, imagined entirely by Jackson and Walsh, would link the conclusion of The Hobbit to the start of the first Lord of the Rings book, The Fellowship of the Ring. New Line and Jackson will develop the properties over the next year with hopes of entering into pre-production by 2009 for a 2010 and 2011 release. No writers, including Jackson, Walsh, and their longtime partner Philippa Boyens, have been commissioned. (None can be, because of the strike.)

New Line has already decided that both films will be produced at the same time, in similar fashion to how the LOTR trilogy was put together, and no budgets have been assigned the films yet. According to New Line's co-chair Robert Shaye, "You can't budget an idea."

While MGM and New Line want to keep Jackson's involvement in the film as broad as possible, hinting that he may take up both writing and directing responsibilities, Jackson's manager Ken Kamins told Hollywood Insider that Jackson won't be directing the films. "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."

Directors Sam Raimi (Spider-Man), Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth), and Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) are still the names that come up as alternate possiblities, but no official creative decision has been made.

"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," Shaye said. "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."

Those creative pow-wows are set to begin in early 2008 when New Line plans to sit down with Jackson to hash out critical details. (Jackson will be filming The Lovely Bones through February.)

Neither Jackson’s rep nor New Line will explain how the nasty battle between the two parties got resolved. The fight hit a low point in November 2006 when New Line actually "fired" Jackson from The Hobbit and Jackson took the battle to the LOTR fansite TheOneRing.net, where he posted, “New Line would no longer be requiring our services on The Hobbit.” New Line’s Shaye now calls it, “a misunderstanding that wound up becoming a mini-war.” The two parties began negotiating this June, but it seems MGM’s Harry Sloan served a significant role as a mediator between the two sides.

According to New Line's co-chair Michael Lynne, "Harry served in a mediating function and at a certain sensitive moment he was very helpful." The New Line co-chairs do attest that once Sloan got involved,
the studio was already well down the path of negotiating with Jackson. But Jackson's rep Kamins adds, "Harry, acting in the appropriate self-interest for MGM, used the fact that he owned a piece of the rights to be helpful to both sides in this converstaion. I really credit Harry greatly."

Shaye and company regret how acrimonious things became with Jackson. (In January, Shaye told Sci-Fi Wire website, "I don't care about Peter Jackson anymore. He thinks we owe him something after we've paid him over a quarter of a billion dollars!")

"From my side, I just regret that it happened," said Shaye. "It was a total misunderstanding about what anybody had to gain or lose. I'm extremely glad that the bad blood was just a little infection and not
really a disabling malady."

New Line is quick to point out that The Hobbit resolution is in no way a reaction to disappointing domestic box office numbers for their most recent release, The Golden Compass, which they had hoped would launch a new franchise. "Absolutely not," said Lynne. "This has been in the works for a while now. Golden Compass, by the way, overseas, is performing spectacularly. Obviously, we have been disappointed with its performance here, but I think overall it will do quite well."

Regardless of Compass' performance, the studio now has a new, sure-fire hit to get underway. And even though the lawsuits are settled and the fences are mended, there are still numerous hurdles between this announcement and fans sitting in the theater watching Bilbo Baggins help 13 dwarves reclaim their treasure. First, there is the nasty writer's strike that trudges on; and second, the project's visionary
writer/director/producer has a lot of other projects on his plate. Surely, though, this triumph deserves a little celebration. Will Jackson be planning a bender back in New Zealand?

According to Kamins, not even close. "I haven't even talked to Peter," he said, laughing. "He just got home from Pennsylvania, (where Lovely Bones is filming) last night."

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:51 pm

No longer stoked.

What made the LOTR films the great masterpieces that they were was Jackson's direction, IMO.

If that's not there, I doubt it will compare with the original LOTR trilogy.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:31 pm

What happens between Hobbit and LotR? Weird. I wonder if they'll throw Bombadil, the Barrow-Wights, and the Scouring of the Shire into that one.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:04 pm

I dunno, if Jackson keeps his eye on the project then the direction could be sound, and easily as good as lotr. If hes not part of the process it could be ****..

