The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

[MarkGrace]

Oh I'll be there, but is anyone else more than a little disappointed that Guillermo del Toro dropped out as director? I love Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I was also looking forward to seeing a different vision of Middle Earth in the Hobbit movies. I'm sure they'll still be good, but I'm afraid they will also feel a bit familiar.

Definitely disappointed as I'm not much of a fan of Peter Jackson. Can't think of a single thing he's done that I've really liked.

[Green Lantern]

His statement always included an attempt at the Hobbit. He wasn't finished after LOTR. But for financial squabbles between PJ and the studio, Bull would never have been given any sort of consideration because PJ was always the guy.

If someone else wants to re-interpret these on their own, be my guest. But this is still PJ's vehicle and I want to see him finish it. It is obvious that the studio does, as well and my guess is that the fans will not be turned away by the continuity between the LOTR series and the Hobbit. Why is it disappointing to see that Bag End looks the same in the Hobbit as it did in LOTR? It is the same house, it should look the same.

Another director can start clean and do it themselves, rather than jumping on at the very end with the Hobbit, gravy-training off the success of LOTR, which is largely what BDT or any other director would have been doing. If BDT really brings that much value to the table, he can raise dough and reboot LOTR in a couple of years. I doubt that would ever happen, though. Thank goodness.

Sigh. You seem to have decided that Peter Jackson directing The Hobbit is some kind of foreordained cinematic destiny and, while I doubt anything can deter you from that view, I'm not sure where you get the "PJ was always the guy" view when Jackson was very public about the fact that he did not want to direct the new movies. Even after del Toro left, if was a couple months before he officially signed on.

Look, I'm excited for the movies and I think they'll be good, but your logic that Bag End should always look the same is pretty artistically limiting and, frankly, boring. If we're thinking of this movie as just more inevitable product stemming from a successful franchise then, sure, make it all look the same. Give the public exactly what they're expecting. But forgive me for holding out hope that this would be an opportunity to allow a different artistic vision to flourish in tandem with what was already extant.

I'd also like Peter Jackson to move on. King Kong was a fun indulgence but Lovely Bones was a misfire and I'd like to see him get his mojo back by moving onto newer pastures and not just holding on, Lucas-like, to his greatest success.

[Green Lantern]

Definitely disappointed as I'm not much of a fan of Peter Jackson. Can't think of a single thing he's done that I've really liked.

Not a Heavenly Creatures fan?

[Indy Coug]

Sigh. You seem to have decided that Peter Jackson directing The Hobbit is some kind of foreordained cinematic destiny and, while I doubt anything can deter you from that view, I'm not sure where you get the "PJ was always the guy" view when Jackson was very public about the fact that he did not want to direct the new movies. Even after del Toro left, if was a couple months before he officially signed on.

Look, I'm excited for the movies and I think they'll be good, but your logic that Bag End should always look the same is pretty artistically limiting and, frankly, boring. If we're thinking of this movie as just more inevitable product stemming from a successful franchise then, sure, make it all look the same. Give the public exactly what they're expecting. But forgive me for holding out hope that this would be an opportunity to allow a different artistic vision to flourish in tandem with what was already extant.

I'd also like Peter Jackson to move on. King Kong was a fun indulgence but Lovely Bones was a misfire and I'd like to see him get his mojo back by moving onto newer pastures and not just holding on, Lucas-like, to his greatest success.

I'm just wary of them destroying the legacy of Rankin-Bass.

[TripletDaddy]

Sigh. You seem to have decided that Peter Jackson directing The Hobbit is some kind of foreordained cinematic destiny and, while I doubt anything can deter you from that view, I'm not sure where you get the "PJ was always the guy" view when Jackson was very public about the fact that he did not want to direct the new movies. Even after del Toro left, if was a couple months before he officially signed on.

Look, I'm excited for the movies and I think they'll be good, but your logic that Bag End should always look the same is pretty artistically limiting and, frankly, boring. If we're thinking of this movie as just more inevitable product stemming from a successful franchise then, sure, make it all look the same. Give the public exactly what they're expecting. But forgive me for holding out hope that this would be an opportunity to allow a different artistic vision to flourish in tandem with what was already extant.

I'd also like Peter Jackson to move on. King Kong was a fun indulgence but Lovely Bones was a misfire and I'd like to see him get his mojo back by moving onto newer pastures and not just holding on, Lucas-like, to his greatest success.

Go back a decade or so. His original idea was to film the Hobbit, even before his film version of LOTR was conceived. Again, but for his ill-advised lawsuit against the studio, it probably never would have been an issue.

You are barking up the wrong tree. I said im fine with a reboot. But let it stand on its own. PJ can finish his two part Hobbit and del Toro can invent his own Tolkien world. Also, I didn't say that Bag End should always look the same. nonsense. But this iteration is PJ's vision, so I see no problem with continuity. When del toro reboots it, I would hope Bag End looks very different.

I'm not an overall PJ fan. I thought Kong was awful. There is no need to forgive you. You asked a question and I answered...I am not disappointed in the slightest.

[Green Lantern]

Go back a decade or so. His original idea was to film the Hobbit, even before his film version of LOTR was conceived. Again, but for his ill-advised lawsuit against the studio, it probably never would have been an issue.

