Jackson and Hobbits to Quest and Save Hollywood Yet Again?

Variety/Comingsoon ^ | Nov 14th 2006

[HairOfTheDog]

Variety article has MGM saying it's 'far from closed'

Variety.com - Inside Move: It's hard to be a 'Hobbit'

New Line, MGM, Jackson tussle over pic

By NICOLE LAPORTE, NICOLE LAPORTE, DAVE MCNARY, DAVE MCNARY

Jackson

Ordesky

Who's the boss of "The Hobbit"?

This question has been growing more heated in recent weeks as the principal parties involved in the film -- New Line, MGM and director Peter Jackson -- have been duking it out, each staking their claim as a key player in "The Hobbit" along with a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings."

Behind the jostling is the fact that while New Line owns the rights to produce the pic, MGM owns the distribution rights and Jackson is the creative force behind the franchise's staggering success.

In the most recent flurry of events, Peter Jackson and producing partner Fran Walsh posted a letter Sunday night on the "LOTR" fan site Theonering.net saying that New Line told them last week that it was going to make "The Hobbit" without their services.

The letter also reiterated in detail Jackson's 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.

All of this has riled MGM, which in recent weeks has been openly touting the fact that the newly revamped studio is serious about making "The Hobbit" -- with Jackson.

An MGM spokesman said that "the matter of Peter Jackson directing 'The Hobbit' films is far from closed."

Though New Line no-commented inquiries about Jackson's statement, the mini-major's move is a loud statement to both MGM and Jackson that the studio is in the driver's seat when it comes to "The Hobbit."

Jackson noted in his letter that New Line exec Mark Ordesky, who shepherded the "Rings" trilogy, explained that New Line is ditching Jackson because it has a "limited time option" on the film rights obtained from Saul Zaentz.

There are already online revolts from fans who can't fathom a "Hobbit" directed by anyone else, and Jackson makes clear in his letter that he's not budging on the issue of the lawsuit or "The Hobbit."

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Well this is one more example of the 'business' end of 'show business'. Not to be naive about business in general, I often think that the predatory practices of businessmen portrayed by Hollywood types is based on their knowledge of business practices in their town.

[maquiladora]

What a mess. PJ's letter to TORN really does sound quite final, it really does sound like he's made up his mind to give up on The Hobbit after that unbelievable call from New Line. Really is sad to hear just how far things had gone with MGM.

I suppose if we look at the positive side of things, this doesn't mean that The Hobbit isn't going to happen, in fact, we now now the rights are time limited, so its definitely going to get made, just probably not with PJ.

There is always a possibility that whoever ends up making the Hobbit will be a very creative and talented director that might bring an interesting look and feel to The Hobbit. I guess it might be fun to begin thinking about names...Sam Raimi, Peter Weir, Christopher Nolan, Guillermo del Toro, Bryan Singer...

Also, it's interesting to see that WETA boss Richard Taylor has already stated that the creative team behind LOTR would still love to be asked to be involved in The Hobbit, even without PJ at the helm, and that has to be a good thing.

[maquiladora]

Ok...theres a rumor circulating already that New Line are getting Jean-Pierre Jeunet to make The Hobbit...

[300winmag]

There are already online revolts from fans who can't fathom a "Hobbit" directed by anyone else, and Jackson makes clear in his letter that he's not budging on the issue of the lawsuit or "The Hobbit."

Well, I'm certainly revolting. And I'm not too happy with this movie business, either. Jackson not only spent years making what many, myself included, consider the greatest movie of the 20th century, he had to fight studios to give him the money and the artistic freedom.

New Line was less-nearsighted than the rest of Hollywood, and they've been richly rewarded. You'd think by now they would have learned to give Jackson whatever he wanted, up to and including 49% of the studio. Instead, they figure they have a turnkey franchise, and can turn it over to some second-string director.

If PJ doesn't direct it, it's just a cheap ripoff, and I ain't goin'.

[HairOfTheDog]

I agree with your sentiments... At this point it wouldn't feel right if PJ doesn't make it. That was a whole ~team~ that worked, and I was looking forward to seeing many of the same players assemble for the Hobbit.

Maybe this is just a lot of posturing and noise... and it'll settle out our way in the end. I really don't know.

[300winmag]

Maybe this is just a lot of posturing and noise... and it'll settle out our way in the end. I really don't know.

