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.
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
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!
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!
Moments ago we received this email from Peter Jackson and his crew down in New Zealand, take a look…
Dear One Ringers,
As you know, there’s been a lot of speculation about The Hobbit. We are often asked about when or if this film will ever be made. We have always responded that we would be very interested in making the film – if it were offered to us to make.
You may also be aware that Wingnut Films has bought a lawsuit against New Line, which resulted from an audit we undertook on part of the income of The Fellowship of the Ring. Our attitude with the lawsuit has always been that since it’s largely based on differences of opinion about certain accounting practices, we would like an independent body – whether it be a judge, a jury, or a mediator, to look at the issues and make an unbiased ruling. We are happy to accept whatever that ruling is. In our minds, it’s not much more complex than that and that’s exactly why film contracts include right-to-audit clauses.
However, we have always said that we do not want to discuss The Hobbit with New Line until the lawsuit over New Line’s accounting practices is resolved. This is simple common sense – you cannot be in a relationship with a film studio, making a complex, expensive movie and dealing with all the pressures and responsibilities that come with the job, while an unresolved lawsuit exists.
We have also said that we do not want to tie settlement of the lawsuit to making a film of The Hobbit. In other words, we would have to agree to make The Hobbit as a condition of New Line settling our lawsuit. In our minds this is not the right reason to make a film and if a film of The Hobbit went ahead on this basis, it would be doomed. Deciding to make a movie should come from the heart – it’s not a matter of business convenience. When you agree to make a film, you’re taking on a massive commitment and you need to be driven by an absolute passion to want to get the story on screen. It’s that passion, and passion alone, that gives the movie its imagination and heart. To us it is not a cold-blooded business decision.
A couple of months ago there was a flurry of Hobbit news in the media. MGM, who own a portion of the film rights in The Hobbit, publicly stated they wanted to make the film with us. It was a little weird at the time because nobody from New Line had ever spoken to us about making a film of The Hobbit and the media had some fun with that. Within a week or two of those stories, our Manager Ken Kamins got a call from the co-president of New Line Cinema, Michael Lynne, who in essence told Ken that the way to settle the lawsuit was to get a commitment from us to make the Hobbit, because “that’s how these things are done”. Michael Lynne said we would stand to make much more money if we tied the lawsuit and the movie deal together and this may well be true, but it’s still the worst reason in the world to agree to make a film.
Several years ago, Mark Ordesky told us that New Line have rights to make not just The Hobbit but a second “LOTR prequel”, covering the events leading up to those depicted in LOTR. Since then, we’ve always assumed that we would be asked to make The Hobbit and possibly this second film, back to back, as we did the original movies. We assumed that our lawsuit with the studio would come to a natural conclusion and we would then be free to discuss our ideas with the studio, get excited and jump on board. We’ve assumed that we would possibly get started on development and design next year, whilst filming The Lovely Bones. We even had a meeting planned with MGM executives to talk through our schedule.
However last week, Mark Ordesky called Ken and told him that New Line would no longer be requiring our services on the Hobbit and the LOTR ‘prequel’. This was a courtesy call to let us know that the studio was now actively looking to hire another filmmaker for both projects.
Ordesky said that New Line has a limited time option on the film rights they have obtained from Saul Zaentz (this has never been conveyed to us before), and because we won’t discuss making the movies until the lawsuit is resolved, the studio is going to have to hire another director.
Given that New Line are committed to this course of action, we felt at the very least, we owed you, the fans, a straightforward account of events as they have unfolded for us.
We have always had the greatest support from The Ringers and we are very sorry our involvement with The Hobbit has been ended in this way. Our journey into Tolkien’s world started with a phone call from Ken Kamins to Harvey Weinstein in Nov 1995 and ended with a phone call from Mark Ordesky to Ken in Nov 2006. It has been a great 11 years.
This outcome is not what we anticipated or wanted, but neither do we see any positive value in bitterness and rancor. We now have no choice but to let the idea of a film of The Hobbit go and move forward with other projects.
We send our very best wishes to whomever has the privilege of making The Hobbit and look forward to seeing the film on the big screen.
Warmest regards to you all, and thanks for your incredible support over the years.
We got to go there – but not back again …
Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh
Xoanon here, this is a big blow to the LOTR community. I feel like there has been a death in the family…there are a LOT of questions that will remain unanswered for the time being. Why couldn’t New Line come to an agreement with PJ? Is there really a time option on the film rights for New Line? Who will they get to direct? Those are some massive shoes to fill if you ask me. I hope that whoever they get to direct will not try something ‘new’ with the look and feel of PJ’s Middle-earth…and what is this LOTR ‘prequel’ project?
