But where was Galadriel in The Hobbit book? No one knows, except Peter Jackson apparently, who has recast Cate Blanchett in that stellar role for the upcoming movie. Many feel she'll be written into scenes dealing with the White Council, a group of "Eldar Lords and Wizards of Middle-earth, formed to contest the growing power of Dol Guldur, at the request of Galadriel." (Wikipedia: White Council) The Second White Council, meeting in T.A. 2463 to discuss and resist the looming threat of Dol Guldur, and at which Gandalf the Grey was in attendance, was the reason Gandalf, in fact, could not accompany Bilbo on his quest to the Lonely Mountain.
Anyway, Warner Brothers just announced that Cate Blanchett will again grace the silver screen for our viewing pleasure. “Cate is one of my favorite actors to work with and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her reprise the role she so beautifully brought to life in the earlier films,” said Jackson. Just though you should know.
Oh, also that Ken Stott will play Dwarf Lord Balin, Ryan Cage --> Drogo Baggins, Jed Brophy --> dwarf Nori and William Kircher --> dwarf Bifur.
November 10 2010 (10.11.10) 01:01 PM MST
Colbert Can't Wait for Hobbit Movies!
Drag progress bar to about 2:40 to see Stephen Colbert get excited about the Hobbit.
November 6 2010 (10.11.06) 02:57 PM MST
Controversy: TVNZ's Close Up Interviews Testy Jackson (VIDEO)
This video (below) is from Oct. 21st, 2010. Apparently a week later it was announced that filming will take place in New Zealand, even though Peter Jackson claims that had never been intended, until about a month earlier when all this labor union business was stirred up. Filming is set to begin in February, and movies set for release in December of 2012 and 2013 (if the world still exists then).
October 22 2010 (10.10.22) 08:39 AM MST
Hitchhiker Thumbs His Way to Lonely Mountain,
AKA Officially, Martin Freeman is Bilbo!
When we mentioned here back in November '09 that Shaun of the Dead actor Martin Freeman had been a fan favorite to play Bilbo in the new Jackson-directed Hobbit movies
Martin Freeman has starred in Shaun of the Dead, Love, Actually, the UK's The Office, Hot Fuzz, and perhaps most endearingly as the much-loved Arthur Dent in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. More recently, Freeman is playing Dr. John Watson, adjacent to Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes, in the 2010 BBC short series Sherlock (set to air in the U.S. on PBS next week, and return for a second season in the UK fall of 2011).
Other actors confirmed to play in the movie mostly flesh out the Company of Dwarves actors. MI-5 actor, Richard Armitage (also in upcoming Captain America film) will don dwarven duds as the great Thorin Oakenshield, leader of the Company of Dwarves. Aidan Turner and Rob Kazinsky are Kili and Fili. Graham McTavish is Dwalin, John Callen is Oin, Stephen Hunter is Bombur, Mark Hadlow is Dori and Peter Hambleton is Gimli's father, Gloin (he of noted tinderbox skills).
Still awaiting official casting announcements are Elrond, of which a year ago June Peter Jackson said Hugo Weaving was reprising his previous role, Beorn, Bard the Bowman and the voice of Smaug, the dragon.
The Hobbit movies, which have seen some turbulence and pre-production woes, were finally officially greenlighted last week in a joint announcement made by New Line president and COO Toby Emmerich, Warner Bros. president and COO Alan Horn, and MGM co-CEO Steve Cooper. Principal photography will begin in February 2011.
It won't be long till we'll all be chomping popcorn in the dark, watching Bilbo and his band of merry dwarves wresting control of the lost subterranean kingdom of Erebor, under the Lonely Mountain, from the flesh-ripping talons of none other than Smaug the Golden -- thieving, hoarding, riddle-unraveling and wickedly dangerous dragon of Dale destruction fame!
September 28 2010 (10.09.28) 02:49 PM MST
Lord of the Rings Halloween Items
Looking for Lord of the Rings Halloween costumes? See our new Lord of the Rings Halloween page for costumes of Gandalf, Arwen, Aragorn, Legolas, Gollum, a Ringwraith, and more. You can also get a costume version of Arwen's necklace, Aragorn's sword, some elf ears, Legolas' bow & arrows, etc.
You'll also find a General Halloween section with regular Halloween items like a deluxe party kit, party plates, pumpkin containers, slimy hands, strobe light and more.
We've decided perhaps you'd like to see a new item or two every once in a Middle Earth Moon. With that in mind, check out our New Items page. Today's featured nifty item is LOTR Etched Bar-ware! Here's a pic. Check it out, plus a few more items, on our New Items page, where you'll find new items from time to time.
August 23 2010 (10.08.23) 03:45 PM MST
Will the Real Hobbit Please Stand Up?