You are barking up the wrong tree. I said im fine with a reboot. But let it stand on its own. PJ can finish his two part Hobbit and del Toro can invent his own Tolkien world. Also, I didn't say that Bag End should always look the same. nonsense. But this iteration is PJ's vision, so I see no problem with continuity. When del toro reboots it, I would hope Bag End looks very different.

I'm not an overall PJ fan. I thought Kong was awful. There is no need to forgive you. You asked a question and I answered...I am not disappointed in the slightest.

I guess I also just find it weird that you'd consider a Middle Earth film produced by Jackson, co-written by Jackson and starring many of the same people from the original trilogy a "reboot." We must have different definitions of the word.

And yes, in the mid-90s, Jackson did originally want to make a trilogy of Tolkien movies with The Hobbit as the first film, but in its current iteration, Jackson only ever considered the producer's role until last summer.

[Green Lantern]

I can't remember if this was already brought up elsewhere on the board, but for BBC Sherlock fans, not only is Dr. Watson (Martin Freeman) playing Bilbo Baggins, but Sherlock himself (Benedict Cumberbatch) is voicing the dragon Smaug. Cool.

[TripletDaddy]

I guess I also just find it weird that you'd consider a Middle Earth film produced by Jackson, co-written by Jackson and starring many of the same people from the original trilogy a "reboot." We must have different definitions of the word.

And yes, in the mid-90s, Jackson did originally want to make a trilogy of Tolkien movies with The Hobbit as the first film, but in its current iteration, Jackson only ever considered the producer's role until last summer.

i dont consider what you described to be a reboot nor did I ever say such. if BDT were to do his own LOTR and Hobbit, that would be a reboot. I was responding to the gibberish about new artistic visions flourishing, et al. If BDT wants to take it in a different direction, he can reboot it and do it on his own, no prob. He doesnt need to coattail what PJ has done.

I am not sure what you mean by "current iteration." If you mean post BDT no longer being in the picture, then i would agree. But Jackson intended to direct the Hobbit even in the mid 2000s. His lawsuit over whether he was being paid accurately is what ended all of that. You seem to be unaware that PJ had every intention of directing the hobbit long before BDT came into the picture.

Either way, it makes no difference. PJ is directing it, so QED, I suppose.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

All three of Peter Jackson's LOTR films received something like 95% positive reviews, made close to $3 Billion at the box office, the last film won Best Picture, and overall did an excellent job with translating some difficult material to the screen. I guess I don't understand the complaining about him directing the Hobbit movies.

I've seen both Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy 2 and I also don't understand why everyone is chomping at the bit for Del Toro to direct the Hobbit movies.

[Surfah]

Holy shit you guys are nerds.

[cougjunkie]

This movie looks lame just like the LOTR trilogy.

[Green Lantern]

i dont consider what you described to be a reboot nor did I ever say such. if BDT were to do his own LOTR and Hobbit, that would be a reboot. I was responding to the gibberish about new artistic visions flourishing, et al. If BDT wants to take it in a different direction, he can reboot it and do it on his own, no prob. He doesnt need to coattail what PJ has done.

I am not sure what you mean by "current iteration." If you mean post BDT no longer being in the picture, then i would agree. But Jackson intended to direct the Hobbit even in the mid 2000s. His lawsuit over whether he was being paid accurately is what ended all of that. You seem to be unaware that PJ had every intention of directing the hobbit long before BDT came into the picture.

Either way, it makes no difference. PJ is directing it, so QED, I suppose.

Fair enough. Maybe we're just looking at different sources. My understanding is that Jackson and his production company were looking to produce the film but that Jackson himself was not going to be in the director's chair. The lawsuit resulted in his production company not even being involved with The Hobbit in any way until New Line shortly came to their senses. I even read an interview where Jackson stated that he didn't want to "compete with his earlier films." It's also not really fair to say that del Toro was going to be "riding Jackson's coattails." He was hired by Jackson for the job and was writing the screenplay with him!

Truly, I'm excited for the films. I just shivered when I saw someone in a comment board make the comparison "Jackson is to LOTR as Lucas is to Star Wars." I'm sure they meant it as a compliment, but to me it just brings to mind a visionary creator returning to his most beloved creation with product of drastically diminishing returns. I will now endeavor to sully this conversation no more with my gibberish about art.

[Gidget]

Holy shit you guys are nerds.

LOL, and you married one!

Present!

[oxcoug]

I'm looking forward to seeing it. But Peter Jackson is one of the more overrated directors on the market. So many lamely directed sequences - Gimli and Legolas' "contest" outside of Gondor and much of the CGI just induced a lot of yawning and eye-rolling.

For that matter, Gimli's entire character arc is like a frat kid's idea of Gimli.

That said, Jackson did some things very well. Boromir and Faramir are both pretty kickass, for instance.

[RobinFinderson]

I can't remember if this was already brought up elsewhere on the board, but for BBC Sherlock fans, not only is Dr. Watson (Martin Freeman) playing Bilbo Baggins, but Sherlock himself (Benedict Cumberbatch) is voicing the dragon Smaug. Cool.

Hopefully this explains why we didn't get a second season of Sherlock this year, and why we will get one in 2012.