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 5:50 am

Hobbit's got a whole different pacing and style lit-speaking than LotR. I really think Jackson is doing well not to direct it. The book is a fun kids adventure full of dry wit and gosh-wow adventure. LotR is an archetypal quest that relies on gut-wrenching emotional moments to offset a genuine sense of wonder and awe. Jackson does emotional moments and wonder well, but there are a lot of people out there who can handle wit and adventure and do fine.

skyblaze · Post by **skyblaze** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 4:28 am

It is about time.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:57 am

Apparently Guillermo del Toro is in talks to direct.

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.ph ... 3&id=47670

BB Shockwave · Post by **BB Shockwave** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 6:10 pm

Yaya wrote:No longer stoked.

What made the LOTR films the great masterpieces that they were was Jackson's direction, IMO.

If that's not there, I doubt it will compare with the original LOTR trilogy.

It was exactly Jackson's (or rather, Welsh's) changes that made me dislike the last two parts of the triology, especially Return of the King which was barely watchable for me, it had so out of character parts for Frodo, Sam, Faramir and the Steward...

Or Saruman's role. Don't even mention poor Shelob. Part of her 'charm' was she was an intelligent and talking bloated spider-witch, not an oversized wolf spider.

Jackson deviated too much from the books, which were perfect as they were. If he'd have done the whole triology like Fellowship of the Ring (leaving out parts that'd make it too long and adding small bits of extras like the worg raiders in the 2. movie) it'd have been perfect. But don't get me started on how he butchered some of the characters later... Some directors simply want to add their ideas to the mythos, no matter how they don't fit the author's original ideas.

The thought of having a second movie AFTER Hobbit that's entirely up to the creator's imagination doesn't fill me with much joy... Unless they get a really good scriptwriter who's also versed in Tolkien's books.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:35 pm

Im the complete opposite, the reason the last two films work is because of Jacksons direction. Its jacksons interpretation of the books, not a direct word for word / scene for scene replica.

The films, regardless of if u have read the books or not are still great films. If I show them to alien viewers they love them, who doesnt?
Are they 100% faithfull to the books?, no.
Does it matter?, No.
They are films, not books, theres a massive difference and Jackson gets it spot on.

Post by **Best First** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:45 pm

i like the films loads, but not sure that all the changes are justified - faramir's character certainly gets a bit p*ssed on when he confronts the ring in 2 and i don't see any good reason for the change.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 5:00 am

I thought RotK was too slow and the "Go home, Sam," not believable. And the Scouring of the Shire needed to be in there. And the multiple endings sucked.

Jackson spent waaaaaay too much time in RotK building up to Shelob and the battle. The heart of RotK is the journey across Mordor, which pretty much got chopped down in the final film. There are so many good moments--them searching for water, casting off armor, Sam seeing the one star while Frodo lies collapsed on the ground--that didn't even make the extendomatic version.

Fellowship and Towers were pretty much perfect, though. No complaints. Oh yeah, except that the sewers of Osgiliath ran under the river. Please. What kind of premodern sewers didn't empty into the river?

I think the second movie is probably to segue from the lightheartedness of Hobbit to the darkness of Rings--possibly an excuse to throw in Scouring and Bombadil.

Del Toro would absolutely tear it up. I would love to see his Hobbit. More than Jackson's, actually.

Predabot · Post by **Predabot** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:37 pm

A Del Toro/Jackson team-up would be supreme.

Darth Aux · Post by **Darth Aux** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:45 am

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote: If I show them to alien viewers they love them, who doesnt?

o.0 you know aliens?

><

Dreadwind's Ghost · Post by **Dreadwind's Ghost** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:11 pm

Predabot wrote:A Del Toro/Jackson team-up would be supreme.

Seconded.

Obfleur · Post by **Obfleur** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:34 pm

I hope this movie is free from slow motion. Peter Jackson loves that **** for some reason.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:56 pm

whats wrong with slow motion?

Obfleur · Post by **Obfleur** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:21 pm

Nothing. Its just that Peter Jackson overuses it.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:21 pm

It's cheesy. Michael Bay overuses it too.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:28 pm

Its chessy when bay does it - yes

Obfleur · Post by **Obfleur** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 8:53 am

http://movies.ign.com/articles/849/849112p1.html

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 10:50 am

Woah.