Hobbit Movie

[Wendy Kohlhoff]

Two Hobbit films planned.
MGM and New Line Cinema are moving ever closer to making J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit a big-screen reality. And now it seems that the studios may be planning not one, but two films based on the 1937 fantasy novel. MGM chief operating officer Rick Sands revealed the plans during a trade show in Orlando, Florida.

Saw this...I know it'll be a while before anything comes to pass, but thought we'd have a new thread for any of the Hobbit gossip we hear in the news.

[lalaith]

Sounds good to me. Although I find it rather odd that they're planning two movies instead of just one. I guess they want to squeeze as much money as they can out of us. THey'll probably get it, too. I can't imagine where they'll pause the first movie, though...

[Wendy Kohlhoff]

My thoughts exactly...Except at least this way, we might not miss out on some great scenes.
Keeps fingers crossed that all will work out.

[Niniel]

I had read in an interview with PJ I think that there was some suggestion that 2 movies might be better to fit all the material in. It is definitely a bit odd considering it's not a two part book, but I'd not complain--what I *will* complain about is if they can't put aside all their differences and have PJ and Fran in charge.

Though I think I read on TORn that Jackson's people have been contacted about negotiating the project. So I definitely have my fingers crossed!

[Wendy Kohlhoff]

I've been watching for info about PJ...He was a little annoyed that they waited to ask him and now he's pretty booked. But I'm hopeful he'll find a way to do it. He's the master and all that.

[Niniel]

This arrived in my mailbox today. Quote:

"As for The Hobbit, Sloan confirmed that MGM was in advanced talks with Peter Jackson to make two movies based on JRR Tolkien's "prequel" to "The Lord of the Rings."

The first would be a direct adaptation of The Hobbit, and the second would be drawn from "footnotes and source material connecting 'The Hobbit' with 'Lord of the Rings,'" he explained.

An MGM spokesman emphasized that negotiations with Jackson are still in progress, and that production isn't likely until 2008 or even 2009."

...the second film sounds very interesting! Now I can better understand why they'd do a second installment.

Source: comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=17549

[Niniel]

I am devastated about this

"Peter Jackson will not be directing The Hobbit, the New Zealand film-maker has told a JRR Tolkien fan site.

Jackson emailed theonering.net at the weekend stating that he and his company Wingnut Films, which worked on the three Lord of the Rings films, would not be getting involved in the production of Tolkien's earlier novel about the world of Middle Earth. He said this was due to the previously reported disagreement with the films' studio, New Line, over profits from the highly successful trilogy."

film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1952638,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=16

[Niniel]

I spent quite a while chatting on the TORn IRC channel today, and there were some interesting points raised.

The more I read into this and think on it, the more I feel that there was a dual purpose in this announcement. First, I honestly think Peter wanted to be the first to break the news to the fans. But second, I think there is a component of this that is stalling for time.

New Line's rights lapse in a couple years. MGM is still keen on PJ. The man who owns the rights properly is keen on PJ, and told a German mag that he thinks PJ's holding out until the rights lapse and he can get a fairer deal all 'round.

If this is really the case--and without saying anything in an 'official' capacity, merely adding to the theory, Doug Adams has pointed out the possibility--then I'd be willing to wait another couple years to get a Hobbit with PJ, instead of rushing into a Hobbit now while New Line has the rights. Too bad New Line waited too long. Their loss.

But if they force this, it's really us hardcore fans who bear the brunt of the blow.

Anyway, relevant links & quotes:

Doug Adams...
www.moviemusic.com/mb/Forum1/HTML/015135-27.html

>>2) I think that we would do well to remember the Gary Oldman / Harry Potter fuss from earlier this year. Oldman announced to the press that he would not be involved with Harry Potter 5, because contract negotiations were not to his liking. Long story short, check the cast list—Oldman’s in the film. Was it a bargaining measure? Trying to drive up the fan furor? I honestly don’t know. I’m not speaking from any sort of inside information, in either the Potter or Hobbit situations. This is speculation in its purest form, but I think it’s worth bearing in mind right now.<<

Saul Zaentz, very roughly translated from German:

translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elbenwald.de%2Findex.php%3Fpage_name%3DNeuigkeitenDetails%26product_id%3D2457&langpair=de|en&hl=en&safe=off&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

>>"Saul Zaentz (producer) is convinced of the fact that Peter Jackson [...] filming will take over and eliminates at the same time all doubts, which existed it so far to this topic. MGM boss Harry Sloan continues a step and speaks “already” of 2008 or 2009 as start for productions. Equivalent two films are planned [...]

In the current expenditure of the magazine Cinema is the following statement of the producer Saul Zaentz [...] “One turns you definitely by Peter Jackson. The question is only, when. It wants to turn first another film. Next year drop back the [...] rights to my company. I assume that Peter waits still so long, because he gets the best Deal of the industry with us. [...]

How is to be read on comingsoon.net, the MGM chairman of the board confirms Harry Sloan negotiations with Peter Jackson, who is meanwhile in “advanced” stage. It calls 2008 or 2009 as possible starting dates for the film work. The concept to develop two films takes more and more form: Planned is on the one hand, a direct cinematic conversion of the (Hobbit). In a second film is to be reported on the events, which between (Hobbit) and (Lord of the Rings) passed and with Tolkien in footnotes or notes to be only found are."<<