Hours into Comic-Con, one rumour kept circulating around San Diego: that Peter Jackson would announce a third Hobbit film during Warner Brothers’ Saturday panel. However, studio spokespeople have told Variety that But Jackson isn’t getting ready to give audiences more “Hobbit.
There are “no planned or surprise announcements” involving a third film these spokespeople say. “The plan was always for two.”
According to Variety, Jackson wound up with more footage than expected during their 266-day shoot in New Zealand. Rather than making a third film feasible, would the best of this footage not be more likely to end up on an Extended Edition? Thanks to Quackingtroll for the heads-up!
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Luke Evans, the actor playing Bard the Bowman in The Hobbit, has tweeted that he is starting his final four days of shooting on the film tomorrow.
Does this mean that the entire primary shoot could be finished mid-next week? Is it more evidence that points to a Peter Jackson appearance at Comic-Con? Or is it just that Evans is wrapping up his role?
Let the speculation begin!
Popular webzine io9 says that 2012 is the year for fantasy and urban-fantasy at Comic-Con. And, with the line-up featuring The Hobbit, Breaking Dawn, ParaNorman, The Legend of Korra, Game Of Thrones, and True Blood, Teen Wolf, 666 Park Avenue, Supernatural and Beauty And The Beast (plus much more), it’s a proposition that’s difficult to dispute. There’s also this paragraph buried near the bottom of the article:
True, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel is rumored to be revealing a trailer, but what is a short trailer compared to actual panel time (and footage) with Peter Jackson?
Now, I don’t think I’ve seen any official word that Jackson will or won’t be in attendance. But I think this is some good guesswork (or perhaps an inside tip).
Consider: the wrap party for the Hobbit is on July 7 (Connolly is startlingly specific compared to McKellen’s much more vague comment that filming would conclude by the end of July. Comic-con starts July 11. Do you think the boss of the show wouldn’t attend the big promotional launch of his film at one of the world’s key fantasy-sf conventions?
[More] | [TORn’s SDCC Panel]