There have been rumors about The Hobbit being split into two films, will this prequel project then become the third film in another trilogy? Who knows…
I’m sure Peter and Fran aren’t going to want to talk more about this, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be begging for a sitdown and chat! Stay tuned for more…
Update: Demosthenes here. Like yourselves, many of us here have been getting more and more excited by the news that the Hobbit, whether via one or two movies, seems to be gradually drawing closer to production. The news that Jackson and MGM studios were in close talks and that production could begin as soon as 2008 or 2009 was particularly promising.
The news of New Line’s apparent veto is quite cutting. What does it mean for the viability of the production? Will anyone back two films if Jackson is not directing? Who are the alternatives anyway? Will WETA still do the FX, and will the production be based in New Zealand? And will actors such as Ian McKellen still want to come on board? A few of us are discussing these things in TheOneRing.net’s IRC channel. If you to care to join us, simply drop in and join us through our java chat using your browser. Alternatively, point your favourite 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!
Lith writes: Here is a report on the deliveries of The Hobbit Petition to MGM and New Line on September 22nd. The petition, with the 39116 signatures accumlutated at the time of printing, was delivered to the studios along with a copy of MrCere’s open letter to the studios. Though we have had no feedback at this time from New Line, I did receive this very cordial email from Theo Dumont of MGM today, with full permission to pass it along. It should hearten fans a good bit.
“Dear organizers of The Hobbit Petition:
We would like to give you the official statement from MGM. Feel free to pass this along to your members and affiliated web sites. Thank you and please see below:
“Peter Jackson’s phenomenal success with The Lord of the Rings trilogy makes him the first and most ideal choice for directing The Hobbit,” said MGM. “MGM would be thrilled to collaborate with the Academy Award-winning director on this MGM New Line Cinema production. And, I’m sure to the delight of the 50,000 filmgoers who have petitioned us in recent weeks, demanding we bring this film to fruition, we have had a few initial conversations about the project with Mr. Jackson’s representatives.”
Best regards,
Theo Dumont
Manager of Public Relations
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.”
Welcome to the party! We – meaning fans of The Hobbit – have been sitting around waiting for you to show up since the minute The Return of the King ended at our local cinema and for many, perhaps longer than that. We have virtual balloons, streamers, banners, fireworks and of course, beer all prepared. We have just been waiting for you to arrive.
Variety makes it sound like a The Hobbit movie is going to happen and maybe relatively soon and as you may have guessed, we are thrilled. The little leaked tidbit – hidden in an MGM business story – poked the still very potent coals of the Lord of the Rings fandom. The heat that rests within these embers will glow white-hot for a good long time because the fires of passion for the works of J.R.R. Tolkien have been inspiring readers (and movie-goers) since there was only one World War. This bit of news gives us a little fuel for the fire, so thanks!
It is difficult for a studio or individuals in a studio to understand the real passion that readers have for the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Thanks to the vision of New Line Cinema and the work of Peter Jackson and his team, a whole new audience of impassioned fans was created. The films were adopted into popular culture to a degree not witnessed since the days when George Lucas shocked the world. We know you noticed this. You saw it at the box office; you saw it on MTV, at award shows, at the toy and poster aisles at Wal-Mart and everywhere else.
But you may not understand that we are far more than a gaggle of ear-wearing fanatics – as short-cut journalists often like to portray us. We are school teachers and we use Tolkien in the classroom. We are computer programmers and website developers. We work in Hollywood, we are opera singers, we are environmental scientists, we are students, we are accountants, we are readers; we are everybody and everything, but we are bound together by a love for the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
So while New Line and MGM hold the rights to make and distribute The Hobbit we feel that we own it too. It is our story too. For many of us it has been an old friend for decades now. Not only is it part of our childhood, it is part of our adolescence and our adulthood. So, take good care of our story and we know – from decades of experience and lots of readings – our story will take good care of you. If you trust it, so will its fans. Trust the story.
While it does come down to that ultimately, we have so much more to say to you here in the infancy of the film. Please listen.
And by the way, we know you better than you might think. We may not know the day-to-day realities of movie studio business in Hollywood (and like how to make sausage, we don’t want to know) but at the very least we have a sense, as consumers, of who you are. Few LOTR film-fans don’t have a soft spot for New Line Cinema. We know the story of Robert Shaye saying “Why only two films?” to Peter Jackson when the films’ ultimate fate hung in the balance. We remember well the perception in 2000 when ‘the fate of New Line’ hung in the balance, again according to those short-cut media types. We also know you are home to Freddy Kruger and we were tickled when your Snakes On A Plane was all the internet rage. New Line means something to us.
And MGM, old friend, we admire you as well. Your lion and towering presence in Hollywood’s history can’t be missed. We are also aware of the business of being bought and sold and we have even visited your theme parks and casinos. While fantasy films aren’t exactly your biggest staple, we surely are giving you the benefit of the doubt.
