The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

[rustinglass]

sweet

[Just Withnail]

Seeing the Hobbit and returning to Middle-Earth after x years since Return of the King is an experience I look forward to in great anticipation. I'm hoping to get that ticling feeling in my belly, the one I got at the opening scroll of Phantom Menace, and the one you get when you're in love. I'm hoping for the ultimate family flick with this one.

[modage]

The Hobbit at Least 3 Years Away
Source: AAP March 12, 2005

Director Peter Jackson says it will be at least three years before production may start on "The Lord of the Rings" prequel, The Hobbit, says the AAP.

"Three or four years would be accurate, I would say," Jackson said about the possible film.

Jackson this weekend took a break from his busy schedule filming King Kong in Auckland, stopping by Sydney's Powerhouse Museum to check out the "Lord of the Rings" exhibition.

The rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's novel, "The Hobbit," are split between MGM and New Line Cinema. Jackson said he was keen to return to Middle Earth but that MGM's sale to a consortium led by Sony made the project's future unclear.

"I think there is probably a will and a desire to try and get it made," he added. "But I think it's gonna be a lot of lawyers sitting in a room trying to thrash out a deal before it will ever happen."

[MacGuffin]

The Hobbit Still a Possibility
Alan Lee would like to develop art for it.

The Hobbit still faces legal hurdles before Jackson can make the missing film in the Lord of the Rings saga. However, there's still a chance we'll get to see Bilbo's first journey in a few years' time.

Peter Jackson explained the Hobbit situation to the media during the King Kong premiere gala:

"MGM used to own The Hobbit and then MGM got bought by Sony a few months ago, and so now Sony have the rights — or half of The Hobbit rights, and New Line have the other half. Now, New Line and Sony have to talk to each other and I don't think that anyone's going to call me until those rights issues are resolved. That's entirely between them, so…"

Renowned fantasy artist Alan Lee, who worked for Jackson on both the Lord of the Rings and King Kong, seems to think a movie is still being planned, however. During a presentation of his new book, The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook, in Milan, Lee said that he expected The Hobbit to be made three or four years from now. Lee also answered a few questions for Bad Taste.it, expressing his interest in developing concept artwork for the LOTR prequel.

"If [Peter Jackson does] The Hobbit, it would be nice for me to join the group of artists that would work on it."

If the courtroom disagreements get settled, we might expect a Hobbit announcement at any time. As it is, things don't look too hopeful yet. "Three or four years" is a pretty noncommittal timeline, but the good news is that Jackson still appears interested should the opportunity arise.

[Pubrick]

please don't happen.

this should never have been given a grapevine thread.

[Kal]

Yeah forget this... lets move on... there are plenty of other new, old, different stories and books he can find... thats a wrap!

[MacGuffin]

New Line doing The Hobbit?
Source: Moviehole

Has the red tape come unstuck long enough for Peter Jackson and New Line to make the much-hankered-for "Lord of the Rings" prequel, "The Hobbit"? Quite possibly.

A spy for TheOneRing.net was recently in the New York offices of New Line Cinema and clearly saw 'The Hobbit' on the film schedule for 2007.

"Please leave my email anonymous as I have some very exciting news to report. I was in New Line's NY offices to discuss upcoming projects when I clearly saw something very intriguing on a year planner. 'The Hobbit' was clearly marked on what looked like July 2007. I couldn't exactly take a moment to investigate the calendar with my audience in the room, but it definitely said 'The Hobbit'. Lets hope this is a PJ project!"

This does fit in with recent rumours suggesting that the WETA workship has indeed begun work on "The Hobbit".

Peter Jackson has always been keen to make the LOTR prequel, but has stressed time and time again that they are complex legal issues that have to be handled before any such film can happen. In short - though New Line has the rights to make the film, MGM have the power to distribute it.

"I think there is probably a will and a desire to try and get it made. But I think it's gonna be a lot of lawyers sitting in a room trying to thrash out a deal before it will ever happen", Jackson said last year.

If the rumour is to believed, it would seem such a partnership may have been agreed on.

"I'd be interested in doing it because I think it would give continuity to the overall chapter", the ever-thinning director said.

Last year, Jackson mentioned a possible 2008 or 2009 release date for such a film, if they could work it out. "Three or four years would be accurate, I would say".

If "The Hobbit" happens – and again, Jackson said it will feature most of the same cast from the previous movies, including Liv Tyler – it'll fix on the hobbit Bilbo Baggins (played by Ian Holm in the previous films) as he travels across the lands of Middle-earth with a band of Dwarves and a wizard named Gandalf on a quest to restore a dwarven kingdom and a great treasure stolen by the dragon, Smaug.

