I found this link of The Hobbit. Now if anyone read any of my comments around Oscar time they will know how much I hate & loathed the LOTR trilogy. However, in May I was actually interested & in the mood to watch all 3 of these movies and I must say (as I watched them with more of an open mind), that I DID enjoy them. Hench, I would like to see Peter Jackson make The Hobbit (although I STILL don't think these movies are THAT GREAT, but I do enjoy them & somewhat see what the big craze is all about).

411mania

I like the LOTR trilogy and would like to see The Hobbit made. I read all four books and enjoyed them very much. The thing I like about the books is that they are so deep. It's as if middle earth wasn't made for the books, but the books were made about middle earth (if that makes sense ) Just very deep, which is one reason I like the Godfather trilogy so much.

Irishman, I'm highly pleased that you turned out to like LOTR after all! I too look forward to the Hobbit; I haven't a clue what it's about, other than it's a prequel, and follows Bilbo not Frodo. Should be fun (if done properly).

Mick

HOLY SHIT! Can I be reading this correctly? Irishman liked the LOTR movies? I must admit I haven't seen them, but I remember when Irishman loathed the movies. Wow, I may just have to see these movies. And BTW, The Hobbit is really good.

Yeah I liked the movies, and now I'm in the middle of reading The Fellowship of the Ring. I liked the Fellowship the most, then Return of the King, and the Two Towers last (really didn't do too much for me). Any have the extended editions on DVD? I asked 2 friends to each get me one & I haven't seen them yet (I watched the theaterical versions first). Is there THAT much that they left out or no??

I finished the book at 0304 this morning!

What a jolly good read it was I must say! And I shall be using exclamation marks in abundance in this post, as did Tolkein Himself when writing this very fine novel indeed!

Terrific read in the entertaining sense. Won't further you education-wise, but Tolkein's wit and brisk style really does capture one's imagination.

I haven't read LOTR, and to be honest, don't think I will. The movies are enough for me, but I'm very pleased I read this.

If Jackson makes the movie, and stays true to the original in both size and narrative, it will definitely be (by some distance I imagine), due to its easier digestion and lighter adventure, the best of the lot!

Spoilers Ahead: only read if you've read the novel!
The ending somewhat disappointed me a little, with Thorin suddenly turning sore at everyone, and then the goblins came from nowhere! I've never liked reading pages and pages of battles, though (they were always the weakness in Tom Clancy's novels too).

I've just started today John Fowles' The Magus, which looks altogether a far more challenging read, which is just what I need to get me back into the writing/reading process. The Hobbit was a fine bridge between Catch-22 and The Magus, though.

Mick

I remember in 7th grade The Hobbit was THE book to read. I never read it and am sick of hearing about the LOTR trilogy and how great peter Jackson is.(Please dont get me started on that one)The trilogy is highly overrated, with Part 2 being the best, and it is not all that spectacular of a flim. The Hobbit, forgetaboutit!

There's a 1977 animated version of "The Hobbit" that I highly recommend. Its a fairly accurate telling of the story, done in a beautifully drawn style with awesome colors. Its every bit as good as any Disney animated flick.

Bilbo Baggins

Just when I thought the case was closed...

Lol, just playin. But yea, Im glad you enjoyed them Irish. I remember back during the Oscars you were one of my advisaries regarding this topic. Its good to know that you like them after all.

Yeah ragginbull, I have The Fellowship of the Ring & Two Towers Extended Edition DVDs, now I'm waiting on The Return of the King to come out in December (I'm actually going to watch the ROTK tomorrow because I've only seen it once & was in the mood to watch it, so I'm looking forward to it). But I only got to read TFOTR & TT this summer. I've been waiting to read ROTK, but I'll probably have to wait until Christmas break for it, and then probably next summer until I can get around to reading The Hobbit.

After that, I wanna read The Godfather, Wiseguy and Casino and Phil Jackson's new book sounds interesting enough to maybe pick up.

MGM Eyes Hobbit

September 11, 2006 - After years of ups-and-downs, MGM is getting back into the studio big leagues by planning a number of $150+ million tentpole films to be released over the next few years, including The Hobbit and Terminator 4.


MGM is also said to want Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings helmer Peter Jackson to direct The Hobbit, according to Variety. A report earlier this month at TheOneRing.net claimed The Hobbit was on New Line's schedule for a July 2007 start date. (New Line released the LOTR films.) But the Variety piece says The Hobbit is an MGM production. Are the studios teaming for the project?

Possibly. As Variety states, "(MGM's) goal is to release two or three tentpoles a year, all of which will be made with financial partners, including Wall Street money or other studios."

So if MGM is wooing Jackson, and is working with New Line on the film, does that mean Jackson has finally settled his lawsuit against New Line over profits from the LOTR trilogy? And how did such a settlement escape the notice of the media? IGN attempted to investigate these matters a few weeks ago but was met with stony silence from various parties.

