Re: Countdown to Release (Part 1)

[RA]

Hopefully, she won't steal any other character's "job". No helping Bilbo out. No slaying Smaug. No romance.
Red hair though? Odd choice. Kinda surprised me. I agree though about "Girl power" being injected into the film. It always struck me as shallow.

[Pettytyrant101]

Tauriel, Tauriel,
Does whatever Legolas can
Shoots two arrows, any size,
Throws knives from her thighs
Look Out!
Here comes Tauriel.

Is she strong?
Listen bud,
She's got superelf blood.
Can she leap over a Mumakil
Yep even though its unbelievable.
Hey, there
There goes Tauriel.

In the chill of night
to ruin the Hobbit
Like a streak of shite
You'll wish she'd stop it!

Tauriel, Tauriel
Laughable fighting elf
Tolkien and fans
She's ignored
Action toy sales are her reward.

To her, life is a great big joke
Whenever there's PJ and all his folk
You'll find Tauriel.

[Ally]

Reminds me of corrina corrina (the first two words, anyway!)

[Pettytyrant101]

[Eldorion]

Sexy elf warriors?

[Pettytyrant101]

Both your comment and your gif are equally disturbing Eldo.

[Eldorion]

It's my new favorite GIF ever.

Spoiler:

[Eldorion]

Back on the topic of The Hobbit and not sexy, delicious watermelon, the LA Times has an update about the potential third movie (courtesy of TORn's Facebook feed). Relevant stuff bolded.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-hobbit-third-movie-jackson-20120724,0,2208206.story

Warner Bros. and director Peter Jackson are seeking to turn the planned two-film “Hobbit” franchise into a trilogy, a move that could pay off in bigger box office returns, according to people familiar with the situation.

The Burbank film studio originally planned to release two “Hobbit” movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary prelude to “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and principal photography on those two pictures finished in New Zealand this month. The first is set to come out in December, followed by the second in December 2013. The two films combined cost about $500 million.

But Jackson has concluded that there is enough material from the book, as well as the extensive appendixes to “The Lord of the Rings,” to make a third film, according to three people who were not authorized to speak publicly. New Line Cinema, the Warner Bros. unit overseeing production of the movies, is eager to see it happen, and talks are underway with actors and others who would need to sign off on the plan.

A third film is far from a certainty, however, because there are numerous rights-holders and actors with whom new deals must be made. Lead actors in particular hold leverage as they know New Line would need them for the picture. (Actors and some rights-holders had previously made commitments only to two pictures.) Talks with a number of the franchise’s actors — including Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen — have been taking place in the last few weeks.

New Line President Toby Emmerich did not return a call for comment, and Jackson could not be reached for comment.

With its blockbuster “Harry Potter” and Christopher Nolan-directed Batman franchises both now concluded, Warner Bros. is hungry for franchise pictures. It has a handful of tent-pole movie set for release next year, including the Superman movie “Man of Steel” and Guillermo del Toro’s sci-fi picture “Pacific Rim.” But so far it has only one film of note on its 2014 calendar — a movie based on the Lego children's toys.

What plot details would be held back for the third “Hobbit,” and how the first and second would be shaped as a result, is a critical question for fans. Of particular interest is whether Jackson would hold back the climactic battle that takes place at the end of the “Hobbit” book for the third movie.

If Jackson were to keep that battle in the second film, the third movie could center on material from the “Lord of the Rings” appendixes, which have not previously been adapted for screen. (The six appendixes ran with “The Return of the King,” the final book in the trilogy, and feature backstories on many of the characters and cultures in Middle Earth.)

It's not clear how much additional shooting Jackson would have to undertake, or whether the additional picture could largely be crafted through artful editing of existing footage, which would bring the cost down. Principal photography has been finished on the heretofore planned two films, with four weeks of reshoots and additional footage being filmed now.

Serious conversations between Jackson and New Line for a new film began about two weeks ago, around the time the director visited California for a promotional appearance at Comic-Con International in San Diego. The director acknowledged in interviews at the fan festival that he was considering the possibility of extending “The Hobbit” in some form. In an interview with the fan blog Hit Fix, he said that “we have certainly been talking to the studio about some of the material we can't film, and we've been asking them so we can do a bit more filming next year,” adding, “I don't know what would come of that, whether it'd be extended editions or whatnot.”

The franchise is seen as a comparatively safe bet in the risk-laden movie business. The movies in Jackson's “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, a fantasy franchise that focused on many of the same characters, grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide when they were released in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

But Jackson is taking some gambles with “The Hobbit,” particularly a decision to shoot at 48 frames per second, rather than the standard 24. That technical switch is intended to give the picture a smoother, more realistic look. Footage shot in the new frequency elicited a mixed reaction at the industry trade show Cinema Con in April.

Due to the complicated rights history of “The Hobbit,” a number of stakeholders must agree to the plan for a third picture.

Independent studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer controls 50% of the film rights and international distribution, though it has contracted with Warner Bros. to handle those duties on the first two movies. Producer Saul Zaentz has a long-running participation claim, as do Harvey and Bob Weinstein. The independent film moguls originally developed the “Lord of the Rings” movies when they ran Miramax Films.

The Tolkien estate receives a share of the earnings from the movies but does not need to grant permission for additional productions.

Breaking a single book into multiple movies has come into vogue in recent years as studios seek to wring value out of popular material. The “Harry Potter,” “Twilight” and “Hunger Games” franchises all split a single book into two pictures. But there is no known precedent for turning one book into three films.

What’s more, in all of those instances, the decision to create an additional movie out of an existing book was made before production began, not after it wrapped.

