He’s a Tolkien fan with a talent for comedy – so what better Hobbit role could there be for Stephen Hunter than food-loving, clumsy and loveable Bombur? I recently had the good fortune of catching a few minutes of Stephen’s time to ask him about his first reactions to being cast in a major role in the upcoming, two-film adaptation of “The Hobbit.”
“The Hobbit is my first job in fantasy – in fact this is my first big-budget film,” he says. “In most of the TV commercials I’ve done I’ve been the comedic relief. I’m only assuming that with Bombur there may be some comedy. Being cast in The Hobbit is really exciting and really an honour. I auditioned for the original Lord of the Rings way back when I signed with my agent in New Zealand. When I saw the films I thought, ‘Man, I so want to do The Hobbit’. “I’m just going to throw everything I’ve got into it. If I don’t come out the other end absolutely exhausted then I haven’t done my job.”
Continue reading “TORn Exclusive: an interview with Stephen Hunter/Bombur”
TheOneRing.net would like to wish a very happy birthday to Sir Peter! New Zealand filmmaker, producer and screenwriter, Peter Jackson is best known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy adapted from the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien. He is also known for his 2005 remake of King Kong and as the producer of the critically acclaimed film District 9. We venture to say this past year was more eventful than PJ ever imagined it would be. Now that things seem to be back on track for “The Hobbit” to move forward, we wish Peter a productive and successful upcoming year.
WacoKid writes: After last week’s Hobbit casting news I thought you might find this new interview with the mighty Brian Blessed of interest – the first five minutes he’s talking about Z-Cars and Flash Gordon but at the end of the video he mentions he was in discussions with Guillermo del Toro over a role in The Hobbit, with del Toro particularly interested in some Welsh mythology linking Brian and dwarves. Thought I’d highlight this as I’m not sure I’ve previously heard confirmation that Brian was in talks for a role in The Hobbit. More..
Mark Tatulli’s ‘Heart of the City’ has once again gone geek, but this time with a Halloween twist! Click on the thumbnail above to read the comic.
Oct. 31st 2010, Los Angeles Master of Horror set to bring you the girl of your dreams. John Carpenter is onboard to direct Darkchylde, based on the comic by Randy Queen about a good hearted southern teen cursed to become the creatures from her many recurring nightmares. Every time Ariel Chylde transforms, she sheds her skin and a new nightmare emerges from her Id to act out her deepest, darkest impulses.
John Carpenter and Sandy King’s Storm King Productions have allied with Randy and Sarah Queen’s Darkchylde Ent. to produce the film, following the release of test footage created by Richard Taylor’s Academy Award Winning Weta Workshop. (The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, King Kong, The Hobbit)
John Carpenter says, “Randy Queen’s hijacked angel, Ariel Chylde, is the best young female character since Laurie Strode in Halloween. Bringing Ariel and her dark mysteries to life should be quite an adventure for us all.” Continue reading “John Carpenter to Direct Darkchylde”
MGM Creditors have overwhelmingly approved a deal put on the table by Spyglass in September. MGM will now enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and will emerge with Spyglass heads Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum at the helm in return for a rumored 5% share of MGM. The remaining 95% will go to the creditors who will swap almost $4 billion in debt for equity ownership in the legendary studio, estimated to now be worth just under $2 billion. The deal puts up a major road block to the plans of Carl Ichan and Lions Gate, who entered a last minute offer to merge with MGM. However, according to Reuters, experts say the activist shareholder could still challenge the deal in bankruptcy court, and an eventual partnership between MGM and Lions Gate remains possible.
Of course, the primary question we’re all interested in is: what does this mean for “The Hobbit”? In this fan’s opinion, the answer is: very little. The movie has been greenlit which means the funds necessary to move forward with production have already been committed. We may never know exactly what shuffling of money and deal-making resulted in those funds becoming available, but. available they are, and the upcoming bankruptcy proceedings shouldn’t come anywhere close to affecting a revenue-making prospect like a major film in progress. Other than that, MGM will emerge as a healthier, better run, company which can only be good news to Hobbit fans everywhere.
