Studios at Odds Over 'Rings' Prequel ("The Hobbit" Will Be Made If Settled)

AP (through WTOP News) ^ | 3/6/2004 | n/a

[Pyro7480]

Studios at Odds Over 'Rings' Prequel

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Peter Jackson won't be returning to the Shire any time soon. The Oscar-winning director is planning to film "The Hobbit," the prequel to "The Lord of the Rings," trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, but two studios must first fight over legal rights to the film.

Jackson said New Line Cinema has the rights to make the movie, but MGM has the rights to distribute it.

"I guess MGM's lawyers and New Line's lawyers are going to have a huge amount of fun over the next few years trying to work it all out," he told reporters recently in Los Angeles, according to AP Radio. "I'm obviously busy for a couple of years on 'King Kong' so those lawyers can just go at it for a long time."

"The Hobbit" tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, who found the ring and eventually passes it on to his nephew, Frodo Baggins. Frodo's journey to Mount Doom to destroy the ring is the basis for the "Rings" books and films.

Jackson said if he were going to direct the movie, he'd want it to feel like the rest of the trilogy. On Sunday, Jackson won an Academy Award for best director shared the adapted-screenplay award with his two co-writers for the final "Rings" film, "The Return of the King."

"I'd want Ian McKellen to be back as Gandalf, I'd want it to feel like it was part of the same mythology that we've done with 'Lord of the Rings,'" Jackson said.

"The Return of the King" swept this year's Academy Awards, winning all 11 categories in which it was nominated.

Jackson is in the middle of remaking "King Kong," due out next year, starring Naomi Watts.

[Pyro7480]

"Rings" fans rejoice! Let's hope these stupid studios settle it soon.

[Pyro7480]

Ping!

[RosieCotton]

Thanks for the ping! Sounds like a legal nightmare, though. I hope they can come to an arrangement.

[yarddog]

I remember watching the cartoon version years ago. I actually thought it was pretty good. It does help you understand the LOTR better if you have seen the Hobbit, even the cartoon version.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

'Even HOBBITS...

...SUPPORT our TROOPS' =


Freeper Sign held at the OSCARS

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[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

Then there's the ultimate prequel, The Simarillion.

[RosieCotton]

< goat singing voice > The greatest adventure is what lies ahead... < / GSV >

The music in that and the Rankin Bass "Return of the King" are a bit much...way too catchy, for one.

[ambrose]

The real Bilbo Baggins:

[RosieCotton]

Naw, he was just the-guy-who-sang-about-Bilbo-Baggins-in-the-worst-music-video-ever-made.

I'm sure someone will be along to post it now... I don't need to see it again. Already have permanent scars.

[DakotaGator]

Then there's the ultimate prequel, The Simarillion.

Tremendous amount of material there. Another trilogy could easily be filmed from it.

[yarddog]

I think this discussion is over my head.

I had forgotten about the music to the cartoon version but now it is locked in my head.

I think my daughter still has the CD of the movie and the ancient CD player. No not what we now call CD's but the kind that was in use back in the early 80's and actually had a needle.

Actually I sort of liked the music but am not sure it is what you are talking about.

[Paul C. Jesup]

I think Peter Jackson could not be happier about this, I mean because of this the 'The Hobbit' is delayed for a few years, to give him time to finally make his own 'King Kong' movie, while feeling no pressure to make 'The Hobbit'.

[Old Sarge]

I understand that a lot of Tolkien purists despise the Rankin-Bass version of "Hobbit".

My son is now heavily into Tolkien, at the age of six. The Boy owns both "The Hobbit" and "Return of the King", both Rankin-Bass works. And as childrens' works, they're just great. It's right at the young child's level to enjoy.

If it keeps The Boy's interest now and future, soon he'll be reading and loving Tolkien, like his father before him.

[Eala]

I remember watching the cartoon version years ago. I actually thought it was pretty good. It does help you understand the LOTR better if you have seen the Hobbit, even the cartoon version.

De gustibus non dispudandum est -- for my part I hated the cartoon version. It might help in understanding LOTR, but (IMHO) reading the books does even more.

But what do I know, I read them all in the early-mid 60s, at the beginning of their "discovery." OTOH, though Peter Jackson has taken liberties with the text of LOTR I would rate his work high among the books fairly faithfully converted from text to film -- and sometimes, to my poor imagination, in aspects even elevated. (I would never have thought to portray the Rohirrim along such a -jarring- Norwegian theme; but it worked well!)

And finally I can lay to rest the awful memories of the wretched and fortunately incomplete Bakshi effort... Thank you, Peter Jackson! Now please do "The Hobbit."

(And when you're done with that, how about the "Narnia" series to scotch the mess Disney is likely to make of those?)

[sauropod]

Why are you posting Leonard Nimoy as Bilbo Baggins?

[RosieCotton]

I don't think The Hobbit had many songs, but Return of the King (by the same people) had several, all of the sort that stick in your head badly, for better or worse. ;-)

Both of them are entertaining, especially for kids who haven't read the books, but hardly capture the grandeur of Tolkien.

[RosieCotton]

You don't wanna know. Trust me on this.

There was a music video made of Leonard Nimoy singing a song about Bilbo Baggins. It's still available on the web. It is the stuff nightmares are made of.

[AntiGuv]

hehe

[sauropod]

ROFLOL! My ears are bleeding already.

[Qwinn]

If you're talking about the cartoon version of the Hobbit, it had tons of songs. They start practically at the beginning with the dwarves singing "Drop the dishes, crack the plates, that's what Bilbo Baggins hates..." and goes on from there. So much of the cartoon movie is songs that I'd say it qualifies as a musical.

Qwinn