From the folks over at Rotten Tomatoes:
After the past few weeks’ spate of bad news (and weather), have we got some silver lining for you: our preciousss is in motion to return to the big screen. Now that Peter Jackson has kissed and made up with the studios, New Line and MGM are in talks with Guillermo del Toro to direct two, simultaneously shot installments of The Hobbit!
A quick recap for those just joining us: Jackson was originally interested in adapting The Hobbit, but a very loud, very public squabble over profits between Jackson and New Line Studios for the Lord of the Rings trilogy put the kibosh on that project. The two parties reconciled their differences last December and Jackson, busy with The Lovely Bones and Tintin, joined The Hobbit as executive producer with creative control.
And now del Toro is in talks to direct the back-to-back Hobbit movies, each budgeted at $150 million (substantially higher than any of the Lord of the Rings movies). Filming will begin in 2009, with release dates currently set for 2010 and 2011. Currently, del Toro is putting the final touches on Hellboy II: The Golden Army. He was previously announced to begin work on 3993, a dramatic horror movie written by The Orphanage scribe Sergio G. Sanchez, and it’s unknown how The Hobbit will affect that movie’s production.
I’m glad to see that the momentum on the Hobbit movies is rolling along nicely. If the first one is set to release in 2010, that means they’ll be getting to work at least later this year. Good news indeed. Now to see if they will bring back Ian McKellan as Gandalf which he has stated he’d like to do.
Tags: Lord of the Rings, Movies
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February 3rd, 2008 at 9:21 am - Edit
What the..
I thought Peter was directing? Hmm my interest kinda takes a hit. Although del Toro will make it dark that is for sure. Meh who am I kidding Ill probably see it 3 times.
February 3rd, 2008 at 10:43 am - Edit
2 movies, out of one book? Are they ‘dumbing down’ the length into 2 90 minute movies, instead of one 3 hour mega-tale for the ADHD? Or is it just a way to get two movie ticket purchases from one story? I’ll probably wait for the 2 disc CD gift set, due out ~2012, coincidentally the same year as the end of the world according to the Mayans.
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:17 pm - Edit
Supposedly the first movie will be The Hobbit - probably 3 hours in length if it remains true to the formula for LoTR. The second movie is supposed to be a “bridge” movie between hobbit and lotro, using other Tolkien material from that time period. We’ll see.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:14 pm - Edit
Hmm… a bridge movie sort of scares me. It’s one thing to adapt a book, it’s another to write the stuff in between. Though I assume they could make a story out of the HOME books.
PS- Where’d the I got into WAR beta post go? It’s not against the NDA to say you’re in if that’s what you are worried about.
Anywho… get bet to regular posting. I get bored at work and need more active bloggers!
February 12th, 2008 at 12:29 pm - Edit
Thanks Bildo - I certainly need to get back into the swing of things here. Work has been ultra-busy for me the last couple of months and I’ve been working late a lot. Hopefully that will settle down soon and I can get back to writing and being more a part of the blogosphere.
WAR post I just took down to avoid any hassle or appearance that I’ve done something wrong. You are right - they explicitely state that you are allowed to say you got into beta. I hope you, Keen and others get in soon. Would love to group up.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:55 am - Edit
You’re telling me… I’m thinking about going back to EQ2 only to be saddened when I lose heart at level 20 again.
I could use a nice general beta key to keep me busy and gaming when the wife steals the TV. You should look up Pvt. Hudson of Wife Aggro. He’s moved over to GAX Online, but he recently managed to get in with his Gamesday pass too.
I’m sure he’d like the company. And then you can both tease me about how unlucky I am not to be there yet.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:30 pm - Edit
Not sure what to think about these movies - on the one hand I loved what Jackson did with the LotR movies (except the stuff he added) however I hated King Kong… that they are making a “bridge” movie really scares me.
Grats on the WAR beta invite! I am taking a couple of months off between jobs and was really hoping to see the game before hand, failing that a beta invite. I did re-up to Vanguard so we’ll see how that goes.
February 13th, 2008 at 6:20 pm - Edit
First thing I thought when I saw ‘bridge movie’ was Oh no, not a compilation of Tolkien’s odds and ends of stories?? I recently read Children of Hurin, and the author’s notes that went along with it (his son Christopher). While I love the books and the movies, it sounds like Tolkien was one of those geniuses who started and stopped and revamped and tore down and rebuilt stories over and over…I hope a bridge movie won’t attempt to make a story out of all that.
Wait and see.
February 18th, 2008 at 11:04 am - Edit
This made my day! Awesome!
March 21st, 2008 at 4:25 pm - Edit
I’m really happy about The Hobbit - but a bridge movie?