Sylvester McCoy is Latest Rumored Bilbo
Screenrush is reporting that they "bumped into the venerable Sylvester McCoy, aka the Seventh Doctor [Who... in the long-running British sci-fi series by the same name], and were made aware that he's been cast for a major role in The Hobbit." They make it clear that McCoy himself did not reveal the information but a "close source" did, saying McCoy will be playing "the second biggest lead" in the Hobbit.
McCoy, is 66 years old, so he's got a bit of an edge over fan favorite Ian Holm (Bilbo Baggins in the Jackson-directed Lord of the Rings trilogy), who at 77 is a wee old for the part now. Judging by his photo, McCoy could make a pretty decent stab at Bilbo.
July 1 2010 (10.07.01) 11:29 AM MST
Director Petey J Back on the Bilbo Bandwagon, or
Jackson's Back in the Saddle! Hopping on Hobbit Installment, or
There and Back Again: Jackson Plays Middle Earth God, Redux
...or so go the rumors
A certain Mr. Mike Fleming, editor over at Deadline.com reported only days ago that "trusted sources" are telling him Peter Jackson has relented to the calming coaxing of the universe, persistently pulsating within and throughout every quantum, nook and cranny, soothingly reassuring him of what he deep down knew all along. He was meant to direct The Hobbit. And now, after Hobbit hopeful Guillermo del Toro has chosen the cohesiveness and spiritual well-being of his tiny little human family over the vast imperatives of the mysterious cosmos by bailing out as director, it seems Petey J. has decided to take up the reins and direct the anxiously awaited new Middle Earth movies--my previous concern regarding "non-hobbit bumsides" fitting into directors' chairs notwithstanding (actually, as the photo above indicates, it appears Jackson himself has remedied the situation by losing what appears to be a couple of oliphaunts in weight).
Apparently, over the 4th of July weekend (relevant to U.S. readers only, obviously), he and former LOTR scriptwriters, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are making a trip to London, after which they will spend the next week in L.A. One can only assume they will be teasing all sorts of clever plot play from one another's craniums during this time. Or perhaps it takes a week and half just to sign all the paperwork in order to secure the gargantuan royalty rights. Or, more probably, and as reported, they will be meeting with "the most impressive actors who’ve been put on tape by casting directors".
Anyway, so three cheers for Jackson being back at the helm of The Hobbit! Middle Earth rejoices...
side note: regarding the debate whether the Hobbit will be in 3D or not (see earlier article), poster "Moola", who claims to have done some "brief work" on the Hobbit and knows "a few of the actors that have read" also claims to know that The Hobbit "WILL be in 3D, it’s already been decided! Test footage has been shot for that (granted under Del toro)". Take that bit of "insider knowledge" with a grain of salt, though, of course.
June 10 2010 (10.06.10) 10:42 PM MST
Guillermo del Toro Bails on Bilbo!
So, first Peter Jackson deflated us all by opting out of the director's job for the upcoming Hobbit movies. Granted, there were rumors MGM somehow only paid him 25 bucks a piece for each of the previous three movies. But after the couple grand they spent on special effects and little costumes (no shoes), what'd Big Petey J expect? Anyway, so since either Goldwyn or Mayer, or both, couldn't appreciate his demand for the $75 Billion he felt was his due, he was forced to take on the role of Producer of The Hobbit. Who knows, maybe they forced him to be the money-man this time around as both sort of a consolation prize and an opportunity to turn it around and screw the next director out of his cash (pay it forward!).
Which may explain why it's now been officially reported that Big Guillermy T has "bailed on Bilbo" (my phrase) and hopped out of that little canvas director's chair on The Hobbit set. Or perhaps it's just that those chairs really aren't meant for such non-hobbit (read: smallish) bumsides.
Whatever the case may be, it's true that we won't be seeing any eyes on elven palms in some decidedly wonderful del Toroesque interpretation of Tolkien. In other words, Guillermo del Toro has officially withdrawn from the Hobbit movie project (and P. Jackson will not direct in his stead). He cites as reasons for his departure the continuing complexities and delays in beginning shooting and production, which caused strain on his life and family who relocated to New Zealand for the enterprise. When I first heard this news I felt crushed (not really), but now I wonder if perhaps it's not such a bad thing. I took the poll on one-ring.net (or whatever it is--note: oh, it's theonering.net) and had to finally opt for Sam Raimi as the new director. If he gets the gig I'm not sure if Bilbo's gonna sling more web than a Mirkwood 8-legger, or if he'll be reanimating dead goblins just so Gandalf can behead them with his shovel, staff, whatever. (obscure reference: Evil Dead).
April 7 2010 (10.04.07) 04:53 PM MST
Blu-ray Version of LOTR Movie Trilogy!
