The Hobbit movie news: An Unexpected Journey

The start of filming has been slightly delayed due to Peter succumbing to the stress of being Peter Jackson and developing an ulcer. But he's already in recovery from surgery and doing well, so everything should be peaches soon enough.

Great to hear that the project is moving along... I truly can't wait to see the first photos of the locations and everyone in costume. It's gonna be great!

I just noticed this on TheOneRing.net (http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2011/03/02/42540-exclusive-dual-hobbit-film-titles-revealed/)
New Line has recently registered the following two film titles:

The Hobbit: There and Back Again

and…

The Hobbit: An/The Unexpected Journey

This is the first indication of what the ‘official’ titles will be of the two Hobbit films.

Yes, putting different titles on them probably is a good idea. Fortunately, Tolkien provided a couple of obvious ones: although that will not stop the "purists" from complaining that they deviate from Tolkien's "intent!" Still, I suspect that it is a good marketing strategy: blatant labeling of "part 1" and "part 2" might discourage "fence-sitters" from seeing the films. (Fortunately, McMillan provided labels for parts 1, 2 and 3 of Lord of the Rings, even if Tolkien himself disparaged them!)

yeah but these titles suck

it should be

film 1: The Hobbit
film 2: There and back Again

yeah but these titles suck

it should be

film 1: The Hobbit
film 2: There and back Again

Well, There and Back Again is the original subtitle of The Hobbit (as it is Bilbo's own title, an account of his journey). :cool: So the film-makers have merely done what Tolkien did. :tu: I have no quarrel with their own invented subtitle for the second film.

I would much rather they weren't making TH as two films. I don't know whether that makes me a 'purist' or not. ;) It does make me someone who is worried that PJ will indulge his 'King Kong' side too much. :whistle:

(I was disappointed by his King Kong. The beginning was great, I liked the Ann/Kong relationship, but the middle section draaaaaaaaaaaaaggged).

But one thing I can never fault PJ on and that is his casting choices. That guy really knows how to pick a good cast.

But I am sad about some crew news: no Ngila Dickson for the costume design? :( :upset:

I'm very glad they're using There and Back Again for one of the title. It just feels right to me.

Not so sure about the second title, but since I'm also not so sure how the second film is going to work out (on the fence between cautiously optimistic/anxiously worried), that also feels right.

Pearl, you're right about the casting: of the things I may disagree with in the trilogy, casting was never one of them. Even with my qualms about the new films (especially the second one), I have complete faith that the cast will work out very, very well.

im almost certain they have the titles mixed up

unexpected journey seems to describe the beginning of the book more than the end

in an unrelated matter

http://www.amazon.com/Rings-Trilogy-Limited-Extended-Blu-ray/dp/B0026L7H20/ref=wb_lotrext_bdb


FINALLY THE EXTENDED BLU-RAY IS ON ITS WAY

they should have released these together

im almost certain they have the titles mixed up

unexpected journey seems to describe the beginning of the book more than the end

I think your right, I don't really see there being anything you could call unexpected about the journey once w reach the second part, well unless they're suggesting their going to take a major detour :scared:

As far as There and Back Again goes, I'd have thought thats certainly suited to the second part because obviously they won't be going "back again" until very near the end.

in an unrelated matter

http://www.amazon.com/Rings-Trilogy-Limited-Extended-Blu-ray/dp/B0026L7H20/ref=wb_lotrext_bdb


FINALLY THE EXTENDED BLU-RAY IS ON ITS WAY

they should have released these together

I think its coming out this year to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of FOTR and the start of the the LOTR trilogy :)

I would much rather they weren't making TH as two films. I don't know whether that makes me a 'purist' or not. ;) It does make me someone who is worried that PJ will indulge his 'King Kong' side too much. :whistle:Well, a near universal trait of storytellers is that they enjoy the telling as much as the story, and PJ is no exception to that. This is why editors (by whatever title) are so important!
But one thing I can never fault PJ on and that is his casting choices. That guy really knows how to pick a good cast. I agree: he certainly seems good at getting a group with good "chemistry." I'm not sure if it really makes a difference, but you can tell that his casts just love the fact that they are working with him.
But I am sad about some crew news: no Ngila Dickson for the costume design? :( :upset:Yes, supposedly the long delay lead to conflicts. That is a shame: the Rings costumes were brilliant.

im almost certain they have the titles mixed upI agree. After all, "unexpected journey" is a variant of the opening chapter's title (The Unexpected Party).

I must admit, I'm really starting to look forward to this....

Filming has officially started, on Peter has released a couple photos that can be found on a new Facebook page. Not much, but I'll take it.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Peter-Jackson/141884481557


Gosh, sometimes I forget how much weight Peter lost. Judging from the photos, he's still just an overgrown hobbit at heart, though.

Peter Jackson has posted the first video from the set of The Hobbit! Click here (http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150223186041807&oid=141884481557) to see it on his Facebook page, or alternatively, someone has already uploaded it to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfesknLk5uI) if you prefer to watch it there.

This movie is finally on a roll! This is so exciting!

Goodness that certainly brightened up a dull morning. It's a brilliant video, and I'm sitting here with a stupid grin on my face.

Great video! Awesome sets, and nice to see the old ones back again!

Absolutely wonderful video :) I just can't believe it's been 11/12 years since they started shooting the fellowship! I feel old now!

I got chills at the end of the video!

I'm definitely not worried about the look of the movies anymore, seeing as the sets were basically the same ones. Ah, chills!

I'm afraid I have only one reaction to this...


SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

:lol:

that was awesome! YAY

I loved the video, it made me all emotional!!

Can't wait for these films. I'm currently reading the book which is making me all the more excited.

Peter Jackson confirms Ian Holms return for The Hobbit:

"Though Martin Freeman will be playing the younger version of Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming two-part production of The Hobbit, Peter Jackson has confirmed today that the original Lord of the Rings trilogy's version of the Bag End resident will be back as well.

The writer/director posted the following on his Facebook page:

One comment that came up from the recent video blog was the Bilbo voice at the end—many of you assumed it was Sir Ian Holm. Whilst Ian will be returning as the older Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, that recording was actually Martin Freeman's voice, taken from a script read through we recorded when the cast first arrived. I have to admit, I wasn't sure who it was when I first heard it, either. Cheers, Peter J

Holm will join the enormous cast that already includes, in addition to Freeman, Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Rob Kazinsky, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, James Nesbitt, Adam Brown, Cate Blanchett, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Saoirse Ronan, Elijah Wood and Bret McKenzie.

The first film is entering production now with a tentative release date of December, 2012.

Read more: Ian Holm to Return for The Hobbit - ComingSoon.net http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=76779#ixzz1KIdd9v5j"

Woo, I am so happy about this! Great continuity.

A bit of sad news via Peter Jackson's Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/notes/peter-jackson/fili/10150233459761558) :(
I am sad to report that Rob Kazinsky, who was cast in the role of Fili, is having to leave The Hobbit and return home, for personal reasons. Rob has been terrific to work with and his enthusiasm and infectious sense of humour will be missed by all of us. I should say that Rob's departure will not affect ongoing filming of The Hobbit, nor will it impact work done to date, as we had yet to film much of Fili's storyline. At the moment we are shooting scenes featuring Bilbo without the Dwarves, which will give us time to find a new Fili. I'll keep everyone posted with updates as they come.

Cheers,

Peter J

The world had better not end on 2012. I want to watch this so badly.

Here's an update on Fili (Found on Peter's Facebook page):


I’m very pleased to be welcoming two new cast members to our team.

Dean O’Gorman will be playing Fili. Dean’s a terrific Kiwi actor, who I am thrilled to be working with. He’s recently been in an excellent TV series down here called “The Almighty Johnsons”...

Bit of unfortunate news about The Hobbit :(

First off, Saoirse Ronan, long rumored (and frequently questioned) for Peter Jackson‘s two-film spanning “The Hobbit,” has finally put the rumors to rest. In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, the actress reveals that the long shooting schedule and her interest in a number of other projects has forced her to bow out. “It’s probably not going to work out with ‘The Hobbit’ unfortunately,” she said. “Because I would have been working for about a year on it and there were other projects that I was very interested in, but Pete and [his producer wife] Fran [Walsh] have been very good about it and very understanding.

So while there is likely to be more casting here and there over the length production, don’t expect Ronan’s name to pop up.

Meanwhile, Michael Sheen, who was circling a role in Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows,” has moved on. “...it was something that got talked about, but it’s not happening. It was a bit premature,” he told Collider.

So onwards and upwards, everybody. “The Hobbit Part 1” lands in December 2012 and “Dark Shadows” is expected next year as well, though no date has been set.

Source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/denied_saoirse_ronan_s ays_the_hobbit_unlikely_michael_sheen_wont_be_in_d ark

Bit of unfortunate news about The Hobbit :(

Unfortunate? There are some of us who really, really don't want a Completely Invented Character for this story! :yuhup:

No made-up Elvish lasses for me, please. :td: :lol:

If Saiorse says the shoot was going to take a year out of her schedule, that sounds to me like her part was a pretty big one. :huh: Which means that we still might get an 'Itaril'. :rolleyes:

Noooooooooo! :p

Ah, thanks for the clarification, Pearl. I am not au corant of all the details. I was trying to figure out what role this actress would have taken...Thranduil's Wife? Wife of the Mayor of the city on the Long Lake? A young Lobelia Sackville-Baggins nicking Bilbo';s stuff upon his return? :lol:

Oh, I haven't read the book in years so I didn't recognize it as a made up character :lol: Well, maybe if the part was written just for Ronan, they'll have to write it out now?

I was trying to figure out what role this actress would have taken...Thranduil's Wife? Wife of the Mayor of the city on the Long Lake?

I have no objection at all to invented cameo roles. ;)

A young Lobelia Sackville-Baggins nicking Bilbo';s stuff upon his return? :lol:

Now that would be funny. :lol: And canon. :p

Well, maybe if the part was written just for Ronan, they'll have to write it out now?

One can hope! :elaugh:

Casting news! Click here! (http://www.facebook.com/notes/peter-jackson/hobbit-casting-news/10150257180211558)

Stephen Fry as the Master of Laketown

Ryan Gage as the Master's conniving civil servant, Alfrid.

Conan Stevens as an orc named Azog. (Tolkien fans should know this one!)

That's interesting news. I hope they cast Bard as well, and alleviate my fears that Smaug will be killed by Thranduil Legolas-style, or worse, his son himself. ;)
And that they cast Bolg. It's nice to see that they possibly prepare to tackle Thrór's visit to Moria, though.

I'm curious about the new Thranduil, I hope he handles the role well. :)

Ad Ronan's character- the rumour I heard said she was to be part of the king's guard (possibly another re-run of movie kickass!Arwen), and to get a love plot in the movie, in love with someone of the court (Legolas?... oh gosh..). I hope they diss the character in that case; stories like that are usually called Mary Sue. :rolleyes: I second you there, Pearl Took.