Source: FilmForce

I12,

Most Harry fans I know do not like those little hobbits. Im glad you have found some enjoyment out of them.

Yeah well I hated them at all first. First it was Star Wars, then I absolutely LOATHED Lord of the Rings and finally was Harry Potter. But you know what, then I began to like them. First it was Harry Potter, then Lord of the Rings and finally Star Wars

Two Hobbit Films Planned

October 25, 2006 - MGM and New Line Cinema are moving ever closer to making J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit a big-screen reality. And now it seems that the studios may be planning not one, but two films based on the 1937 fantasy novel.


MGM chief operating officer Rick Sands revealed the plans this past weekend during a trade show in Orlando, Florida, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The Hobbit follows Bilbo Baggins on an adventure with a band of dwarves and the wizard Gandalf as they attempt to reclaim the dwarves' stolen treasure and restore their kingdom

This is the second time in the past month that Sands has publicly commented on the project. A few weeks ago, he issued a statement in response to a fan petition urging MGM and New Line to pursue Lord of the Rings helmer Peter Jackson as the director of The Hobbit.

"Peter Jackson's phenomenal success with The Lord of the Rings trilogy makes him the first and most ideal choice for directing The Hobbit. MGM would be thrilled to collaborate with the Academy Award-winning director on this MGM New Line Cinema production," Sands said.

Keep your browser set to IGN for more Hobbit updates.

Source: IGN

"What does the future hold for arguably the most anticipated film on the studio's development slate, The Hobbit? Sloan confirmed that MGM is in early discussions with Peter Jackson to make two films. The first film would be a straight-up adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's prequel to The Lord of the Rings. And the second, he says, would be crafted using "footnotes and source material connecting The Hobbit with Lord of the Rings."

Sloan gave no projected start dates for The Hobbit projects, but an MGM spokesperson told Variety that talks with Jackson are on-going and that the production isn't expected to get underway until 2008 or 2009."

Source: IGN

My kids would love to see a Hobbit movie
They love the LOTR films and watch at least one of them a week!

Peter Jackson dumped from Hobbit movie!
Posted : November 20, 2006 Writer : Clint Morris
In a move that’s destined to have the Hobbits picketing, New Line is said to have shafted director Peter Jackson from “The Hobbit”.

Jackson said in a statement to TheOneRing.net that he would’ve definitely been back to direct the “Lord of the Rings” prequel, but its no longer his decision.

“Several years ago, Mark Ordesky told us that New Line have rights to make not just The Hobbit but a second "LOTR prequel", covering the events leading up to those depicted in LOTR. Since then, we've always assumed that we would be asked to make The Hobbit and possibly this second film, back to back, as we did the original movies. We assumed that our lawsuit with the studio would come to a natural conclusion and we would then be free to discuss our ideas with the studio, get excited and jump on board. We've assumed that we would possibly get started on development and design next year, whilst filming The Lovely Bones. We even had a meeting planned with MGM executives to talk through our schedule”, said Jackson. “However last week, Mark Ordesky called Ken and told him that New Line would no longer be requiring our services on the Hobbit and the LOTR 'prequel'. This was a courtesy call to let us know that the studio was now actively looking to hire another filmmaker for both projects.

“Ordesky said that New Line has a limited time option on the film rights they have obtained from Saul Zaentz (this has never been conveyed to us before), and because we won't discuss making the movies until the lawsuit is resolved, the studio is going to have to hire another director. Given that New Line are committed to this course of action, we felt at the very least, we owed you, the fans, a straightforward account of events as they have unfolded for us.
“We have always had the greatest support from The Ringers and we are very sorry our involvement with The Hobbit has been ended in this way. Our journey into Tolkien's world started with a phone call from Ken Kamins to Harvey Weinstein in Nov 1995 and ended with a phone call from Mark Ordesky to Ken in Nov 2006. It has been a great 11 years.
“This outcome is not what we anticipated or wanted, but neither do we see any positive value in bitterness and rancor. We now have no choice but to let the idea of a film of The Hobbit go and move forward with other projects


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oh yeah, i see this going well

wtf is wrong with New Line.

I'd like to see Jackson further prove his worth outside that trilogy, if he hasn't already.

That majorily BITES that Jackson won't be directed it. I'll still see it but I don't think it'd be as good now

MGM responds to Hobbit news
Posted : November 21, 2006 Writer : Clint Morris
Though he thinks he’s no longer in the race, MGM says they’re not going to give up on Peter Jackson directing “The Hobbit”.

Yesterday, the “Lord of the Rings” director told TheOneRing.net that New Line have removed him from the project. The filmmaker’s statement also reiterated in detail his stance on "The Hobbit" -- that he is not willing to have a serious conversation about directing the film until his ongoing lawsuit with New Line over what he considers improper accounting practices over "LOTR" profits is settled.

New Line's given reason for proceeding sans Jackson is that the studio's rights to the pic are about to expire, and seeing as the lawsuit with Jackson isn't moving ahead, well, the message was that New Line is.

