Thread: The Hobbit

I made a post about 2 years ago, about "The Hobbit" the movie possibly being produced, well over the past 2 years there has been tons of updates so thought i'd share!

The Hobbit is an upcoming two-part film based on the novel of the same name by J. R. R. Tolkien. The film is in development for releases in December 2011 (Part 1) and December 2012 (Part 2) and will be directed by Guillermo del Toro, with Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, serving as executive producer and co-writer. 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 is the director's intention to split and expand the narrative of The Hobbit over two parts of a singular film

Warning! This synopsis contains spoilers

The Hobbit (Part 1)

Local Shire hobbit Bilbo Baggins, uncle of Frodo Baggins, is living a quiet, peaceful life until Gandalf the Grey knocks on his door. A band of wandering dwarves shows up one or two at a time. The goal? To hire poor Bilbo for a quest (as a burgler) that entails defeating a dragon and recovering (burgling) a treasure. Along the way there are adventures with trolls and elves, a battle with goblins, the naming of Bilbo's sword as Sting after a battle with some spiders, escaping from Wargs, and a barrel ride in a river. There is a great battle, The Battle of Five Armies, which includes men, dwarves, elves, goblins with Wargs, and more. Most importantly of all, part of this story leads Bilbo into Riddles in the Dark where he meets Gollum and in the process acquires a peculiar ring that has had and will have a great impact on the future of their world.

The Hobbit (Part 2)

This film will be a prequel to the first Hobbit film (itself a prequel to The Fellowship of the Ring). It will begin not long after the first destruction of Sauron by Isildur, shown in the first Lord of the Rings film. Since the One Ring had not been destroyed, the Elves thought that someday Sauron may return. 1000 years after the Last Alliance of Men and Elves at Mount Doom, a shadow of fear returned to the forest of Mirkwood in the guise of the Necromancer, ultimately revealed to be Sauron. He established power at his stronghold in the south of the forest known as Dol Guldur. Around the same time Maiar from Valinor came to Middle-Earth in the guises of old sage figures (Sauron and the Balrogs are also Maiar). They would become know as wizards, chief among them were Saruman and Gandalf. We will also find out that Gandalf is also a ring-bearer, being given one of the Elvin rings of power, Narya, which is akin to the rings worn by Galadrial and Elrond. Once they reveal themselves, the wizards and the elven leaders from the White Council contest the growing power of Dol Guldur. The film ends with Sauron being defeated, but all is going exactly as planned since the One Ring has heard its master's call. It needs a new host. Perhaps a hobbit will do

Cast

Cate Blanchett ... Galadriel (rumored)

Hugo Weaving ... Elrond (rumored)

Ian McKellen ... Gandalf (rumored)

Andy Serkis ... Gollum (rumored)

Doug Jones ... (rumored)

Gandalf lets it slip: ‘Hobbit’ starts filming in July

Published On Thu Mar 18 2010

Lord of the Rings star Ian McKellen says filming of the hotly anticipated prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic, The Hobbit, will begin in July.

The story of Bilbo Baggins early adventures will be told in two feature-length installments. Mexican director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) will helm both films, which are slated to be shot at the same time and released a year apart.

“The Hobbits, two films, start shooting in New Zealand in July. Filming will take over a year,” McKellen wrote on his website. “Casting in Los Angeles, New York City and London has started. The script too proceeds. The first draft is crammed with old and new friends, again on a quest in Middle Earth.

“The director Guillermo del Toro is now living in Wellington, close to the Jacksons’ (sic) (Lord of the Rings director Peter) and the studio in Miramar.”

Several cast members from Lord of the Rings have been cast: Andy Serkis (Gollum), Hugo Weaving (Elrond) and McKellen himself, who will reprise his role as Gandalf.

The actor who will take the coveted title role, of a young Bilbo Baggins, has yet to be determined.

Apparently, McKellen may have let the cat out of the bag a little early.

“We have not set a start date yet,” a spokesperson for the film’s producer, New Line, told Variety on Wednesday.

Cathal Kelly

Staff Reporter

Lots more info @

The Hobbit: The Official Movie Blog
http://www.thehobbitblog.com/

&

The Hobbit (2011 film) Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit_(2011_film)

Neat info!