April 1 2010 (10.04.01) 10:34 AM MST
The Hobbit: In 3D or Not 3D, That is the Question
If you haven't seen über-director James Cameron's new film Avatar in 3D you probably don't even know it but you've got a hole in your entertainment soul waiting desperately to be filled. For the first 30 minutes of the film, you'll find yourself peeing your pants at the absolute visual marvel and near-hallucinogenic effect of the three dimensional goodies constantly suprising you like Charlie, for the first time, touring Mr. Wonka's wonderful factory of cocoa derivatives and quirky confections. It really is a (third?) eye opener -- so it's no mystery why Avatar's chopped Titanic's measly $1.8 billion worldwide take into cheap sushi, already raking in $2.7 billion in almost half the time. And that's before the forthcoming DVD has even been released (coming on April 22nd).
Well. With that sort of success, you can bet your sweet onions that studio execs from here to Timbuktwelve are reevaluating every fantasy/scifi/action flick on their production schedule to intuit the potential increase in coconuts, banana peels, clams, smackers, benjamins and other dead presidents with which they could line their pockets by converting the process to that succulent, mouth-watering, almost-pornographic technology so minimalistically named "3D".
$2.7 billion dollars in just over 100 days!
As a consequence, higher ups at MGM have begun asking questions about the possibilities of shooting The Hobbit movies in 3D. Del Toro, director of the forthcoming duology, said, "I wouldn't read much on it just yet, but now, after all this time, after Avatar doing the box office it did, we have had enquiries from above about The Hobbit being in 3D. No impositions or heavy leaning. Just enquiries. Just fulfilling my promise to let you all know if discussions ever started." (source: theonering.net) In 2009, he'd indicated otherwise: "As a co-writer and director of this film ... let me be very clear one more time: we are not talking about 3D, we are NOT writing the screenplay for 3D right now."
He also added to his more recent comments: "If after “Avatar” the market may change and demands are put upon us, etc that is in the future. But if such things happen and we start discussing 3D down the line, I’ll let it be know here at TORN [theonering.net] because that’s the proper way of doing things."
Why not use the feedback box further down on this page and let us know whether you like the idea of The Hobbit in 3D.
January 25 2010 (10.01.25) 03:57 PM MST
Spidey as Bilbo? Tobey Maguire to the Shire!
UK newspaper The Sun reported recently that three-time Spiderman star, Tobey Maguire, will play Bilbo in the upcoming Hobbit films. Though rumored for awhile earlier, the story picked up steam again once it was found out Maguire would not be returning in the fourth installment of the arachno-humanoid thriller series.
Without confirming the story, Maguire did say "I love Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson and I certainly wouldn’t take myself out of the conversation."
John Campea, blogger of entertainment news, sent out a tweet via Twitter.com confirming that he too had been leaked the same story. He wrote: "I have been personally told by a source very close to Guillermo del Toro that it’s true… Tobey Maguire IS The Hobbit."
However, as usual those most able to shed light throw water instead. Peter Jackson responded to an aintitcool.com email query and said, "No truth at all, although we’re all big fans of Toby. We are currently auditioning for Bilbo, and a month or two away from any announcements."
Now that the holidays are officially over (or will be when your--or your parents'--hangover dissipates), you can relax and get your fill of Lord of the Rings this weekend. TNT will be broadcasting the trilogy one movie each night starting tonight, Friday at 8pm Eastern Standard. Until The Hobbit comes out next year it'll have to suffice.
December 14 2009 (09.12.14) 10:08 AM MST
Blanchett and Weaving Return in the Hobbit
Peter Jackson told MTV last week that only three of the original LOTR cast will be returning for The Hobbit movies. Obviously Ian McKellen will play Gandalf but he also mentioned: "There's a couple of other characters: Elrond, who was played by Hugo Weaving [in the original films], and there's a possibility of Galadriel, who was played by Cate Blanchett."
He also shot down rumors that any of the other actors like Orlando Bloom, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen or John Rhys-Davies were to be featured in The Hobbit, whether in flashbacks, flashforwards, dream sequences or any other method of reintroducing their characters. He explains: "In book terms, the world of 'The Hobbit' takes place 60 years before 'The Lord of the Rings,' as it was written by Tolkien. So, not a lot of the characters actually feature, because they weren't around yet."
In regard to the movie production itself, Guillermo del Toro, the film's director, mentioned that they are halfway through the second rewrite of the screenplay and that he has himself been part of the writing process, adding that "Screenwriting is my favorite part of the whole process. I'm very happy being one of the writing team on 'The Hobbit'". Filming is set to begin in the first half of 2010. Del Toro's other current film, a screen adaptation of the Alice Sebold novel The Lovely Bones comes out in theaters later this month.