Great :clap: I can just see Stephen Fry as the Master Of Laketown, inspired piece of casting :cool:

I had to laugh at PJ's comment about Orc's never being called Roger and Dennis :lol: I'm surprised to hear him calling them Orcs though, shouldn't it be Goblins :hmm: or is that just attention to detail on my part :hmm:

If I'm right in thinking, Azog was the son of a famous Goblin (I think his name was Bolg or something like that)

If I'm right in thinking, Azog was the son of a famous Goblin (I think his name was Bolg or something like that)

The other way round, actually ;) Bolg was killed in the final battle in The Hobbit, so I'm waiting for them to cast him, and hoping they won't make Azog and Bolg the same person ;)

The other way round, actually ;) Bolg was killed in the final battle in The Hobbit

I thought that was the case, but as they were casting Azog, I assumed I must have got it wrong :huh:

I'm waiting for them to cast him, and hoping they won't make Azog and Bolg the same person ;)

I doubt they do would do that, I'd think its more likely that they would give Azog's name to say... the Great Goblin. In LOTR they were pretty good with their allocation of names of the orcs :)

Considering their casting characters like Thrain and Thror rather than just mentioning them, I think its quite possible that they would cast a character like Azog (as he is in the book) given the length of the respective LOTR books and films (in comparaison to The Hobbit) they have a fair amount of time to fill if they want to make two movies out of just the one book :rolleyes:.

to clarify azog was a goblin not an orc

Orc, goblin... the terminology varies in JRRT, but basically they both refer to the same 'species'. Azog is a prime example of this - he's a goblin in The Hobbit, but an Orc in LotR. There is no 'he was this - no, he was that', Jeff.

In LOTR they were pretty good with their allocation of names of the orcs :)
And not only those... "Lurtz, Morwen, Brego" - don't even remind me. ;)

I'm eagerly anticipating the casting of Bard, Great Goblin (unless what you say is true, but the twist in M-E history would then be a pity), and Galion. :) Also, I don't think they have the actors for the voices of Gwaihir, trolls and Smaug yet...

yeah at first i thought myabe goblins was what dwarves called them but then gimli called them orcs and gollum has said both so...dunno....one of those weirds things (and FYI Jeff is not my actual first name Jeff Winger is a character on community)

I am loving the casting of Stephen Fry as the Master of Laketown. :tu: Perfect casting. I can never fault PJ on his casting choices.

Alfrid sounds like Wormtongue Mark Two. Whatever. :) I'm not awfully bothered by this, if it's just a cameo part ...

That's interesting news. I hope they cast Bard as well, and alleviate my fears that Smaug will be killed by Thranduil Legolas-style, or worse, his son himself. ;)

Oh, please, no. :err:

And that they cast Bolg. It's nice to see that they possibly prepare to tackle Thrór's visit to Moria, though.

:agree:

And Ronan's character- the rumour I heard said she was to be part of the king's guard (possibly another re-run of movie kickass!Arwen), and to get a love plot in the movie, in love with someone of the court (Legolas?... oh gosh..). I hope they diss the character in that case; stories like that are usually called Mary Sue. :rolleyes: I second you there, Pearl Took.

Heh. Well, I'm not sure it qualifies technically as a 'Mary Sue' because a 'Mary Sue' is a self-insert. And I'm not sure that PJ sees himself as an Elf Warrior Princess. :rotfl:

But I do wish he would get this Elf Warrior Princess obsession out of his system. :rolleyes: We hates it, PJ, didn't you get the memo first time round? :lol: Like, in, 2001? :yuhup:

Didn't the LotR marketing people learn anything? :hmm: We Tolkien women like the HOT MEN. :elaugh: We like the hunky Numenoreans, the cool Ranger-dudes, the feisty fightin' Noldor and the adorable hobbit-men!*

The Hobbit has no Itaril. The Hobbit needs no Itaril. :no:

* To be fair, I do adore Galadriel and Eowyn and LotR would be a poorer story without them. :)

Didn't the LotR marketing people learn anything? :hmm: We Tolkien women like the HOT MEN. :elaugh: We like the hunky Numenoreans, the cool Ranger-dudes, the feisty fightin' Noldor and the adorable hobbit-men!*

Anyone know that the Tolkien MEN think of Arwen, Movie Style? ;) I suspect that the target market movie studios have in mind when filming 2 part epic fantasies with swords and dragons and sorcery, is not "Females, 25-45". :lol:

Well, I'm not sure it qualifies technically as a 'Mary Sue' because a 'Mary Sue' is a self-insert. And I'm not sure that PJ sees himself as an Elf Warrior Princess.

I only said characters like hers are usually Mary Sues in the fanfic world. ;)

And I join you in liking Éowyn and Galadriel. :) I'm not against women in The Hobbit in general, I'm pretty sure Thranduil's court, Lake-Town, and the Last Homely House had some. ;) As long as they don't mess with the plot or roam around brandishing swords (especially the elf-women), I'll be fine.

I suspect that the target market movie studios have in mind when filming 2 part epic fantasies with swords and dragons and sorcery, is not "Females, 25-45". :lol:

They should, I bet those constitute a large part of the audience (as they do of fansites). Especially that kind of audience that comes back several times to ogle at their favourite characters and then buy all DVDs they can get their hands on. ^ ^

I was just looking at theonering.net, and noticed this (http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2011/05/22/44565-breaking-benedict-cumberbatch-in-the-hobbit/)

So Martin Freeman isn't the only person from the BBC's Sherlock series, in the Hobbit. According to Lizo Mzimba's Twitter, apparently Martin has let slip that fellow actor Benedict Cumberbatch also has a role.

Are there any characters yet uncast? Who would he be do you think?

I think Bard is the only major role I can think off that is left uncast.

I don't see him playng that role, I think he'll probably have more of a cameo to be honest, he'd look good as an elf.

I agree that the Cumberbatch would play a very lovely elf, but what about Smaug? I think that he could more than pull it off.

they havent cast smaug's voice yet (i dont know who this guy is so im not saying hes a good fit or thats waht he is im just saying bards not the only major role uncast)

they havent cast smaug's voice yet (i dont know who this guy is so im not saying hes a good fit or thats waht he is im just saying bards not the only major role uncast)

You would be right in saying that Bard isn't the only character not to be officially cast :agree:

I think Bill Nighy was rumoured to be voicing Smaug, and Dáin Ironfloot (who's also not officially cast either) is rumoured to be played by Brian Blessed.

But I don't know how much truth there is in these rumours :hmm: as we all know David Tennant was rumoured to be playing the role of Thranduil which is actually being played by Lee Pace.

I think Bill Nighy was rumoured to be voicing Smaug

I wouldn't be displeased if that really proved to be the case.

Bill, for those of you who don't know, voiced the part of Sam in the BBC's wonderful 1981 radio dramatisation of LotR. :rockon:

Dáin Ironfloot (who's also not officially cast either) is rumoured to be played by Brian Blessed.

Oh, good grief. :wow: I love Brian, but ... :lol:


Back in the Elder Days (i.e. 1999) there were rumours about Sean Connery playing Gandalf. :err: No disrespect to Mr Connery but I am very glad that never came to pass. :p

Ditto Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman as Faramir and Eowyn. :rolleyes: No, no, no, no, no.

Oh, and people thought it would be great if Robin Williams played Tom Bombadil. :scared:

NO. Just ... NO. :yuhup:

Anyone know that the Tolkien MEN think of Arwen, Movie Style? ;) I suspect that the target market movie studios have in mind when filming 2 part epic fantasies with swords and dragons and sorcery, is not "Females, 25-45". :lol:Well, one of the uphill battles in even getting the films made was that movie executives didn't think that the film would appeal to women. At the time, it was very true that the vast majority of Tolkien fans were teenage males. There was the hope that the ones who had "grown up" a bit (i.e., discovered girls!) would see the film, too, but they didn't think that women would be interested.

According to the proportions, they were correct: just over 40% of Fellowship's audience was female. (That was still over 20M women in N. America, however: which is more than see a successful "chick flick"!). What was amazing is that the ratio shifted so that slightly more than 50% of King's audience was female. Or, as FoxTrot put it...... (http://www.amazon.com/Orlando-Bloom-Has-Ruined-Everything/dp/0740749994)

At any rate, Arwen actually would not have helped with the classic Tolkien demographic: girls are scary, after all! However, she probably helped with the "former Tolkien fan" demographic a bit. (Beefing up Éowyn so much also helped there.)

It will be interesting to see what the dearth of females does to the attendance of the 2nd film.

as we all know David Tennant was rumoured to be playing the role of Thranduil which is actually being played by Lee Pace.That is a classic Grimmsian rumor: it got out that a former Doctor Who actor was going to be in the film and then evolved into a particular actor, who got shoe-horned into the most appropriate role.

Still, Thranduil leading a charge with "ALONZEEE!!!!!!" would be amusing!

Back in the Elder Days (i.e. 1999) there were rumours about Sean Connery playing Gandalf. He also was rumored to play Denethor.
Ditto Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman as Faramir and Eowyn. :rolleyes: No, no, no, no, no.That one had a little more substance, as Ethan Hawke did campaign for the role.
Oh, and people thought it would be great if Robin Williams played Tom Bombadil. :scared:heh, actually, that would have been amusing as all get-out. However, I was in the camp that was terrified that I'd learn that anybody had been cast as Bombadil!

The rumors around the casting then, as now, had big names in every part: including parts that never materialized. But, again, fans often know little about the available acting pool or what is feasible, and they also tended to have radically different views of the characters. (Connery was "perfect" for Gandalf/Denethor/Diamond of Long Cleeve/the fox in some people's minds, and totally wrong in other people's minds!)

However, I was in the camp that was terrified that I'd learn that anybody had been cast as Bombadil!

:rotfl: Me too. ;)

Tom has his place in the book. :)

And in the book he should totally stay. :lol:

Oh dear - if Brian Blessed does actually turn up in this movie, I'm going to look really stupid sitting in the cinema with my eyes closed and my hands over my ears. Please - No!

Brian Blessed is indelibly seared on my mind as Richard IV.

Brian Blessed is indelibly seared on my mind as Richard IV.He's indelibly seared in my ears for, well, any line he's ever boomed.

He's indelibly seared in my ears for, well, any line he's ever boomed.

I always thought he should've have played Beorn :lol: he definately won't be playing that role of course.

Anyway I found the orginal news (http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2010/10/31/39971-brian-blessed-in-gdts-hobbit/) article concerning him and the Hobbit.

Also PJ's just confirmed on his Facebook profile (https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/PeterJacksonNZ) that Orlando Bloom is returning to Middle Earth.