I would also check out:
http://www.theonering.net/

They have pictures of Hobbiton being (re)built and plenty of other LoTR info, interviews, and other goodies.

I'm excited to see how this movie will come out.

Your post contradicts itself; the first part states that the single story The Hobbit will span two movies (which is correct) but the section below states "Part 2" as being a prequel to The Hobbit (which is incorrect).

Originally Posted by Herohtar

Your post contradicts itself; the first part states that the single story The Hobbit will span two movies (which is correct) but the section below states "Part 2" as being a prequel to The Hobbit (which is incorrect).

Thx for pointing that out, i took the info from www.imdb.com (Internet Movie Data Base)




From what i read up on, Part 2 will be the end of "The Hobbit" with a also filling in the gap between "The Hobbit" & "Lord of the Rings". (which would be new)

Update - May 31, 2010

Del Toro quits 'Hobbit'
Helmer bows out of Tolkien project, citing delays

Guillermo Del Toro has dropped out directing "The Hobbit" movies due to the ongoing delays in getting the films greenlit.
Del Toro made the surprise announcement Sunday on The One Ring web site, adding that he will continue to co-write the screenplays based on J.R.R Tolkien's "The Hobbit."


"In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming 'The Hobbit,' I am faced with the hardest decision of my life," Del Toro said in a statement. "After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien's Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures."

New Line shares financing rights with MGM/UA, which bought the original rights in 1969. Reps for New Line and MGM were not immediately available.

Del Toro has been writing the scripts with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens and director Guillermo del Toro but the back-to-back-films had not been officially greenlit by New Line and MGM -- which would trigger calculation of the budget and setting a start for lensing in New Zealand. But MGM's ownership has remained unresolved in the wake of the struggling studio putting itself up for sale in November.

"The Hobbit" films are being exec produced by Jackson and Walsh with MGM and New Line co-financing. The two pics are based on JRR Tolkien's novel, which follows the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, who obtains the ring that was the centerpiece for "The Lord of the Rings."

In his posting, Del Toro said he remained grateful to Jackson, Boyens and Walsh along with New Line and Warner Brothers and to all his crew in New Zealand.

"I've been privileged to work in one of the greatest countries on earth with some of the best people ever in our craft and my life will be forever changed," he added. "The blessings have been plenty, but the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. Both as a co-writer and as a director, I wish the production nothing but the very best of luck and I will be first in line to see the finished product. I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director."

Del Toro had said two days earlier at a news conference for "Splice" that "The Hobbit" pics remained in limbo until the MGM financial crisis was resolved.

"It's not greenlit," he told reporters. "That's categorical. We've been caught in a very tangled negotiation. There cannot be any start dates until the MGM situation gets resolved. They do hold a considerable portion of the rights."

He also said that all the creatures had been designed, adding, "We've designed the sets and the wardrobe. We have done animatics and planned battles sequences.... We are very, very prepared for when it is finally triggered."

Del Toro's directing credits include "Pan's Labyrinth," "The Devil's Backbone and the two "Hellboy" pics. He committed to direct "The Hobbit" films in April, 2008, with the pics expected at that point to come out at the end of 2011 and 2012.

It's unclear which directing project del Toro will tackle next. In September 2008, he made a long-term commitment to Universal, where he has a first-look deal, with a quartet of directing projects including an adaptation of the Dan Simmons novel "Drood" and remakes of "Frankenstein," "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and "Slaughterhouse-Five."

Jackson said in a statement that the "protracted" development time on the two films had compromised del Toro's commitment to other long term projects.

"The bottom line is that Guillermo just didn't feel he could commit six years to living in New Zealand, exclusively making these films, when his original commitment was for three years," he said.

Jackson also said he'll meet this week with execs from New Line and parent Warner Bros to hire a new director and noted that he did not anticipate any delay or disruption to ongoing pre-production work.

Source @ http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...goryid=13&cs=1




Del Toro also debunked rumors last week that The Hobbit was going to start filming in November & that it was going to be released in 3D. Rumors Rumors Rumors.








I'm starting to wonder if we will ever get to see "The Hobbit" on the big screen!

Cool - looking forward to watching them.

I'm starting to doubt it myself......

Would love to get an idea of what the unforeseen holdups beyond anyone's control might be. I have no doubt this long overdue movie will get made, just of course a matter of when. <-- Captain Obvious there.