Del Toro seemed to also confirm the return of Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett for The Hobbit. "They are elves, so once again, in the realm of Middle-earth, they're immortal, they don't age." However, going by that logic, might we also expect a place for Liv Tyler?
November 23 2009 (09.11.23) 12:38 PM MST
4 Million Watch 'The Hunt for Gollum'
Amateur filmmaker, Chris Bouchard, never expected his 40-minute homemade movie "The Hunt For Gollum" would have seen such popularity. Using his personal savings and donations from others, he managed to create a rather slick-looking fan film prequel to the Lord of the Rings and since its debut over four million people worldwide have watched it on the web. The all-volunteer cast of over a hundred actors helped Bouchard for over two years to create the flim, which tells the story of the attempt to find Gollum before he can relate knowledge of the One Ring to the wicked lord, Sauron.
Computer whiz and west-Londoner, Bouchard (only 27 years old) has made absolutely no profit from the venture, after agreeing with Tolkien Enterprises to release it for free, but he said "I've had calls from a number of Hollywood producers who want me to work on some new projects. That would be unreal."
You can watch the film for free on YouTube here (click HD in the bottom right corner to watch it in Hi-Def).
November 14 2009 (09.11.14) 11:35 AM MST
GDT to Cameo as Hobbit
Theonering.net is reporting that Guillermo Del Toro posted a comment to their message board indicating he would be taking a small cameo part in The Hobbit as a hobbit himself. GDT wrote: "I had a hand on the design of the creature and I will personally sculpt the appliances that will be applied on my face and hands. I used to sculpt the creatures for NECROPIA (my FX company) and I miss it a bit. I will have a line or two and die quickly."
November 12 2009 (09.11.12) 10:02 AM MST
Who is Bilbo? Someone Knows!
Ok, so we take the term "News" somewhat loosely here at MyPrecious.us.
Apparently, back in August, Sir Ian McKellen got up in front of the audience at the BFI IMAX all-night showing of The Lord of the Rings and, among other things, let it be known that the role of Bilbo (actually, he flubbed himself and called him Frodo) had in fact been cast ("pretty much") and that we'll all "be pleased with that casting.
But who in fact will be playing Bilbo is still hush-hush, as they say. Back in July they were saying he was close to be named, and that within a few weeks we'd all know who the actor would be. That never happened. Back in June, James McAvoy (Atonement, Wanted) denied rumors he would be playing Bilbo. David Tennant (Doctor Who) is still rumored to be in the running. In August, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) expressed his lack of interest (whew) in playing Bilbo after his name was bandied about a bit. Finally, Martin Freeman (UK's The Office, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) has been nominated by many a fan. Someone even whipped up a fake movie poster featuring him as Bilbo. MTV asked him about the possibility. Freeman, who does indeed look like a younger Bilbo, if less portly, is apparently somewhat confused about which are hobbits and which are goblins. About the rumors he said, "Let me put it this way: People saying 'You look like a f****** goblin!'" He mentioned that Peter Jackson had in fact called him, but alas it was for a different role (one in The Lovely Bones, which did not turn out). He did say that if he were offered the Bilbo role he would "cross that troll bridge when I come to it!"
So there you have it. A) Old news about nothing new, and B) we still have no clue who Bilbo is.
However, as a consolation prize for you, dear reader, and because the news actually should carry something somewhat new, imdb.com has Ron Perlman rumored to play Thorin Oakenshield. GDT (Guillermo Del Toro) did pick him to play Hellboy so that one's not so hard to imagine. Perlman was great in the Hellboy films and does a bang up job in FX's biker series The Sons of Anarchy. Let's see him play Thorin!
November 9 2009 (09.11.09) 03:34 PM MST
Whoopi: Whoops! on Gandalf/Dumbledore goof!
Sir Ian McKellan, consummate Shakespearian actor and ever the British gentleman, had to endure a hodge podge of erroneous and shoddy interviewing skills by the ladies of The View last Thursday, Nov. 5th. Welcomed as a guest, he sat down and began to answer questions. First, Elisabeth Hasselbeck chose to take the occasion to toss out some political red meat to certain of their viewers by trying to disparage Britian's health care system, alleging that the government runs it. McKellen retorted that the doctors and the hospitals do, and that they'd had the system for a very long time, and that he wouldn't be as healthy now without it.
A little later, Star Jones asked him, "Do you think you're creepy?" (after explaining that his latest role in The Prisoner sort of creeped her out).
