The Hobbit - Movie

[Kid Charlemagne]

Actually, if they really wanted to draw this out forever, they could option out the Silmarillion with the intention of doing just pieces of it each time - the story of Feanor, Beren and Luthien, the Fall of Numenor, etc, each as its own single film (or two if need be).

The Silmarillion as one story wouldn't work any better than the Bible as one story. Piece it out and do each one justice.

 

[Shadowdancer]

AFAIK, New Line Cinema has film option for LOTR and Hobbit.

I don't think this is correct. The film rights are controlled by a man named Saul Zaentz. He had optioned them to Harvey Weinstein at Miramax.

When Peter Jackson wanted to make LOTR, he first was dealing with Miramax. Disney, Miramax's parent company, wouldn't OK a large enough budget, so Weinstein allowed PJ to shop the project around to other studios with the stipulation that he (Weinstein) get an executive producer credit.

So New Line Cinema got the option to LOTR from Miramax, but I don't think the deal included the option for The Hobbit. Saul Zaentz still controls that, and I don't know if he ever optioned it to Miramax along with LOTR.

 

[Olive]

My understanding was that PJ was going to make the hobbit first, the decided to do LotR.

PJ's next film will be King Kong, and my sources at Weta Studios don't say nothin' about The Hobbit.

 

[jdavis]

My understanding was that movie rights to the Hobbit were purchased but the reason wasn't to make the film but to stop somebody else from sliding a crappy film out to try and make a buck off of LOTR. They were afraid that somebody would rush out a Hobbit picture just to play off the popularity of the present movies and it would end up reflecting poorly on the LOTR trilogy. THis is pretty common in Hollywood, where we get a rash of similar movies at the same time (such as the Volcano movies, or the Deep Sea laboratory movies, or the Big rock in space movies). There is no plans to make the Hobbit they just wanted to protect the property. I'll try and find the link where I heard this but it has been several months.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

I don't care if it's a movie or a TV series, I just want a well-made, live-action version of The Hobbit.

 

[TiQuinn]

With Lord of the Rings being one of the most popular and profitable movie trilogies to come out in some time, there's no way that "The Hobbit" does not get made eventually, whether it be by Jackson or someone else.

 

[Piratecat]

Jdavis is correct. I've also heard Jackson say that he doesn't want to make the Hobbit, but he WOULD like to go to a good movie of it that someone else made.

 

[WizarDru]

I don't care if it's a movie or a TV series, I just want a well-made, live-action version of The Hobbit.

I think it'd be nice, but I'm quite fond of the animated version. For a lot of folks my age, it was our introduction to fantasy, and led directly down the path to D&D. I know this is true for both me and at least one of my players.


(and I should point out that it's my 3 year old's favorite movie...we'll be driving down the road and he'll yell out: "Daddy! The goblins are coming!" My 6 year old loves when Gandalf recites the poem telling the tale of long ago and the coming of Smaug. She said to me: "Daddy, someone should make a movie about long ago. That would be great." I'm such a proud papa.)

 

[TiQuinn]

I think it'd be nice, but I'm quite fond of the animated version. For a lot of folks my age, it was our introduction to fantasy, and led directly down the path to D&D. I know this is true for both me and at least one of my players.


(and I should point out that it's my 3 year old's favorite movie...we'll be driving down the road and he'll yell out: "Daddy! The goblins are coming!" My 6 year old loves when Gandalf recites the poem telling the tale of long ago and the coming of Smaug. She said to me: "Daddy, someone should make a movie about long ago. That would be great." I'm such a proud papa.)

Ditto. My dad taped a copy off of TV way back when it was still shown on television, and I used to watch it all the time as a kid. Years later, I read the book and thought back about how well the cartoon captured the book all in all.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

Hey, I grew up with the animated The Hobbit movie as well, and I really like it too. But if they can make LotR as good as they did, then a new The Hobbit can be just as great.

This doesn't take anything away from the fun animated version.