Guillermo Del Toro directing TH

[Curubethion]

Yeah, I haven't seen much "bashing" here. I've seen real bashing. Nothing like this. I've seen rabid PJ-despisers...yeah, now they're out there.

Anyway.

What of the idea that a guy who hasn't read LOTR because he wasn't patient enough to read it is directing TH and a film after TH that links it to LOTR?

[BeardofPants]

RE: bashing, you really had to be here back in the day. Site's lightened up a lot since then.

[Jon S.]

It is with some trepidation that I post this new snippet from the-hobbit-movie.com.

“My message is simple: If you don’t think Peter did a fabulous job, very likely you won’t think I will. If you think he did, I will do my best to make you proud of me.” Del Toro talking to MTV

I’d say that could be classed as putting your cards on the table Its good to see he’s not going to be hung up on trying to please everyone and some of the ideas he’s already suggested are enough to show its certainly going to be an interesting few years of film making.

Other news he mentions that Andy Serkis (shown right) returns as Gollum and as we already know but it was nice to get it confirmed, Sir Ian Mckellen will be back as Gandalf. As I’d suggested though, he is worried Sir Ian Holm might be too old for the casting of Bilbo but won’t let on who he has in mind for the part.

Regarding doing the story in 2 parts he says he wants to nail The Hobbit in the first movie and then move into the era where times start to turn dark and Sauron grows in strength. Del Toro calls it a “very interesting period in time” as civil war starts to break out. He and Peter Jackson have outlined the story they want to tell and how they want to tell it but no firm plans as yet.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it were the second Hobbit movie that has them the most excited. It will be the telling of that story that they will have almost free reign.

Now what did he say, again?

“My message is simple: If you don’t think Peter did a fabulous job, very likely you won’t think I will. If you think he did, I will do my best to make you proud of me.”

[Jon S.]

From the same site:

No suprises then in the announcement with Weta doing all the effects again and the same script team that did Lord Of The Rings will be working with Del Toro, that being Jackson, Walsh and Philippa Boyens.

We now return you to the regularly-scheduled wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth.

[Gordis]

Basically Del Toro says that he is no better than PJ and Boyens. Well - we know what to expect, so we won't be disappointed.

[Kennashi]

“My message is simple: If you don’t think Peter did a fabulous job, very likely you won’t think I will. If you think he did, I will do my best to make you proud of me.” Del Toro talking to MTV

Didn't I post that article earlier?

[Jon S.]

Originally Posted by Kennashi

Didn't I post that article earlier?

The remainder of my life sometimes makes it difficult for me to read every prior post. Let the credit for finding the article accrue to Kennashi.

And with that, gotta run again, my son and I have a date today here (come to think of it, what sports did they play in ME? ) :

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Basically Del Toro says that he is no better than PJ and Boyens. Well - we know what to expect, so we won't be disappointed.

Jackson is producer, right? So Del Toro naturally has to pay some lip-service. And Jackson would probably never have let someone who didn't agree with his vision take the helm of this movie.

[Gordis]

All this is so very natural... and so very sad.

[Earniel]

That's the way of the world, I think. Sad, but what can we do about it?

We'll see what we'll get in a few years.

[Curubethion]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Basically Del Toro says that he is no better than PJ and Boyens. Well - we know what to expect, so we won't be disappointed.

Not necessarily. He's saying that if you didn't like PJ's stuff, you won't like his take either. And after that, he's just tipping the hat to PJ.

[klatukatt]

I like GDT's work, so I have faith that he will make an interesting movie, if not a fully faithful one.

Also, I can't wait to see the cast list. Ideas anyone?

[Coffeehouse]

Originally Posted by Curubethion

Not necessarily. He's saying that if you didn't like PJ's stuff, you won't like his take either. And after that, he's just tipping the hat to PJ.

Yeah, I read this interview with him on MTV's website. Can't find the link though..

But the essence was that he really didn't care if a few die-hard people didn't like it because there'd always be those who liked no Tolkien but Tolkien himself.
And he liked PJ's visual of Middle Earth, he'll shoot it in New Zealand (over the course of 4 years), which means the movies are on screen in 2011 and 2012.
And he'd like the first movie to be basically about The Hobbit, with the 2nd movie in the duology being about the events during and between The Hobbit and LOTR, which will include it seemed the forcing out of the Necromancer in Dol Guldur (cool!), etc.
One of the underlying themes would be the move from innocence in the early parts of the Hobbit to the more real-world and violent events that happened right up to LOTR.

He's also a big fan of Smaug and so am I so that's great

[Jon S.]

Originally Posted by Coffeehouse

One of the underlying themes would be the move from innocence in the early parts of the Hobbit to the more real-world and violent events that happened right up to LOTR.

In my view, this approach is quite true in spirit to how Tolkien himself handled the issue though Tolkien made the move in the early chapters of The Fellowship.

[Curubethion]

I think both Ians are in. Not positive, though.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

I think Ian McKellen is confirmed. Ian Holm, I believe, will probably (though not definitely) not be in it, since Guillermo is apparently concerned about him being too old to portray a spry young 50-year Bilbo.

[Kennashi]

Well if Ian Holm isn't casted, it could cause some continuity problems as he appeared in the flashback in FOTR when he found the ring

[Rían]

It will really be interesting to see what he comes up with, but it worries me that he doesn't seem to even like the story or the genre.

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

Driving to work last week I listened to 'Arwen and Aragorn' from the Appendices of LotR. There's some good stuff in there for the second film. Galadriel almost-on-purposely setting up Aragorn and Arwen to meet, Thorongil kicking butt for Minas Tirith and making Denethor jealous, etc.

The White Council stuff should be interesting, too, especially if they can get Christopher Lee.

[Coffeehouse]

Originally Posted by The Dread Pirate Roberts

Thorongil kicking butt for Minas Tirith and making Denethor jealous, etc.

Who's Thorongil? Never heard of him.