Whats your opening scene?

talking about bag end made me wonder....how do you see the beginning?

I would start with Bilbo in his parlour, finishing a seedcke as there is a knock on the door. Cue flashback to meeting Gandalf and an 'Oh Drat!' moment. Opening Credits, then Bilbo opening the door and being confused!

Films usually start with something big and brash. I would expect something not from the book directly, as its PJ. So possibly they will start with a bit of backstory, and a bit of the past- Smaug descending on the Lonely Mountain and the escape of the dwarves including Thorin and Gloin. That sets them up as characters and gives the viewer an all action start- not saying I'd like this, obviously not, just I suspect we will get something big and brash for an opening. I can't see PJ starting with the quiet, gentle opening of the book.
Of course if Frodo is in it reading from the Redbook then presumably he will be in the opening scene somehow.

I'm sure you're right about the big opening, but I like the idea of a gentle opening, with the nature of the book and it sets up the idea of this quiet life that is about to be disrupted, also Gandalf does not need too much intro to the audience even those who haven't read the book, it will help maintain some of his mystery

I think one of the inevitable problems with a TH film after a LotR one is a lot of the fun and mystery about Gandalf as he is in TH is gone. Everyone knows who he is, this changes the dynamic. In the book he is to the reader, as he is to Bilbo, mysterious and unknown. Its not even certain how 'safe' Gandalf is. He comes and goes at the start, he looks like a 'sorcerer' beneath a cloud of glowing green smoke rings. All that sense of who he is and what he is up to will be lost now.

Without doubt that is going to be true for a lot of the audience, but I live in hope that a new generation of youngsters will be taken to these films as they are based on a 'childrens story'. For those that come new to tolkien and for the nostalgic child I will keep dreaming

I rather doubt that the films will be marketed as a children's story or as based on a children's story. The film-makers seem to be going out of their way to try to replicate the financially successful elements of LOTR, and the studio would probably support a 'safe bet' option like that. I would be surprised if these films get less than a PG-13/12A/other local equivalent like LOTR did. Which is a real shame, because The Hobbit is a true classic of children's literature and an adaptation could be a classic of children's cinema without being totally frivolous.

As for the opening scene, I expect it will be set in the Shire after the bulk of the events of ROTK as a framing device. If it was up to me I would start the film in the Shire with Bilbo in his nice comfortable Hobbit hole before uprooting him - and the audience - and tossing him into the adventure. Not every film needs or should have a big action-y opening, in my opinion.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:I think one of the inevitable problems with a TH film after a LotR one is a lot of the fun and mystery about Gandalf as he is in TH is gone. Everyone knows who he is, this changes the dynamic. In the book he is to the reader, as he is to Bilbo, mysterious and unknown. Its not even certain how 'safe' Gandalf is. He comes and goes at the start, he looks like a 'sorcerer' beneath a cloud of glowing green smoke rings. All that sense of who he is and what he is up to will be lost now.

The mystery about Gandalf is gone once you've read the book, so I don't think you can blame the films for ruining the mystery about Gandalf. The book has already ruined that. The only ones who will miss out on Gandalf's mystery are those who haven't read the book, and honestly, we don't want Jackson & Co making a film for non-readers, do we now?

I suppose I should rephrase my question. In an ideal pre LOTR film world, how would you have this film open if you were directing it?

Well...I'd have a scene starting at the front door of Bag End, then the brief description of Bilbo and his home by a Narrator. Then maybe a few sweeping shots of the stunning Hobbiton of Bagshot Row, or both, then the Gandalf knocking on the door scene. Frodo will probably introduce the story, which wouldn't be my ideal choice, but I can live with that!

I think the film will be children friendly most of the time though, only the Battle of the Five Armies, maybe the spiders scene, but apart from that, and unless they go really off on a tangent concerning the original text, there isn't that much violence, just mystery and a good adventure! (Though I doubt it will be so family friendly to be a PG, so yeah, it's going to be 12+ in the UK I suspect!