Then Whoopi Goldberg, whose excuse was that she was under the weather but chose to come in to work anyway, asked "Now, are you coming back in Harry Potter?" After a brief look of disbelief, Sir Ian politely informed her that if he were "Mike Gambon" he might, "but I don't play in Harry Potter. I don't play Dumbledore. I play in The Lord of the Rings." The audience broke out in laughter and there was a lot of scrambling on the panel to get past the gaffe. Jones soon changed the subject by referring to his being known for two big roles, the first of which being "Mag-Netto" (oops, I'm sure she meant "Mag-neeto").
It is presumed that by the end of the set, old Gandalf was quite prepared to vacate the premises, get on Shadowfax and blaze trails back to some Middle Earth locale (perhaps the Prancing Pony for a pint).
Empire Online is reporting that John Rhys-Davies has rejected an offer to return as his former dwarf character Gimli's father Gloin in the upcoming Hobbit films. “I’ve already been asked and to be honest with you, I wouldn’t. I have already completely ruled it out. There’s a sentimental part of me that would love to be involved again. Really I am not sure my face can take that sort of punishment any more.?br>
Apparently the makeup job was a brutal one transforming Rhys-Davies into the stout and bellicose warrior dwarf, Gimli. With such a sacrifice, Rhys-Davies didn't feel it was worth it just for a small cameo role in The Hobbit, where he'd be one of thirteen dwarves accompanying Bilbo on his great adventure. "Why would you want to do it if it was just a couple of shots? When you've been 1 of 1, why would you want to be 1 of 13?"
He did express interest if offered a different sort of role, perhaps as an elf, but come on people, Gimli as an elf? I don't think so.
November 3 2009 (09.11.03) 05:10 PM MST
Shopping Cart Back to Normal, Order Away!
We had an unanticipated server upgrade recently that caused some of our code to cough for a few days. As a result, customers trying to add items to their shopping carts were unable to do so. However, upon further analysis and a few quick code adjustments, we can tell you My Precious Rings did not come down with Swine Flu, just a little cold. But all is well now and everyone can resume shopping again with reckless abandon! Enjoy!
October 5 2009 (09.10.05) 04:03 PM MST
New Lord of the Rings Halloween Items
Looking for Lord of the Rings Halloween costumes? See our new Lord of the Rings Halloween page for costumes of Gandalf, Arwen, Aragorn, Legolas, Gollum, a Ringwraith, and more. You can also get a costume version of Arwen's necklace, Aragorn's sword, some elf ears, Legolas' bow & arrows, etc.
You'll also find a General Halloween section with regular Halloween items like a deluxe party kit, party plates, pumpkin containers, slimy hands, strobe light and more.
David Tennant, currently the 10th actor to play the well-known character of The Doctor in the BBC's long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who, is reportedly at the top of the list of actors hoping to play the role of Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit films, coming out in 2011 and 2012. Also in the running are actors James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe. In its story on Tennant, the British newspaper The Telegraph also reports that both he and Hobbit-producer Peter Jackson will be attening Comic Con in San Diego this week where Jackson is expected to announce the final choice.
Tennant, the 38 year old Scottish theater actor, is also known for his role as Barty Crouch, Jr. in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. As reported by the Daily Mail last December, he was named one of the most influential people in entertainment by the British theater and show biz magazine, The Stage, only the fifth actor ever to break the top 20 list, which is usually populated by producers and directors. The only other actors to achieve such renown are Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Nigel Havers and Simon Russell Beale. An editor of The Stage explained his influential status due to the fact that Tennant was ""the biggest box office draw in recent memory".
2009.07.06 14:53 MST
Authorize.net Resumes Credit Card Processing
Apparently Authorize.net was able to resume proceessing of credit cards within a day or so after the fire at its Seattle offices and all operations are back to normal. My Precious customers may continue to use their credit cards as usual again.
2009.07.04 11:10 MST
Fire at Authorize.net Halts Credit Card Processing
What does this mean for you? Until they get their services back up and running, all customers of My Precious should use an alternate form of payment, such as PayPal (takes credit cards too) to purchase items on our website. Email us with questions.
Details: In what's being called "a perfect storm", online credit card processing company Authorize.net has been down over the July 4th weekend. After a fire ravaged it's Seattle offices, and the local fire department prevented the company from using their backup generators, and a coincidental transition operation taking place with their new backup servers, Authorize.net's servers were unable to accomodate requests for credit card processing from tens of thousands of websites across the Internet. Authorize.net is the world's largest processor of credit card transactions, numbering in the millions per day. They have set up a Twitter account to get news out to their huge customer base anxiously awaiting resolution.
2009.06.22 14:03 MST
del Toro Confirms Hugo Weaving in The Hobbit
In an interview with BBC Radio 5, upcoming Hobbit movies director Guillermo del Toro confirmed that Hugo Weaving will definitely be returning to play the role of Elrond in the two movies set to come out in 2010 and 2011. Weaving joins both Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis as original members of the Peter Jackson movie trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, who will star in the Hobbit films.