[MacGuffin]

The Hobbit Petition Garners Reaction
Fans one step closer to making a Jackson-directed feature happen.

When it comes to Hollywood, it looks like the squeaky wheel does indeed get the grease. Case in point: Close to 40,000 fans of J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit are one step closer to seeing Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson helm a big screen adaptation for MGM and New Line Cinema.

As reported on TheOneRing.net, a petition to have Jackson and the effects wizards at Weta Workshop tackle The Hobbit — whose film rights are dizzyingly split between MGM and New Line — received 39,116 signatures and was delivered to both studios on Sept. 22. In an unprecedented move, Rick Sands — COO of MGM — actually took time out of his schedule to respond to the fan outcry. Here's what he had to say:

"Peter Jackson's phenomenal success with The Lord of the Rings trilogy makes him the first and most ideal choice for directing The Hobbit. MGM would be thrilled to collaborate with the Academy Award-winning director on this MGM New Line Cinema production. And, I'm sure to the delight of the 50,000 filmgoers who have petitioned us in recent weeks, demanding we bring this film to fruition, we have had a few initial conversations about the project with Mr. Jackson's representatives."

[sheshothim]

please don't happen.

this should never have been given a grapevine thread.

I really don't see the problem here. First of all, there are TRILLIONS (exaggeration) of fans just DYING for this movie to be made. Therefore: it's in demand. Second, he'll make a TON of money! And he did good with the other three. I don't see a problem, it will probably be very good. The Hobbit story was really cool anyway.
I also think anything up and coming can have a Grapevine thread. I mean, I've seen one given to shittier movies.

[Pubrick]

first of all, i said that 10 months ago. but whatever.

if he does end up making the movie it will be only to get the overbearing fans off his back. he is a nice guy, which is why he can't say no to so many freaks who these days only have Eragon to look forward to in the cinema. he existed before LotR and he made better films before then too. the sooner he can be done with this crap the better.

of course he'll make money, but what the fuck, is he gonna have to adapt the silmarillion after this too? jesus chirst. get over it already. he accomplished everything that anyone could hope for with the LotR trilogy regarding geek adaptations. he gave the fans unprecedented generosity with the extensive DVD releases of those films. he will be inextricably linked with the legend of JRR Tolkien, he doesn't have to bend over every single time the geeks want a new episode.

he'll do the hobbit to help new zealand. then for the love of all that is talented i hope the freaks let the man make films that actually matter.

[MacGuffin]

Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh Talk THE HOBBIT
Source: TheOneRing

Moments ago we received this email from Peter Jackson and his crew down in New Zealand, take a look...

Dear One Ringers,

As you know, there's been a lot of speculation about The Hobbit. We are often asked about when or if this film will ever be made. We have always responded that we would be very interested in making the film - if it were offered to us to make.

You may also be aware that Wingnut Films has bought a lawsuit against New Line, which resulted from an audit we undertook on part of the income of The Fellowship of the Ring. Our attitude with the lawsuit has always been that since it's largely based on differences of opinion about certain accounting practices, we would like an independent body - whether it be a judge, a jury, or a mediator, to look at the issues and make an unbiased ruling. We are happy to accept whatever that ruling is. In our minds, it's not much more complex than that and that's exactly why film contracts include right-to-audit clauses.

However, we have always said that we do not want to discuss The Hobbit with New Line until the lawsuit over New Line's accounting practices is resolved. This is simple common sense - you cannot be in a relationship with a film studio, making a complex, expensive movie and dealing with all the pressures and responsibilities that come with the job, while an unresolved lawsuit exists.

We have also said that we do not want to tie settlement of the lawsuit to making a film of The Hobbit. In other words, we would have to agree to make The Hobbit as a condition of New Line settling our lawsuit. In our minds this is not the right reason to make a film and if a film of The Hobbit went ahead on this basis, it would be doomed. Deciding to make a movie should come from the heart - it's not a matter of business convenience. When you agree to make a film, you're taking on a massive commitment and you need to be driven by an absolute passion to want to get the story on screen. It's that passion, and passion alone, that gives the movie its imagination and heart. To us it is not a cold-blooded business decision.

A couple of months ago there was a flurry of Hobbit news in the media. MGM, who own a portion of the film rights in The Hobbit, publicly stated they wanted to make the film with us. It was a little weird at the time because nobody from New Line had ever spoken to us about making a film of The Hobbit and the media had some fun with that. Within a week or two of those stories, our Manager Ken Kamins got a call from the co-president of New Line Cinema, Michael Lynne, who in essence told Ken that the way to settle the lawsuit was to get a commitment from us to make the Hobbit, because "that's how these things are done". Michael Lynne said we would stand to make much more money if we tied the lawsuit and the movie deal together and this may well be true, but it's still the worst reason in the world to agree to make a film.

