Inching closer to The Hobbit film

[Makar]

Sorry to interject myself into this back-and-forth, but I was wondering if there was a thread specifically about the TH sequel (name?) and exactly what PJ has access to? It seems from your discussion here that he would only have access to LotR and TH and thus the LotR prequel/TH sequel would be based on sketchy info at best? Any speculation about the events to be contained in the sequel, assuming that TH ends where the book does and is extra-long because of the portrayal of a reconstructed White Council vs Necromancer fight? Tolkien's time line from LotR gives a rough outline of what could appear in such a film:

1. Sauron returns to Mordor and declares himself
2. Gollum searching for the ring
3. Last White Council meeting
4. Aragorn and Gandalf meet
5. Aragorn's exploits under Thengel and Ecthelion
6. Aragorn and Arwen
7. Gollum meets Shelob
8. Balin in Moria
9. Saruman's use of the Orthanc stone and subsequent ensnaring

Not to mention the birth and childhood of the various hobbit and human characters from LotR

The above-mentioned events are disjointed and separated by many years... I am suspicious of such a film

[Sauron the White]

from Variety

Zaentz, New Line in court
'Rings' brings more rancor
By JANET SHPRINTZNew Line and Saul Zaentz are back in court again fighting over Zaentz's share of profits from the spectacularly successful "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
In a suit filed Thursday in L.A. Superior Court, Zaentz alleges that New Line has refused to make records available to Zaentz's auditors and allow them to conduct an audit, making it impossible to verify whether his profit participation statements are accurate.

The complaint also notes that New Line and Zaentz are currently involved in arbitration. The nature of the arbitration is not specified, but the complaint alleges that New Line is attempting to leverage a settlement of some claims being arbitrated by refusing to perform its audit obligation until Zaentz agrees to resolve other claims in the arbitration.

The suit seeks unspecified money damages, as well as an accounting.

Zaentz first sued New Line in 2004, claiming he was owed $20 million under the license agreement, based on how gross receipts from foreign distributors were calculated. That suit settled the following year for an unspecified amount, but not before it was revealed in court papers that the octogenarian mogul already had collected $168 million from the three movies.

Zaentz purchased the rights to the "Lord of the Rings" novels, as well as "The Hobbit," in 1976 from United Artists. In 1997, Zaentz entered into a license agreement with Miramax to produce and distribute a "Rings" trilogy. Under the agreement, Zaentz would receive gross profit participation and the right to audit Miramax's books. Miramax assigned its rights under the agreement to New Line in 1998, and the terms of the license agreement with Zaentz remained the same.

In addition to the suits with Zaentz and a host of much smaller lawsuits, New Line also has been battling with director Peter Jackson over profit participation on the trilogy since he filed a lawsuit in 2005.

[davem]

Well, unless something is sorted out soon to get a Hobbit movie made there may not be a New Line Cinema for anyone to sue, as they seem incapable of making money out of anything that isn't Tolkien related....

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Looks like plans for filming "The Hobbit" are getting finalized - this article sounds very definite: differences resolved, double studio backing, production dates scheduled, and Peter Jackson on board.

Oh, and here's the link to the official Hobbit movie blog.

[Quempel]

I just noticed this on a couple of other sites, and the reaction is strange, from happy to disappointed. Me I am just happy it's being made. Finally.

[Thenamir]

Here's the scoop as reported from FoxNews: link here

NEW YORK — Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have reached agreement to make J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," a planned prequel to the blockbuster trilogy "The Lord of the Rings."

Jackson, who directed the "Rings" trilogy, will serve as executive producer for "The Hobbit." A director for the prequel films has yet to be named.

Relations between Jackson and New Line had soured after "Rings," despite a collective worldwide box office gross of nearly $3 billion -- an enormous success. The two sides nevertheless were able to reconcile, with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) splitting "The Hobbit" 50/50, spokemen for both studios said Tuesday.

"I'm very pleased that we've been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line," Jackson said in a statement. "We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth."

Two "Hobbit" films are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, similar to how the three "Lord of the Rings" films were made. Production is set to begin in 2009 with a released planned for 2010, with the sequel scheduled for a 2011 release.

[Galendor]

Originally Posted by Quempel

I just noticed this on a couple of other sites, and the reaction is strange, from happy to disappointed. Me I am just happy it's being made. Finally.

Me too - but my happiness is laced with dread over what Jackson might do to the story.

In LOTR he only had one dwarf to work with, but still managed to insert multiple instances of short jokes, dwarf tossings, and general comic behavior from and surrounding poor Gimli. In The Hobbit, he will have 13 dwarves as main charcters, and potentially hundreds more in The Battle of Five Armies - just think of the opportunities for basal humor! Jackson may be salivating already at this prospect - if his comic portrayal of Gimli is any guide for expectations - it might be hard to fit any real Tolkien dialogue into The Hobbit between all of the potential short jokes, dwarf tossings, body humor, etc. The audience could be rolling the isles at the whole grand slapstick comedy of it all !

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Galendor

Me too - but my happiness is laced with dread over what Jackson might do to the story.

In LOTR he only had one dwarf to work with, but still managed to insert multiple instances of short jokes, dwarf tossings, and general comic behavior from and surrounding poor Gimli. In The Hobbit, he will have 13 dwarves as main charcters, and potentially hundreds more in The Battle of Five Armies - just think of the opportunities for basal humor! Jackson may be salivating already at this prospect - if his comic portrayal of Gimli is any guide for expectations - it might be hard to fit any real Tolkien dialogue into The Hobbit between all of the potential short jokes, dwarf tossings, body humor, etc. The audience could be rolling the isles at the whole grand slapstick comedy of it all !

I know. When I go to see this film I'll be taking some earplugs because I don't want my eardrums bursting with the inevitable inclusion of a resounding chorus of 13 dwarves belching at once. I'm totally looking forwards to resumption of lots of "But it's not part of the Legendarium" rants from davem though

Two films? Eh?! Maybe, just maybe, they will not have enough material so they will slip in a little extra based on Tom Bombadil and the Barrow Wight?

Is Jackson actually going to direct this? Or just produce?

[Thenamir]

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions as to where you might split the story in two? My money is on having the final scene of Hobbit I be a medium-shot of 13 barrels, Bilbo astride the last, drifting out of the dark of Mirkwood into the daylight on Long Lake...fade to black...roll credits.