Hobbit movie plot ideas

[Jon S.]

I just read an interesting set of plot suggestions by some English guy. Many of them were quite good and well thought through. How about ours?

I think the movie would start out well with a brief scene of Gandalf, within the Necromancer's lair, retrieving Thrain's golden key. Then it could cut immediately to the Shire, providing a vivid contrast laden with possibilities.

I also think Beorn must go the way of Bombadil in PJ's LOTR. He's just not the right shape-shifter for the film version.

[Earniel]

I'd hate to see Beorn go the way of Bombadil. While it can be argued that Bombadil didn't fit the style of the further chapters in LoTR, Beorn fits in much better in the Hobbit. His home with horses and dogs serving food and the bee hives outside might be a very interesting visual in the movie. Although one not easy to pull off, I fear.

Another possible opening is Gandalf's meeting with Thorin that is described in UT, I believe.

[Jon S.]

I just don't see how cutting away from ongoing plot for a minimum of 10 minutes (and likely more) to showcase horse and dog waiters and waitresses can work for the film unless it's more Disney than not and that's not an outcome I'd prefer. That being said, if it's included, that's fine, too.

As a brief aside, I dig how Tolkien made his shape-shifter one of the good guys. I think he was creative and outside-of-the-box in doing that. Most of the time, e.g., Brooks, the shape-shifters are cast as evil demon spawn!

Personally, I'd handle Gandalf's meeting with Thorin as a flashback, perhaps while the company has just escaped the trolls and is approaching Rivendell.

BTW, the guy I cited in my opening post proposes opening the film, if I remember correctly, with a brief sequence of Bilbo leaving home for a stroll about the Shire, saying a brief hello to the Gaffer and several other friends in the process, culminating with him climbing a hill to gaze wistfully at the mountains (perhaps whispering something like, "Some day, I'll visit those mountains") so as to emphasize his repressed Tookishness proclivity for adventure, before returning home at dusk for the safety and comfort of his wonderful Hobbit hole. That could work, too!

[Curubethion]

Beorn is a much better fit for TH. He actually has something to do with the plot exposition, and he's an awesome fighter in his later scene...so yeah, he does come back. As opposed to Tom, who popped in for one chapter and then vanished, essentially.

The horse and dog waiters and waitresses are really a minor part of Beorn, his part can be modified.

[Jon S.]

Good points. P.S. I got tix for the Yanks-Red Sox in the Bronx on the 4th of July. Not that I have a dog in that fight (I can't get too excited about a pair of teams in an new upstart league that didn't even begin playing ball until the 20th century ) but I've got to visit Yankee Stadium before it's too late.

[Earniel]

I just like the image of the horses and dogs in Beorn's house, but I don't think it has to be necessarily all Disney for that. It has a strong fairy tale element, that's all. The visit to Beorn could be a welcome break story-wise from getting attacked by trolls, getting attacked by orcs, getting attacked by wargs ect... Depending on how it's handled, of course.

Besides, Beorn not only provided the company with horses until they get to Mirkwood (although arguably this can be cut, they worked around the hobbits without their barrow swords too) but as Curubethion said, he also shows up for the final battle, and that could be an interesting visual asset to the battle: a giant bear, battling orcs and saving Thorin from battle. If I was working at the Weta Workshop, I'd love to do that.

[Jon S.]

Earniel, you're winning me over on Beorn - "bring on the bear!"

[Earniel]

Glad to hear.

What do you think they'll do with Gandalf's absense in the quest? We later learn he went to help driving away of Sauron from Dol Guldur. Would they use it in the movie?

[Jon S.]

Personally, given the two-movie plan, the "bridging" built into the concepts, and the number of people who have already seen or read the LOTR movies or book, I can't imagine them not using it (but that's just me).

[Jon S.]

Originally Posted by Jon S.

I just read an interesting set of plot suggestions by some English guy. Many of them were quite good and well thought through.

Here's the URL - check it out!

http://www.storyscape.net/hobbit_screenplay.html

[tolkienfan]

Originally Posted by Jon S.

Here's the URL - check it out!

http://www.storyscape.net/hobbit_screenplay.html

It's clear that the guy did think things through when he made his suggestions. I think a lot of them were quite good. I'm not convinced about the 2nd Bridge movie. I just don't think there's enough material to warrent it's own movie. I don't see why it is needed either... Gandalf explains most everything in the beginning of the Fellowship.

[Jon S.]

Originally Posted by tolkienfan

I don't see why it is needed either... Gandalf explains most everything in the beginning of the Fellowship.