Ten years ago, Orlando Bloom created an iconic character with his portrayal of Legolas. I'm excited to announce today that we'll be revisiting Middle Earth with him once more. I’m thrilled to be working with Orlando again. Funny thing is, I look older—and he doesn’t! I guess that's why he makes such a wonderful elf.

Also PJ's just confirmed on his Facebook profile (https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/PeterJacksonNZ) that Orlando Bloom is returning to Middle Earth.Well, that is cool. After all, Legolas should have been in The Hobbit!

Unless, of course, you belong to the school holding that the ElvenKing in the Hobbit was a different ElvenKing from Thranduil. (After all, Legolas is supposed to have black hair because, um, well, he is, and that blonde guy in the Hobbit therefore cannot be his father, and Gandalf hastened the discussion at The Council to prevent Legolas from correcting Gloín that it was not his father's dungeons in which Gloín was kept and, um, I'm sure there are more straws to clutch!)

I am so happy that Orlando Bloom is returning back to Middle Earth. Legolas was one of my favorite characters in the trilogy.

I am so happy that Orlando Bloom is returning back to Middle Earth. Legolas was one of my favorite characters in the trilogy.

Was Legolas in the book, if not, i wonder how they will include his character in the story.

Well, that is cool. After all, Legolas should have been in The Hobbit!

Unless, of course, you belong to the school holding that the ElvenKing in the Hobbit was a different ElvenKing from Thranduil. (After all, Legolas is supposed to have black hair because, um, well, he is, and that blonde guy in the Hobbit therefore cannot be his father, and Gandalf hastened the discussion at The Council to prevent Legolas from correcting Gloín that it was not his father's dungeons in which Gloín was kept and, um, I'm sure there are more straws to clutch!)

Yeah Legolas should be in the Hobbit, and regarding the ElvenKing, PJ address him as "the Elven King Thranduil" when he annouced Lee Pace's casting, so he's certainly going to one and the same character in this version of the Hobbit anyway.

And I also think theres too many coincidences for Thranduil not to be the ElvenKing, reason he's addressed as such in Hobbit may be as simple as he hadn't been given a name yet, the same could also apply for the fact that Legolas wasn't in the Hobbit either.

MrWeasley - Legolas wasn't in The Hobbit (Tolkien had yet to invent him :lol:) but the man who could be Leggie's father ;) is in The Hobbit, and therefore that's a valid reason to include Legolas. :). He can fight in the Battle of the Five Armies. :D

Legolas is not my favourite member of the Fellowship ( although I've nothing against him either :lol: ) but it makes more sense to include him in this than some of the others - the hobbits in LotR weren't even born during the timeline of The Hobbit. :D

The NYTimes weighs in on the issue (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/tempting-fate-and-tolkien-purists-peter-jackson-adds-orlando-bloom-to-the-hobbit/?partner=rss&emc=rss). Of course, the real Tolkien purist knows that Legolas should have been there, and because Tolkien had the entire thing planned out from beginning to end by the age of 16, it obviously was an editorial oversight that led the final text to accidentally leave out Legolas....

:D

Yeah Legolas should be in the Hobbit, and regarding the ElvenKing, PJ address him as "the Elven King Thranduil" when he annouced Lee Pace's casting, so he's certainly going to one and the same character in this version of the Hobbit anyway.

And I also think theres too many coincidences for Thranduil not to be the ElvenKing, reason he's addressed as such in Hobbit may be as simple as he hadn't been given a name yet, the same could also apply for the fact that Legolas wasn't in the Hobbit either.Oh, I was jesting. However, "What color was Legolas' hair?!?!?" is a major question among Tolkien fans: perhaps only "Did Balrogs have wings???" is considered more critical to understanding Tolkien. (I mock, of course, but you'd almost think so!)

Anyway, when presented with inconvenient canon contradicting the "Legolas must have black hair" idea, fans were quick to come up with ideas about why the canon is misleading or irrelevant. Although it's all very silly, it does show that it is impossible to satisfy the "purists" because the "purists" themselves frequently disagree as to what an author was communicating.

MrWeasley - Legolas wasn't in The Hobbit (Tolkien had yet to invent him :lol:) but the man who could be Leggie's father ;)Meat of the Dragon! Meat of the Dragon!!!
:p
Legolas is not my favourite member of the Fellowship ( although I've nothing against him either :lol: ) but it makes more sense to include him in this than some of the others - the hobbits in LotR weren't even born during the timeline of The Hobbit. :DI do like the way that they are including Frodo. The "Sam and his kids" idea would have been nice, but that would have risked copyright infringement, as Tolkien wrote a chapter like that which appears in the HIstory of Middle-earth series.

http://www.hypable.com/the-hobbit/2011/05/30/the-hobbit-film-titles-release-dates-announced/

New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures and MGM have announced the titles and release dates for filmmaker Peter Jackson’s two-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit. The first film, titled “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” will be released on December 14, 2012. The second film, titled “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” is slated for release the following year, on December 13, 2013.

A whole year apart from each other. Wow.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=78224

Oh yay! 18 more months to wait. :D

Oh, I was jesting. However, "What color was Legolas' hair?!?!?" is a major question among Tolkien fans: perhaps only "Did Balrogs have wings???" is considered more critical to understanding Tolkien. (I mock, of course, but you'd almost think so!)

Jest you may but die-hard Tolkienistas are beyond parody.

Apparently Stephen Fry will also make an appearance as The Master of Laketown.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/orlando-bloom-returns-to-middle-earth-for-the-hobbit-20110531-1fdti.html

Jest you may but die-hard Tolkienistas are beyond parody.

In what sense?

... still waiting for the casting of Bard with trepidation...

Jest you may but die-hard Tolkienistas are beyond parody.Aren't we, though? :p
Apparently Stephen Fry will also make an appearance as The Master of Laketown.Ah, yes: Tolkien's caricature of the Capitalist Pig! Amusingly, this has fooled some people into thinking that Tolkien had socialist sympathies. Of course, nothing could have been further from the truth: Tolkien's brand of conservatism was so conservative that it lumped capitalism and socialism!

(Of course, Frodo and Sam are gay icons, Aragorn an icon for Taking Down the Man, pipeweed a metaphor for "tobacco substitutes", etc.... :cool:)

Fry will be great for this: why was he never cast in the HP films??


The Guardian takes on the question(s) of whether Jackson's "tinkerings" will help/hurt The Hobbit. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jun/02/peter-jackson-tolkien-the-hobbit)

This is the sort of argument that many Tolkienistas will hate. The author, Ben Child, actually knows Tolkien's history well: he brings up himself that the popular version of The Hobbit is not the one that Tolkien originally wrote and that Tolkien strongly considered completely rewriting the Hobbit in the style of the Lord of the Rings.

Still, I was fairly stupefied a couple of months ago to read one webmaster of a prominent Tolkien newsgroup blithely state that Jackson's alterations to Lord of the Rings "proved to be unnecessary." I didn't know that Doctor Who had come back from the alternate timeline in which Lord of the Rings won more Oscars, sold more tickets and made more "Best Films of the Decade" lists with films with less "tinkering"…. :sigh:

Fry will be great for this: why was he never cast in the HP films??

Leaving aside the possibility that he was asked and turned them down the only logical reason I can think of is that having done the audio books and narrated some of the games, the producers may have thought him too close for further involvement.

Deadline.com is reporting that Luke Evans has been cast as Bard, and that Benedict Cumberbatch will voice Smaug and the Necromancer.

Links here (http://www.deadline.com/2011/06/luke-evans-to-play-bard-in-the-hobbit/) and here (http://www.deadline.com/2011/06/benedict-cumberbatch-to-voice-smaug-in-the-hobbit/).

Deadline.com is reporting that Luke Evans has been cast as Bard, and that Benedict Cumberbatch will voice Smaug and the Necromancer.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!! :rockon:

Luke is a good casting choice for Bard. :) Luke is dark and Welsh and hunky! Bard has to be hunky. :yuhup:

As for Benedict ...

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Awesome! :agree:

Excuse me if I act a bit excited with this next piece of news:

http://www.facebook.com/notes/peter-jackson/the-hobbit-casting-update/10150286515141558

Yikes! I can finally get back to some postings! We've finished our first block of shooting and moved straight into location scouting. More on that soon... But today, I'm thrilled to announce two new cast members who will be joining us for our second block of shooting.

Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character—the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Her name means 'daughter of Mirkwood' and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! (No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas.) What is not a secret is how talented and compelling an actress Evangeline is; we are thrilled and excited she will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan Elf to life.

I'm also highly excited that Barry Humphries will be portraying the Goblin King, in much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum. Barry is perhaps best known for his business and social connections as the long-time manager of Dame Edna Everage. He has also been an ardent supporter of the rather misunderstood and unfairly maligned Australian politician, Sir Les Patterson. However, in his spare time, Barry is also a fine actor, and we're looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves.

Evangeline and Barry, along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting. I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes!

More soon, including a flurry of answers to your questions. Sorry for the delay!

Cheers,
Peter J

Evangeline Lily :love: :love: :love:

She'll be a perfect Elf!

Ahh I wanted to be the first one to post that! :p I love Evangeline Lilly, I'm glad she's not retiring (she just had a baby boy a couple weeks ago!)

I don't recall having seen Evangeline Lilly in a photo (please don't spoil me), so I'll keep my fingers crossed that she looks Elvish enough; tall, fair-skinned and noble-faced. :)
Also, good news about the new character not being called Itaril anymore but something more believable, and I'm highly pleased to hear no mention of her warrior qualities in the very first info we get.
However, please PJ, consult Elvish stuff with your Elvish expert(s) before posting it publicly. Taur does not mean 'Mirkwood', it means just 'wood', and it leaves some fans worried if more things in the movie are going to be similarly 'well-researched'. :huh:

Good news about having the Great Goblin, too. :)

I don't recall having seen Evangeline Lilly in a photo (please don't spoil me), so I'll keep my fingers crossed that she looks Elvish enough; tall, fair-skinned and noble-faced. :)

You didn't watch Lost? :)

I like this casting! In fact, I think Evangeline would have made a better Arwen than Liv did. :cool: Liv was always the weakest cast member in the Trilogy, IMO. Although -- all credit to her -- her Elvish pronunciation was very nice (she worked hard on it). Also, she couldn't fire a bow and arrow on the Helm's Deep set. For which she has my eternal gratitude, because that put paid to PJ's ill-conceived notion to have Arwen fighting at Helm's Deep. :p That would have been just :err:

Also, good news about the new character not being called Itaril anymore but something more believable, and I'm highly pleased to hear no mention of her warrior qualities in the very first info we get.

You and me both!