[Eldorion]

I made a quip about Jackson wanting to become the new Lucas a few days ago, but if PJ actually goes through with creating a full prequel trilogy then I can't really call it a joke anymore.

[Mrs Figg]

I am glad they are thinking of another film, it means more ME and Elves to oogle. I hope it happens.

[Pettytyrant101]

He is only doing this to hurt you know (well that and huge greed that would put Smaug to shame).
Why PJ? If someone was going to dedicate so many years of their life to putting Tolkien on film why did have to be someone who doesn't give 2 hoots for the original work, doesnt even seem to understand its fundementals, cant write a script based on Tolkien without altering 99% of it, and who is obbsessed with spectacle, melodrama and cliche?
Its like a very, very bad joke that everytime you think has reached the punchline just keeps going.

[Mrs Figg]

[Pettytyrant101]

Yet just enough of one Mrs Figg to take the trouble to put up a pic?
Do I detect a grump?

[Norc]

oh much I do love Tolkien's world, please two movies only! And focus on the damn Hobbit for god's sake! Can't they just make another movie? or several other movies, I bet not everyone wanna know every little detail of Middle Earth! though I too wan't more elves to oogle, but seriously, please don't squeeze everything into the Hobbit, PJ.

[Pettytyrant101]

He jyst can't say farewell to the cash cow Norc.

[Lancebloke]

I wonder if this may form more of the bridging movie idea that they had talked about before. It would make more sense than trying to split the film even further.

Could have Gollum coming out of the mountains and ending up caught in Mordor.
Could have some Aragorn fighting the corsairs in Umbar before going to hunt for Gollum.
Could have some made up bits... like the Ring wraiths taking Minas Morgul much later than they actually did (they have just woken from their tombs so couldnt have done it before).
Could have the company of Balin getting orc'd in Moria.
Erm.... something hobbity.... Bilbo taking on Frodo or something.
Oh... blue wizards! One of them coming back and giving news of the East and then having to get a boat from Lindon cause he is nearly dead (the other either went naughty or is lost or dead).

Options are endless!

[Pettytyrant101]

Options are endless!- Lance

And in Pj's hands also terrifying.

[Lancebloke]

Would be in mine too.... I would do it just to annoy you

[Pettytyrant101]

There are times Lance when I supspect that is what PJ is doing too!

[Mrs Figg]

[Ally]

Would love to see Viggo return as Aragorn- the more hotties the better IMO

[Eldorion]

I don't understand the enthusiasm for a potential third movie (especially since IIRC the idea was universally panned here when it was floated at Comic-Con ). I know that the setting of Middle-earth is a huge part of the appeal of Tolkien's books and Jackson's films but to have a good movie you need a good story to go with it. Even the best story can be ruined by stretching it out for too long and ruining the pacing. I don't see the bridge movie idea as a solution either; it was a terrible idea five years ago and I was glad when they scrapped it. There are indeed endless possibilities for what could be put into it, but there is absolutely nothing tying together:

• Gollum wandering out looking for the Ring and eating babies
  
• Bilbo living in the Shire and sparring with the Sackville-Bagginses
  
• Aragorn growing up and wandering around and being Thorongil
  
• Balin trying to recolonize Moria and eventually being killed
  
• Frodo's parent's death and his childhood

A few of these have things in common but it's not enough for a movie. There's very little to go in the source material, meaning PJ would have to make things up, which is generally when he's at his worst. More to the point, there's no narrative. There's no movie to be had. It's just a bunch of backstory, most of which has already been addressed in The Lord of the Rings. We don't need every little thing shown to us in minute detail. I don't see how such an unnecessary and unashamedly greedy movie could possibly be good.

[Ringdrotten]

Completely agree with Eldorion, I hope the third movie never gets made. Horrible idea

[Mrs Figg]

I have the idea that everything is in post production at the moment, so they can split the films according to the existing material and the new stuff to be filmed next year if the studio and the actors agree, so things can be altered accordingly. If for example they want to go into more detail about the dwarves, such as their history, battles and so forth they can film the extra parts and slot it into the backstory, I really think it is all going to be dwarven based rather than random stuff about Frodo or Gollum, we may see more of the history of ME from the dwarves point of view, I am sure its a rich vein. Also there may be more about the history of Dale and Laketown, they will probably want to use that huge set they have built. I have an idea they will show the trade between Elves and men, and maybe even show Dale rebuilt after the events of Smaug. just ideas I am floating. I find it an interesting prospect.

oh yes and more Viggo.

[Eldorion]

Dwarven history is an interesting topic but it still runs into two big problems. First, that PJ is going to have to invent a lot of stuff, and second, that it really has very little to do with The Hobbit. Much of it is important in the backstory, and I'm under the impression that they're already showing a fair bit of Dwarven history via flashback, which I have no problem with. But there's not enough there for an additional film because it is still just backstory.

(EDIT to respond to your edit: All of the other things you mention are interesting too, but it ruins into the same problem of not having anything to tie together the various plot threads. Also, the period between TH and LOTR is a largely peaceful one for the northern part of Middle-earth where The Hobbit so there's not a ton of fodder for a movie. I'm not trying to be a buzzkill or tell you how to feel but I'm not sure what PJ expects us to sit in a theatre for three hours to watch. An anthology film?)

Also, I've tried to think of any other example in cinema where a film was split after filming had finished, but I can't think of one. It's a trend to split books in two these days, in part because of The Hobbit, but those decisions have always been made before or during pre-production. If the entire project was written and filmed with the idea that there would be two films, I don't know how they can make a third without either ruining the pacing and structure of all three or else making the third movie a superfluous epilogue. A three hour long epilogue, if PJ's past films are any indication.