Let me be clear that I don’t presume to speak for all fans and I couldn’t with any authority because we never all got together and took a vote on anything but I think, from my frequent and quality interactions with many other fans, that I can speak in broad terms and represent a sizeable segment of fandom.
So first things first, would somebody please call Peter Jackson? Now! Today! New Line and PJ still have this sticky lawsuit left over from the LOTR films so we are a bit concerned. Jackson has made it very clear, over and over, even again this week, that he has not yet been invited to the table to have Hobbit discussions. Let the lawyers handle the lawsuit and please, please, get the creative folks together immediately. And by the way, when we say “Peter Jackson” we actually mean Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Richard Taylor and even include conceptual artists Alan Lee and John Howe. Taylor and his Weta Workshop are the gold-standard in the effects industry these days and not just among LOTR fans. Did you see the visuals in King Kong? Actually, we know you did.
It was Taylor’s crew, empowered by Jackson, who made us believe so strongly that we did indeed see Middle-earth – the same one we read about – on the screen. Tolkien purist-scholars and critics of Jackson’s films can find fault, but can’t touch the images that felt like home to most of us. We realize “Jackson” comes as a package with Weta and Boyens and Walsh, but it is still is worth mentioning. We want the old gang back to make a film that feels like it fits right with the others. It should organically feel the same but you already know that, right?
Still, having said all that, The Hobbit isn’t The Lord of the Rings. Fans will not be looking for even bigger battles or another ‘even more epic’ quest. Resist the idea that there should be even more special special effects and if 100,000 orcs are grand then 200,000 is magnificent. For us, it is the character and heart that will lend this film magic and make it majestic. And while we are addressing characters, please don’t Disneyfy the dwarves. We want our Thorin Oakenshield brave and valiant (if a bit greedy) and we have had our fill of dwarf jokes. And don’t try to simplify the story by cutting a few out. For this story and this audience, that just will not fly.
It goes without saying that Sir Ian McKellen must return as Gandalf and our Gollum must be Andy Serkis, without a doubt. Casting for Elrond should also be finished and if I were producing I would ask Orlando Bloom to walk through the screen during the battle of five armies. Remember that Cate Blanchett and Martin Csokas sit on the White Counsel. In short, give us the Middle-earth, and its inhabitants, that we already know. Save the fresh perspectives and ‘new take on Tolkien’ for the 20 hour HBO mini-series called “The Silmarillion” or the inevitable and even welcome remake in ten years. Oh and don’t let us hear that you haven’t read The Quest of Erebor.
Just in case you wondered, ‘Star Power’ is a pointless exercise for this film so please doesn’t feel the need to drop a Tom Cruise into the cast. The only ‘name’ needed on the marquee is The Hobbit. (Although Clive Owen as Bard does sound brilliant!) Cast the perfect actors, not the perfect marketing strategy.
Another issue for fans is trust. We realize the whole internet-looking-into-films makes studios nervous, but don’t treat us like the enemy because we are anything but that. We are the best marketing tool you can hope to have and the only pay we require is some respect, trust and inclusion. Keep us informed and let us have a voice, even if you don’t agree or follow our suggestions. We don’t want to tell anybody how to make a film, but it might be wise to consider our opinions and take our counsel before some decisions are made. Consider us a collective advisor. We are the scouts that don’t need to know the battle plan, but who are uniquely positioned to report on the landscape. Treat our internet reporters as the legitimate news hounds they are and as we demonstrate our fairness and accuracy and ethics (and I don’t mean reporting-as-directed or pandering) give us the same access that you give traditional media. When media gather for a press junket we hope for the same invites, access and courtesy.
A final point: this ‘two movie’ phrase has us a little divided. Some see the possibility of the story being properly told over two films while others see the dangers of stretching a plot so thin that it gets distorted and padded. Again we ask you to trust the source and serve the story first, however that happens. If it takes two films to tell the story as well as it can be told, then we will enthusiastically support two films.
In short, trust Jackson, trust us and above all, trust the story.
The BIG news has finally hit. A Ringer Spy who was recently in the New York offices of New Line Cinema has reported that they clearly saw ‘The Hobbit’ on the film schedule for 2007. Here’s what the spy had to say:
“Please leave my email anonymous as I have some very exciting news to report. I was in New Line’s NY offices to discuss upcoming projects when I clearly saw something very intriguing on a year planner. ‘The Hobbit’ was clearly marked on what looked like July 2007. I couldn’t exactly take a moment to investigate the calendar with my audience in the room, but it definitely said ‘The Hobbit’. Lets hope this is a PJ project!”