However, please PJ, consult Elvish stuff with your Elvish expert(s) before posting it publicly. Taur does not mean 'Mirkwood', it means just 'wood', and it leaves some fans worried if more things in the movie are going to be similarly 'well-researched'. :huh:

:agree:

Good news about having the Great Goblin, too. :)

Words cannot convey how much I adore the casting of Barry Humphries as the Great Goblin. :rotfl: PJ, I flippin' love you!

(When you're not fixating on Elf Warrior Princesses and all that mullarkey, that is. :evil: )

You didn't watch Lost? :)

I like this casting! In fact, I think Evangeline would have made a better Arwen than Liv did. :cool: Liv was always the weakest cast member in the Trilogy, IMO. Although -- all credit to her -- her Elvish pronunciation was very nice (she worked hard on it). Also, she couldn't fire a bow and arrow on the Helm's Deep set. For which she has my eternal gratitude, because that put paid to PJ's ill-conceived notion to have Arwen fighting at Helm's Deep. :p That would have been just :err:

Hey... I liked Liv. She did a fine job. They should have kept Glorfindel in the films though, but I understand why they choose not to. I just hope PJ doesn't turn this Tauriel into some fighting elf-warrior-girl....

Hey... I liked Liv. She did a fine job. They should have kept Glorfindel in the films though, but I understand why they choose not to. I dunno: knowing when to Glorfindel a character is what separates the franchises with Oscar nominations from those without, in my unhumble opinion!

The latest casting is interesting. Of course, they need a lot of Tauriels given the large number of unnamed characters in Tolkien's narrative. She has a good look for such a role.

Humpries is a good choice, too, although I'd imagined more of a Lurtz-esque giant.

I am still gushing about Benedict as Smaug.

Evangeline Lilly, I guess her role isn't going to be big enough for me to notice. I don't dislike her though.

Hey... I liked Liv. She did a fine job.

She did well with what she was given. :)

They should have kept Glorfindel in the films though, but I understand why they choose not to.

I love Glorfindel in the book, but the film narrative didn't need yet another super-blond Elf. IMO. :cool:

I just hope PJ doesn't turn this Tauriel into some fighting elf-warrior-girl....

You and me both. ;)

Humpries is a good choice, too, although I'd imagined more of a Lurtz-esque giant.

I'm relieved that PJ is going for a non-Lurtz look this time round, actually. :) Having said that, I did like PJ's treatment of the Orcs and the Uruk-Hai in LotR, and it sounds to me like he's got the right approach to the goblins in The Hobbit.

I am still gushing about Benedict as Smaug.

Yeah! :clap:

Evangeline Lilly, I guess her role isn't going to be big enough for me to notice.

Depends on her agent, I think!!! :whistle: :yuhup: But, yes, I can't help hoping this is a small role.

I'm relieved that PJ is going for a non-Lurtz look this time round, actually. :) Having said that, I did like PJ's treatment of the Orcs and the Uruk-Hai in LotR, and it sounds to me like he's got the right approach to the goblins in The Hobbit. Actually, I just realized that I had mixed up the Great Goblin and Azog. Humphries is perfect for the Great Goblin. They need a Lurtz type for Azog: he's supposed to be a might warrior type, after all. (Didn't I read that the guy playing The Mountain in Game of Thrones was cast for that role?)
But, yes, I can't help hoping this is a small role.Well, they do desperately need to beef up some female roles, or the female audience will crash for part II. Simply showing elvish women as warriors without making any deal of it is fine: it makes it a post-sexist society, which probably would be appropriate for elves.

I just saw the extended Towers tonight. My wife was depressed: she no longer finds Legolas sexy because Orlie from 10 years ago is now too young for her. :( (I'll really worry when she starting thinking that Gandalf is hot.... :D)

Simply showing elvish women as warriors without making any deal of it is fine: it makes it a post-sexist society, which probably would be appropriate for elves.

So just because we at this stage of history are politically correct, it means it's okay to mess with Tolkien's characterisations (which, as he says in his letters, he resents more than anything), and appoint women where he did not want them? :no: That reminds me of this group of people some time back ranting against PJ in the media for sticking to canon and not casting other actors than white for hobbits, calling both him and Tolkien racist, or something like that.

Females fighting unless as a last resort was not appropriate for Elves, or for any 'civilised' humans, in JRRT's books. It was viewed as odd at the best. Sure, there was Éowyn - and we all know what became of her after Pelennor, don't we?
It's not politically correct, but it's basic respect to JRRT's work to stick to his characterisations, however racist or sexist they might seem. If someone wants a movie without gender stereotypes, there are thousands of these to choose from. What next- shall we rewrite old books containing gender stereotypes, or re-shoot old movies to get rid of these?

Please, PJ, don't spoil this movie for me and many a fan I know; stick to canon on females, at least for once. No kickass Elven ladies please. Thank you.


Pearl Took, I wouldn't be so sure about a small role for Lilly... doesn't PJ's article above say these are the last major roles? O_O
I think I might survive her though, as long as she doesn't brandish a sword or wreak havoc on goblins in the Battle of the Five Armies or any funny bussiness...

I really don't care about female roles and putting them in just to satisfy female viewers or male viewers. The Hobbit novel hasn't many women so why change it. Not necessary imo.

I just saw the extended Towers tonight. My wife was depressed: she no longer finds Legolas sexy because Orlie from 10 years ago is now too young for her. :( (I'll really worry when she starting thinking that Gandalf is hot.... :D)

I was never a Leggie swooner. :D My tastes run to rugged Numenoreans and cute hobbit-men. :lol:

So just because we at this stage of history are politically correct, it means it's okay to mess with Tolkien's characterisations (which, as he says in his letters, he resents more than anything), and appoint women where he did not want them? :no:

So what did you make of the expansion of Arwen's role, then? :) I was personally fine with it, except her wielding a sword. :no: And I hated the idea of her being at Helm's Deep. :grumble: Thankfully, that was all cut. :p

Females fighting unless as a last resort was not appropriate for Elves, or for any 'civilised' humans, in JRRT's books.

It is true that no female Elf is ever shown as a warrior in Tolkien's books, but he did write some really, REALLY awesome, and very powerful women, in both LotR and The Silmarillion. Also, Galadriel 'threw down the pits of Dol Goldur', according to the Tale of Years (Appendices) in LotR. :cool: That is something I would like to see on screen. And it fits right in with Hobbit canon, so maybe we will!

The Hobbit novel hasn't many women so why change it. Not necessary imo.

I don't think it has any. :D I agree with Galadriel's inclusion in The Hobbit film though, because she was at the White Council when they decided to overthrow the Necromancer (Sauron).

The 'male only' aspect of The Hobbit (book) doesn't bother me personally. Lots of women enjoy 'male bonding' type tales. I certainly do. Band of Brothers is one of my favourite TV dramas. :cool:

I agree with you on added female characters, Hes.

So what did you make of the expansion of Arwen's role, then? :) I was personally fine with it, except her wielding a sword.

Same here. Although if the blonde man at the coronation was supposed to be Glorfindel, I'm even okay with her in the Ford of Bruinen scenes. :eeep:

It is true that no female Elf is ever shown as a warrior in Tolkien's books, but he did write some really, REALLY awesome, and very powerful women, in both LotR and The Silmarillion.

I do not mind the exercise of *power*, I mind females as warriors, running about the place brandishing weapons. :huh: Galadriel and Lúthien were exceptionally gifted/tutored among elf women in the excercise of power, so the Dol Guldur thing is okay by me in the Hobbit movie (unless Galadriel wipes out the entire population of that fortress with a sword or bow ;) )


Now, I'm looking forward to the voice actors for the three trolls, and Gwaihir... I wonder if Gwaihir and Mirkwood spiders will have voices of their own. :)

Galadriel and Lúthien were exceptionally gifted/tutored among elf womenThis is incorrect. Tolkien makes it clear in "Laws and Customs of the Eldar" (written fairly late in his life, and which can be found in Morgoth's Ring) that all Elvish women were trained to fight; however, they typically did so only at last resort. (Tolkien's views on women evolved considerably over his long life; by the end, his Elvish women were very much based on the "New Woman" of the 1920s, which was basically a first stab at modern feminism.) The restriction was on healers: men or women who healed refrained from fighting or even hunting save as last resort. (This, of course, was in conflict with earlier writings of his: but that happens a lot!)

However, let's suppose that Tolkien never wrote those specific words. Tolkien elsewhere wrote things that demanded that sort of thing, anyway. Tolkien's letters and professional writings also make it clear why his views on ANY topic are entirely irrelevant to the telling of his stories unless that view was an integral theme of the tale. Tolkien's research actually was about this: how a statement in 900 AD meant something different in 1100 AD, and how you therefore had to say something different in 1100 AD to mean the same thing that people meant in 900 AD.

(We evolutionary biologists call this the "Red Queen": change to stay in place; I think that the literary community has a different term for it, and the basic concept has been discovered many times.)


So, what did Tolkien want to say thematically? Well, obviously there are strong anti-capitalist and pro-monarchist themes in The Hobbit. Alter those, and you alter two of Tolkien's "truths." (Making the latter one palatable to modern audiences obviously is tricky, but a topic for another post.) However, that women belong in the kitchen or doing needlepoint in a tower was NOT one of Tolkien's themes as would be if the same thing were written in 2010. Therefore, and according to Tolkien's own writings, if a sexism-neutral statement in 1938 has become a sexist statement in 2010, then that statements must be redone or you risk altering what the original author was trying to communicate. In 2010, having women wield weapons and act as soldiers or guards or whatever is the norm. Political correctness has absolutely nothing to do with this: it is about adhering to Tolkien's own themes and story-telling philosophy.

(The recent debate over Mark Twain's works revolves around this. "Purists" want people to know that currently derogatory terms for blacks were simply terms for blacks in Tom Sawyer's day; however, realists know that because the terms now are derogatory, Tom Sawyer's lines do not mean what Mark Twain wanted them to mean: and thus to preserve Twain's themes and stories, those must be altered. As in this case, they have writings from Twain to support this idea, too!)


And, of course, there is simply the pragmatic point I was making above: PJ can count on a big audience (50% of which will be female) because of Lord of the Rings. However, because of the decision to split the films, PJ et al. have the extra task of making sure that they come back for more. "Lots of women" being OK with it is not enough: he needs a huge proportion of women to be OK with it. PJ et al. did a masterful job of making Tolkien popular with women: the audiences went from around 40% female for Fellowship to a little over 50% for King. Beefing up Arwen and Éowyn had as much to do with it as Legolas did. (Indeed, part of the reason why Legolas was so popular was not just because he was dead sexy: it was because he was so androgynous and many young women could see themselves doing what he did.) It would be a shame if PJ et al. lost that audience with Unexpected Journey.

This is incorrect.

