Like almost everyone else, I’m beyond obsessed with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I saw every one of the movies on opening night, and if I remember correctly, I actually saw a couple of them more than once in the theater. So when I read that there’s a possiblity, however slim, that Peter Jackson is hoping to adapt “The Hobbit”, I’m excited. Beyond excited. So much so, that 2008 doesn’t seem that far away.
Today’s new preview page covers The Hobbit, the possible live-action adaptation of the 1938 fantasy novel that not only inspired J.R.R. Tolkien to write a trilogy of sequels called The Lord of the Rings, but in many ways establish a genre template for thousands of fantasy novels that would follow it the last 60+ years. The big looming questions, however, are whether the rights situation will ever get straightened out so that Peter Jackson can adapt this classic book as well… and when exactly might that happen?
Read the rest of the Greg’s Preview here
The movie rights for The Hobbit are still held by two different companies. Until those are all held in the same place it’s all a pipe dream. And Jackson’s already committed to at least two other films so it’ll be a long enough gap by the time he’s available for another big budget production that he’ll probably have to re-cast the entire thing. Holm’s too old already and McKellan’s certainly verging on it. If they want to include Saruman and the Council they’ll have to recast that as well, cause Christopher Lee is not doing well health wise at all … almost a certainty that he won’t be around any more …
Does anyone else think that Peter Jackson left a couple of subtle clues at the end of ‘The Return Of The King’indicating that he was going to do ‘The Hobbit’ movie? At the end when Frodo gives the journal of Bilbo to Sam and says “There’s room for a little more” and when Bilbo is at the Grey Havens waiting to board the ship he says “I’m quite ready for another adventure” Though the part with Frodo and Sam with the diary is at the end of the ‘The return Of The King’ book, in the book Frodo makes reference that the last pages are for Sam but the movie doesnt make this reference. Also Bilbo doesnt say what he said in the book at the Grey Havens with reference to ‘another adventure’. I could be totally wrong but maybe and hopefully, Peter Jackson put these in to keep us thinking. Who knows?
Jackson is going to do ‘Hobbit’ only there’s issues between New Line and MGM. Heh.
Key word in that article is that New Line “wants” Jackson. Of course they do. He just cleared them over a billion dollars profit. What the article sort of mentions but mostly glosses over is that New Line actually HAS nothing when it comes to the Hobbit. Jackson hasn’t signed off on anything, nor have any of the actors and New Line doesn’t even hold the rights to the book – and given that Christopher Tolkein was reportedly fairly unhappy with the films I find it VERY unlikely that he’ll go along with the New Line / Jackson combo adapting the Hobbit. The whole thing’s a pipe dream. A pleasant fantasy, but a fantasy nonetheless. I’d like to see it happen but I don’t see the logistics possibly coming together for a good while, by which point Holm will be waaaaay too old to play Bilbo and McKellan may likewise be fairly fragile to do Gandalf.
Actually, when you read the whole preview, you find that Peter Jackson is actually slated to do this, and actually the writing team looks as though they’re going to be brought back to do the screenplay as well. It’s not a matter of whether or not it’s going to be done, but more when it’s going to be done. *shrug*
I’ve been under the impression that Peter Jackson is in fact under contract with New Line Cinema which is why we haven’t seen this happen. Which is why it cannot happen that way.
Someone else confirm if I am right or wrong. But I am pretty sure that Peter is a NLC contracted director.
I am in the process of reading the book itself and i think its really sad that they didnt get to do the it before realeasing the final 3 parts.
Of course MGM WILL NOT Give up the rights to it.
this story is in some ways far better than the recent releases.
MGM just might pay a small fortune Peter Jackson to do it with them (that actually would be the easiest route to go rather than negotiate some complex property rights contract)
Regardless i hope every one involved is decent enough not to let greed spoil the tolkein series.
And who in their right minds would want to give up a guaranteed cash cow like this? MGM ain’t stupid and if they cannot make the money they want on this they’re going to be like everyone else and sit on it so that none of us will ever know what Peter can do with it. Given the success of Peter’s trilogy the MGM execs must be seeing dollar signs in their eyes.
Don’t hold your breath for Jackson to do this … King Kong is going to take him a few years to wrap up and he’s already gone on record saying he wants to do a small New Zealand film or two before he consideres doing anything big again … You can guarantee that if he does get around to The Hobbit eventually it’ll lokk a fair bit different just because Ian Holm will be far too old to play a young Bilbo and McKellan will likely be to old for Gandalf as well …