Recently, TheOneRing.net featured an essay on the challenges and opportunities faced by Guillermo del Toro and WETA workshops in brining the Magnificent Smaug to movie screens in the upcoming Hobbit film. The fan-friendly director has long been open to fans and can be found posting at DelToroFilms.com”. Del Toro, or “GDT” as he is affectionately already known on the TORn message boards, responded to the thread, giving a healthy discussion an extra shot of energy.
The still occasionally growing thread can be found, right here, including the director’s posts. Since we posed some of the questions, it only seems right to relay some of the answers. Nobody wants spoilers at this point (okay some do), but general ideas and specific references do send the imagination soaring and nothing was said that gives anything away. Pre-production hasn’t officially started on the two-movie package that the director and effects team will tackle, but clearly GDT brings a wealth of ideas and opinions, and he has been thinking about the Magnificent dragon for a good long while.
On one point, everybody agrees and the director summed it up nicely.
He sparked a great deal of speculation by talking about not just Smaug but how he is revealed in the environment of his surroundings. It is clear he thinks in visuals.
Oh and we have been. In another post he went on to say,
“A big tool is also how and when he is fully revealed. I could give you specifics- beat-by-beat in fact (I’m geeking out to do it), but… I will say no more in order to save you from ruthless spoilerage (we have a few years to go, you now…?) and increased anxiety.
Keep this little note…”
We will. We will.
With clearly enough anticipation to whet the appetite of readers, but with only enough to draw our own conclusions, we are left wondering and speculating what he meant. Not only will watching “The Hobbit,” with amazing, anticipatory fun that first time, but those in the know can share an “Ah ha!” moment at the cinema when Smaug is revealed.
More clues came in the form of an explanation of the director’s opinion about dragons we have collectively already seen.
“And although its always impossible to agree on the “greatest” of anything, I bring forth these two as the main film contenders for that title: Eyvind Earle / Disney’s Maleficent dragon ( a triumph of elegance of color and design) and Vermithrax Pejorative from Dragonslayer.”
“Dragonslayer,” remains very watchable while Disney’s dragon is widely owned on its DVD home and is still celebrated.
He also discussed one of the pitfalls he hopes to avoid and talked about his idea of who should voice the great worm (again, spoiler free.)
“As to his voice- well, each reader has a Smaug voice in his / her head, just like you always do when “hearing” a great character in a book.
I have mine… and it will be revealed in time . . .”
Wouldn’t it be interesting if the voice of Smaug is never announced? It surely will be, but what fun to have no idea what to expect at the moment when we first hear “Smaug.”
There was a lot more commented on by the director, who will see his “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” hit theaters July 11. (And not to brown-nose, but this film promises to be great fun and TORn will surely get further news out as best we can.)
While not his final post, the Mexican born director did leave us with some words that seem appropriate here.
Deltorofilms.com
-and to become acquainted with my many flaws and the error of my ways, for I am -much like a Hobbit or a foul Dwarf- a mere mortal facing an enormous task ahead.
May the task become lighter by receiving the blessing of your trust .
Yr Obt Svt.
Guillermo del Toro
