Things are hotting up as the Hall H presentation approaches. We’re going to try to bring you as many rolling updates as we possibly can as often as we can about what’s going on!
Update #1
Andy Serkis and Lee Pace stopped by the Hall H line late last night. Apparently some 10,000 people have queued, all trying to get in!
Update #2
Peter Jackson had some fun yesterday strolling the floor at SDCC in a harlequin outfit! Neat. Check out the pictures here.
Update #3
INSIDE: Both walls of Hall H have expanded to reveal HUGH screens on either side of the stage.
Update #4
First up is Batman vs Superman. Chris Hardwick introduces @ZackSnyder to the stage!
Read the Empire mag report on the B vs S panel
Update #5
Jupiter Ascending up next, hello Channing Tatum. TORn staff consensus is that The Hobbit will be last on the list today.
Update #7
Empire magazine reports: Jupiter Ascending footage looked epic and insane. Huge space battles, Channing Tatum fighting a lizard with a cape.
Next up: the return of Mad Max in Fury Road. Tagline: Fire. Blood. Oil.
Update #8
Empire mag: We’ve just seen the first shot from Fury Road — it’s a very Mad Maxian traffic jam, with huge cars and trucks trying to get over a rockfall.
Comingsoon.net: George Miller has come on stage!
Update #9
TORn Staffer Garfemaio: Mad Max written like a long comic book, in storyboard, no real script. A western on the road, in yhe future, but feels primal.
Update #10
Empire: Mad Max: Fury Road looks astonishing. Vehicular mayhem on a scale we’ve never seen before. It’s like the best Top Gear special ever made.
Update #11
Empire: Have you ever seen an insanely complicated car chase through giant sand tornadoes? Us neither. Fury Road will change all that.
TORn Staffer Garfemaio: George Miller is first to sit and talk, and bring a lot of footage. Charlize is wicked hardcore.
Comingsoon.net: Yep, he [Miller] is doing one [QnA] right now. He’s talking about how having an increased budget has changed the filmmaking.
Update #12
Torn staffer Mr Cere: Can’t believe how completely sold I am on MAD MAX: FURY ROAD! #SDCC amazing footage.
Update #13
It’s Hobbit time!
Update #14
Comingsoon.net: Actually, not a trailer. It’s a montage of scenes from all Jackson’s Middle-earth films
Update #15
Update #16
Comingsoon.net: Steven Colbert has taken over as moderator! He’s dressed in a Laketown costume with an eye patch!
The sizzle reel for the new Hobbit shows characters from all six Middle-earth movies. Feels like a high school reunion.
Update #17
Update #18
“Go tell the master of Laketown that THE HOBBIT panel is about to begin,” Colbert whispers to the boy, who runs off. He jokingly referred to the new film as THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE FOR SIX MOVIES.
Update #19
Empire: Colbert, by the way, is a MASSIVE Tolkien fan. He’s the perfect choice to host this panel. He’s talking about his love for both trilogies.
Evangeline Lilly: #TopSecret #Spoiler but I’m just entering Hall H for @TheHobbitMovie #TBOTFA panel! See you on the other side!#SDCC14
Comingsoon.net: THey’re about to show a deleted sequence, featuring another Laketown spy, played by Peter Jackson.
Update #20
Jason Nathanson @ABCNewsJason 2m I’m standing next to Benedict Cumberbatch and Evangeline Lily right now, who are watching Stephen Colbert talk lovingly about Tolkien
Update #21
WB posted this image then deleted it. We’re not sure why.
Update #22
StephenAtHome intros a LOTR/Hobbit blooper reel, including @IanMcKellen as Gandalf flashing the camera w/his bare legs & underwear. #SDCC
Amazing blooper reel from LORD OF THE RINGS and THE HOBBIT being shown. Hugo Weaving does Agent Smith, Ian McKellen sexy dances and more.
Update #23
Andy Serkis @andyserkis 13s Well Hello, HALL H! #SDCC2014 #SDCC #TheHobbit @TheHobbitMovie @StephenAtHome
Update #24
Torn Staffer Garfeimao 18s Outtakes from all 5 films, some hilarious
The Hobbit panel has begun in earnest: the gang is all here. Including Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis! Richard Armitage & Martin Freeman are both on stage in London right now, and McKellen is shooting Mr Holmes, so they’re not here. Jackson and his cast are taking the stage!
