The Hobbit - Part 1

[morgs]

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The first part of The Hobbit started filming here in New Zealand yesterday, I'm really looking forward to it. Thought I'd make a thread for people interested in the film and its production to post their thoughts/updates images/ as development goes on!

Directed by Sir Peter Jackson of course, also the two key screenplay writers from the LOTR trilogy are writing for these films.

A few known names have been confirmed already:

Spoiler

Saoirse Ronan - Itaril

Cate Blanchett - Galadriel

Orlando Bloom - Legolas

Elijah Wood - Frodo Baggins

Martin Freeman - Bilbo Baggins

Christopher Lee - Saruman

Richard Armitage - Thorin Oakshield

Andy Serkis - Gollum

Ian Mckellen - Gandalf

And many more, Leonard Nimoy is rumored to be voicing Smaug and Ian Holm is rumored to be playing old Bilbo.

 

[Warped]

Awesome! I'd love to see this on the Silver Screen. LOTR movies are top notch in my book

 

[Bad^Hat]

Looking forward to this, having actually read the book as opposed to LOTR, but...

UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

btw, hotlinking.

 

[morgs]

Sorry, I've rehosted.

Yeah I also thought he was an odd choice, but I trust Peter.

 

[Dan]

Umm most of those people aren't in the Hobbit. Sarumon, Frodo, Legolas, Galadriel? I don't think they made any appearance.

 

[morgs]

I've got a feeling he may be rumored. But we don't know how these characters are going to appear yet.

 

[Mr. Djees]

They aren't mentioned by name, but Galadriel and Saruman would have been involved in the necromancer/Sauron part of the story, they could have met Legolas in Mirkwood and Frodo making an appearance at the end makes sense.

 

[Eejit]

Legolas would most likely have been present at the Elf party they gatecrashed in Mirkwood indeed, even if he wasn't specifically mentioned.

 

[The Monkey]

Hugo Weaving is also returning as Elrond, as is Ian Holm as old Bilbo. I read somewhere that they made they're making the movie like a flashback, where old Bilbo tells Frodo about his adventures, which explains why Ian Holm and Elijah Wood are cast.

 

[morgs]

Ah, that'd make sense. It's amazing to think all those actors are 10 years older now :S

Thinking of watching The Hobbit 1 + 2 and the extended LOTR films in a row makes me giddy.

 

[Lucid]

I'm hyped beyond belief for these films
The LOTR trilogy is a favorite of mine even though the books were quite a chore to read.
The Hobbit on the other hand was a pleasure to read and I've been dying for an adaptation ever since LOTR was announced to be getting the live action film treatment.

Here's some set pics I found.

 

[morgs]

Hey cool pics! Man Peter Jackson looks so different now than he did while filming LOTR...

 

[Asknoone]

I prefer fat Jackson.

 

[knut]

very excited for this, doubly-so for martin freeman. that guy has been pretty special in a lot of good television recently. notably sherlock, and considering his 'break' in hitchhikers didn't go down so well with hardcore fans and... well, lets face it, anyone else, it'll be nice to see him do well in... well, lets face it, something that will succeed and do very well just off the back of LOTR alone. by the same logic, as a fan of the trilogy, i'll enjoy this a hell of a lot.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Haha, wow. He's like George Lucas in reverse.

 

[Yorick]

Holy shit I didn't even recognise Peter Jackson.

 

[Evo]

Christopher Lee looked so frail at the BAFTAS, how will he cope with the filming?

 

[Mr. Djees]

Guillermo Del Toro actually ate parts of Peter Jackson when he was attached to the project.

 

[morgs]

Christopher Lee looked so frail at the BAFTAS, how will he cope with the filming?

I think he said in an interview he'd probably only do it if they filmed his parts in London.

 

[Lucid]

Man, Chrisopher Lee is in his 80s... I can't believe that.

 

[morgs]

He's almost in his 90's! I think he's 88 at the moment.

 

[Shift]

Wow. The cast does look amazing, very excited for this already. But yeh I am really surprised that Lee is featuring in this, he looked really ill at the BAFTAs..

 

[ktimekiller]

my god hes not fat anymore

 

[Eejit]

Don't let his appearance fool you, Lee could still sneak up and break your neck on a dark night.

 

[knut]

lee will no doubt be utterly stunning in this, i guarantee.

 

[Yorick]

I think he said in an interview he'd probably only do it if they filmed his parts in London.

