The Hobbit

[ChewieTobbacca]

They should really make a Children of Hurin movie... its probably the most movie ready of the First Age stories

[Thorpe]

Del Toro Talks "Hobbit", "Hellboy" (April 20th 2008)

Looks like we'll find out the current state of the production within a few days.

[MorinkhanMT]

#1 tip for reading the Silmarillion: Don't give up on it early, push through to the end.

Feel free to skim the first few sections. They give some interesting background but are very dry. The payoff comes when you get into the section named Quenta Silmarillion. Still a dry writing style (it IS Tolkien after all), but a lot more action and general kick-assery.

If nothing else, make sure you read the stories of Beren & Luthien, of Turin Turambar, and of the Fall of Gondolin.

[Thorpe]

It is now official.

Guillermo del Toro To Direct "Hobbit" (April 24th 2008)

[PosterOfStuff]

Well I am massively pleased that Guillermo del Toro will be the director for this. One of his previous movies Pan’s Labyrinth was fucking awesome.

The Hobbit (for me) was a book very much in the style of simple cultural fairy tales, and as such, does have a lot of moments that will not translate easily onto screen (i.e my fear is that some scenes will be too corny if the makers are too faithful). Based on Pan’s Labyrinth I believe he has the ability to deliver the right atmosphere/direction to this type of movie.

I notice on IMDB that this will be made in two parts, Part 1 released in 2009 and part 2 in 2010. He also has the following:-

Doctor Strange 2010
At the Mountains of Madness 2010
Hellboy 2 2008


If any are shit, I resevere the right to turn on him…

[Korioni]

Hmm, what would mark the halfway point of the hobbit that they could split the movie on?

[Lucificate]

I think the Hobbit is supposed to be its own single movie, then the time period between the end of the Hobbit and the beginning of the Fellowship of the Ring will comprise the second movie.

[Snugglebear]

Bilbo reaches into the troll's pocket, and FADE TO BLACK... to be continued next Christmas!

Or perhaps they could halve it after Bilbo's escape from the Misty Mountains.

[Astrocreep]

Originally Posted by Korioni

Hmm, what would mark the halfway point of the hobbit that they could split the movie on?

my guess from about 9 pages back

Originally Posted by Astrocreep

The battle of the five armies lasted only 1 or 2 chapters. gonna be tough to stretch that into 2 hours.

What i guess they can do in the first film is stretch out the journey up to escaping the elves. highlighting the goblin kidnapping and expanding that whole time under the ground. can easily get 3 hours out of that, the riddles , the escape, the wargs, the eagles, beorn and the capture and escape from the mirkwood elves.
the second movie would be laketown, the trek to smaug then the war and finally the return home. thats a lot of stuff.

[Jait]

I honestly almost think del Toro might be *better* for this.

Singing dwarves, monsters who also break into creepy-ass songs, a freaky riddle-game, lots of intelligent beasties, and a pretty awesome battle. It's right up his alley. Can't wait. If he had done the LotR trilogy probably not so much....but at least it would've had Tom Bombadil!


edit: Since it's New Line, and a true "movie" prequel, I guess Legolas and Gimli could make cameos at the battle, and they might've actually been there anyway. /shrug

[Agraza]

I don't see how they could miss it.

[Chrisb3]

I will be dissapointed if I don't see Legolas. Not sure how old Gimli is, but I guess he could turn up at the final battle also.

If they are trying to expand it, they can put in the bit where the white council oust sauron from his castle in mirkwood. After that he flees to mordor where the ringwraiths have everything set up for him (I think).

It's stupid if they don't use the same bilbo actor, bilbo is supposed to be ~50 anyway.

[Thorpe]

Originally Posted by Chrisb3

If they are trying to expand it, they can put in the bit where the white council oust sauron from his castle in mirkwood. After that he flees to mordor where the ringwraiths have everything set up for him (I think).

I have a feeling this will definitely appear in the second movie.

Originally Posted by Chrisb3

It's stupid if they don't use the same bilbo actor, bilbo is supposed to be ~50 anyway.

As mentioned before in this thread, Bilbo barely aged from the point when he found the ring until he gives it to Frodo. Besides, they were able to make Ian Holm look young enjoy in the flashback scene from the second movie, I don't see why they couldn't do it again.

As for the first movie, I'm interested in seeing who they cast as the voice of Smaug.

[MorinkhanMT]

Originally Posted by Chrisb3

I will be dissapointed if I don't see Legolas. Not sure how old Gimli is, but I guess he could turn up at the final battle also.

If they are trying to expand it, they can put in the bit where the white council oust sauron from his castle in mirkwood. After that he flees to mordor where the ringwraiths have everything set up for him (I think).

It's stupid if they don't use the same bilbo actor, bilbo is supposed to be ~50 anyway.

I don't recall Gimli's age offhand, but he's the son of Gloin, one of the dwarves in The Hobbit, so he may be too young for a cameo.

Bilbo is supposed to be ~50, true but remember, that's roughly the same age that Frodo is during LotR. 50 isn't all that old for hobbits.

[Banal]

Originally Posted by Thorpe

As for the first movie, I'm interested in seeing who they cast as the voice of Smaug.

Lawrence Fishburne would make an awesome voice of Smaug.