The Hobbit

[Avon]

Well I have to say, this film (or 2 films) has taken forever to get started. I've been following the stories for some time now, and it looks like things are finally all moving and filming is underway.
To be honest, these 2 films are the ones I'm most looking forward to at the moment. And for anyone who loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy, hopefully we should have a great couple of films on their way soon.

Filming on the two Hobbit movies has begun following months of delays caused by funding problems, a row over actors' wages and surgery for its director.

Filming is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.

Production on the films, starring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, is expected to take up to two years. The first is due out in late 2012.

The first film will be called The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and will be released in December next year.

The Hobbit: There and Back Again is scheduled to be out in December 2013.

Filming of both Lord of The Rings prequels in New Zealand faced a delay because of a row over actors' wages and Jackson being unwell.

In January the director was admitted to hospital with a perforated ulcer.

The movies, which will star Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, were earlier stalled by problems including a wrangle over distribution rights and the exit of original director Guillermo del Toro.

Sir Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood will reprise their roles as Gandalf the Grey and Frodo respectively.

Sir Christopher Lee is among the stars who will also appear in the new movies, along with actor Andy Serkis in the role of Gollum.

This is the latest cast list from IMDB for anyone interested.

Orlando Bloom ... Legolas
Ian McKellen ... Gandalf
Christopher Lee ... Saruman
Cate Blanchett ... Galadriel
Martin Freeman ... Bilbo Baggins
Hugo Weaving ... Elrond
Elijah Wood ... Frodo
Benedict Cumberbatch ... (rumored)
Stephen Fry ... Master of Laketown
Lee Pace ... King Thranduil
Leonard Nimoy ... Smaug (rumored)
Richard Armitage ... Thorin Oakenshield
Andy Serkis ... Gollum
Ian Holm ... Old Bilbo
Mikael Persbrandt ... Beorn
Brian Blessed ... King Dain (rumored)
Conan Stevens ... Azog
Aidan Turner ... Kili
James Nesbitt ... Bofur
Graham McTavish ... Dwalin
Sylvester McCoy ... Radagast
Dominic Keating ... Galion (rumored)
Jeffrey Thomas ... King Thror
Jed Brophy ... Nori
Stephen Hunter ... Bombur
Dean O'Gorman ... Fili
Ken Stott ... Balin
John Callen ... Oin
Adam Brown ... Ori
Ryan Gage ... Alfrid (rumored)
William Kircher ... Bifur
Peter Hambleton ... Gloin
Mark Hadlow ... Dori
Michael Mizrahi ... King Thrain

 

[Terra_Inc]

Well I have to say, this film (or 2 films) has taken forever to get started.

Yeah, mostly because the producers managed to really really **** off del Toro. Which was a bad decision IMO, he's awesome.

Leonard Nimoy ... Smaug (rumored)

Awesome! "My needs outweigh the needs of the many! So gimme your stuffs and gtfo of my mountain!"

 

[Majestic]

Thanks for the news post Avon, while I wasn't a fan of the first movies, this does sound interesting and has a good list of actors from the looks of it.

 

[Avon]

Yeah, mostly because the producers managed to really really **** off del Toro. Which was a bad decision IMO, he's awesome.

Well, that's not really true at all, especially as he stayed on to finish writing the screenplays with those same pruducers. It's pretty easy to google and find Del Torro's comments from last year

Guillermo del Toro will no longer direct The Hobbit, but will continue for the next several months to polish the scripts for the two-part Lord of the Rings prequel alongside Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh. Del Toro made the announcement Sunday via the J.R.R. Tolkien fan site TheOneRing.net.

“In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming The Hobbit, I am faced with the hardest decision of my life,†Del Toro said. “After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures. I remain grateful to Peter, Fran and Philippa Boyens, New Line and Warner Brothers and to all my crew in New Zealand. I’ve been privileged to work in one of the greatest countries on earth with some of the best people ever in our craft and my life will be forever changed. The blessings have been plenty, but the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project.

 

[Terra_Inc]

Well, that's not really true at all, especially as he stayed on to finish writing the screenplays with those same pruducers. It's pretty easy to google and find Del Torro's comments from last year

Ah, I missed that one. All I know is that he left and wanted to make "At the Mountains of Madness", a Lovecraft adaptation, but Universal didn't support it.

 

[Aerilon]

As Majestic has said, we all appreciate the post. I was following this some time ago, but with all the pauses and such, I gave up waiting around. Last I read it had been indefinably postponed, though I can't remember the reason as to why. Nice to see it's moving now though.