Several years ago, Mark Ordesky told us that New Line have rights to make not just The Hobbit but a second "LOTR prequel", covering the events leading up to those depicted in LOTR. Since then, we've always assumed that we would be asked to make The Hobbit and possibly this second film, back to back, as we did the original movies. We assumed that our lawsuit with the studio would come to a natural conclusion and we would then be free to discuss our ideas with the studio, get excited and jump on board. We've assumed that we would possibly get started on development and design next year, whilst filming The Lovely Bones. We even had a meeting planned with MGM executives to talk through our schedule.

However last week, Mark Ordesky called Ken and told him that New Line would no longer be requiring our services on the Hobbit and the LOTR 'prequel'. This was a courtesy call to let us know that the studio was now actively looking to hire another filmmaker for both projects.

Ordesky said that New Line has a limited time option on the film rights they have obtained from Saul Zaentz (this has never been conveyed to us before), and because we won't discuss making the movies until the lawsuit is resolved, the studio is going to have to hire another director.

Given that New Line are committed to this course of action, we felt at the very least, we owed you, the fans, a straightforward account of events as they have unfolded for us.

We have always had the greatest support from The Ringers and we are very sorry our involvement with The Hobbit has been ended in this way. Our journey into Tolkien's world started with a phone call from Ken Kamins to Harvey Weinstein in Nov 1995 and ended with a phone call from Mark Ordesky to Ken in Nov 2006. It has been a great 11 years.

This outcome is not what we anticipated or wanted, but neither do we see any positive value in bitterness and rancor. We now have no choice but to let the idea of a film of The Hobbit go and move forward with other projects.

We send our very best wishes to whomever has the privilege of making The Hobbit and look forward to seeing the film on the big screen.

Warmest regards to you all, and thanks for your incredible support over the years.

We got to go there - but not back again ...

Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh

[grand theft sparrow]

Bad move for New Line, good for Peter Jackson... now he won't be accused of being George Lucas.

If he did make these films, critics would complain that it's more of the same and that LOTR was a more interesting story, both of which would be pretty much true.  Comparisons to the Star Wars prequels would be made as well.  But now that we'll never know, it seems, everyone is sure that they'll suck without him.  New Line will have its hands full finding a director that will make it OK that PJ isn't making them.  My bet is we'll hear stories of Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and every other director with an arresting visual style that's not Terry Gilliam being offered the job, but in the end, if they get made at all, they'll go with Brad Silberling or Hammer & Tongs.

[Pubrick]

THANK GOD.. PJ is seriously lucky, the fates granted him the best career move of a lifetime with the LotR trilogy and now they have intervened when he was about to make the worst. he is truly blessed.

it's like the hand of righteousness acted through the evil greed of new line. funny how they even tempted him with more money, like sheshothim foolishly thought would be the main reason to do it. he's not stupid, he will realise this was a good conclusion.

good for Peter Jackson

[MacGuffin]

MGM responds to Hobbit news
Source: Moviehole

Though he thinks he's no longer in the race, MGM says they're not going to give up on Peter Jackson directing "The Hobbit".

Yesterday, the "Lord of the Rings" director told TheOneRing.net that New Line have removed him from the project. The filmmaker's statement also reiterated in detail his stance on "The Hobbit" -- that he is not willing to have a serious conversation about directing the film until his ongoing lawsuit with New Line over what he considers improper accounting practices over "LOTR" profits is settled.

New Line's given reason for proceeding sans Jackson is that the studio's rights to the pic are about to expire, and seeing as the lawsuit with Jackson isn't moving ahead, well, the message was that New Line is.

An MGM spokesperson tells Variety today that they're going to fight for Jackson. The spokesperson states, "The matter of Peter Jackson directing 'The Hobbit' films is far from closed."

You only have to do a Google search for one of the "Rings" forums to see what size backlash this one's had.

Chris Pirrotta, co-founder of TheOneRing.net says "They [the fans] are very upset, - We are seeing calls for everything from letter writing campaigns to a boycott of the studio."

[MacGuffin]

The Lord of the Dead?
Source: Moviehole

No doubt a ploy to keep the infuriated fan boys at bay, New Line are said to have asked Sam Raimi – replacing Peter Jackson – to direct "The Hobbit", according to TheOneRing.net.

The "Spider-Man" and "Evil Dead" filmmaker has a huge following among genre buffs, so the news may just cool a few maddened 'Rings' fans down.

One man that won't be happy with the decision – in fact, he won't be happy until Jackson is re-hired for the job – is actor Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf in the series.

McKellen tells TheOneRing.net that "It's hard to imagine any other director matching his achievement in Tolkien country."