There is nothing whatsoever incorrect about Galadriel and Lúthien being the most powerful known female Elves. Or are you aware of one who did greater feats?

Tolkien makes it clear in "Laws and Customs of the Eldar" (written fairly late in his life, and which can be found in Morgoth's Ring) that all Elvish women were trained to fight; however, they typically did so only at last resort.

No, he does not. That's merely what some readers make of the text. The text itself never says so. There's a far cry between 'fighting valiantly in dire straits or desperate defence', which even the untrained can do, and being trained for or actively pursuing fighting, which throughout JRRT's books, only the Haladin and Easterling women do (and Éowyn, but she's a special case).
Also, just because JRRT states there was no area of activity elf-women *could* not pursue, doesn't yet imply they *did* indeed pursue it.

I will not go into the discussion on JRRT and his beliefs, as that's vague and depending on personal interpretation, and also off-topic for this thread. I will just say that I do not find it plausible that a man who was set off by a script proposing that Tom Bombadil is some kind of jolly old man and that the balrog laughs, would support one in which elf maids roam Middle-earth with big swords, while elf lords sit on their backsides at home, only bothering to attend councils, forge swords, and show up for royal weddings.

It would be a shame if PJ et al. lost that audience with Unexpected Journey.

I would say- good riddance. If someone wants to see a Hobbit movie with big female roles set in Middle-earth, why not make their own fan one. Please don't stick them where they don't belong and call it canon; it would make The Hobbit nothing but a glorified fanfiction, as one of the fans fittingly said.
I have never met a single female LotR fan who became a fan just because of the extension of female roles, or who imagined they were Legolas. Quite the contrary- the number of fans who like Arwen & Co seems to be balanced by the number of fans who resent PJ's movies for taking her character onto a different, modern level.
I wonder if the same pattern will be present when The Hobbit comes to cinemas.

...while elf lords sit on their backsides at home, only bothering to attend councils, forge swords, and show up for royal weddings.

I confess this is pretty much my opinion of the Elves in the Third Age. :lol: Much as I love them! Their attitude seems to be that Sauron is now the mortals' problem, while they have a guaranteed get-out route to Valinor. (All right for some, eh? :huh: )

That's why I approved of one of PJ's changes to canon, when the Elves showed up at Helm's Deep. At least it showed they cared! :D Also, it was just really awesome seeing an Elven army. :whistle:

Please don't stick them where they don't belong and call it canon; it would make The Hobbit nothing but a glorified fanfiction, as one of the fans fittingly said.

Well, film narratives aren't canon. :) And we already have glorified fanfiction -- PJ's LotR is itself an AU.

I have never met a single female LotR fan who became a fan just because of the extension of female roles, or who imagined they were Legolas.

That is true, IMO. However, I personally had no problem with Arwen's role being expanded in principle. If I was adapting LotR, I'd certainly have replaced Glorfindel with Arwen ... I just wouldn't have had her stealing Frodo's heroism at Bruinen. :grumble:

I'd have also written Arwen into the Council of Elrond. Whyever not? All she does in the book is sit and sew! :lol: I always found that disappointing, when compared to characters like Galadriel and Éowyn.

Quite the contrary- the number of fans who like Arwen & Co seems to be balanced by the number of fans who resent PJ's movies for taking her character onto a different, modern level. I wonder if the same pattern will be present when The Hobbit comes to cinemas.

Probably. But hardcore Tolkienites like us will have very little impact on the film's actual success ... even if we do go and see it multiple times. :cool:

First pic of Martin Freeman as a real Bilbo! http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20504849,00.html

First pic of Martin Freeman as a real Bilbo! http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20504849,00.html

Bilbo looks great!

Oh, Gandalf, how I missed you!

Oh. That is PERFECT. :love:

He even looks like a young Ian Holm ...

PJ and team, you are the best. :clap:

And I can see Richard Armitage back there as Thorin. He looks fantastic. :cool:

Wow, I wasn't expecting pictures this early.

I couldn't have imagined any better than what I'm seeing :clap:

This (http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2011/07/02/45696-the-hobbit-filming-in-the-uk-this-october/) is interesting

This is a quote from Elijah Wood : October. I’m going to the U.K. first to do some shooting, but then I’m going down in October for the New Zealand part.
My first thoughts are that they are filming in the UK so that Christopher Lee can film his part, but I can't quite figure out why that would involve Elijah :hmm:

Could just be a scheduling matter. It's far more convenient to do non-location work (especially involving those with limited roles) in the UK than in NZ.

from The Hobbit's Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=217504438285169&set=a.217504371618509.50553.160617097307237&type=1&ref=nf#!/media/set/?set=a.217504371618509.50553.160617097307237):

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/262019_217504438285169_160617097307237_579649_5124 322_n.jpg
JED BROPHY as Nori, ADAM BROWN as Ori and MARK HADLOW as Dori in New Line Cinema’s and MGM's fantasy adventure THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo by James Fisher.

DORI, NORI & ORI
These three brothers, all sons of the same mother, could not be more different from each other. Dori, the oldest, spends much of his time watching out for Ori, the youngest; making sure he’s not caught a chill or got himself killed by Wargs or Goblins. Nobody quite knows what Nori gets up to most of the time, except that it’s guaranteed to be dodgy and quite probably, illegal. Dori, Nori and Ori are intensely loyal to each other – and whilst they are perfectly happy fighting amongst themselves, woe-betide anyone who means harm to one of these brothers.

So happy to see Nori, Ori and Dori! And now they have revealed Oin and Gloin.....and a new production video!

http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/movie-stills/gallery/3491/#info

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150314562706807&oid=141884481557

I can't believe we are getting to see so much, so early into production...this is fantastic!

see this idiots incharge of HP marketing this is how you promote a life-altering motion picture EVENT

People will go and see the Hobbit anyway wether they promote it this early or not...

I just watched the second production video... it has awesome impressions. Can't believe it's still such a long way to go. But guess the team can't either. :lol:

Loved the second production video.

Some of the locations are absolutely breathtaking.

see this idiots incharge of HP marketing this is how you promote a life-altering motion picture EVENT

Well, New Line didn't do any marketing for the final film of the Trilogy, RotK, either. :whistle: That's because they didn't need to. :cool: Likewise with the final HP film!

The Hobbit is something new. :D. Well - new-ish. :lol:

Those are great pictures of Ori, Dori and Nori, as well as Oin and Gloin. I'm glad they made Gloin look a lot like Gimli (without being the same actor of course).

Regarding the video - awesome and exciting. :) It was nice to see a whole bunch of the actors and crew. And I totally forgot Andy Serkis would be back as Gollum. It'll be great to see another LotR-related movie next December. As an aside, Peter Jackson looks very different from how he did while directing LotR.

Well, New Line didn't do any marketing for the final film of the Trilogy, RotK, either. :whistle: That's because they didn't need to. :cool: Likewise with the final HP film!

The Hobbit is something new. :D. Well - new-ish. :lol:

Plus the gap between the Hobbit and RotK will be about 10 years. The gap between DH1 and DH2 eight months.

Really liked the production videos. They show, even more, how everyone is committed to the stories. Loved seeing Andy Serkis, an actor who's great performance is overlooked by most of the audience (I wonder if they think Gollum is completely CGI?) so involved with the production.

I refuse to watch these video's for the same reason I don't watch the extra's on dvd's... It takes the magic out of it for me.

I refuse to watch these video's for the same reason I don't watch the extra's on dvd's... It takes the magic out of it for me.Yeah, same here. I just want to go in without any expectations or having already seen certain parts. I just want to see everything in context as it was meant to be seen and enjoy the emotional ride of the film.

Yeah, same here. I just want to go in without any expectations or having already seen certain parts. I just want to see everything in context as it was meant to be seen and enjoy the emotional ride of the film.

Exactly... :agree: I was so dissapointed when I watched the extra's years ago and found out how they made Lothlorien. I don't want to know. I want to live with the silly dilusion there is a Lothlorien somewhere in New Zealand. Though I couldn't find it.... I did look for it. ;)

I do like seeing the photo's though.

Another image (http://social.entertainment.msn.com/movies/blogs/the-hitlist-blog.aspx?feat=2001455c-fe15-47c0-9c93-321e454c7f80), this time Kili and Fili :cool:

http://media.social.s-msn.com/images/blogs/00290065-0000-0000-0000-000000000000_00000065-06d3-0000-0000-000000000000_20110712161810_HBT-DWF-003550.jpg
Dean O'Gorman as Fili and Aidan Turner as Kili in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (Photo by James Fisher)

Two of the youngest Dwarves, Fili and Kili have been born into the royal line of Durin and raised under the stern guardianship of their uncle, Thorin Oakensheild. Neither has ever travelled far, nor ever seen the fabled Dwarf City of Erebor. For both, the journey to the Lonely Mountain represents adventure and excitement. Skilled fighters, both brothers set off on their adventure armed with the invincible courage of youth, neither being able to imagine the fate which lies before them.

Um, call me a book purist all you like, but still the one on the left reminds me of the Rohirrim, and the slim(!) one on the right of Túrin... (I thought they were both blonde?).. and their weapons of the Uruks.
For a race whose females have beards, I would expect more impressive beards, truth be told... you know, for Rivendell elves to snicker at. ;)
These chaps look simply too Mannish to me, both in stature and facial hair, and I can't shake off the feeling that someone of the team is trying really hard to smuggle in some fangirl-attracting males. :huh:


Well, film narratives aren't canon. :) And we already have glorified fanfiction -- PJ's LotR is itself an AU.

True, but PJ's LotR didn't feature an OC as one of the main characters... :whistle:

Kili and Fili actually look fully different than to what I imagined too. :lol: In my case I believe that's because I still have some background image of The Hobbit as kids' book in mind (I read it as kid first time for instance), and so my imagined dwarfs also look like Disney dwarfs. Not entirely, but rather wearing brown leather and looking happy than wearing dark and silver and looking like male models. That of course wouldn't work at all film-wise and I'd actually dislike it myself. So I'm sure I'll grow into the much darker look of Kili (or Fili?) than the one I had in mind.

Agreeing that the weapons also look a bit ork-ish, though. But let's see what explanation the film / background provides for this origin.

Bofur, Bombur, and Bifur!

http://movies.ign.com/articles/118/1181874p1.html

I like the looks of all the dwarfs. They could've done them in an uninspired way, or looking a lot like Gimli, but they didn't!

They must spend a fortune in hair products.

They must spend a fortune in hair products.

:rotfl::rotfl:



Roll on the Hobbit i've not looked right back to the first posts but has there been a release date yet?

Roll on the Hobbit i've not looked right back to the first posts but has there been a release date yet?

Part one, entitled The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens December 14, 2012.

Part two, The Hobbit: There and Back Again opens December 13, 2013.

Last I heard, anyway.

