News Update On The Hobbit

[The Josh]

Well as much as I love being able to see ME in the theaters. This book has no good stopping place for a ending to make it a two parter. The LOTR trilogy did because each movie was based on one book.

 

[darthviper107]

I would like it to stay in the style of LOTR, and if it is by MGM I do not think that would happen. They have to use the same actors that were in both stories, and if they got someone else as Gandalf, I would not be seing it. There is too much at stake for them to screw this up.

 

[jason2885]

No, Ian Holm (who played Bilbo) is not dead. There is however (due to his age) no way he would he cast in the role for a new film though, unless they have him narrating it.

How can John Rhys Davies return to play Gloin when he did not play him before?
From his comments about how the makeup affected his skin I doubt he would ever want to play a Dwarf again anyway.

I've seen another posting of the article (still not the Variety original) that does mention (unlike the one in this thread) that the Hobbit would be a joint venture with New Line.

I want him to be in the film I know he didnt play Gloin before but since he played Gimli he needs to play Gloin. Now the question is who will they get to play the other dwarves.

Im glad to hear he's not dead, I thought I heard somewhere he was. Yes Iit would be cool for him to at least do the voice of Bilbo.
I would rather just have one movie because the year wait for the rest of story sucks.

 

[Wetanut]

As much as I love all things Tolkien and wait with anticipation to see "The Hobbit" done, I cannot imagine it being more than 1 film. Any more would be mere padding to draw out minor plot tangents and, frankly, would be an exercise in self-indulgence by the director (whoever directs it). One of the quibbles I had with King Kong was its seeming meandering into secondary plot lines (Jimmy anyone?) and spending much too long on action sequences. Some smart condensing of the plotlines and excising of non-essentials (as done with LOTR) would do the trick.

As for the cast, McKellan is a "MUST" and still is young enough to play the "ageless" Maia. And Weaving reprising Elrond would be great. However, as much as we all would love to see it, Ian Holm is just too old to continue his Bilbo character in this. No amount of makeup and prosthetics would be able to disguise this, especially with as much screen time as Bilbo would have. Sure, we've seen some CGI age erasures (X3 with Stewart and McKellan), but I would really hate to see that happen. All I would be thinking of is: Wow, look at that CGI. Since he is also a recent survivor of a cancer episode, who knows if he would be able to physically deal with that much commitment? As someone suggested, perhaps a flashback device to allow Holm to recreate Bilbo in the "present" and narrating his adventures.

Besides, one of the great things about LOTR was PJ's use of relatively unknown character actors to play key roles so that we didn't have many preconceptions of what to expect. This might be the best route.

 

[tomandshell]

The de-aging effects would work with Ian Holm, but I think that the more cost effective route would be to just go ahead and cast a different actor. On the other hand, while it's true that The Hobbit takes place many years before LOTR and they could cast a younger actor, but remember that after Bilbo acquired the ring, it began to affect his apparent aging. Remember Gandalf's, "You haven't aged a day." The audience will just have to accept a new and different actor.

Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis and Hugo Weaving are non-negotiable, however. Gotta have them all. They could also add in a nice cameo of Legolas in Mirkwood since he would have been present at the time in the Elven King's halls.

 

[Radagaster]

Speaking of cameos, they could always throw one in of Aragorn or Arwen in Rivendell, since both were met by Bilbo in his annals.

 

[Buttmunch]

I too think Ian Holms can still play Biblo. I mean he did play a young Biblo in the opening of the FotR. So why not? If McKellen can play a fighting Gandalf at his age I don't know why they couldn't use Holms. I don't think PJ would let this be ruined. I think he would try to make it if it means it not being ruined.

Two films is a bad Idea though. I could accept an intermission though.

 

[tomandshell]

I also seem to recall Ian Holm talking during the cast audio commentary on the extended edition, saying that the makeup they used to make him look younger during the prologue shot was uncomfortable and that if they ever made a movie of The Hobbit, he would leave it up to somebody else to play Bilbo.

 

[Buttmunch]

I also seem to recall Ian Holm talking during the cast audio commentary on the extended edition, saying that the makeup they used to make him look younger during the prologue shot was uncomfortable and that if they ever made a movie of The Hobbit, he would leave it up to somebody else to play Bilbo.

Toughen up Ian you got an audience to please.

 

[Sachiel]

What about CGI like they did in the beginning of X-men 3? That turned out pretty good.

 

[Buttmunch]

What about CGI like they did in the beginning of X-men 3? That turned out pretty good.

I agree. I don't see any reason Ian can not play Biblo unless he just doesn't want to. I mean CGIing his head can't cost as much as having Gollum in 50% of two movies.

 

[Radagaster]

Maybe 10 years ago Ian would have loved to do Bilbo. BUT, he is 75 years old this year . . .He's not as long-winded as before . . .

 

[pixletwin]

Maybe 10 years ago Ian would have loved to do Bilbo. BUT, he is 75 years old this year . . .He's not as long-winded as before . . .

I, for one, am all for a new Bilbo. If this news is true it is GREAT news!

 

[tomandshell]

Jackson is doing "Lovely Bones" next, so production on "The Hobbit" with PJ at the helm is literally years away. And I think they know better than to rush it and give the project to anybody else. Hopefully, after "Bones" PJ will feel like doing another big action epic again. At any rate, I would guess that 2010 would be about the soonest we can expect to see this thing on the screen--Christmas 2009 would be pushing it.

 

[Calle_Sandell]

Well, if it's true it's GREAT!

And I wouldn't mind spending 3½ hours at the cinema if Ian McEllen, Ian Holm, Hugo Weaving, john howe, Alan Lee etc. all come back to make it..

 

[King Darkness]

Jackson is doing "Lovely Bones" next, so production on "The Hobbit" with PJ at the helm is literally years away. And I think they know better than to rush it and give the project to anybody else. Hopefully, after "Bones" PJ will feel like doing another big action epic again. At any rate, I would guess that 2010 would be about the soonest we can expect to see this thing on the screen--Christmas 2009 would be pushing it.

Yeah, I remeber PJ saying some time back if they got the rights issues to the Hobbit figured out, he would not be free to, or want to,helm the project until at least 2008. So I would say your guess fo seeing it on the big screen around 2010 at the soonest is a fair guess.

 

[gambit]

Well, if it's true it's GREAT!

And I wouldn't mind spending 3½ hours at the cinema if Ian McEllen, Ian Holm, Hugo Weaving, john howe, Alan Lee etc. all come back to make it..

wow, it is even beyond my dreams

I would love such a movie.

 

[JSA]

Alas, t'aint 100% true:

https://www.aintitcool.com/node/24456

JS

 

[The Josh]

Yeah, pretty much figured this was the case.

 

[Corwin]

Alas, t'aint 100% true:

https://www.aintitcool.com/node/24456

JS

Well the original article never said PJ was doing it only that the MGM Guy hoped he would.

So there's nothing in the AICN piece that makes the original article false in any way.

As to using CGI to make Ian Holm look younger it would probably be more trouble than it's worth. The bit in X3 did not look totally realistic and that was just with two people sitting on a couch not moving all the time and being seen from all angles.

Of course If they could pull off a younger looking Ian Holm done by computer they would not need the original (apart from doing the Voice) as anyone could "play" the body (or even do the whole figure with computers ala Gollum).