The Hobbit is a strange beast. A prequel set before the Lord of the Rings saga, it is viewed more of a kid friendly story set within that world. Yet a brave move was made in bringing in Guillermo Del Toro to helm a two part story based on Tolkien's book. A man who specializes in nightmarish and haunting imagery. This was to be no kid's fare, and had Tolkien fans salivating. Two years of hard pre production work later and Del Toro walked away from the project. MGM's financial woes are well documented and are the sole reason that the Sam Mendes directed / Daniel Craig starring Bond 23 has never come to be. Same story with The Hobbit and I guess Del Toro just got sick of waiting. He stepped down, thanked the fans and moved onto other projects.
So who could rescue these movies? Well, look no further than the original trilogy's demi-god, Peter Jackson. Having been on board from the start as a writer and producer, it was surely only a matter of time before he took the directing reins once Del Toro announced his departure.
Well apparently, MGM and Warner Bros. have agreed to bankroll the movies, and we're looking at seeing the first movie by early 2012.
This is undoubtedly good news. While Star Wars may have been the defining cinema trilogy for generations past, for me it has come no bigger or better than the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The unique way in which all three films were shot back to back. The teaser trailers, the epic length, the lack of compromise of Tolkien's source material, the relative unknown nature of the cast. It all just came together wonderfully and being released one year apart around Christmas time always gave us movie goers something to look forward to.
2012 is shaping up to be pretty damn big. Already confirmed is Batman 3 (tentative release date July 20th, 2012), as well as the Spiderman reboot and The Hobbit. You can probably add Zack Snyder's Superman to that list, though I have a feeling it might aim for a late 2011 release.
2012 is already looking too far away! Until next time...........
Don’t mess with me Alan, is this genuine? What’s your source? :P
ReplyDeleteNew Line and Warner Bros. issued an official statement confirming two movies, plans to shoot them back to back and Peter Jackson at the helm. The only dispute is regarding the actors union in NZ, apparently threatening to strike if they don't get raises. So apparently they are seeking out new locations because they feel the union's stance is ridiculous. Either way, Jackson back to direct and two new LOTR movies? Yes please......
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