Anyone care to provide a quick expectation of events? I've read there are a lot of battles, one of which involves (I think) Drawfs verses a Dragon? That ought to be good, at least to see how they manifest a Dragon. The only thing we've had close in the LotR Trilogy is one of them Nasgul things.

 

[CABAL]

Yep, there should be at least one battle with a dragon and dwarves will be involved. The goal in the book was to kill the dragon (Smaug) so that the dwarves could take the treasure he stole from them back.

 

[Hellkite]

Two Films – Two films will be made of ‘The Hobbit.’ The first film, titled “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,†will be released on December 14, 2012. The second film, titled “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,†is slated for release the following year, on December 13, 2013. [Official Release]

Director – The films will be directed by Peter Jackson with Andy Serkis as second unit director.

Characters – All major characters from The Hobbit are expected to appear in the films, as well as additional characters from the Middle-earth lexicon. Please see our ‘character‘ and ‘cast‘ pages for more information.

Locations – Both films will be made entirely in New Zealand, using many of the same locations and sets from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

Producers -â€The Hobbit†films are productions of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing being handled by MGM.

 

[Avon]

Battles? We aint seen nothing yet. The last chapter of the book is called 'the Battle of the 5 armies'
Basically, after bilbo and his companions see off the dragon, everyone decides they want a piece of the mountain full of treasure. And so a massive battle erupts between the woodland elves (legolas' people), an army of men from laketown, a large horde of goblins, a large army of battle-hardened dwarves, and the mighty Beorn (a shapeshifter )

In the book it's epic. I really want to see this

Sorry for double post, but just stumbled upon some of the first images from the Hobbit.

Spoiler: Gandalf

Spoiler: Gandalf2

Spoiler: Dwarves

Spoiler: Bilbo

Spoiler: Bilbo2

Spoiler: The Chief Hobbit

 

[Adm_Z]

Bilbo looks great!

 

[Amateur]

I never really considered Beorn as an army. He was one man, and did a lot of damage, but one man is not an army.

My interpretation was:

Men
Elves
Dwarves
Goblins (+ Wargs, they were allied and carried the Goblins)
Eagles

And to extrapolate upon what Hellkite said:

Elves + Men vs. Dwarves (Thorin)
Elves + Men vs. Dwarves (All)
Elves + Men + Dwarves vs. Goblins (+ Wargs and wolves)
Elves + Men + Dwarves + Eagles vs. Goblins
Elves + Men + Dwarves + Eagles + Beorn vs. Goblins

Liking the pictures as well. Love the book, one of my fondest childhood memories.

 

[Avon]

Found another piccy. A couple more Dwarves. I do love the props and costumes in these films. The detail is second to none in my opinion

Spoiler: Dwarves

 

[Hellkite]

Here is the First look at Thorin Oakenshield with Orcrist drawn

Spoiler: Thorin Oakenshield

 

[thunderfoot]

These are not Dwarves. These are tl'InGan!

 

[Hellkite]

They do have a Klingon look to them but that is a warrior look just need to remember the Size Issue

 

[thunderfoot]

"Size matters not!" Sometimes, the jokes write themselves. rofl!!

 

[CABAL]

He does look remarkably like a Klingon. Minus the forehead ridges of course.

I just had an idea! Be back in a bit.

EDIT: And here it is.

Spoiler: Thorin 2

 

[Iashar_Koranin]

I laughed hard at that; "Thorin the Klingon"
Nice edit, this movie should be great, and I would also like to see how they "manifest a Dragon".
It should be most interesting to see how closely they follow the path set out in the book.

 

[Adm_Z]

Hahaha, nice cabal. I seriously cant wait for these movies. the hobbit is one of my favorite books of all time.

 

[Avon]

Here is a picture of all of Thorin's company of dwarves.

Spoiler: Dwarves

 

[Terra_Inc]

This is a JPEG image. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. On the item is an image of Thorin Oakenshield and dwarves in 24bit. Thorin Oakenshield is surrounded by the dwarves. The artwork relates to the rise of Thorin Oakenshield to the expedition leader leader of "Thorin and Company" in the late summer of 2941.

(sorry for the DF reference, I play that stuff waaay too much)

 

[Avon]

I'm getting excited now.....

[video=youtube_share;JTSoD4BBCJc]http://youtu.be/JTSoD4BBCJc[/video]