Peter Jackson will direct "The Hobbit" after all

[Steak Snabler]

And it will be two films, released in December 2012 and December 2013:

http://www.deadline.com/2010/06/urgent-peter-jackson-negotiating-to-direct-the-hobbit-films/

No casting decisions made as of yet, according to the link.

 

[Starman]

milk, milk, milk that cash cow...

 

[93Devil]

Up seven bucks today on HSX.

Wish I read this sooner. I am in for about $300,000 on this.

 

[bigpern23]

I was going to say that I hope he hires a competent editor ... seeing that it will be split into two films tells me he decided against that.

I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but, man, that guy needs an editor who will tell him when to cut something out of a film. The 20-minute dinosaur stampede in King Kong is all the evidence needed to tell you that.

 

[ArnoldBabar]

 

[Mizzougrad96]

He'll make a fortune on both films. $300 million a film easily.

I will see neither one.

 

[93Devil]

King Kong was fantastic. Those action sequences were amazing.

That is all.

 

[bigpern23]

King Kong was fantastic. Those action sequences were amazing.

That is all.

King Kong COULD have been fantastic. The dino stampede (among other scenes, such as the insect pit) was entirely too long and there are several shots where it's completely obvious Adrien Brody and Jack Black are running in front of a screen.

They did a phenomenal job on Kong. He's the best looking fake gorilla in the history of the medium. Unfortunately, you get the idea they spent so much money on getting him right, they didn't have enough left in the budget to get ALL of the CGI right.

That said, the T-Rex battle (and Naomi Watts choosing to step behind Kong rather than face the dinosaur) was worth the price of admission. That scene was just incredible.

 

[Armchair_QB]

King Kong was fantastic. Those action sequences were amazing.

That is all.

King Kong COULD have been fantastic. The dino stampede (among other scenes, such as the insect pit) was entirely too long and there are several shots where it's completely obvious Adrien Brody and Jack Black are running in front of a screen.

They did a phenomenal job on Kong. He's the best looking fake gorilla in the history of the medium. Unfortunately, you get the idea they spent so much money on getting him right, they didn't have enough left in the budget to get ALL of the CGI right.

That said, the T-Rex battle (and Naomi Watts choosing to step behind Kong rather than face the dinosaur) was worth the price of admission. That scene was just incredible.

Naomi Watts is worth the price of admission.

 

[Bristol Whipped]

King Kong? Seriously? 90 minutes into that damn movie and we hadn't even seen the monkey yet. Two and a half hours in and they hadn't even caught King Kong.

And I'm still pissed at Peter Jackson after watching "The Lovely Bones" two weeks ago. Easily one of the worst movies I've ever seen. The worst ending to a movie ever.

 

[schiezainc]

I will not allow any of you to besmirch Peter Jackson's work on Lord of the Rings. That entire trilogy is a f-n masterpiece and, if anything, should have been an hour or two longer to include what Jackson cut from the work.

No Tom Bombadil? No Scouring of the Shire? Bull**** man. Bull****.

(I do agree they could have trimmed up some **** in The Two Towers though. God damn, how long do we have to watch trees march?)

I'm excited for this project. Loved the Hobbit books and will be there, with bells on, at the Opening Day Midnight Showing. Book it.

 

[Bristol Whipped]

I'm with you that the Scouring of the Shire needed to be in there, and it definitely could have been added to Return of the King simply by getting rid of the half hour of everyone hugging everyone else good bye at the end.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

I will not allow any of you to besmirch Peter Jackson's work on Lord of the Rings. That entire trilogy is a f-n masterpiece and, if anything, should have been an hour or two longer to include what Jackson cut from the work.

No Tom Bombadil? No Scouring of the Shire? Bull**** man. Bull****.

(I do agree they could have trimmed up some **** in The Two Towers though. God damn, how long do we have to watch trees march?)

Maybe there's hope for your movie tastes yet.

Tom Bombadil might have been the dumbest sequence in the first book. Frodo leaves the Shire months after Gandalf tells him about this ring, then he and his bozo friends keep stopping for tea. And they get captured and this douche has to save them? Get on with the story, please. A wise cut.

The Scouring of the Shire, while it filled Tolkien's need to make an environment-related point, defined "Anticlimactic." The mistake they made in the theatrical version of Return of the King was in not showing Saruman's demise.

 

[schiezainc]

My problem with cutting Tom out is that he played a significant role in a good chunk of Fellowship. Dude had a whole chapter devoted just to him.

And it would have been interesting to see how they played up that whole him not being influenced by the ring part.

Of the two, I understand why this cut was made more than anything but the Scouring needed to be there. I would've loved to have seen them show their newfound bravery and courage to the Shirefolk and it would have been a great way to end the series.

Of course, the way they did kill off Saruman was pretty cool so I guess I can live with that.

Just a couple minor issues I have with the films.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

The films solved the books' biggest problem.

Gandalf tells Frodo, "Hey, might wanna do something about this whole ring thing," and Frodo says, "Good call! I'll get to that . . . in a few months." He then proceeds to linger in Hobbiton for a long time, and when he finally leaves, the villains are on their heels. In fact, the whole rest of the story is a race between Frodo and the Dark Forces, really.

And the whole time, I'm thinking, "Well, a-hole, if you would have left when Gandalf said to, much of this could have been avoided."

The movies have Frodo leave immediately, which helps drive home just how dangerous their world has become.

 

[schiezainc]

Still doesn't solve the fact that they could have been flown in by the Eagles and dropped the rings into the volcano. :)

 

[Steak Snabler]

Casting decisions trickling out, including Dame Edna/Barry Humphries as the Goblin King:

http://www.hitfix.com/articles/evangeline-lilly-and-dame-edna-join-the-hobbit-cast

Also, according to the link, Part I will hit theaters in mid-December 2012, with Part II a year later.

 

[Wenders]

If you look at the IMDb cast, most of the LotR cast is reprising their roles. I personally love the selection of Martin Freeman as young Bilbo. (The main thing I know him from is the male porn stand-in in Love Actually.)

 

[Buck]

'King Kong' was awful.
The ending of 'Return of the King' seemed like it went on for 90 minutes.
Making 'The Hobbit' into two movies means neither will be very good and the franchise will continue to make a ton of money.