Elsewhere, according to MTV, del Toro recently said he is too busy with the production of The Hobbit films to be involved with game development of an accompanying Hobbit video game. "It's too ambitious to try and tackle that along with The Hobbit," said del Toro. However, he did say his team will be involved in a later game.
2009.06.05 13:50 MST
Bilbo Actor to be Named Soon
MTV News is reporting Guillermo del Toro has announced that he has narrowed the list of potential actors to play Bilbo Baggins from four down to only one. "I believe we're very close now to saying one name," said del Toro. Though the actor has not been contacted directly, talks with his representatives have already begun.
2009.03.30 12:53 MST
Spiderman Director, Sam Raimi, Agrees on del Toro
Back in the early days of the Hobbit movie rumor mill, Sam Raimi's name had been bandied about as a possible choice to direct the upcoming Hobbit film. Raimi, director of the classic Evil Dead movies, as well as all four recent and future Spiderman movies, has now commented on the topic. Apparently things never got much beyond a phone call with Peter Jackson, who will be producing The Hobbit. As soon as Raimi found out Guillermo del Toro was chosen to head up this new movie he immediately agreed with the choice.
"I think that, sheepishly, he may have made the right decision. Guillermo’s such a brilliant filmmaker that I’m dying to see this version," Raimi said recently in an interview with Filmonic.com. "It would have been an excellent job but Peter Jackson is the producer and he chose who he thinks would be the best filmmaker, which is Guillermo del Toro, who I love."
2009.03.17 16:12 MST
Wikipedia article on The Hobbit films
There is an informative Wikipedia article on the upcoming Hobbit films. Here is a snippet, followed by a link to the full article:
Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh expressed interest in 1995 in filming The Hobbit, which would be part one of a trilogy (the other two would have been based on The Lord of the Rings).[1] Frustration arose when Jackson's producer, Harvey Weinstein, discovered Saul Zaentz had production rights to The Hobbit, but distribution rights still belonged to United Artists (who had kept those rights because they believed filmmakers would probably adapt The Hobbit rather than The Lord of the Rings, and therefore wanted a profit).[2] The studio was on the market, so Weinstein's attempts to buy those rights were unsuccessful. Weinstein asked Jackson to press on with adapting The Lord of the Rings.[3] New Line Cinema eventually produced The Lord of the Rings, and their rights to film The Hobbit were set to expire in 2010.[4] In September 2006, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, owner of UA, expressed interest in teaming up with New Line and Jackson to make the prequel.[5]
Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings films, as well other memorable roles in such movies as Eastern Promises, A History of Violence, Hidalgo and Carlito's Way, gave TotalFilm.com an interview regarding the upcoming Hobbit movies. Without revealing any official plans whether or not he will be returning as the heir of Isuldur, King of Gondor, he did go as far as to say he'd "rather finish the job myself than have another actor do it."
“I’m interested in principle, but I’d want to see it done in the right spirit of Tolkien," he said, while also indicating approval for upcoming director Guillermo del Toro. “He’s strongminded, intelligent and probably just as stubborn [as Jackson]."
Mortensen wasn't sure if The Hobbit production would be "as big a circus" as the Peter Jackson movies, but said it would probably be "as bewildering a set-up as the other three."
He also indicated a preference for the first of the three movies, The Fellowship of the Ring, due to the "balance in the way that all the races of Middle-earth were presented... It was more about the relationships."
2009.01.09 13:36 MST
Hobbit Movie Postponed?
Apparently there are rumors out there that The Hobbit movie (to be shot in 2 parts) is going to be postponed. Originally slated for a Christmas 2011 release date, with the second installment out the following Christmas, it is now suspected the first won't be out till 2012 (hopefully pre-Mayan-Apocalypse!).
Another LOTR-based website, TheOneRing.Net claims they have contacted director Del Toro and he says these rumors are unfounded. So all we can do is hope he's on point!
2008.11.19 13:27 MST
Interview Snippet with Hobbit Director
Movie Reporter website, IESB.com, recently interviewed upcoming Hobbit movie director, Guillermo Del Toro at the Nov. 11th Hellboy DVD release party in Hollywood. Here's a quick snippet from their interview:
IESB: Do you feel like the Hellboy franchise prepped you for what you are doing next, The Hobbit?
GDT: Maybe it did, I don't know about that, in the timeline, The Hobbit happened a couple of months after we wrapped Hellboy, so we were not thinking Tolkien when we were doing Hellboy. We were doing a different brand of fantasy. So what I am going to do in The Hobbit is very, very different from what I did in Hellboy II visually so I think it was a very nice technical challenge in preparation for The Hobbit.
IESB: Is your Hobbit going to look like it's all part of the same universe with Lord of the Rings?
