Rumors have hit the interwebs today that there is an now an official greenlight for ‘The Hobbit’ which we have learned is not true and further have learned that that 3D is a bit unlikely at this point. A greenlight would mean that Warner Bros. either with MGM or despite MGM and its uncertain future, have approved a budget and put the movie-making machine in motion. We checked with our global spy network and our own Xoanon heard back from sources in New Zealand that this is not true. So fans, calm those heart palpitations. Update #1: Another rock-solid trusted source has checked in with duplicate info so if there were any doubts, obliterate them. No lights are green*.
On the side of good news, a completely different source (yes, a third) confirmed that word is out to those involved with the production to prepare for a potential November start date. So while there isn’t officially a ‘go’ on the pair of films to be directed by Guillermo del Toro and produced by Peter Jackson, the film industries in Hollywood and Wellington are still keeping that target in mind. That, as Kiwis can tell you, turns out to be just about the right time to shoot on Hobbiton. And, if it wasn’t clear already, the moment, yea, the instant we hear official word has been given, we will post it here. *Update #2: There is nothing definitive but a highly placed source also tells us today (thanks to the ‘green’ ruckus) that 3D looks less likely at this point. Reading between the lines, 3D would add to both budget and schedule and the parties involved don’t want to sacrifice story or shooting time just to have 3D flicks.
Posted in:
Share:
Brian writes: I don’t know if this was posted somewhere on your site, but you might be interested in knowing that the Hobbiton set in New Zealand was just featured as a photo shoot location on “America’s Next Top Model” of all shows! More..
Posted in:
Share:
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Peter Jackson, Executive Producer of the upcoming Hobbit films says of the films’ behind-the-scenes footage that “We’ve been filming DVD material for about a year. Guillermo has been doing location scouts and design work, with the DVD people following him around, so we’ve shot 20 or 30 hours of DVD material so far and we’re still a few months away from the first day of shooting.”
Asked about converting the LOTR films to 3D, he says, “You can do [2D to 3D] conversions well if you take time. If you do it quickly, fast and cheap, it’s not going to turn out well. If we were going to convert LOTR, I’d want to do it properly, which would be a very long, time-consuming, and expensive process.”
Lastly, his opinion on the not-so-positive fan reaction to the recently released Theatrical BluRay version seems to jibe with the majority of the fans. “I agree with the fans”, he says. “I was heavily involved in the DVD process when the films were being released through New Line, but now that Warner Brothers has taken control over the releasing of the films, they just tell me what they’re doing and don’t involve me in the process. [With New Line,] the one thing we never did with the fans was make them feel cheated. Back in the original release, we always put extra material in, extra documentaries — a lot of added value. I so totally understand why the fans would be upset; I don’t disagree with them.”
Read the entire interview over at The Wall Street Journal.
Thanks to Patty on our message boards for alerting us to this interview.
Posted in:
Share:
The Matamata Chronicle got a tour of Hobbiton; the report on Stuff.co.nz has details of the new construction, saying it will look exactly as it did in “The Lord of the Rings.” The bridge and mill are being rebuilt! Take the last line, which talks about shooting dates and 3D, with a grain of salt: It sounds like a wrap-up of previous reports, not all confirmed, rather than fresh news. Read More
Posted in:
Share:
This feels like 1999 all over again, we have another collection of set pictures from the New Zealand set of Hobbiton. Thanks to Paul for sending these along!
Posted in:
Share:
The great folks from Red Carpet Tours (redcarpet-tours.com) have sent along this report and imagery from the Hobbiton set near Matamata, New Zealand:
At last – work on the set at Hobbiton is under way in earnest ! A team of 60 people have begun building Hobbit holes. Three of those under construction are new and rather large. Does that mean we’ll be able to step inside them? Check out the photos below.
Click an image for a larger version
Posted in:
Share:
