This postFrom Yahoo News:
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.
Thoughts?
In my opinion, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was so well done that this announcement is a good one! Jackson has created a world in my mind through his 3 LOTR films, and his involvement in the Hobbit films (I heard there will be 2) should connect them back to the LOTR…even if he turns out to not be the director too.
This brought one other realization for me…I can’t believe it’s been 4 whole years since the ROTK was released!
I believe I jumped in excitement when I read that yesterday. The only thing I’m sad about is that he won’t be directing, but I actually am coming to terms with his reasons on that. Especially with the writers’ strike, if he were to direct it would take that much longer for the movie to be released. On this second installment, the gap b/w Hobbit and LOTR, I’m not so sure how I feel about that. Tolkien left a wealth of information, but no book . . . do we really want Jackson to make a movie out of the appendices?
You didn’t mention the most important part: it’s going to be two separate movies, filmed concurrently. “The Hobbit” is a pretty short book. Seeing what they’ve done with Narnia, it’s not surprising to imagine a full-length movie from a children’s book, but two? I’ve made the joke a few times already, but I think it should be “There” and “Back Again.”
*is very excited*
Do you think we’ll be allowed to reread the Hobbit and LOTR and get paid for it over the next two weeks?
I’m excited for the movie. It will be interesting to see how Jackson’s input will help make it as good as the trilogy.
Sean: Four years already? Goodness. I just got the platinum extended DVDs of LOTR for $26 (thanks to a $50 gift certificate from work and a 20%-off sale at the bookstore). Haven’t really had time to watch all the goodies yet, but the few I’ve seen were scrumptious. I heart Tolkien.
Marisa: While I too wish that Jackson were directing — how much say will he have as a producer? Enough to make a difference? — the Hobbit does have a rather different feel than LOTR, so maybe a new director will be a good thing. I don’t know about the appendices stuff, though. Hmm.
M: Yeah, I somehow missed that. Two? Goodness. That’s cool, though — the more, the better. Now if only they’d take the Silmarillion and all twelve volumes of the History of Middle-Earth and film them. (I’m joking. :)) And LOL on the joke. I like it. :)
Joni: Good. :)
David: (For context for the rest of you, David and I work together at Special Collections, and there’ll be a power outage at the library for the next two weeks, so they’re offering employees the option to stay home and read selected readings.) I wish. :P (If we could somehow work it into libraries and archives and come up with a justifiable connection, though…)
