With the release of THE HOBBIT: AUJ..........

[Odie]

Here's a bit of news that's Hobbit related to the film:

http://news.yahoo.com/tolkien-heirs-sue-moviemakers-over-merchandizing-012310089.html

Release is Dec. 14th of the 1st part of a 3 parter. Peter Jackson must be comfortable filming 3 films at once as he did with the LOTR trilogy.

[Dain Arns]

Only 80 million in 'damages', so to speak?
They'll make that much at least the first day, on the first film. :icon_lol:
WB will probably just hand them a check.

As to it being another trilogy, I'm okay with that.
PJ is drawing from the LOTR Appendices, where there is great written material that should apply nicely to the tale of 'The Hobbit' as well.
Looking forward to seeing Dain Ironfoot.

This is going to be a fun adventure on film.

Actually, PJ hates doing the three films together.
He vowed never to do it again, but I'm glad he relented.
And this trilogy will be in filming/production longer than LOTR trilogy.
There are some great 'making of' videos the studio has been releasing.

[Odie]

Gotta agree with you, Dain. Once the first trailer was released and it had the look/feel of the LOTR films, I started
looking forward to it. The part that ought to be really good is the battle with Smaug (hope I spelled that right!). Something
about epic battles with Dragons!

[IanHenry]

Tolkien modeled the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Brandywine</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> on the River Ribble near to where I live. His son was a Jesuit Priest (all the teachers back then were Priest’s) at near by Stoneyhurst Collage, where he used to stay a lot.<o:p></o:p>
Also Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the author of Sherlock Holmes was a pupil at the School. It’s very expensive!<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Ian.<o:p></o:p>

[Eoraptor1]

I'm eagerly awaiting the Hobbit films. On another site where I'm a contributor there are lots of "purists" who bag on the Peter Jackson LOTR films, but I thought they captured the spirit of the books quite well even though they did make several siginificant changes to the action was written by Tolkien. I'm hearing there's a female elf character who was created specifically for the films. Now that's going to drive some of my friends clear up the wall, but I try to withhold judgment until I see the finished product. The elves never came to Helm's Deep in the books, but when they did in the movie the people in the theater cheered. It was a great movie moment IMO. Anyway, I want to see Smaug the Golden, and I'm curious to see what they do with Orcrist. That kind of thing interests me. I had a replica katana whose hilt I redid in epoxy resin so it would look like Connor McLeod's dragon head katana in Highlander. Peter Jackson shoul have called me. I was ready to put in that work.

JAMES

[Odie]

I'm eagerly awaiting the Hobbit films. On another site where I'm a contributor there are lots of "purists" who bag on the Peter Jackson LOTR films, but I thought they captured the spirit of the books quite well even though they did make several siginificant changes to the action was written by Tolkien. I'm hearing there's a female elf character who was created specifically for the films. Now that's going to drive some of my friends clear up the wall, but I try to withhold judgment until I see the finished product. The elves never came to Helm's Deep in the books, but when they did in the movie the people in the theater cheered. It was a great movie moment IMO. Anyway, I want to see Smaug the Golden, and I'm curious to see what they do with Orcrist. That kind of thing interests me. I had a replica katana whose hilt I redid in epoxy resin so it would look like Connor McLeod's dragon head katana in Highlander. Peter Jackson shoul have called me. I was ready to put in that work.

JAMES

I'm like you, James, if the movie captures the spirit of the book(s), then some license is granted to go outside the boundaries in order to move the story and the film along. I eagerly awaited JOHN CARTER, having been a fan of the ERB's books for decades, and knew there would be some liberties taken in order to make the movie play out, and they by and large worked. Do you remember the animated version of THE HOBBIT where Richard Boone did the voice of Smaug? I bought the record set of the animated film and still have it today. I have a feeling that overall, Peter Jackson will remain true to the books spirit.

After seeing the LOTR trilogy, I bought the Complete Dummy's Guide to Middle Earth (no, they didn't name it after me, that was the The Complete Idiot's series!) and it's a pretty good read on Middle Earth history. Some of the things it mentioned I looked for in the films and sure enough they were there. Not directly pointed out in the film, but they were there (little details), so PJ and his team paid attention to details closely.

[Eoraptor1]

I'm like you, James, if the movie captures the spirit of the book(s), then some license is granted to go outside the boundaries in order to move the story and the film along. I eagerly awaited JOHN CARTER, having been a fan of the ERB's books for decades, and knew there would be some liberties taken in order to make the movie play out, and they by and large worked. Do you remember the animated version of THE HOBBIT where Richard Boone did the voice of Smaug? I bought the record set of the animated film and still have it today. I have a feeling that overall, Peter Jackson will remain true to the books spirit.

After seeing the LOTR trilogy, I bought the Complete Dummy's Guide to Middle Earth (no, they didn't name it after me, that was the The Complete Idiot's series!) and it's a pretty good read on Middle Earth history. Some of the things it mentioned I looked for in the films and sure enough they were there. Not directly pointed out in the film, but they were there (little details), so PJ and his team paid attention to details closely.

I have the animated version of The Hobbit on DVD. I thought that was very well done for what it was. I did not care for the Rankin Bass version of The Return of the King. I thought they bit off a bt more than they could chew with that. I'm a deep Tolkien nerd. I got started in Eigth Grade. I won a gift certificate at a book store (I still see the manager from time to time) as an award for Excellence in History, and got a gift set of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with it. I did like the Harry Potter books, but I apart from that I don't read a whole lot of fantasy fiction. I don't count Game of Thrones, because that IMO is more magical realism - a fine point I know, but that's where I live. Mr. Martin and I have similar complaints about the way magic is used in books and movies. If I'm going to go that route, I require a fully realized world. I liked the Earthsea books, but not the SyFy series for that very reason.

JAMES

PS I liked John Carter. I have it on Blu-Ray. It looks great. If I were Carter I'd have been very anxious to get back to Barsoom and see Dejah Thoris.

[Daveroo]

wow...i know i need not say this...but i have no clue to what yall are talkin about.....i was thinking of watching this "hobbit" movie...but now im not sure...

[Eoraptor1]

wow...i know i need not say this...but i have no clue to what yall are talkin about.....i was thinking of watching this "hobbit" movie...but now im not sure...

I don't see why that would deter you; millions of people saw the LOTR films who never would have read the books otherwise.

JAMES

[Odie]

wow...i know i need not say this...but i have no clue to what yall are talkin about.....i was thinking of watching this "hobbit" movie...but now im not sure...

Dave, just jump in and hang on! My wife never picked up any of the Tolkien novels and her only exposure to this universe was THE HOBBIT animated movie back in the '70s. SHe thouroughly loves
the LOTR movies and is looking forward to the Hobbit trilogy. If you can rent THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, (the first of the LOTR movies by Peter Jackson), that will give you a flavor of the
movies.