Update #25
Andy Serkis, Elijah Wood, Evangeline Lily, Benedict Cumberbatch, Phillippa Boyens, Luke Evans, Lee Pace. Cate Blanchett is there too. That’s a surprise.
Update #26
Peter Jackson is talking about his original pitch to Miramax back in the day: one Hobbit movie followed by two Lord of the Rings films.
Colbert says that, because THE HOBBIT is three movies, he feels Jackson owes him six more LotR movies. “If Warner can find a way to do that,” Jackson laughs.
Update #27
joblo.com: Stephen Colbert to Elijah Wood: “Why don’t you age?
“Peter, did you know you were casting the Immortal?” – @StephenAtHome to @woodelijah #TheHobbit #SDCC
Cate says she had thought her time in Middle-Earth was over. “You and me both,” is Orlando Bloom’s reply.
Update #28
@StephenAtHome to Peter Jackson: “Did you imagine this would take a generation of your life?” Jackson closes his eyes slowly: “No.” #SDCC
CS.net: PJ’s hope for THE HOBBIT trilogy is that the tone will transition through the films to match the tone of LotR by the end of BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES
Update #29
Colbert is asking what Boyens and Jackson would add to LotR if they could. Boyens is talking about Tom Bombadil, but says that he’s probably something best left to a future generation of filmmakers. Peter Jackson says the films have gotten progressively darker, but they’re not dark.
Peter Jackson on the end of #TheHobbit trilogy: “There’s a lot of sadness and tragedy, which is good.”
Update #30
@ABCNewsJason: Benedict Cumberbatch on the difference between his Hobbit characters: One’s a dragon, one is born out of all evil #ComicCon
Warner Bros Pictures @wbpictures 14s “I was rolling around a carpeted floor like a lunatic. Benedict Cumberbatch on his mo-cap work for @TheHobbitMovie #SDCC
JoBlo.com: The WHOLE crowd goes wild for Andy Serkis. His advice for mo-cap: Watch out for carpet burns.
TORn Staffer Mithril Designs @MithrilDesigns 8s Still editing and shooting #TheHobbitTheBattleoftheFiveArmies Peter Jackson onstage at #ComicCon2014 #TORnHobbit
Update #31
cs.net: Evans is talking about his skill with a bow, which began to develop long before THE HOBBIT. His training for the films, though, added a whole lot.
Empire Magazine @empiremagazine 7s Luke Evans reveals that he learned to fire a bow and arrow at Butlins. It elicits some cheers from the redcoats in the audience. #ComicCon
Update #32
Vine video of the surround screen in Hall H.
Update #33
cs.net: Colbert says that Elves are “the ninjas of Middle-Earth” He asks if we’ll get to see Galadriel enter the battle.
“We do get to see Galadriel ‘losing it a bit’ in this movie,” says Jackson
Update #34
TORn staffer Rasputin 33s #cateblanchett was wearing “disco glam” heels and loses her elven shit, kicks Sauron’s ass in next film. #hobbit #sdcc
cs.net: Colbert is reciting Tolkien poetry right now. He REALLY knows his stuff.
TORn staffer Rasputin 48s #colbert beat Philippa in a Tolkien trivia contest, but Philippa says it was closer than he rembers. #hobbit #sdcc
Update #35
Warner Bros Pictures @wbpictures 14s Cate Blanchett: “I lose my sh*t. My Elven sh*t. @StephenAtHome: “I’m sure it sparkles.” @TheHobbitMovie #SDCC
Evangeline Lilly: I’m a low class trashy elf, but my shit still sparkles.
joblo.com: Shocker: @woodelijah still has not read the HOBBIT or LOTR books.
Update #36
cs.net: Jackson makes it sound like the Hobbit portion will be wrapping in just a few minutes. That means we’ve still got half an hour.
Into the Storm, anyone?
Update #37
#ElijahWood said he may have a painting in his attic that is aging for him. #hobbit #sdcc (Demosthenes: rofl @ Dorian Grey reference)
Empire Magazine @empiremagazine now Evangeline Lilly says she loves Tolkien. Colbert: “You’ve never been more attractive.” #ComicCon
@EricVespe: Blanchett said she was in a high school production of The Hobbit and played Bard.
