The shire is built, the Hobbits have arrived, and production of one of the biggest films ever to be made in New Zealand is set to begin tomorrow.
After a torrid few weeks at the end of last year when a spat between director Sir Peter Jackson and the New Zealand actors’ union threatened to drive the film overseas, filming will now start on The Hobbit – the two-part prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The stoush last year resulted in Prime Minister John Key announcing that the government would make concessions to filmmakers Warner Bros, including a change to labour laws clarifying the status of film workers as contractors.
Ringer Spy Mr. Underbelly monitors movie titles that are registered by major film studios. Mr. Underbelly noticed that New Line has recently registered the following two film titles:
The Hobbit: There and Back Again
and…
The Hobbit: An/The Unexpected Journey
This is the first indication of what the ‘official’ titles will be of the two Hobbit films. What are your thoughts? Remember, this is not confirmed officially, but it is a relatively good indication of what the two film titles could be. Share your thoughts in our forum, comments and on Facebook!
We’ve heard a lot from a few Hobbit actors about the ‘training’ they are undergoing for ‘The Hobbit’ films. Thanks to this story in the Calgary Herald (sent in by Ringer Hobbitonmayor), we may have a clearer picture on just who might be training them: Veteran stuntman, film producer and martial arts expert Steve McMichael. Follow the link to read the full story. [Read on]
Thanks to our good friends at Weta Workshop, we have a downloadable mp3 of the entire Hobbit Press Conference. [Download mp3 (25MB) ] And if you haven’t checked it out yet, read Tehanu’s full report of the event! [Tehanu’s Report]
We’ve loaded the audio onto our TORN TV YouTube Channel with some ‘Hobbit Art’ to accompany it. Take a look and listen!
10.19am: A written statement from Jackson said he regretted not being able to attend but was effectively under a health version of “house arrest”.
10.18am: Spooks star Richard Armitage, who plays one of the dwarves, is seated to Freeman’s left.
10.15am: The stars, including British actor Martin Freeman and Irishman James Nesbitt, have taken their seats at a long table at the Stone Street Studios in Mirimar, Wellington. Freeman, who will play Bilbo Baggins, is seated right in the middle.
In a 13 page feature on ex-Hobbit director Guillermo del Toro, The New Yorker magazine offers some tasty morsels concerning Guillermo’s vision for Smaug, directly from the director’s own notebook.
But, fans please do remember, del Toro left the production after this interview was granted and things have likely changed. He is repeatedly on the record as supporting whatever decisions Peter Jackson and crew make after his departure and he is one of the two-film production’s biggest fans. Just remember to read the story in that context.
*Possible Spoiler Alert!*
I paused at what looked like an image of a double-bitted medieval hatchet. “That’s Smaug,” del Toro said. It was an overhead view: “See, he’s like a flying axe.” Del Toro thinks that monsters should appear transformed when viewed from a fresh angle, lest the audience lose a sense of awe. Defining silhouettes is the first step in good monster design, he said. “Then you start playing with movement. The next element of design is color. And then finally—finally—comes detail. A lot of people go the other way, and just pile up a lot of detail.”
The article is a marvelous read, so we aren’t going to just copy and paste the good stuff. That just wouldn’t be right! Jump over to The New Yorker’s website for the complete article and more juicy details, including Del Toro’s vision of Thorin. [Full Article]
The shire is built, the Hobbits have arrived, and production of one of the biggest films ever to be made in New Zealand is set to begin tomorrow.
Ringer Spy Mr. Underbelly monitors movie titles that are registered by major film studios. Mr. Underbelly noticed that New Line has recently registered the following two film titles:
