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.

[Thoro]

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.

The cartoon version is pretty decent, and holds up well for what it is, I think. It does drop material from the book, especially at the end. The cartoon seems to really rush its ending.

You do appreciate LotR all the more after viewing or reading the Hobbit. Knowing that Jackson's planning on doing the Hobbit in the same manner, with the same Gandalf, makes this news all the more exciting.

[Qwinn]

YOU, sir... you should be flayed alive for posting that link.

That had to be one of the most traumatic experiences of my entire life. Dear GOD. The HORROR!

Qwinn

[ambrose]

you WERE warned!

[RosieCotton]

Ah...you're right. I'd forgotten the others somehow.

[yarddog]

I listened to that Spock video. I have to admit it is pretty bad.

[RosieCotton]

The worst of it is, you'll find yourself humming that little ditty for weeks to come.

We DID warn ya...

[radiohead]

Vile, terrible person!

I showed this to my son when it appeared on FR a few months ago. He was in shock. But not too much shock to send the url around to everyone he knew.

Leonard, my main man - what were you thinking???

[Qwinn]

OH no, no I won't... I had the volume on fairly low (I -do- heed warnings) and was thus spared the majority of agony. Believe me, though... I felt the pain. Had it been one decibel louder, I do believe my eardrums would've deliberately burst rather than continue to be subjected to it. I also only listened to it for about 20 seconds... simply couldn't take it anymore.

On another note, you're absolutely right that the Return of the King songs have a habit of sticking in your head. Enough time has passed since I've seen them, though, that the only two that are ever likely to haunt me are the dwarven ditty I mentioned from the Hobbit, and "Where there is a whip (crack!) there is a way..." from Return. That one haunted me for a looong time.

Qwinn

[RosieCotton]

"Froooodooooooo of the niiiiine fingers"...

I have "Where There's a Whip" on my computer. It's a guilty pleasure. ;-)

[yarddog]

There is a strange phenomena associated with awful music. If you listen to it enough it starts to get into your subconcious. Sometimes you even start to like it.

About 20 years ago, a friend showed us a movie on video of Phoebe Cates titled Paradise. The movie was truly awful, that is except for Phoebe's natural pulchritude. At the end I happened to notice she was the person singing the theme song.

I told the guys that Miss Cates was actually singing that terrible song. He rewound it several times and we listened to her sing "Paradise". Somewhere around the fourth time, it started to sound good.

[olde north church]

Prequel! Prequel! Prequel!
Whatever happened to "preface", "preamble" or "prologue"?

[CapandBall]

Hobbit ping

[Bilbo Baggins]

Hey now!

[RightWingAtheist]

[RightWingAtheist]

Paradise, ugh. That's the movie which features both a masturbating monkey and Willie Aames naked. It's hard to decide which is more disgusting.

[yarddog]

I think that is the one allright, a truly ridiculous movie.

[sweetliberty]

Ping!

[sweetliberty]

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

YES! I'm afraid Peter Jackson might not find enough truly vile imagery in the Narnia series to appeal to his taste for the horror genre though.

[sweetliberty]

"Knowing that Jackson's planning on doing the Hobbit in the same manner, with the same Gandalf, makes this news all the more exciting."

But to use the same Bilbo and Gandalf, he really needs to do the film as soon as possible. The longer from the time of the original, the harder it will be to recapture the original feel of the trilogy, especially considering that the characters would be younger in the Hobbit, and not older, although I suspect that would make little difference in Gandalf's case.

[DoctorMichael]

.................Blood from a turnip Bump.