Update #38
Comingsoon.net: They’re about to show the new teaser.
Update #39
Update #40
Empire Magazine @empiremagazine 32s Just saw the teaser trailer for Battle Of The Five Armies, featuring a shot of Smaug laying waste to Laketown. #ComicCon
Pippin singing over the teaser. The chills. They are upon us. #SDCC
Set to a somber musical version of Tolkien’s “The Walking Song,” the teaser is all about building the intensity of this giant, giant battle. We see all the characters preparing for battle. Troops of Orcs, Elven warriors, etc
total film: “Will you follow me… one last time?” Teaser trailer for Battle Of The Five Armies looks good ‘n’ moody. #SDCC
Empire Magazine @empiremagazine 13s Bard the Bowman: “you will have peace or war.” Thorin, looking possibly insane: “I will have war.” He seems set down a dark path. #ComicCon
Update #41
TRORn staffer Kristin @EloquentDust 52s Battle of the Five Armies teaser trailer? STUNNING! I had goosebumps. #sdcc #Hallh
joblo.com: The entire room was literally shaking during that @TheHobbitMovie teaser. Looks good, but we didn’t see very much
Retweeted by Middle Earth News Josh Wigler @roundhoward 2m “One day I’ll remember everything that happened — the good, the bad, those who survived, and those who did not.” #TheHobbit #SDCC
Brad Gullickson @MouthDork 39s Looks like Elijah Wood got a little teary after watching Battle of 5 Armies teaser trailer. Love to see that. #imacrier #sdcc #hallh
Update #42
cs.net: teaser done… Jackson says he’s still hoping they can open a LORD OF THE RINGS museum one day and make all the props and costumes available to the public
TORn staffer Rasputin @rasputintx 12s So much in the new #hobbit teaser trailer! Thorin chooses war! Thranduil fights orcs! Galadriel save Gandalf! Bilbo waxes poetic! #sdcc
sahraobsessed @sahraobsessed 2m At the end, Thorin asks Bilbo to stand with him one last time http://www.comingsoon.net
Update #43
Teaser sounds amazing! Great lines. Here’s some of Andy Serkis talking about Gollum
Update #44
cs.net: it looks like this panel is going for a bit longer. They’re doing fan questions now
Empire Magazine @empiremagazine 8s Benedict Cumberbatch just said ‘button lady’ in his Smaug voice to a lady wearing, well, lots of buttons. We didn’t know he takes requests.
It’s one of our staff! 🙂
She wants to know if Bard taught Legolas anything about the bow. “He’s got longer arrows and a bigger bow,” kids Bloom, “But I’m a better shot!
Update #45
cs.net: Serkis is talking about performance capture, saying that all he needs is a pair of human eyes to look into
joblo.com: “The magic is having brilliant actors on the set… and not allowing the technology to take over” – Andy Serkis on mo-cap.
cs.net: A fan asked the cast where their characters would go at SDCC. “Hall H,” says Cumberbatch, “I don’t think I’d fit anywhere else!”
#leepace says he would ride his elk up the aisle of Hall H. But #gollum would like to go backstage with #colbert and see what he has in…
cs.net: A fan is asking Jackson and Boyens if they view THE HOBBIT as an adaptation of the book or a prequel to LotR. They both seem to agree that’s it’s really both
Update #46
cs.net: It’s the last fan question now…
cs.net: He’s asking about this set, asking if we’ll see a longer version of the LotR films. Jackson and Boyens are smiling at one another, unsure of what to say. Jackson says that there are a few scenes from LotR that no one has ever seen.
There’s an Arwen and Aragorn scene of them meeting for the first time. He doesn’t know if they’ll go back into the films, though.
Update #47
The segment ends with the announcement of a contest. They’re going to invite 75 winners (each with a guest, too) to THE HOBBIT premiere in New Zealand in November! It says first official screening — we’re not sure whether that means world premiere.
There’s also a video on PJ’s facebook about the contest.
Anyway, go here to see how you can enter!
Update #48
cs.net: Some of the cooler bits: Smaug doing a strife (we think this should be strafe) across Laketown, Thranduil in battle, Galadriel walking barefoot across a battlefield. She kneels and kisses a wounded, unconscious Gandalf on the head.
