Moviefone scored an interview with Peter Jackson about the pair of ‘Hobbit’ movies that have been burning up internet bandwidth as every site remotely related to popular culture has been scrambling to get the lowdown on what in the devil has been going on. Director Guillermo del Toro has feed us information on our message boards and we have some reliable sources, but producer Jackson set the record strait on a couple of important facts:
* He says the 2nd script is now finished. “So the studio’s got both scripts now, which is a milestone,” said Jackson.
* The two movies haven’t been “delayed” because they never had a schedule
* No actors have been cast because the film hasn’t received a greenlight from the studios
* He confirmed our report about the MGM situation slowing up the start of production
You can read the whole story right here. Thanks to Magpie on our message boards and the blog of TORn friend Doug Adams on his LOTR music blog.
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.
Thanks to Ringer Alex for sending along this link today.
HONG KONG – One of Peter Jackson’s frequent collaborators says the “Lord of the Rings” director passed the torch to Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro to give the trilogy’s two-part prequel, “The Hobbit,” a fresh look.
After the huge success of the “Rings” series, Jackson is now working on adapting the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy novel that takes place before the trilogy. But this time the Oscar-winning New Zealand filmmaker is producing and working on the script, relinquishing directing duties to Del Toro, whose credits include “Pan’s Labyrinth” and the two “Hellboy” movies.
With rumors abound that The Hobbit will be shot in 3D, the current rage in Hollywood, some fans are concerned that the fad will take away from the film. What do you think?
The Hobbit movie due to begin filming in Wellington will be made in 3D, industry sources say.
But a spokesman for producer Peter Jackson would not confirm the move, saying it was still only being talked about.
The decision follows the box-office success of three-dimensional films such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. It comes after The Hobbit director Guillermo del Toro dropped the hint on a Lord of the Rings fan website earlier this month.
Del Toro said the film’s studio backers were making inquiries about filming the adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit in 3D and discussions had begun.
Ataahua sent in the tip: But British actor Sir Ian McKellen – best known for his role as Gandalf in the Rings sword and sorcery epic – said on his website that he would reprise the role of the grey-haired wizard and expected shooting to begin this June. More..