Doesn't New Line know that it was Peter Jackson who made them all those billions on the first place, and not their lawyers? It seems like a proven track record wasn't good enough for them any more.

Anybody who sees a non-Jackson "Hobbit" will go only once, and bring sharpened axes and knives with them.

It's amazing how Hollywood can screw up a no-brainer.

[maquiladora]

For all who are unhappy, want to make their voices heard :

www.boycottnewline.com

Or :

mark.ordesky@newline.com

[maquiladora]

I guess the studio was counting on Jackson's love for Middle Earth and desire to make The Hobbit being stronger than his desire to have an independent audit of the profits from FOTR. On the face of it, it might seem like greed, but all Jackson is asking for is an independent audit to see whether there were any irregularities or not, and it's been New Line's refusal to agree to this which has caused the whole mess. Regardless of whether PJ needs more money or not, it's the sheer principle of not letting yourself be screwed out of something you deserve.

It was a smart move by PJ to make this public, and though it does seem unrealistic, there is a chance that PJ is still playing mindgames with New Line, and by going public like this and stating that the dream is over, he is hoping that out of desperation in the face of overwhelming negative reaction, the studio will come back and offer an agreement on the lawsuit. There's still time I think, but it's a really slim chance.

[300winmag]

I guess the studio was counting on Jackson's love for Middle Earth and desire to make The Hobbit being stronger than his desire to have an independent audit of the profits from FOTR.

The movie and music industries seem to regularly employ accounting practices that would get most other CFOs thrown in prison.

[maquiladora]

Latest buzz now is that Sam Raimi may be making The Hobbit...

[300winmag]

Latest buzz now is that Sam Raimi may be making The Hobbit...

I'll wait for it to come out on DVD. Probably six months after hitting the theaters.

[JohnnyZ]

Question is, will Ian Holm be up to portraying Bilbo in his younger years?

Ian Holm was the best part of LOTR. Gandalf the Gay was awesome too - Boromir decent, and -- well, I must praise Orlando Bloom or be shredded by hrodes of mall rats!

[JohnnyZ]

Latest buzz now is that Sam Raimi may be making The Hobbit...

With Bruce Campbell as Beorn:

[JohnnyZ]

I think all of the characters were great for their roles.

Sounds like we disagree completely. I will say that most if not all the characters LOOKED the part (not the orcs); that was phenomenal. But many personalities were seriously misshapen, Aragorn of course, and Faramir, and Elrond, and Merry and Pippin to some extent, and the mockery of Saruman.

Ian Holm was so good in his limited role that he showed how pedestrian an actor Elijah Wood and the other hobbits were. He and Gollum/Serkis showed the power of the Ring, which was not communicated effectively elsewhere in the movies, despite attempts like the third rate Galadriel scene.

As for the soundtrack, I was disappointed, although really there are few original soundtracks worth listening to; the Basil Poledouris score for Conan the Barbarian is an exception.

It will be interesting to hear 13 dwarves all speaking with Welsh? accents.

But I would love to see Sam Raimi do The Hobbit, and I seriously would love to see Bruce Campbell as a supporting actor, either Beorn or Bard. That would be classic!

[Dante3]

That is a scary thought.

[JohnnyZ]

He said that, now we have two windows on Tolkien's world. One shows different angles than another, and while they do not complement each other, they are not mutually exclusive either.

Every change or addition was a downgrade in terms of consistency, feel, plot integrity, characterization ... it was really a remarkable, though dubious, accomplishment.

Faramir's decision to take the Ring.... it makes the moment that much stronger when he releases the hobbits.

It's a joke. An abrupt turnabout of the sort that only happens "in the movies", literally, in this case.

While Elrond wasn't as fatherly to Aragorn as he would have been in the books, I think his role overall was carried well.

I hear they have Michael Richards lined up to play him in The Hobbit.

I don't mean to demean Ian Holm, but I think his good representation was brought on by the fact that he wound up playing so limited a role in the film's grand scheme.

His ACTING. It's called GOOD ACTING.

[Jackson's] adherence to the original spirit of the story

Again, we differ. The look and feel was outstanding, but so many essentials of the characterization were changed or misunderstood -- and not for the better -- that the movies, despite the classic source material, were considerably less than classic. For that I blame Viggo Mortensen and Peter Jackson, principally.

Sam Raimi would, I believe, inherit the look and feel of Middle-Earth but vastly improve everything else.