Yeah, Lee wasn't going to do the Hobbit because he didn't think he could handle the flight to New Zealand. He instead wanted to provide the voice for Smaug, figuring he could do that from London. I think they must have figured some way to film his Saruman scenes there, though. Currently Leonard Nimoy is rumoured as Smaug, but I'm pretty sure he has retired from acting. Bill Nighy has also been rumoured.

I'm curious what they're going to do since Saruman isn't even in The Hobbit, and Lee is very much into Tolkien's original stories and wouldn't want the story altered to add his character. There has been mention that the second movie will be about the Wizard Council, which would definitely have space for Saruman.

 

[Zephos]

I just saw that BAFTA speech. Lot of respect welled up inside me, followed by sadness. He could depart from us any moment

 

[The Monkey]

The White Council will probably be where Galadriel, Saruman and Radagast fits in (along with Elrond, Cirdan and Gandalf). Since Tolkien wrote at most a few pages of what happened there, it will give the film makers a lot of artistic freedom; if they pull it off it could be more epic than the main story.

 

[morgs]

Just saw the video of the Baftas, yeah he looks really frail. According to the Extended commentary on LOTR Jackson was saying he reads LOTR once a year, and has actually met Tolkien himself.

 

[Eejit]

He's also an expert on Elvish.

 

[morgs]

I hope The Hobbit has extended versions :V

 

[Eejit]

I'd be surprised if there are many as they're already stretching the Hobbit into two films and shooting entire sub-plots that were only mentioned in passing.

 

[knut]

I'd be surprised if there are many as they're already stretching the Hobbit into two films and shooting entire sub-plots that were only mentioned in passing.

as if they won't want to capitalize on being able to sell one edition of the film, which will do swimmingly well, and then release an extended edition a year down the line which will, too, do incredibly well.

i bet there is an extended edition, and i'll buy it. i only recently got round to watching all three LOTR extended and i found it amazing. so much good stuff left out.

 

[morgs]

I think it was stuff worth leaving out of the theatrical release, because the general widespread audience aren't as interested in seeing all the extra character interactions in those scenes, but for real fans of the books and franchise in general they add a lot to the films.

 

[Asknoone]

i bet there is an extended edition, and i'll buy it. i only recently got round to watching all three LOTR extended and i found it amazing. so much good stuff left out.

And so much gratuitous stuff, too. I feel there's very little in the extended editions that would justify being in the theatrical releases. I think they should have kept Saruman's closure and the Mouth of Sauron (off the top of my head), but beyond that, it's fan service.

 

[knut]

all of the boromir stuff adds so much more to his character, though. i was watching it through and all i could think of was ''did sean bean do something to piss the producers off or something?'' because it seems about 90% of his dialogue and scenes was cut from the theatrical release. maybe i'm a little out of place saying ''so much'', because thinking back on when i watched it a lot of the excitement stems from being giddy at basically seeing a whole new film with how much material was added that i hadn't seen before.

saruman's closure was a little strange, but the conversation between the two parties should deffo have stayed in, i agree.

mouth of sauron haunts me to this day.

 

[morgs]

I think Sarumans death had to be cut so they could get the rating they were after, which is why a lot of beheadings were cut too.

I don't think we should look at the theatrical release of the films as the 'true' films, they were just the versionscut down to suit the general population.

 

[JUL3]

Currently Leonard Nimoy is rumoured as Smaug, but I'm pretty sure he has retired from acting. Bill Nighy has also been rumoured.

Fingers crossed for Bill!

 

[Ennui]

I haven't seen the theatrical versions of LOTR since I saw them in theaters, I own all the extended editions and I always watch those. My girlfriend and I watch LOTR extended through at least once every couple of months, it's so goddamn awesome.

Who cares about Saruman's death being cut from the theatrical version though? In the books he doesn't even die until much later, at the end of the 3rd book. Sam and Frodo return to the Shire to find that it's been enslaved by Saruman and they lead a hobbit revolt and kill him. I do agree that Boromir is a way better character in the books and extended edition than he is presented in the theatrical version.

I cannot WAIT for the Hobbit. I hope both parts come with 4 hour extended editions. I just want MOAR LOTR.

 

[Lucid]

Who cares about Saruman's death being cut from the theatrical version though? In the books he doesn't even die until much later, at the end of the 3rd book. Sam and Frodo return to the Shire to find that it's been enslaved by Saruman and they lead a hobbit revolt and kill him. I do agree that Boromir is a way better character in the books and extended edition than he is presented in the theatrical version.

God, I kept hoping that this would make it into the movies somehow but it never did.