[shocked] What?! You've never heard of $$$?! [/unshocked]

[Kennashi]

Though it should be interesting since I'll have 5 instead of four movies to watch back-to-back when I'm craving for a quick recap movie session (The Hobbit, prequel movie, then LOTR). It'll be great! For me, at least.

[Jon S.]

Actually, as long as the movies keep selling at the box office, there could be an almost inexhaustable array of them given the Simarillion. I'm not necessarily saying this would be a good thing, only commenting on the Hollywood fact that when there's a genre that can be branded and a track record of selling, e.g., James Bond, Star Wars, Star Trek, Austin Powers, etc., the nature of capitalism is that more are produced. In the case of LOTR, The Hobbit, the bridge films, and prequels (e.g., Simarillion-based), the genre/brand is "Middle Earth."

[Rían]

Hmm, interesting idea ...

How about an opening similar to FOTR, with a flashback and a voiceover narrative? Maybe the Thorin/Gandy meeting, like Earniel suggested. This would kind of keep a similar "theme".
Eh, I don't know, maybe not...

Anyway, I think you could do the pony servant thing as an interesting background during an exposition-type scene where things have to be explained.

I don't know why they think they need 2 movies, though.

And yes, there's tons of material in the Sil, if the Hobbit goes over well.

Anyway, I'm hopeful for at least a semi-enjoyable film. When is it supposed to come out? Probably no date set yet.

[Kennashi]

The Sil?? No no no no...I hope to God that will never EVER come to pass...NO. Would people keep in mind that the Sil is a book of entire histories and mythologies?? Trying to cover all of Middle-earth's history in a series of films would be a mess! It's like trying to put the entire bible on film, it's just not done!
Besides, you guys know that Christopher will never let anyone touch the film rights to that as long as he's alive...and I would like it kept that way. Some things are just not meant to see the silver screen.

[Jon S.]

Originally Posted by Kennashi

It's like trying to put the entire bible on film, it's just not done!

Mel Brooks did a pretty good job with it.

Actually, what people are thinking of - at least what I'm thinking of - is not a movie called "The Simarillion," any more than a movie called "The Bible."

I'm thinking of telling stories from the Simarillion on film. Think of the functional equivalent of The 10 Commandments, etc.

[The Gaffer]

There's a problem with prequel material for the Hobbit, though, in that I think it's stretching credulity to believe that Gandalf seriously thought a bunch of dwarves and a burrahobbit would have a whelk's chance in a supernova of bringing down Smaug.

Better to play it in the "Road goes ever on" type stylee without too much explanation, I think.

[Rían]

Originally Posted by Kennashi

The Sil?? No no no no...I hope to God that will never EVER come to pass...NO. Would people keep in mind that the Sil is a book of entire histories and mythologies??

Yes, we all know that here - I said "tons of material IN the Sil" - like what Jon S said, you would pick out individual stories. I wasn't saying it was a good or bad idea, I was just noting that I'm sure it's being considered since LOTR did so well and movie people like money.

Besides, you guys know that Christopher will never let anyone touch the film rights to that as long as he's alive...and I would like it kept that way. Some things are just not meant to see the silver screen.

I don't know ... if the Hobbit is a hit like LOTR, and Chris gets a little short on cash ...

[Rían]

Originally Posted by The Gaffer

There's a problem with prequel material for the Hobbit, though, in that I think it's stretching credulity to believe that Gandalf seriously thought a bunch of dwarves and a burrahobbit would have a whelk's chance in a supernova of bringing down Smaug.

Yes, maybe it's a bit of a stretch for non-LOTR fans, but you could do the scenes from "The Quest of Erebor" in Unfinished Tales ...

Gandy - "Suddenly in my mind these three things came together : the great Dragon with his lust, and his keen hearing and scent; the sturdy heavy-booted Dwarves with their old burning grudge; and the quick, soft-footed Hobbit, sick at heart (I guessed) for a sight of the wide world ..." ... "I knew in my heart that Bilbo must go with him, or the whole quest would be a failure ..."

Then throw in quotes about even the Wise don't know all ends, and the great and the small,etc.

The more I think about it, the more I kinda like it - show stuff brewing in the background - shots of the Dragon's rage and destruction against shots of Bilbo growing up in the peaceful Shire, shots of the Dwarves getting slaughtered as they came out of the gate against shots of Bilbo growing up in the peaceful Shire, all with a Gandy voice-over with those quotes. Kind of a sense of impending doom heading towards Bilbo...



Or not! We'll see.