Author Topic: 'The Hobbit' movie  (Read 105293 times)

Offline Ben

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'The Hobbit' movie
« on: September 26, 2003, 01:17 PM »
www.thegd.com

They've finally secured the rights to The Hobbit.
Great news! Hopefully whomever decides to direct it keeps the same design elements as those established in LOTR, for continuity's sake.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2007, 01:59 AM by inadvertent imitation »
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Offline Mikey D

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2003, 01:20 PM »
And hopefully the same principal actors for Gandalf, Elrond and Gollum, which shouldn't be too hard.  Young Bilbo might be a problem.
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Offline Scott

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2003, 01:39 PM »
That is great news...I love the Hobbit and it will make a great movie...Smaug, The Dwarves, Gandalf etc

I also hope someday to see the Silmarillion adapted to the Big Screen, if you thought LOTR was epic...wait 'til you get aload of that!

Offline Nicklab

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2003, 03:14 PM »
Ian Holm's not too old to dismiss as a younger Bilbo.  He looked okay in the Prologue of Fellowship.  Who's to say he couldn't do The Hobbit as well.  

As for a director, I wouldn't want anyone except Peter Jackson to do it.  It seems that he wants to make King Kong first, thought.
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Offline Darby

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #4 on: September 26, 2003, 05:17 PM »
This is good news.  I'm okay with waiting until he finishes King Kong for PJ to do it, though.  I think.   ;)

Offline Ben

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2003, 01:40 AM »
I'll copy the text here, with apologies to Geb (hey man, the site takes a life-age to load today.)

"In the News: HUGE Small Little Tidbit of Hobbit News
Today we learned something that should not come to a surprise to anyone who has ever visited this site or any other Lord of the Rings collector /movie site. As most of you know (or don't) Peter Jackson intended to make The Hobbit FIRST, but both he and New Line ran into difficulty with licensing issues. PJ plainly stated this in the most recent Fan Club interview. To avoid dragging it out, they decided to pursue the trilogy instead...and I bet we are all glad they did! Now for the new news...according to sources that I WILL NOT name under penalty of death, New Line has worked out the licensing issues for The Hobbit and now OWNS THE RIGHTS. In other words, they will more than likely be making The Hobbit sometime in the near future. As far as Peter Jackson's being director...unknown at this point, but he definitely wants to be involved (director or producer?). Stay tuned for more details as we learn more.

SPECIAL NOTE: Neither Toybiz, nor any other licenses collectible producer for the New Line Movies has rights to The Hobbit...so it will be ANOTHER bidding war for toys, and collectibles alike if The Hobbit comes to pass. Hope and pray that Toybiz, Sideshow, Play Along, etc. retain the licenses and we get the appropriate scale figures/toys from The Hobbit to go along with their trilogy line. Lets just hope we get a Deluxe SMAUG!"
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Offline Brian

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2006, 02:35 PM »
According to TheGD.com (via ComingSoon.net), MGM (in partnership with New Line) has plans to go forward with "the Hobbit" in the next few years...possibly as a two parter.  A little more info at the linky, but its not very detailed at this point.  It does sound like it could potentially happen though.
« Last Edit: September 11, 2006, 02:38 PM by Brian »

Offline Sprry75

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2006, 03:50 PM »
I had heard that PJ and New Line were pissing on each other over royalties from the LOTR trilogy.

I wonder if their relationship has soured, or if it's just a professional issue with a bunch of blood sucking parasite leech attorneys doing all of the wrangling.
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Offline Nathan

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2006, 06:09 PM »
Huh. I'm not going to go dancing in the streets yet, since it's still an awful lot like the rumors we've been reading for years. But this is a very small step in the right direction, certainly. :)

Color me cautiously optimistic.
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Offline efranks

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2006, 06:11 PM »
I don't think I'd want to see the Hobbit done if Jackson doesn't direct it.  He gets the story, understands it.  Even though some people disagreed with his adaptation of LOTR it's absolutely incredible and I don't know if another director could have done it.