GDT: I think that eventually there will be a point and there will be sections where it will blend becuase it has to, you know, we really are thinking about the five movies as a single adventure, but without a doubt The Hobbit will also stake out it's own visual ground, so there are so many of the lands and the characters and the creatures and the adventures of the Hobbit that are never visited again in the trilogy that they can stand on their own and they will stand on their own. You know when you go to the Shire, it's going to be the same Shire but if you go into Mirkwood, you're going to get Mirkwood the way we envision it.
IESB: Are there any good Mexican restaurants in New Zealand you have visited?
GDT: There will be when I am done (laughing).
2008.10.24 08:48 MST
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
- J.R.R. Tolkien
2008.09.22 10:15 MST
Happy Birthday Bilbo & Frodo!
Not only is this week official Tolkien Week, today, September 22nd is the birthday of both Frodo and Bilbo Baggins!
Since 1978, when celebrations began, Tolkien Week has been the week containing September 22nd. Many schools, libraries and bookstores put up displays this week commemorating J. R. R. Tolkien and his son, Christopher J. R. Tolkien and the collection of influential books they've produced: The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings (comprising The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King), Unfinished Tales, and The History of Middle-earth. Often fans get together for special readings from the books or marathon movie events, showing all of the recent Peter Jackson films.
September 22nd is Hobbit Day, and the date of the Long Awaited Party. Celebrations include games, feasts, costume parties, fireworks, etc. Technically, as some Tolkien purists point out, the date September 22nd in the LOTR books is not calculated according to our Gregorian calendar but instead as part of the Third Age method of reckoning. They contest that the actual date would then be September 14th on our calendar. However, most fans and organizations don't feel the need for such legalities and stick with the 22nd. Whichever date you choose, enjoy the good times and have some cake!
--
In other news, Ian Holm will apparently not be returning to play Bilbo in the new Hobbit films, but will possibly play a different character. John Noble will also probably not be returning as the Denethor, Steward of Gondor. A) His character does not appear in the Hobbit, and B) even if del Toro wanted to put him in the second Hobbit movie, which spans the gap between the Hobbit and the LOTR, Holm has said he would have to turn it down due to his role in J. J. Abrams new series Fringe.
“If they said, ‘Would you come and play Denethor again,’” Noble said, “I would have to say, ‘No, I’m doing [new J.J. Abrams television series] ‘Fringe’! And I certainly couldn’t play a younger Denethor or even Echelion now that I’m an older John. Not even with makeup.”
Also, rumors are spreading that others, including Liv Tyler and Viggo Mortenson, may be returning to play in one or both prequels. Mortenson told MTV:
“I haven’t heard anything. Ian is very proactive. He’s been banging that drum!. It was a very important project to all of us and especially to him I think. He wants to make sure Gandalf is in there and in there early! I’m going to cross that bridge when I get to it. Obviously, I would rather have the chance to play that role myself since I originated it on film than have someone else do it.”
2008.08.29 16:12 MST
Del Toro Talks About Prospect of Hobbit
An article yesterday in The Herald Sun of Australia describes del Toro's thoughts on directing the new movie, The Hobbit, which Peter Jackson will be producing.
"In the dawn of The Hobbit, I'm starting to interact with the fan community on the Tolkien internet community,'' del Toro says.
The director says he was both daunted and excited about the prospect of taking on the mega-successful legacy from New Zealand director Peter Jackson, who was behind the trilogy, which scored at the box office and at the Oscars.
"I think it's a privilege,'' del Toro says.
"If somebody built a great building and they told me go insane and create the most beautiful three-storey penthouse at the top of this building and I'd go 'absolutely I'll do it' - because I believe that the craftsmanship, the beauty that can be brought to that universe, makes the movies able to stand on their own, but be part of that symphonic work.
"My father was irresponsible enough to buy us a motorbike when I was seven and one thing he said is, if you're ever afraid, don't get on the bike.
"It's the same with filmmaking, if you're ever afraid, don't go in there.
"Be daunted, always daunted and be always prepared, but never be afraid. So I'm not afraid, I'm really eager.''
2008.08.04 14:19 MST
Lee Offers to Play Smaug
After previously expressing his willingness to reprise his role as the wizard Saruman in the upcoming 2011 movie The Hobbit, Christopher Lee has apparently reconsidered due to the "tremendous journey" involved in travelling to New Zealand to film. Lee, 86, has instead offered to perform the voice of Smaug the dragon. "I could do that in England, you see, I wouldn't have to go to New Zealand," Lee said.
Speaking in July at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, Lee passed on a few rumors
about the upcoming film, as well as it's currently untitled sequel. "They said there's going to be another [follow-up] film which we've been told is going to about the Great Council of the Wizards, the Istari, and of course in those days thousands of years before, Saruman was a great, fine, dignified, noble man. But he changed of course, as we know; he wanted to become the lord of the rings himself - that of course is in the trilogy."
