From Royd Tolkien:
I’ve had a bunch of people asking my opinion on the recent New Line / Peter Jackson / Hobbit news. These are my thoughts…
Before Peter made Lord Of The Rings all I knew of his work was that I really enjoyed his films. That all changed a few years ago. He’s not only a filmmaker, he’s someone that I now trust and respect.
Before the films were made I held massive reservations and fears that JRRT and LOTR would be used as merely a tool for producing revenue and would result ultimately in a substandard film. But it’s different now, and it’s different because of Peter.
3 weeks ago those feelings returned. Without him, The Hobbit will become what I had earlier feared LOTR was to become.
To find a new director after the time and dedication Peter and all his people put in would not just be wrong, it would also be a bad decision.
Now I know and understand that some purists would disagree with me, and whilst I again understand and agree with their right to have an opinion, just imagine how bad it could have been without Peter at the helm. Peter didn’t just direct a film, he brought together a highly impressive team.
Think about the different elements of his team; first there was the thoughtfulness and professionalism of Richard Taylor and everyone at Weta who realised the complex detail needed to make it believable; secondly the way Howard Shore’s beautiful music compliments and binds the film. In addition to this there is the wonderfully detailed concepts of Alan Lee and John Howe, both of whose insights helped craft the feel of the film. The fabulous costumes of Ngila Dickson, the photography and vision of Andrew Lesnie, and New Zealand, a country that lends itself perfectly to Middle Earth with its breathtaking and varied landscapes. All of these elements and many more were brought together by Peter.
How could a different director do what Peter has done? How would they find a similar team of people who have the knowledge, passion and understanding of a world they helped create?
Surely that doesn’t make any sense when Peter already holds the key.
I do understand and agree with Peter’s position, although I only know on the surface what must be a very difficult and frustrating decision for him.
I know it’s not simply a matter of saying yes. There’s a mountain of issues that lie between New Line and Peter, but there must be some way to resolve this.
I imagine there’s been an awful lot of letters and conversations between both camps, heels have been dug in and hair pulled out. If only there was some way to sort out the stalemate between them and find that common ground and resolution which is needed to do justice to such an important book.
Whilst I don’t know the inner relationship between New Line and Peter, what i do know is that they backed him, all those years ago, to produce LOTR. For that part and many more they played, I’m forever grateful.
When I saw the end result on screen, knowing that everyone had played a part in putting it there, and were all united in putting it there, it made me smile. I’m sorry but has everyone forgot those simple smiles? Isn’t that what making films is all about?
If Peter hadn’t made LOTR with the respect he showed to my Great Grandfather, I’d not have felt compelled to voice my opinion.
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There have been a slew of rumors going around that the online petitions, actor talkback, and fan protests have prompted New Line/MGM to rethink their plans and invite Peter Jackson back on The Hobbit. We at TORN can state unequivocally that there is no truth to these reports and Peter has not been contacted by New Line or anyone else in relation to the Hobbit… Does this mean he will never be contacted? Certainly not, we just want to clear up rumors to the contrary. The status quo remains the status quo…for now anyways!
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Tinuvielas writes: I just talked to editor Jochen Schuetze from the German magazine “Cinema” about the Saul Zaentz-interview (in the current issue) and about “The Hobbit”. According to him, the interview was given around October 15th when Zaentz was in Berlin.
Xoanon here, this interview was done well over a month before we released Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh’s letter, setting off a firestorm of controversy online and in Hollywood. My hope it to get Mr. Zaentz to comment now regarding this, in lieu of these new revelations!
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Saul Zaentz, the owner of Tolkien Enterprises, and ultimate holder of the film rights to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings was very recently interviewed about the Hobbit and Peter Jackson’s involvement.
The interview has since been posted on German Rings site Elbenwald. You can read the original article here. It’s in German, so below is a translation of his comments. The translation comes from Jurgen at TheHobbit-Movie.com.
Q: What is with the long anticipated Hobbit-adaption?
A: It will definitely be shot by Peter Jackson. The question is only when. He wants to shoot another movie first. Next year the Hobbit-rights will fall back to my company. I suppose that Peter will wait because he knows that he will make the best deal with us. And he is fed up with the studios: to get his profit share on the rings trilogy he had to sue New Line. With us in contrast he knows that he will be paid fairly and artistically supported without reservation.
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Word from a reliable source indicates that Sam Raimi has been approached to direct THE HOBBIT. Since Peter Jackson’s (Middle-)earth shattering news that he is off the project, it seems the Spider-Man director may step into his place. Raimi was born on October 23rd, 1959 in Royal Oak, Michigan. His first big hit was ‘The Evil Dead’ but he really gained cult status with ‘Evil Dead II’. It is his amazing work on the Spider-Man series that has propelled Raimi to the mainstream. His latest film ‘Spider-Man 3’ is due out this May.
While there is no word on Raimi accepting the invitation, it remains to be seen who, if anyone, will be replacing Peter Jackson!
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TheOneRing.net believes that our strongest allegiance is to you, the Lord of the Ring fans. Therefore, we will continue to strive to keep you up to date with all of the latest information on the making — or breaking — of The Hobbit.
The best way for us to do that is to give you the information you need to express your feelings, especially after reading Peter Jackson’s letter to our community. Tell the people who can change the future of this film what you think about the recent developments in the possible production of The Hobbit, and how you hope they proceed.
NEW LINE CINEMA:
Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Robert K. Shaye and Michael Lynne
New Line Cinema Corp.
888 7th Ave., Fl. 19
New York, NY 10106
Phone: 212-649-4900
Fax: 2112-649-4966
Contact Form: http://www.newline.com/contactus.shtml
TIME WARNER CORPORATION
New Line Cinema parent company
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019-8016
212.484.8000
MGM/UA
CEO Harry E. Sloan and COO Rick Sands
10250 Constellation Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90067-6421
Contact Form: http://www.mgm.com/help.do
SONY
MGM parent company
Sony Corporation of America
550 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Contact: consumer@SPHECustomerSupport.sony.com
Please be as professional and courteous as possible in your correspondence with these entities – and take into account how they are responsible for bringing The Hobbit to the big screen!
If you are inclined to sign petitions, here is a running list of what is currently out there:
The Hobbit Film – the way it was meant to be or not at all
The Hobbit petition
Italian fans’ petition
Talk to other fans about how you feel! Share your thoughts on The Hobbit with other Ringers by joining us through our java chat using your browser. Alternatively, point your favorite IRC client to our server:irc.theonering.net and join #theonering.net. Come along and vent and discuss. All we request is that you do so politely!
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