An MGM spokesperson tells Variety today that they’re going to fight for Jackson. The spokesperson states, "The matter of Peter Jackson directing 'The Hobbit' films is far from closed."

You only have to do a Google search for one of the “Rings” forums to see what size backlash this one’s had.

Chris Pirrotta, co-founder of TheOneRing.net says "They [the fans] are very upset, - We are seeing calls for everything from letter writing campaigns to a boycott of the studio."



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that's gotta be the quickest response from a studio that i've ever seen. Less then 24 hours since i first posted about Jackson being kicked out of his directors seat. It's also nice to see the "ringers" getting together to fight New Line.

That's true mr. soprano. It makes me happy now that there's still "hope" PJ will direct The Hobbit

Hopefully my constant updates on the Hobbit aren't pissing anyone off...lol. But here is another piece of interesting news. Can't Say that i think replacing jackson with raimi is a good idea. I mean raimi is good with special effects but i don't think he has the vision Jackson has.



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The Lord of the Dead?
Posted : November 23, 2006 Writer : Clint Morris
No doubt a ploy to keep the infuriated fan boys at bay, New Line are said to have asked Sam Raimi – replacing Peter Jackson – to direct “The Hobbit”, according to TheOneRing.net.

The “Spider-Man” and “Evil Dead” filmmaker has a huge following among genre buffs, so the news may just cool a few maddened ‘Rings’ fans down.

One man that won’t be happy with the decision – in fact, he won’t be happy until Jackson is re-hired for the job – is actor Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf in the series.

McKellen tells TheOneRing.net that "It's hard to imagine any other director matching his achievement in Tolkien country."

That was my second concern. They had better bring back Ian McKellen and Ian Holm

I personally did not like Jackson's LOTR trilogy. Tolkien's books are a modern tale. They're along the lines of Beowulf or The Ring of the Nibelungen (but not as important because of obvious reasons)

The story belongs to literature, not the fantasy world which, I feel, Jackson represents. He's made movies that target that kind of audience. Not to say there's anything bad in doing that in general, but the man butchered LOTR.

So I say keep him the hell away from the Hobbit before he butchers that too.

I'm just curious, but how exactly did he butcher LOTR?

Whatever, the movies are cool and add their own artistic interpretation to the story. Besides, without the movies there are lots and lots of ppl who would never have picked up the books and read them.

He made up parts of the plot that weren't in the books. I know that no story makes an easy transition from book to movie, but he went ahead and inserted stuff that didn't belong and cut whole parts of the plot.

So keep him away from The Hobbit, because I can only imagine what he would change

To me thats a good thing.

Tolkien being an ardent born-again Christian does not necessarily make me dismiss his philosophy, but it ain't helping.

The books and the movies were fun. Thats about all the credit I would give them. I liked them a lot.

However, if I lived in the desert, I don't think the shire or dirty footed little hobbitses would be as appealing to me.

Jackson Could Still Direct Hobbit

November 27, 2006 - Just a few days, the news broke that New Line wouldn't hire Peter Jackson to film their movie version of The Hobbit. Jackson himself explained the situation, confirming a lack of involvement due to a lawsuit between his company and New Line, and not due to a lack of enthusiasm for the film.

But what if it's not New Line that gets to make The Hobbit? That could, in fact, turn out to be the case. According to Germany fantasy news site Ebenwald.de, film producer Saul Zaentz expects that New Line's rights to the film will expire and revert back to him next year, at which time he will partner with MGM to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings prequel to life.

The tussle between studios is almost certainly not over, but if Zaentz and MGM end up producing The Hobbit, Jackson is their pick for the job.

"It will definitely be shot by Peter Jackson," said Zaentz. "The question is only when. He wants to shoot another movie first. Next year the rights to The Hobbit will fall back to my company. I suppose that Peter will wait because he knows that he will make the best deal with us. And he is fed up with the studios: to get his profit share on the rings trilogy he had to sue New Line. With us in contrast he knows that he will be paid fairly and artistically supported without reservation." (translation from TheOneRing.net)

It seems clear from Zaentz's statement that Jackson has not actually agreed to any terms yet. As for a timetable, the producer stated he expects production to begin in 2008 or 2009. The Hobbit could also end up as a two-part film, which is a sensible idea considering the winding storyline of the novel.

Variety has an additional comment from MGM on the matter; the studio, which was originally planning to partner with New Line on the Hobbit film, dispute the certainty of Jackson's dismissal by New Line and say the issue is far from closed. Could they be anticipating a Hobbit without Jackson? Will New Line try to rush out a film before their contract to make it expires? Watch this space for ongoing news.

Source: IGN

Thanks for the update, i'm curious to see what new line will do. I'm hoping they do the smart, and profitable thing by just coming to terms with Peter Jackson and allowing him to direct the movie. them pushing out the Hobbit without him in a rush will be a bad idea, considering that a rushed movie never, ever seems to come out a good movie.