Del Toro To Direct 'The Hobbit'

VFX World ^

[HairOfTheDog]

The story says the project has been tied up in litigation. Is taking liberties with the canon the reason?

No, it's been over who owns the story rights, and whether New Line was going to pay PJ what he thought he was owed for the last project.

[sphinx]

There’s lots of material to use

I take your point, but it's risky. There are fragments of Middle Earth history of the period referenced in the published canon -- Gollum's wanderings; Aragorn tracking Gollum; the White Council driving Sauron from Dol Guldur; Aragorn's romance with Arwen; the dwarves' war with the orcs -- but nothing developed as a story by Tolkein.

Pretty risky territory. Strikes me as similar to that Gone With The Wind sequel a few years back.

[ecurbh]

Woohoo! It's finally official!

Ring Ping!!

[Varda]

I guess it depends on what someone considers entertaining. Pan’s Labyrinth was well crafted and integrated the fantasy well. It had a very stylish look (dark, depressing and with a muted color pallete), the look fit. It’s the ham handed propaganda and ugly story line that got to me. Hopefully he will brighten up his style and won’t fiddle with Tolkien too much.

[Rocko]

Uhhh ... what sequel? Bilbo returning home and living quietly for 60 years? That's how I remember the story.

I recall there was talk of splitting the novel into two films -- maybe that's what the writer means.

[SauronOfMordor]

There's also the material of The Silmarillion, detailing events of the early days, including the first War of the Ring which was covered briefly at the beginning of the Fellowship movie

[lesser_satan]

I guess there's a Children of Hurin film in the works.

[PLMerite]

Good thing Peter lost all that weight or you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. Until one of them spoke, that is.

[Yardstick]

Pan’s Labyrinth was great. I had no interest in seeing more Hobbits but this changes things.

[300winmag]

No, it's been over who owns the story rights, and whether New Line was going to pay PJ what he thought he was owed for the last project.

New Line was incredibly stupid in trying to kill their golden goose by not giving it to PJ in the first place. How many multi-billion-dollar blockbusters, rated as among the best movies ever made, had Sam Rami done?

It's amazing how hard it is to convince studio execs to do a no-brainer.

[allmendream]

As far as action in the “sequel”, a lot went on that didn't make the book except in passing.

The “Necromancer” was driven out of Myrkwood and found to be Sauron reborn. Gollum was tracked down, interrogated and escaped from both the Enemy and Galdalf and Aragorn. The Nine rode forth once more from Mordor and Osgiliath was overrun.

[Hyzenthlay]

Apparently, the entire story will be broken up into two movies, like part 1 and part 2. I’m not sure how I feel about this, because on one hand it is only one book and it would be nice to see it all at once, but on the other hand I don’t think the whole book can be properly done in less than three hours or so. The LOTR books are longer, but they contain more descriptions and slow, boring sections (like Frodo and Sam going into Mordor) that could be considerably shortened in movie form, and Peter Jackson couldn’t even fit all of the books into one movie each.

[icwhatudo]

Stuff that happens in those “60 years” for the second movie:

2941 Bilbo goes on his adventure and finds the one ring
—————————————60 years-——————————
2941 Expulsion of the Necromancer(Sauron)from Dol Guldur by the White Council.
2942 Return of Sauron to Mordor.
2951 Rebuilding of Barad-dûr begins.
2951 The Nazgûl are sent to reclaim Dol Guldur.
2951 Aragorn is told who he really is by Elrond
2953 The last meeting of the White Council.
2956 Aragorn meets Gandalf and starts protecting shire
2957-2980 - Aragorn using the name of “Thorongil” serves in the armies of King Thengel of Rohan (Theodins father), and Steward Ecthelion II of Gondor (Denethors father)
2968 Birth of Frodo Baggins in the Shire.
2978 Birth of Boromir of Gondor.
2980 Frodos parents die in a boating accident.
2982 Birth of Meriadoc Brandybuck
2983 Birth of Faramir of Gondor
2983 Birth of Samwise Gamgee.
2989 Bilbo adopts Frodo
2989 Balin attempt to retake Moria.
2990 Birth of Peregrin Took.
2994 Balin is killed in Moria
2995 Birth of Éowyn in Rohan.
—————————————60 years———————————
3001 Bilbo Baggins’ Birthday Party and farewell feast.

Stuff technically outside the 60 years but missed in LOTR movies:

3007 Aragorn mother passes away
3014 Saruman begins to weaken Théoden
3017 Gollum is released from Mordor; Aragorn finally tracks him down in the Dead Marshes, and brings him as a captive to King Thranduil’s halls in Mirkwood (Legolos’s father)

---

3018 Gandalf tells Frodo to take the ring away

[MarkL]

How many multi-billion-dollar blockbusters, rated as among the best movies ever made, had Sam Rami done?

Hey! Watch it! There's Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, ...

Mark

[icwhatudo]

Other events outside the technical 60 years that could be in second movie:

Gandalf tricking Théoden into giving him his horse shadowfax.

The dark riders asking Dain and the dwarves of the lonely mountain about Bilbo/Hobbiton location.

The attack on Mirkwood by Sauron.

[SuziQ]

It will be interesting to see del Toro’s ‘take’ on it. It will be lush, if nothing else!

[2Jedismom]

Gandalf meeting Thorin in the Prancing Pony, which set the whole thing into motion...

“A chance meeting, as they say in Middle Earth.”

[grellis]

JMO, but the best way to film The Simarillion would be as a made for cable miniseries, anywhere from six to twenty installments.

I don't usually go for the made for cable stuff, but there was a miniseries last year, The Lost Room, that was very well crafted. It can be done right...but it's usually not.

[El Sordo]

I’m having nightmares about giant spiders already...

[Guenevere]

LOL, I thought it was Benicio too....
...intrigued about says it :)