Sam Gamgee (as Narrator) telling his grand kids the tale. He can start it something like "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit," and show his wide-eyed grand kids quickly taking up positions around the fireplace to listen (they love the story, just like I do, no mattter how often I hear it). Then fade out and back in to show Bilbo in his hole baking seedcakes. (The Narrator can pop in now and then to deal with tricky scenes to film).

As to any suggestion The Hobbit should not be a Kid's Movie. The Movie will make more money over time as a well made kid's movie than it will as a well made adult movie. Classic kid's movies live forever and a new audience is born every day, they don't readily fade as most so-called classic adult movies do.

Well said Odo. TH is a kids book and an enduring classic. As a kids film it could also endure. As an adult film it will disappear and be just another blockbuster of the cgi age (like LotR) regarded with little other merit in the future, beyond being an example of the excess of this period in cinema at the expense of characterisation and plot development.

I can understand and to a point agree with your cynicism, Petty, but so far LOTR has not had that fate, even as other popular franchises have been turned on by fans and critics alike (Star Wars, The Matrix, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.). LOTR actually showed massive popularity during the spurt of 'best of the decade' lists at the end of 2009.

"LOTR actually showed massive popularity during the spurt of 'best of the decade' lists"- Eldo

That's cause they were relativity recent and hugely hyped. I can't say they won't last the test of time for sure but I don't believe they will. In fifty years time I doubt they will still top lists, or even appear on them. And my reasoning is if I compare them to my favourite films of the last 50 years they don't come close.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:That's cause they were relativity recent and hugely hyped.

That's why I mentioned other recent hyped-up franchises. Anyway, I can't pretend to know what will happen either, but so far at least LOTR has fared better than most blockbusters. I would wait until it's been at least 20 years to say if they have gained 'classic' status or not, but I think they have a good chance at it.

That said, I do agree with Odo about The Hobbit as a children's movie.

Well my opening scene would be Paul McCartney reading the lines "The Hobbit; a Ally Nejranowski film". Or an equally unpronounceable surname!

Ally wrote:Well my opening scene would be Paul McCartney reading the lines "The Hobbit; a Ally Nejranowski film". Or an equally unpronounceable surname!

Why not a nice, sensible name. Your own, perhaps? (If it is sensible, of course. ) And why Paul McCatney, pray tell?

Paczkowski is a very respectable name...and duhh I'm not exactly going to ask Syd Barrett's Bob Dylan haunting ghost to do it am I???

((I'm told Syd's the cause of Bob Dylan's Blues))

Ally wrote:((I'm told Syd's the cause of Bob Dylan's Blues))

Syd's one of the saddest stories in Rock I ever hear'd.

Yeah I just hope he got better and realized that he wanted to be an artist not a musician, so hopefully he led a happy life from there on after. Ofc, he might of just had enough of the fame and pressure that comes with being a famous musician, but it's still tragic, everything about his departure from leaving the public eye was tragic, but hopefully he was happy!!!


Haven't seen much of his art, but from reading, he apparently was extremly good as a student.

Ally wrote:Yeah I just hope he got better and realized that he wanted to be an artist not a musician, so hopefully he led a happy life from there on after. Ofc, he might of just had enough of the fame and pressure that comes with being a famous musician, but it's still tragic, everything about his departure from leaving the public eye was tragic, but hopefully he was happy!!!


Haven't seen much of his art, but from reading, he apparently was extremly good as a student.

We can only hope.

Maybe my two favourite songs this year!

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Something directly linking to LotR's, and I would say with at least a hint of ominous.
So either ending somehow on the Ring, the Eye bursting into flames in Mordor or Gollum leaving his cave. Anything except what is in the bloody book!

I want it to be like that picture someone posted, the one where Balin, Gandalf and Bilbo (drawn to look like the actors from the films) sit and smoke in Bag End. But I guess Petty is right The only reason I'm watching it is because I'd like to be able to give Petty some input when he's doing the edit. If it wasn't for that one, I would have spared myself round two of the rage DOS provoked in me. Just thinking about this makes me angry again - what a waste of a great opportunity.  ¤=%&("¤!