For a race whose females have beards, I would expect more impressive beards, truth be told... you know, for Rivendell elves to snicker at. ;)

:lol:

These chaps look simply too Mannish to me, both in stature and facial hair, and I can't shake off the feeling that someone of the team is trying really hard to smuggle in some fangirl-attracting males. :huh:

Of course they are! :D And their ploy is succeeding. All my female Tolkien friends are, like, "Wow! Who knew Dwarves were so hot?! But, heck -- who's complaining?" :eyebrows:

They are recognisably Dwarves. That's the crucial thing. And if PJ's team make 'em a lot more handsome than I ever reckoned, well ... it's all good. ;)

In the same way, PJ's team made the hobbit boys really delectable ... as delectable as the Elves and the hunky Numenorean dudes. :cool: And for this Tolkien fangirl, it was a dream come true! :p

No Disney-looking Dwarves for me, please. This will do nicely. :tu:

True, but PJ's LotR didn't feature an OC as one of the main characters... :whistle:

We still don't know how 'main' the OC (Taurendil or whatever her name is, I've forgotten already :lol: ) is going to be. :) I'm a little less agitated about it because I think that Evangeline Lilly is a very good casting choice. She looks beautifully Elvish. She'd have made a good Arwen, IMO ...

Ow please.. There is only one "good" looking dwarf in the whole bunch and that's Kili. I looove how they look. I think most fan girls have their hopes set on cute men and elves. At least I do especially if they all look like Viggo Mortensen...

All my female Tolkien friends are, like, "Wow! Who knew Dwarves were so hot?!

Not a single one of mine. But then, we're an orthodox bunch.

They are recognisably Dwarves. That's the crucial thing.

They aren't recognizable as Tolkien dwarves to me. To me, they look like crossbreeds between pirates of Umbar, Conan the Barbarian, and random scary/funny Halloween throw-ons. No impressive beards, no normal weapons, no believable appearances for a long and hard journey. But, each to their own.

In the same way, PJ's team made the hobbit boys really delectable ... as delectable as the Elves and the hunky Numenorean dudes.

Like I'm saying, this is all about the "to me" factor ... There is no universal truth. I didn't like many of the elves, and you did. :rolleyes:

We still don't know how 'main' the OC is going to be

I'm going with PJ's own claim that she's the last *major* casting. :whistle:

Ow please.. There is only one "good" looking dwarf in the whole bunch and that's Kili. I looove how they look. I think most fan girls have their hopes set on cute men and elves. At least I do especially if they all look like Viggo Mortensen...

Oh, I like the rugged men of Gondor and Rohan all right, and also Elves like Gil-galad and Finrod Felagund. :eyebrows:

But I've also always been part of the hobbit-fancying sub-set ... ;)

Not a single one of mine. But then, we're an orthodox bunch.

As am I and my friends, if by 'orthodox' you mean being a Tolkien fan for decades (long before Elijah Wood was born ;)) and madly loving all the Professor's works. :cool:

But we also have huge fan with our fandom, and are not at all averse to shameless swooning. ;)

They aren't recognizable as Tolkien dwarves to me. To me, they look like crossbreeds between pirates of Umbar, Conan the Barbarian, and random scary/funny Halloween throw-ons. No impressive beards, no normal weapons, no believable appearances for a long and hard journey. But, each to their own.

What did you make of Gimli's look? I thought it was OK but found the facial prosthetics unnecessary (they also made poor John Rhys Davies' life hell, as he was allergic to them, poor bloke).

Honestly, I've never given the look of the Dwarves serious thought. I do know that no Tolkien dwarf should resemble a Disney one. :huh: (Tolkien hated Disney!)

Like I'm saying, this is all about the "to me" factor ... There is no universal truth. I didn't like many of the elves, and you did. :rolleyes:

I'm not claiming there is a universal truth. :) I personally never had any complaints about the visuals of the LotR films, not even with Boromir and Faramir being blonds, and I have no complaints about these Dwarf-visuals.

If I am to complain, it will be over the script ... ;) As it was with LotR.

As am I and my friends, if by 'orthodox' you mean being a Tolkien fan for decades (long before Elijah Wood was born ;)) and madly loving all the Professor's works.

Sure, don't get me wrong - I'm not one to scream "you're not the right fan if you don't like everything exactly as it was in the books". ;)

What did you make of Gimli's look? I thought it was OK but found the facial prosthetics unnecessary (they also made poor John Rhys Davies' life hell, as he was allergic to them, poor bloke).

I was content with his looks and gear (as well as with that of all dwarves in LotR), eventhough I agree that I would probably like him just as well without the prosthetics. :)

I do know that no Tolkien dwarf should resemble a Disney one.

That makes two of us. :cool:

I'm not claiming there is a universal truth.

Then I guess I'm just so used to putting "I think", "doesn't work for me", "IMO" etc. into my posts that I tend to overreact a bit at posts that don't contain those. ;)

Sure, don't get me wrong - I'm not one to scream "you're not the right fan if you don't like everything exactly as it was in the books". ;)

Oh, good. :D

I like everything in the book, as it is in the book. :cool: Which is why I am happy with Bombadil in the book. (I'm not a fan of his rhyming couplets but it's seriously cool that the Ring has no power over him! Also, Frodo has a prophetic dream in Tom's house.) I wish that Tolkien had introduced Rosie a little earlier ... but that's a very, very, very minor quibble. Seriously, I wouldn't change a thing in LotR as written.

I don't mind changes in an adaptation as long as they a) make sense in the context of both the plot and that particular imaginary world; and b) honour the spirit of the book. PJ has a hit-and-miss record in that regard. :whistle:

But when it comes to visuals ... wow. :cool: Well, he does deploy two of the best Tolkien artists out there (IMO) ...

Then I guess I'm just so used to putting "I think", "doesn't work for me", "IMO" etc. into my posts that I tend to overreact a bit at posts that don't contain those. ;)

That would be the CoS factor. :D It never hurts to put in as many 'IMOs' as possible, of course. ;)

Balin and Dwalin revealed! (http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/07/15/time-exclusive-first-look-at-balin-and-dwalin-from-the-hobbit-movie/)

And here is Thorin.

http://www-images.theonering.org/torwp/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/thorin-richardarmitage.jpg

I love how he looks even though he doesn’t really look like a dwarf to me... He looks a little to mannish... Good mannish though..

Some of the Tolkien fans are complaining that Thorin looks like a Klingon.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I love Tolkien fans. :D

I don't have a strong opinion, actually. :)

It's RICHARD ARMITAGE. :eyebrows: And he looks kewl. :p

That doesn't look a thing like the former Deputy Secretary of State.

Can we have opinions please - as to how to pronounce Smaug? I'm sure there is a correct 'Tolkien' way but I have no idea what it is :)

And he looks kewl.Assume that's the 'problem' - close to nobody might have imaged him that cool. :lol:

The dwarfs don't look how I pictured them at all. But I believe they fit to Jackson's interpretation of Middleearth and as such fit to the films. I guess I'll adapt easily enough once I see them in action.

Gertie ... honestly, I am finding I am able to cope with the concept of a handsome Thorin. :relax:

:D

Can we have opinions please - as to how to pronounce Smaug? I'm sure there is a correct 'Tolkien' way but I have no idea what it is :)

SMOWG.

Not Smorg.

It's like SOW-RON, not Sore-Ron.

There's an Appendix somewhere in LotR that explains the pronunciations. :)

I'm really liking the images that we have so far. The costume department in particular seems to have outdone themselves. I do wonder where the beards have all gone - aren't the dwarves supposed to all have long beards (though perhaps I made that up)?

Gertie ... honestly, I am finding I am able to cope with the concept of a handsome Thorin. :relax:

LOL... so am I.. It’s a pity dwarves are soo short.

I like the fact that the LotR films and the Hobbit are produced and directed by the same team. It really shows... Gloin really looks like Gimli (or the other way around). It’s a thing I always missed in the HP films. Consistency is such a nice word.. :agree:

Gertie ... honestly, I am finding I am able to cope with the concept of a handsome Thorin.That's what we poor fans need to do.... --- :rotfl:


It's like SOW-RON, not Sore-Ron.
That's really easier in my language, where he also is spelled 'Sauron', what only leaves the pronouncation you describe left. :lol:


I'm really liking the images that we have so far. The costume department in particular seems to have outdone themselves. I do wonder where the beards have all gone - aren't the dwarves supposed to all have long beards (though perhaps I made that up)?I think so too. There also should be something like long hats, colourful clothes, the like. I'm actually glad Jackson doesn't do the kiddie-edition, but right now the dwarfs look far off from what Tolkien describes.

But well. Many stuff Jackson did in LOTR also looked far off from what Tolkien described, but it never really bothered me while watching the films.

SMOWG.

Not Smorg.

It's like SOW-RON, not Sore-Ron.

There's an Appendix somewhere in LotR that explains the pronunciations. :)

Smowg is more in line with the Germanic languages of which Tolkien had an unusually thorough mastery of Anglo-Saxon and of the facts and principles of the comparative grammar of the Germanic languages (http://www.langmaker.com/ml0108.htm) (think of Audi=Owdi).

But how you pronounce it to yourself is up to you. JRR tended to be a bit of a cranky old fart, IMO.

But how you pronounce it to yourself is up to you. JRR tended to be a bit of a cranky old fart, IMO.

In other words the guy was a "Tolkien purist" so to speak...

I get the impression that he was less a purist than many of his fans.

I recall an old interview where he lamented the phenomenon of people learning and speaking elvish. I gather he thought that terribly undignified.

Really??? I always got the impression he was quite critical of anything to do with his books. But I hardly know anything about the man. Only what I’ve read online...

To all who don’t think these dwarves look „Tolkien” enough, here’s a good article. http://www.movies.com/movie-news/the-hobbit-dwarves-images/3662
I for one am impressed with how they managed to give each of these 13 dwarves their own personality and look. Having them look too much alike has always been a big risk and I’m happy that’s not the case.

To all who don’t think these dwarves look „Tolkien” enough, here’s a good article.


Huh? That they don't look "Tolkien" enough is a fact, not an impression; and this article does nothing but provide reasons (someone might call them excuses) why PJ's team deviated from the descriptions. Plus, it doesn't name aloud that which me and quite a number of fans suspect, and which is quite obvious from some of the reactions already: having non-canon slim, young, short-bearded dwarves equipped with badassy mediocre fantasy weapons, means a greater chance of getting fangirls.

I believe it is possible to give characters individuality even without each of them sporting IMO ridiculous and mediocre features.