Both Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis are slated to return for the next two movies, the first to be released in December 2011 and the sequel the following year.
2008.06.28 18:52 MST
Toro to Direct Hobbit Movie
Guillermo del Toro, director of Pan's Labyrinth and the new Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, will be directing the new Hobbit movie, co-produced by NEW LINE & MGM. Legendary LOTR trilogy director Peter Jackson will be an Executive Producer.
Del Toro said: “This is a great honor, and I am indeed blessed to become a part of the filmmaking community that Peter, Fran and their extraordinary team of collaborators have created in New Zealand. I want to thank them, Bob Shaye, Michael Lynne, Toby Emmerich and Mark Ordesky for entrusting me with such an incredible project. Contributing to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ legacy is an absolute dream come true.”
Many feel she'll be written into scenes dealing with the White Council, a group of "Eldar Lords and Wizards of Middle-earth, formed to contest the growing power of Dol Guldur, at the request of Galadriel." (Wikipedia: 
Martin Freeman has starred in Shaun of the Dead, Love, Actually, the UK's The Office, Hot Fuzz, and perhaps most endearingly as the much-loved Arthur Dent in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. More recently, Freeman is playing Dr. John Watson, adjacent to Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes, in the 2010 BBC short series Sherlock (set to air in the U.S. on PBS next week, and return for a second season in the UK fall of 2011).
We've decided perhaps you'd like to see a new item or two every once in a Middle Earth Moon. With that in mind, check out our 
A certain Mr. Mike Fleming, editor over at .jpg)
If you haven't seen über-director James Cameron's new film Avatar in 3D you probably don't even know it but you've got a hole in your entertainment soul waiting desperately to be filled. For the first 30 minutes of the film, you'll find yourself peeing your pants at the absolute visual marvel and near-hallucinogenic effect of the three dimensional goodies constantly suprising you like Charlie, for the first time, touring Mr. Wonka's wonderful factory of cocoa derivatives and quirky confections. It really is a (third?) eye opener -- so it's no mystery why Avatar's chopped Titanic's measly $1.8 billion worldwide take into cheap sushi, already raking in $2.7 billion in almost half the time. And that's before the forthcoming DVD has even been released (coming on April 22nd).
UK newspaper The Sun reported recently that three-time Spiderman star, Tobey Maguire, will play Bilbo in the upcoming Hobbit films. Though rumored for awhile earlier, the story picked up steam again once it was found out Maguire would not be returning in the fourth installment of the arachno-humanoid thriller series.
Then Whoopi Goldberg, whose excuse was that she was under the weather but chose to come in to work anyway, asked "Now, are you coming back in Harry Potter?" After a brief look of disbelief, Sir Ian politely informed her that if he were "Mike Gambon" he might, "but I don't play in Harry Potter. I don't play Dumbledore. I play in The Lord of the Rings." The audience broke out in laughter and there was a lot of scrambling on the panel to get past the gaffe. Jones soon changed the subject by referring to his being known for two big roles, the first of which being "Mag-Netto" (oops, I'm sure she meant "Mag-neeto").
Empire Online is reporting that John Rhys-Davies has rejected an offer to return as his former dwarf character Gimli's father Gloin in the upcoming Hobbit films. “I’ve already been asked and to be honest with you, I wouldn’t. I have already completely ruled it out. There’s a sentimental part of me that would love to be involved again. Really I am not sure my face can take that sort of punishment any more.?br>
David Tennant, currently the 10th actor to play the well-known character of The Doctor in the BBC's long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who, is reportedly at the top of the list of actors hoping to play the role of Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit films, coming out in 2011 and 2012. Also in the running are actors James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe. In its story on Tennant, the British newspaper The Telegraph also reports that both he and Hobbit-producer Peter Jackson will be attening 
Back in the early days of the Hobbit movie rumor mill, Sam Raimi's name had been bandied about as a possible choice to direct the upcoming Hobbit film. Raimi, director of the classic Evil Dead movies, as well as all four recent and future Spiderman movies, has now commented on the topic. Apparently things never got much beyond a phone call with Peter Jackson, who will be producing The Hobbit. As soon as Raimi found out Guillermo del Toro was chosen to head up this new movie he immediately agreed with the choice.
about the upcoming film, as well as it's currently untitled sequel. "They said there's going to be another [follow-up] film which we've been told is going to about the Great Council of the Wizards, the Istari, and of course in those days thousands of years before, Saruman was a great, fine, dignified, noble man. But he changed of course, as we know; he wanted to become the lord of the rings himself - that of course is in the trilogy." 
