YES! Jackson to make Hobbit film

qstor · Dec 18, 2007

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071218/ap_en_ot/film_the_hobbit

Eridanis · Dec 18, 2007

Yahoo article said:
"I'm very pleased that we've been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line," Jackson said in a statement. "We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth."

Two "Hobbit" films are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, similar to how the three "Lord of the Rings" films were made. Production is set to begin in 2009 with a released planned for 2010, with the sequel scheduled for a 2011 release.

A very nice Christmas present. No word if he will write it, but I hope that comes about, too.

Hand of Evil · Dec 18, 2007

good to know!

Arnwyn · Dec 18, 2007

Two hobbit films? I'm curious to see how they do that (as, right now in the early stages, I'm unsure if it's necessary).

Steel_Wind · Dec 18, 2007

Well, all I can say is that on opening night - for the midnight showing - I'll be there.

(And if you think New Line and PJ are please, neither of them are remotely as happy as Games Workshop and EA to hear this news. Those licenses are worth hundreds of millions of dollars in sales to each. When it comes to GW, that's business that was otherwise never, ever going to come back.)

MojoGM · Dec 18, 2007

I just read this on the little elevator news screen at work, and it made my day!

Too bad we have to wait until 2010.

Mistwell · Dec 18, 2007

Sweet, sweet vindication.

On 08-11-07 I wrote:

http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=3693851&postcount=5

Mistwell said:
I have every confidence Jackson WILL make The Hobbit, at least as a producer.

The first sign was that New Line's head of Marketing, Russell Schwartz, was fired. It was a sure sign that things have gotten desperate at New Line. They badly need a big hit.

The second is that the rights to Hobbit default back to the previous owner fairly soon, and the prior owner has said his choice is Jackson. That put New Line in an impossible position - find someone else good enough, quickly, who is willing to do it knowing that Jackson wants to do it, and who would bring in the box office they need. That's a very short list, and probably already exhausted. Raimi has said in the past that he would not take on the project without Jackson’s blessing. I think Raimi will end up directing, and Jackson producing.

The fact that they are talking about "mending fences", after their previous very public absolutist approach, tells me they have gotten desperate and the battle is probably already won by Jackson. Now it's just a matter of settling the lawsuit on a figure they can both live with.

I guess The Golden Compass bombing was the final straw.

Great news!

jester47 · Dec 18, 2007

Me loves some golden compass bomb.

EricNoah · Dec 18, 2007

I bet the first one is called "There." The second, of course, will be "Back Again."

Kaodi · Dec 18, 2007

Unfortunately, it has been a while since I last read The Hobbit, so I am not really sure where to break the film... Either at Beorn's, or after Bilbo gets the casks rolling down the river I would guess.

I think it is possible perhaps to lengthen it out they might feature the side trek of Gandalf at some point. Been too long, had something to do with Aragorn and the Necromancer a.k.a. Sauron, right?