Comment directed to everyone in the thread: For a real insight into Tolkien's character, his family and his creative processes, I recommend to you guys The Collected Letters edited by Humphrey Carpenter. :)

Huh? That they don't look "Tolkien" enough is a fact, not an impression; and this article does nothing but provide reasons (someone might call them excuses) why PJ's team deviated from the descriptions. Plus, it doesn't name aloud that which me and quite a number of fans suspect, and which is quite obvious from some of the reactions already: having non-canon slim, young, short-bearded dwarves equipped with badassy mediocre fantasy weapons, means a greater chance of getting fangirls.

I've been a Tolkien fan since I was eight and none of this bothers me a whit. Anyway, I'd rather have handsome Dwarves than yet another 'Elf Warrior Princess'! :lol: (PJ has a fixation with the latter. :rolleyes: )

I don't think the Dwarves look ridiculous. I think they look splendid. I am also glad they have less facial prosthetics than John Rhys Davies did as Gimli ... I never felt that was necessary, JRD would have looked fine as Gimli without that (and the prosthetics were agony for him, poor guy).

I no more mind the way the Dwarves look than I minded Boromir and Faramir having blond hair in the films ... because Sean Bean and David Wenham actually looked like brothers, and that was good casting. :)

And from the article:

Critics should remember that author J.R.R. Tolkien intended The Hobbit to be a children’s story and he didn’t populate it with 13 fleshed-out Dwarven characters, but left them mostly as impressions or charicatures with colored hoods or diverse musical instruments to differentiate them and let the reader fill in the details.

Just so.

[pedant mode]I think it should be 'Dwarvish', though, not 'Dwarven'. [/pedant mode :p]

Let's stick to the Hobbit film, please.

Nobody of us know what Tolkien would have thought about Jackson's interpretation of his works since he died decades ago, long before the techniques Jackson uses even were developed. The author has no say in this. Thanks!

Production Video #3! Fantastic!

Click here! (https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150326323406807&oid=141884481557)

Just saw that appearing on facebook. He's getting faster with them this time! :D

I'm just really amused how they manage to include large parts of the LotR team, even though they don't necessarily appear in the book. Somewhat adorable. :lol:

That's probably the additional scenes - and I'm already quite certain I don't mind them in this case. Jackson transfers an interpretation of Tolkien's world which I quite adore.

I know I said I wouldn’t watch any of these video’s PJ made, but I did... Darn me!!! That was sooo much fun. The worst part is waiting. December 2012, it’s so far away... Damn you Peter Jackson.

That's probably the additional scenes - and I'm already quite certain I don't mind them in this case. Jackson transfers an interpretation of Tolkien's world which I quite adore.

Visually, I've always had very few complaints about Peter's vision. :tu:

And I love the camaraderie that permeates the Tolkien film projects! The cast always seem to find working with PJ a pleasure. :)

Visually, I've always had very few complaints about Peter's vision. :tu:

And I love the camaraderie that permeates the Tolkien film projects! The cast always seem to find working with PJ a pleasure. :)

Not just that. People may not agree with how he shows his version of the stories, but he loves the books and that is clearly visible.

Forgot to comment on the video. So awesome! I love that they're having such a good time on set. And it's great to see all these familiar faces in familiar costumes. :love: I can't for the life of me recognise the Rawrmitage in costume though.

The video is fantastic! The costumes and sets are all stunning. I especially like the parts they showed of gollum's cave - that scene is going to be amazing.

A new photo with all the dwarves... I can’t wait...

http://www-images.theonering.org/torwp/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/HBT-DWF-007.jpg

It's an epic picture! :wow: But why didn't they make Aidan Turner wear a beard? He looks like an elf.

I think that’s because Kili and Fili are too young and beards only grown on old dwarves....

*note to mods: there is nothing concerning any speculations on JRRT's beliefs and what he would have thought of PJ's work in this post. If there is, please let me know.*

- from various books by JRRT, we learn that: all Tolkien Dwarves, male and female, were bearded since birth, and their beards were long (age about 80 for the youngest Hobbit dwarves could be a long enough time for growing a long one). There was no greater shame for dwarves than having their beards shaved. Also, Tolkien Dwarves were short and sturdy in build. JRRT also states that the Dwarves in The Hobbit resembled the conventional dwarves from the Grimm tales.

- I have problems reconciling their movie appearances with the descriptions above. I prefer the book ones, and feel this is a deliberate deviation from canon descriptions by the filmmakers, in order to get fangirls as I cannot see any other reason for the team altering the appearances. This is my private impression.

- I have read The Letters of JRRT.

Production Video #3! Fantastic!

Click here! (https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150326323406807&oid=141884481557)

Very nice video! Cannot believe how much different Peter Jackson looks now!

Watched the LOTR films more times that I can remember, and read the 'Hobbit' probably about 8 years ago. Greatly looking forward to seeing the film adaptation! :D

Loved seeing John Rhys-Davies, as well as Saruman at the end. :lol:

Production Video #3! Fantastic!

Click here! (https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150326323406807&oid=141884481557)
Wow, thank you so much for posting this. I hadn't been following production thus far so seeing this was amazing. I actually squeaked at the end and I couldn't be more excited to see this film. What a perfect thing to see after watching the end of Harry Potter. At least I know there's a lot more to look forward to out there and The Hobbit is going to be incredible.

I really, really don't like the look of the dwarves, except for perhaps the one Armitage is portraying. The overly fat one looks like something straight out of Burton's Alice in Wonderland. They just look inconsistent with the dwarves in the trilogy.

Bombur (the very fat one) was very fat and a somewhat a figure of fun, in the book.

I'd suggest that we saw very few dwarves in LotR, which gives some leeway for personal taste, and possible differences based on class or place of origin, to how dwarves should dress themselves and do their hair, facial or otherwise. Certainly, I can imagine watching this bunch dressed in this way, have adventures that will thrill me and engage my sympathies.

Cool video, thanks for the link!

Awesome. I like Harry Potter better than LOTR, but that was one great movie series also.
I'm excited to see this :D

I have problems reconciling their movie appearances with the descriptions above. I prefer the book ones, and feel this is a deliberate deviation from canon descriptions by the filmmakers, in order to get fangirls as I cannot see any other reason for the team altering the appearances. This is my private impression.


I am sad to say this but I agree. Especially since the beardless dwarf is Aidan Turner who became quite a heartthrob by playing a handsome vampire in Being Human. I'm convinced that a Hobbit adaptation will be watched by millions, no matter if there's someone who's conventionally handsome or not. So I wish they'd given him a beard and dwarfed him up a little more. He really looks a bit like an elf. :shrug:

hopefully unlike the animated films Jackson will be able to illistrate that goblins and orcs are 2 (albeit not entirly but still) diffrent races

You know, I think films are just that - interpretations. What tends to bother me more are changes that in my view are unnecessary (that is, not to make the script tighter or more understandable for viewers, that kind of thing). I felt for instance that Gimli started off alright in LOTR but became more and more of a caricature.

So I'm a little nervous about this film. The dwarves look a little too thin and handsome to me. Aren't they all supposed to be sort of fat and unattractive? But still, looking forward to it.

A pity though the Silmarillion isn't a proper story. Now THAT is a world I'd love to see on screen.

I actually was worried, too, when I saw the images of the actors only. But checking on the making of vids, I got all excited. :lol:

While certainly some stuff won't be like 'my' Hobbit book (imagination), LOTR actually didn't either. But I still love the adaption Jackson created. By now I'm positive he'll create something I'll like once more.

I'm just glad Howard Shore is on board! I'm also happy they're fleshing out the story a bit with stuff from the appendicies, because it is really rather filmsy otherwise and very much for children. :lol:

I'm just glad Howard Shore is on board! I'm also happy they're fleshing out the story a bit with stuff from the appendicies, because it is really rather filmsy otherwise and very much for children. :lol:

Ditto on Howard Shore. I can't wait to hear the soundtrack. ^ ^

As for 'for children' - on the other hand, I wouldn't want The Hobbit to become the next LotR, all serious, with a big war and a big romance (at least speaking of PJ's movie). I'd like to see a movie that's lighter in tone (hopefully without bawdy and disgusting moments that grace many a comedy these days, and 'spiced up' LotR when book jokes apparently weren't funny enough), and more suitable for younger audience than LotR, even if the background is a completely grave matter. :)

hopefully unlike the animated films Jackson will be able to illistrate that goblins and orcs are 2 (albeit not entirly but still) diffrent races

But they aren't. Tolkien uses both names for the same race. :)

Apparently PJ has created a bunch of new female characters though :facepalm: things like this annoy me, these pointless additions, because they're not true to the spirit of the book, and they really show how PJ pales in storytelling compared to Tolkien.

A pity though the Silmarillion isn't a proper story. Now THAT is a world I'd love to see on screen.

It's unusable as a whole, but they could make some really awesome movies from parts of it. The Last Alliance for instance... Now that's a film I'd love to see. Just imagine all the fun they could have with that story.

Apparently PJ has created a bunch of new female characters though :facepalm:

More than one? Eeks. I only know of Tauriel the wood-elf so far. (my eternal gratitude to whoever made him drop the previous name 'Itaril')
I confess that after movie-Arwen, I've grown kind of resigned with respect to female additions and the romance they provide... as long as Tauriel doesn't stick around the company for too long, I guess she won't bother me. (of course, depending on what she does in the end - if she kills a dozen Mirkwood spiders kung-fu-style with a single knife swipe, she definitely will annoy me. :P )

@ Siriusandme - The Akallabeth could be a great movie, I agree. ^_^ The rest of the Silmarillion... I can't see that. The stories are just too interwoven, it would be a hell IMO to put together a comprehensible script.

Apparently PJ has created a bunch of new female characters though :facepalm: things like this annoy me, these pointless additions, because they're not true to the spirit of the book, and they really show how PJ pales in storytelling compared to Tolkien.

There's only one new female character confirmed -- Tauriel (whoever she may be), being played by Evangeline Lilly. (Good casting, but I would much rather Evangeline was cast as one of Tolkien's Elves, not a made-up PJ character. :lol: )

Re: The Silmarillion, the whole book is completely unfilmable, IMO, unless a 50-episode mini-series was in the offing. ;) You could do some selected stories from Sil, though:

-- Beren and Luthien, a great love story. Bonus: Sauron in his werewolf incarnation!
-- The Tale of Turin Turambar, although that would be one of the most depressing films ever. :yuhup:
-- Akallabeth, the downfall of Numenor ... what an awesome disaster movie that would be. :D And such a great plot, the Elf-friends pitched against Ar-Pharazon and his bully-boys. Bonus: Sauron again, this time in his 'seriously handsome' incarnation!

Plus: seriously hot Elves feature in all these stories. :drool:

But of course the rights to Sil are firmly with Christopher Tolkien and the Tolkien Estate, and I can't see them being sold any time in the near future!

In other news, the hobbit-boys are having a reunion! :clap:

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32314

Empire mag is gearing up for the 10th anniversary celebrations ...

