Two Hobbit Films???

[reanjr]

I would really like to see the Quenta Silmarillion done by the History channel people as if it were true event. Now THAT would be the way to present the Silmarillion.

 

[Mycanid]

I would really like to see the Quenta Silmarillion done by the History channel people as if it were true event. Now THAT would be the way to present the Silmarillion.

Hmm ... that would indeed be an interesting thing.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I would really like to see the Quenta Silmarillion done by the History channel people as if it were true event. Now THAT would be the way to present the Silmarillion.

That would certainly help me get to sleep early every night.

 

[Fast Learner]

MGM says Jackson's not out of the loop after all.

 

[Taelorn76]

That's good to hear, but if New Line has producing rights, I don't think MGM has a say in it.

 

[Umbran]

That's good to hear, but if New Line has producing rights, I don't think MGM has a say in it.

MGM has the rights to distribution. New Line can make whatever movie they want, but if the distribution stinks they won't make much money off of it. If MGM thinks it'll be a flop without Jackson, they'll put the minimum allowable effort into distributing the thing, which will seriously hurt New Line's bottom line. So, while they don't have any direct say, they certainly have influence.

 

[Klaus]

New Line can make any movie they want, but they HAVE to distribute it through MGM. So MGM has a LOT of clout here.

 

[Eridanis]

MGM says Jackson's not out of the loop after all.

Heh heh. This is going to get really interesting. Where's the popcorn smiley when you need it?

I realized a possible reason for two movies: if New Line and MGM are going to need to divide the pie, what better way to do it that to make two movies? You get one, I get the other, let's make lots of money!

I hope everything works out. Or, if PJ and WETA end up not on board, I hope they find a visionary director who'll hire Howe and Lee as design directors to keep the look consistent.

 

[Ranger REG]

I hope everything works out. Or, if PJ and WETA end up not on board, I hope they find a visionary director who'll hire Howe and Lee as design directors to keep the look consistent.

I sincerely hope not.

If New Line won't have PJ, then New Line should not have production film right, which expires next year. Not only does MGM want PJ, but the head of Tolkien Enterprise, Saul Zaentz (the owner of LOTR and Hobbit film rights) is backing PJ. Even Sir Ian McKellan stated on his web site that it would be sad if PJ is not helming the Hobbit film, and cried foul on New Line for their "childish negotiating tactics."

 

[Vocenoctum]

I sincerely hope not.

If New Line won't have PJ, then New Line should not have production film right, which expires next year.

If it really does expire next year, then New Line is probably in the right, IMO. Jackson's success lets him choose his own pace, but with a year to start production, new Line would probably be out of the picture. Maybe that's what Jackson wants and if they delay long enough he'll get an MGM deal out of it.