There is a green light at the end of a long tunnel for fans who have been waiting to take the cinematic journey back to Middle-earth. It was announced today by the studios involved that “The Hobbit,” film will shoot starting in February 2011 with Peter Jackson as its director, showing in two installments expect to hit theaters in December 2012 and 2013.
Jackson said in a press release from the studios:
“Exploring Tolkien’s Middle-earth goes way beyond a normal film-making experience. It’s an all-immersive journey into a very special place of imagination, beauty and drama. We’re looking forward to re-entering this wondrous world with Gandalf and Bilbo – and our friends at New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers and MGM”.
Fans have been waiting for this announcement since the cultural phenomenon of Jackson’s first ground-breaking foray into Middle-earth, “Lord of the Rings” trilogy swept the Oscars with its final installment, “Return of the King,” in 2003. The New Zealand director was largely unknown internationally last century when New Line Cinema took a risk to finance three films based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien. He returns to the fabled setting as an accomplished and much sought-after director after an incredible amount of adversity preceded the start of the films.
According to the press release:
“Jackson will utilize groundbreaking visual effects and his incomparable story-telling to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel to the big screen. Both Hobbit movies will be filmed in Digital 3-D, using the latest camera and stereo technology to create a high quality, comfortable viewing experience. Jackson also co-wrote the screenplays with Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro.
Continue reading “Peter Jackson will direct ‘The Hobbit’ in two installments, three dimensions”
The Hobbit has finally been given the greenlight and will be made in 3-D with Sir Peter Jackson in the director’s chair.
Shooting will begin in February.
The announcement was made today jointly by New Line Cinema – which bankrolled The Lord of the Rings – and its parent company Warner Bros.
The announcement did not state whether the two part prequel to The Lord of the Rings would be shot in New Zealand.
Matt Dravitzki, Jackson’s assistant at Wingnut Films, said an annoucement on the place of filming would be “probably a week or two away”.
[Read on]
It’s been decided–the movie adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit will (thankfully!) be directed by The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson.
Unfortunately, the movie still has another obstacle in its way before a February start date can be confirmed for filming. Warner Brothers’ New Line Cinema unit and MGM are financing the film project–which will be broken into two movies–and a budget has already been drawn up for filming in New Zealand. Yet it seems that a union dispute could prevent local actors and contractors from signing on.
[Read on]
With Calisuri posting the statement from Phillipa Boyens and Wingnut Films, it might be helpful to get an overview of what is going on in New Zealand.
A group of 90 actors met in Wellington Monday to discuss the boycott of the pair of potential “Hobbit” movies. Also present at the beginning of the meeting were non-actors from the New Zealand film industry including Boyens who clearly is the member of Peter Jackson’s team that will be the front on the labor battle in New Zealand. Continue reading “Overview of actor’s dispute developments”
If you have glanced at TORn or even the internet this week you will have noticed the “Hobbit” news stories coming fast and furious from every corner. Peter Jackson has spoken about the collective of rumors and the current status of the two-part films. He spoke with EmpireOnline and made it clear that people are working hard, but nothing has officially happened yet. Jackson said:
We’ve seen these reports before, reports saying there was going to be a greenlight in a couple of days — well, a week’s gone by and there isn’t one. You can’t believe everything you read. There is only one thing you want to believe and that’s when the studio announces a greenlight. As far as I’m aware that’s not going to be today. I keep hearing positive things. Everyone’s working very hard. There’s a lot of people at Warner Bros. who are working around the clock trying to manoeuvre through the MGM complexities.
The rest of the article is really interesting with heavy Jackson quotes. You can read the rehash lots of places but why not go to the source?
It is clear from Jackson’s comments that the MGM situation remains sticky but that the will to get this picture in production is strong both on a studio level and from the Jackson camp. Not spoken of was the unsettled labor situation in New Zealand but it seems likely that dispute would also delay a greenlight but all parties seem to taking care of that issue behind the scenes and not in the press, likely so as not to give the NZ film industry a bad name internationally. The saga of the two-part film continues!
A source has told the New Zealand Herald that attempts by the Council of Trade Unions to settle disputes between producers of “The Hobbit” and actor’s unions have failed.
The story also details the progress that MGM is making with leadership and finances to reach a point to greenlight the two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works. The story, with newer and better information than is being regurgitated by countless websites, can be found here. And as always, stay tuned for the best and latest info!