Re: The Silmarillion, the whole book is completely unfilmable, IMO, unless a 50-episode mini-series was in the offing. ;) You could do some selected stories from Sil, though:

-- Beren and Luthien, a great love story. Bonus: Sauron in his werewolf incarnation!
-- The Tale of Turin Turambar, although that would be one of the most depressing films ever. :yuhup:
-- Akallabeth, the downfall of Numenor ... what an awesome disaster movie that would be. :D And such a great plot, the Elf-friends pitched against Ar-Pharazon and his bully-boys. Bonus: Sauron again, this time in his 'seriously handsome' incarnation!

Plus: seriously hot Elves feature in all these stories. :drool:

But of course the rights to Sil are firmly with Christopher Tolkien and the Tolkien Estate, and I can't see them being sold any time in the near future!

Damn you Christopher Tolkien!!! :grumble:

My vote is still on the Akallabeth. Adventure, action, love, hot elves, gorgeous men... it has it all. :rotfl:

My vote is still on the Akallabeth. Adventure, action, love, hot elves, gorgeous men... it has it all. :rotfl:

:agree: That could be quite an epic tale. I think if a part of the Silm. gets filmed, it will be this one first. The epic battles and fleets, the conquest of Valinor and the sinking of Númenor into the sea are something that would look more than impressive on screen (and 3D). ^_^
As for Elves, there would be less of those than in The Hobbit IMO, plus they'd be Noldorin, ergo not too different from the Men. The wood-elves in The Hobbit should be more ethereal, so- anticipation on my side. :)

Damn you Christopher Tolkien!!! :grumble:

We do owe him the published Silmarillion, though ... for which I will always be grateful. :)

My vote is still on the Akallabeth. Adventure, action, love, hot elves, gorgeous men... it has it all. :rotfl:

Even a good-looking villain! :D (Sauron was not yet in his 'ugly', disembodied phase. :lol: )

There is also a potentially strong role for a woman ... Tar-Miriel, Ar-Pharazon's wife. She fascinates me. If I remember correctly, they did not have a happy marriage, indeed I think she might have been forced into marriage with him (don't have book to hand to check :hmm:) Not surprising it wasn't happy, given that Ar-P was a raging megolamaniac ...

:agree: That could be quite an epic tale. I think if a part of the Silm. gets filmed, it will be this one first. The epic battles and fleets, the conquest of Valinor and the sinking of Númenor into the sea are something that would look more than impressive on screen (and 3D). ^_^

:agree:

As for Elves, there would be less of those than in The Hobbit IMO, plus they'd be Noldorin, ergo not too different from the Men. The wood-elves in The Hobbit should be more ethereal, so- anticipation on my side. :)

Yep, Noldorin Elves are dark, rugged and :drool:

The wood-elves in TH also like their drink. :D

Peter Jackson has just posted Production Video #4 from the set of THE HOBBIT, 4 November 2011! Click here! (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150451523596807)

i'm not a huge fan of 3D for the sake of 3D but that was so interesting!

Thank you for posting the link - I am really looking forward to the film!!!!!!!

It’s funny to see that PJ is gaining wait now that he is working on the Hobbit. At about 8:26 he is so much thinner than he is presenting the video blog. I think he looks better a bit bigger.

I noticed that too. He's hanging out with a lot of Dwarves and Hobbits, both love food. So it's not unexpected :lol:

I noticed that too. He's hanging out with a lot of Dwarves and Hobbits, both love food. So it's not unexpected :lol:

True... I’m sure it’s the second breakfasts and elevenses... Oh and let’s not forget luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper. LOL :rotfl:

Here are part 2, 3 and 4 from Ain't it Cool News' journey diary:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/51851

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/51948

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/52078


Have fun reading, beware of possible spoilers though...

Apparently PJ has created a bunch of new female characters though :facepalm: things like this annoy me, these pointless additions, because they're not true to the spirit of the book, and they really show how PJ pales in storytelling compared to Tolkien.

They show more about the demands of Hollywood than anything. Another forthcoming project by PJ (a remake of The Dambusters which has been put on the backburner (hopefully forever) due to The Hobbit) has been hobbled by Hollywood from the start.

Stephen Fry who has done the script remarked that one of the first things to go was historical accuracy so the name of Gibson's dog and the code for a successful mission -- ****** -- was ruled out before they began.

And here's part 5.... I soo wish I could be there... :sad:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/52094

According to a short clip of Elijah Wood being interviewed (on The One Ring.Net) the Hobbit trailer will be in front of Tintin when it's released in December in the States. Isn't this awfully early for a trailer? Of course I'd love to see it (:))- but - nearly a year before the movie? I have no idea - someone tell me if trailers are always this early.

According to a short clip of Elijah Wood being interviewed (on The One Ring.Net) the Hobbit trailer will be in front of Tintin when it's released in December in the States. Isn't this awfully early for a trailer? Of course I'd love to see it (:))- but - nearly a year before the movie? I have no idea - someone tell me if trailers are always this early.

I don’t think it will contain much. I’ve seen other films release trailers really early and they only showed a few minor glimpses.. But hell... who’s complaining.. ;)

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY OFFICIAL TRAILER NOW ONLINE!!

It's crazy busy right now, so here are three links to choose from:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/thehobbit/

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=85322

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0k3kHtyoqc

Awesome! :clap:

Guys!! The official trailer is out!!! *faints*

Aiwendil you beat me to it! :rotfl: I'm so excited right now! I haven't been this excited since the DH Part 2 trailer.

:yuhup: Amazing! :yuhup: Haven't been this excited for a movie since LOTR I think.

According to a short clip of Elijah Wood being interviewed (on The One Ring.Net) the Hobbit trailer will be in front of Tintin when it's released in December in the States. Isn't this awfully early for a trailer? Of course I'd love to see it (:))- but - nearly a year before the movie? I have no idea - someone tell me if trailers are always this early.

It's not unheard of for a teaser for a blockbuster to come out this early.

Besides building buzz, this trailer seems mainly designed to establish the link between LotR and The Hobbit for those in the general public who didn't know and to introduce the young Bilbo.

I basically cried. The dwarf song they layered over the rest of the trailer gave me chills!

I basically cried. The dwarf song they layered over the rest of the trailer gave me chills!

I know. That was beautiful.

It's brilliant :)

Wow, I got goosebumps watching this trailer...the opening, the music, the tone... It was perfect! The dwarf song and thorin reminded me so much of Aragorn. Peter jackson just does such an incrEdible job with these adaptations. I can't wait for this movie. It reminded me how much I missed having the holidays associated with a lotr movie( although I guess technically this is the hobbit.) I know it is going to be phenomenal.

It is, indeed, brilliant!

I love how hints to the LotR films are incorporated into this film. Like the shards of Narsil.... Twelve months seem so long..

Absolutely love it. :clap:

Martin Freeman is going to rock my world as Bilbo. :love:

Always loved the casting of Richard Armitage as Thorin. :tu:

And Aidan Turner as Kili. :eyebrows:

Roll on December 2012! :rockon:

The song was amazing! So well done. And I missed Middle Earth so much. I didn't know how much until I'd seen the trailer.

And Aidan Turner as Kili. :eyebrows:


:agree:

The song was amazing! So well done. And I missed Middle Earth so much. I didn't know how much until I'd seen the trailer.

Yes same here. It is just amazing how Peter Jackson manages to capture the tone so perfectly. The shire is fun and joyous, rivendell ethereal, and the dwarf song haunting. I have never seen the actor who plays thorin, but wow, he seems perfect.

I Love the trailer

I Love the Dwarves, especially the look of James Nesbitt as Bofur(not that I hadn't seen him before). I still haven't quite got my head around the height differences, I still can't imagine Gandalf towering over Richard Armertige as Thorin.

I Love Middle Earth and its scenary.

The short snippet of Gandalf and Galdariel, I find a little bit odd, I suppose that could be the trials and tribulations part, a bit like what you get with Aragon and Arwen in LOTR, but obviously without the romance.

Oh and its was great a way to round off the trailer with Gollum ,to here something new from him after all this time!!!

Actually I thought it did look a little romantic, with Galadriel playing with a lock of Gandalf's hair. Weird. I'm pretty sure the reason Galadriel is in there is that they're going to include the White Council ousting the Necromancer from his little dark tower in Mirkwood (Dol Guldur?) as part of the movie(s).

We likes it yes we do, my precioussss! :yuhup:

I am really excited to see this movie. I pretty much will echo what others have said here in that the trailer looks and sounds great. :agree:
Actually I thought it did look a little romantic, with Galadriel playing with a lock of Gandalf's hair.So did I, but maybe it did only because the scene was taken out of context. Because in the book I'm not aware of anything going on between them!

I'm so happy to see the trailer. It looks amazing

It looks so good! :clap: I can't wait for this, The Hobbit is my favorite of the four Tolkien books. :love: I love Bilbo Baggins' journey. :D

Actually I thought it did look a little romantic, with Galadriel playing with a lock of Gandalf's hair. Weird. I'm pretty sure the reason Galadriel is in there is that they're going to include the White Council ousting the Necromancer from his little dark tower in Mirkwood (Dol Guldur?) as part of the movie(s).

So did I, but maybe it did only because the scene was taken out of context. Because in the book I'm not aware of anything going on between them!

I agree on both counts :agree:

It does look that way :scared:

But it must have been taken out of context, because Galdriel is married to Celeborn after all :relax:

I agree on both counts :agree:

It does look that way :scared:

But it must have been taken out of context, because Galdriel is married to Celeborn after all :relax:

I thought it looked like a tender moment. Like she tried to reassure him... Not like a romantic moment. That would be odd... :eyebrows:

I didn't interpret it as a romantic moment at all. That is until I read this thread. :lol: Now i can see that subtext in it. But I somehow don't think it's meant to be romantic.

But it must have been taken out of context, because Galdriel is married to Celeborn after all :relax:

She left Celeborn behind when she sailed to Valinor at the end of the Third Age. ;) That always cracked me up. :D

But, seriously, the idea of a Gandalf/Galadriel romance is so weird that I really don't think PJ intends anything like that! I can laugh at the subtext but I honestly think that was just a tender, respectful gesture on Galadriel's part. :)

I could see how it might be interpreted as romantic, but I think galadriel was just reassuring him about something. I guess we will have to wait and see.

For those of you who know more about Tolkien's work, did he ever write melodies to all the songs that are in his books or is Peter Jackson the one commissioning a team to come up with the melodies? They are just so perfect. I love that song the dwarves sing in the trailer, and I remember liking the song Aragorn sang as well in lotr.

Could it be Gandalf to Galadriel about his suspicions concerning Dol Guldur and Sauron and also about Saruman and she reassured him everything would work out fine?? I’m not sure if that part is in the Hobbit. I never really managed to get through the book...