THE HOBBIT
- PREVIEW
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(Click on image to download poster) |
The
Hobbit (2012)
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Ron Perlman, Hugo Weaving, Ian McKellen,
Andy Serkis, Doug Jones
Director: TBA
U.S. Opening Date: 2012
THEY SAY
Based on JRR Tolkien's novel of the same name, The Hobbit is the story
of Bilbo Baggins, who is seen in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The Hobbit
follows Bilbo as he first encounters Gandalf. He is somewhat unwillingly
swept off on an adventure to the lonely mountain to rid it of the dragon, Smaug. The dragon is guarding a treasure of enormous value that
it had taken from the dwarfs who once lived there. A major battle
ensues shortly.
The Hobbit will
be released as Part I and II in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
WE SAY
Ever since Peter Jackson’s
Lord of the Rings movies
there had been talk about
filming The Hobbit, basically a lighter in tone prequel of sorts to
Tolkien’s epic Rings trilogy more or less featuring the same characters.
However the filming rights resided at New Line (the
studio that produced the first three films) and relations between them and
Kiwi director Peter Jackson soured over the alleged non-payment of royalties. At one point New Line let drop that
they’ll make a Hobbit movie without Jackson, which led to an online ruckus by Tolkien fans who insisted that they won’t
bother going to
see any movies in which Jackson wasn’t involved.
The
legal dispute has been settled though and plans are now going ahead to make two films out of
The Hobbit novel.
Jackson won’t be directing, but he will be executive
producer. (His wife and producing partner Fran Walsh has also signed on.)
Instead Tolkien fans sighed a collective sigh of relief
when it was announced that the talented Guillermo del Toro of Pan's
Labyrinth and Hellboy fame will be directing the
two movies.
STATUS UPDATE (26/6/2010): Lord of the Rings
director Peter Jackson is apparently in negotiations to direct The
Hobbit in place of del Toro.
STATUS UPDATE (5/2010):
Director del Toro has quit the project citing incessant production delays
due to MGM's financial woes: "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 told a Lord of the Rings fan website. "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."
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