Maybe Spielberg or Cameron or Ridley Scott...someone on that level maybe.  But, if Spielberg directed I'd be too afraid that Tom Hanks would end up in the film.   ;D

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Offline name

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #10 on: September 12, 2006, 08:51 AM »
Or that other Tom that Spielberg seems to like so much....
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Offline Nathan

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #11 on: November 16, 2006, 01:28 AM »
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117953908.html?categoryid=19&cs=1

Quote
As for "The Hobbit," Sloan confirmed MGM was in talks with Peter Jackson to make two movies based on J.R.R. Tolkein's "prequel" to "The Lord of the Rings."

However, making the film is contingent on negotiations with New Line, which owns the right to produce "The Hobbit" (MGM owns only the right to distribute the films). And people close to Jackson say that until his ongoing lawsuit with New Line -- over monies he says are owed him from the "Lord of the Rings" franchise -- is settled, a serious conversation over "The Hobbit" cannot proceed.

Even so, Sloan remains optimistic. He said the first "Hobbit" pic would be a direct adaptation of "The Hobbit," and the second would be drawn from footnotes and source material connecting "The Hobbit" with "The Lord of the Rings."

The usual grain of salt, blah blah. Still, this is vaguely promising news.

And I'm liking the "two-picture" concept, bridging the two books with the voluminous background material Tolkien provided.

To be honest though, I wouldn't bet money on a PJ Hobbit film ever actually coming to fruition. But I'd be very happy to be wrong....
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Offline Nathan

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #12 on: November 20, 2006, 05:26 AM »
PJ is off the Hobbit project??

WTF? A Hobbit film by PJ is about the closest to a sure thing that you can get in Hollywood, and booting him would be throwing away a license to print money. Some have speculated that this is just posturing on New Line's part and PJ is trying to turn the wrath of Internet geekdom and public onion against New Line to strengthen his negotiating position ... but that email seemed pretty darn final.

I'll still give the benefit of the doubt to a different director and a (likely) different cast (McKellen, Serkis, et al might not return without PJ?) ... but it just won't be the same, you know?

As usual, make of it what you will.
« Last Edit: November 20, 2006, 05:31 AM by Nathan »
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Offline efranks

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #13 on: November 20, 2006, 11:38 AM »
I can't seem to find the article right now, but thought I read that MGM owned the rights to produce the film but New Line had the distribution rights?

If so, wouldn't that make it MGM's decision when picking a director and not NL? 

Unless part of an agreement between NL and MGM, in order to get the movie made, put more control over that sort of thing in the hands of NL.  Sort of like a licensing contract...NL would license the production rights from MGM to make the film and then distribute under their own distro rights. 

I don't know about all the behind-the-scenes legality of getting a Hobbit film made but I do know one thing; I'm NOT happy about the possibility of seeing a Hobbit film that's not directed by PJ.

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Offline Nicklab

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Re: New Line has license for 'The Hobbit'
« Reply #14 on: November 21, 2006, 01:05 AM »
PJ might be saying that he's off The Hobbit, but I think that this press release is his way of trying to shame New Line into resolving the matter.  Especially since he released this statements to THE LOTR fan site.  After he made such a masterpiece of the trilogy, it's unthinkable to a lot of fans to have anyone else at the helm of The Hobbit or what might be The Silmarillion.

Then there's the matter of the actors.  Has Ian Holm signed on to reprise his role as Bilbo?  Has Sir Ian McKellen signed on to play Gandalf again?  And in the case of The Silmarillion, have they signed any of the actors who played the Elves?  If they remain loyal to Peter Jackson you could see potentially see New Line change their tune.  Especially with how rabid the LOTR fanbase is.

Besides, I really only see a handful of directors being able to pull these movies off.  My first choices would be Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton.  But I also think that Cameron, Christopher Nolan or Ridley Scott might be able to pull this off.
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