“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” So said Galadriel to Frodo in the film adaptation of Lord of the Rings.
It’s a line that resonates strongly with us as people. It offers hope that the little man or woman can, indeed, triumph.
At TheOneRing.net, we firmly believe it ought to be our motto for The Hobbit.
If Lord of the Rings made “bongo bucks” for New Line Cinema, Peter Jackson and a lot of other people, it was in no small part due to the passionate enthusiasm of Tolkien fans worldwide — lovers of JRR’s incredible story who saw something similarly magical in the vision of Peter Jackson and the people who worked with him.
Yet it seems as though the parties involved in the Hobbit have forgotten that it’s the fans who are the source of all the money they’re currently fighting over.
Since Peter Jackson’s and Fran Walsh’s open letter to fans, we’ve witnessed a mass outpouring of disbelief and frustration at the current impasse — and the thought that this might be the end of the Peter Jackson-New Line partnership. Jackson and Walsh proclaim that it is. But one wonders whether New Line is now carefully reconsidering its options.
Studios would be wise to listen to the rumblings of their core audience. After all, we saw what happened with The Hulk.
It might be that the number of fans who would actually boycott the Hobbit would be a small proportion of the total audience. Still, their influence on the merchanidise and DVD sales and repeat-viewing ticket sales is disproportionately large. Any studio – and director – understands that it’s these people who make films profitable.
Not that we are endorsing a boycott.
For one, there’s something to be said for New Line having the fortitude to commission Jackson to make a three-film series and – pretty much on faith – commit $300 million to the project. It was a gamble that, perhaps, could have left the company in financial difficulty had the films flopped. Indeed, considering the recent outcry, they must be considering the fiscal impact of not having Jackson and his people involved, and weighing that against their lawsuit with Wingnut.
In Jackson, they have a known quantity.
They have someone who has a strong rapport with the Tolkien community. They have someone who welded together a team of some of the world’s most creative people who undoubtedly were the backbone of Lord of the Ring’s success. And they have someone who turned an ‘unfilmable’ classic into a multiple Academy Award winning monster.
Not only would a new director have to expend energy building trust with the Tolkien community, a new director would have to build the film-making team anew as well. How much harder would it be for someone to involve Alan Lee or John Howe? To encourage Andy Serkis or Ian McKellen to come aboard? To convince Hugo Weaving to reprise Elrond? Would WETA even be able to be involved? Richard Taylor says that he sees no barrier, but would New Line be as sanguine?
All these considerations mean that an unwise choice by New Line could be very costly.
For these reasons we still hold out hope that the vision that New Line Cinema Co-Chairmen Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne showed with Lord of the Rings will prevail with The Hobbit.
However, we know that there are many bitterly disappointed fans out there who *are* endorsing a boycott.
That’s your right – even if we might not agree with it.
The fact is, there are many views among Tolkien fans about what ought to happen with The Hobbit, and what ought to be done to make it happen. There are those who are pro Peter Jackson. There are those who don’t care and just want The Hobbit made soon. There are even those who want anyone BUT Peter Jackson to direct.
TheOneRing.net is home to all these perspectives.
Which is why, as an editorial team, we feel it’s our primary role to act as a facilitator and an information source. How you should act is for you: the fans, the readers, to decide, not for TheOneRing.net to dictate.
Like you, the fans, all of us at TheOneRing.net would dearly love to see JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit adapted into a film. And just like you, many of our staff hope to see Peter Jackson direct The Hobbit.
We don’t claim that another director couldn’t possibly do an amazing job with Tolkien’s tale. But we believe it would be difficult, if not impossible, to recreate the same look and feel that Lord of the Rings possessed. And we know that many, many fans will be disappointed if Jackson isn’t allowed to ëfinish’ what he began.
New Line and MGM should keep the feelings of fans in mind. Because you, the fans, are also a part of this partnership who ultimately cannot be ignored.
– The Staff of TheOneRing.net
So what do you think of our editorial? Vote on our homepage poll or join the discussion on our forum.
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Xenite.org founder and Tolkien scholar Michael Martinez weighed in with his take on the Hobbit/PJ situation:
“I WOULD like to see Peter make the movie(s). It would be interesting to see his interpretation of THE HOBBIT, but I think it would be a neat experience for the same director to guide our cinematic vision of Middle-earth in one fell swoop. Although I believe there will eventually be more LoTR-based movies by other hands, I don’t think we’ll ever see another director given the opportunity to “sweep” the Tolkien books.
“As far as the settings for Middle-earth, much though I know many fans want to associate New Zealand with Tolkien’s landscapes in their minds, I would not care so much about a different country as a vision that didn’t remind me of Tolkien. Peter could have made Middle-earth look very different in his movies without changing settings. The magic is in part how the director moves through the landscape of the story.
“Maybe the hardest difference to swallow would be seeing another actor play Gandalf. I still have trouble thinking of Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. Not because he isn’t good as Dumbledore, but simply because Richard Harris defined the cinematic character for me. I’ve maintained ever since “Fellowship of the Ring” first screened that Ian McKellen is the perfect Gandalf.
“One more time with Peter, Ian, and whomever else could be drawn into the magic of Faerie from the first three movies would be good for me.
“Finally, if Saul Zaentz has figured out a way to explore more of the timeline, let him. I think we should see many, many Middle-earth movies. Some would be greater than others, but the material is there, waiting to be explored. We could erect no greater tribute to Tolkien’s Art than to help it evolve into a new Art shaped by many minds.”
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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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Arevanye writes: Netflix has partnered with Martin Scorsese’s non-profit organization, The Film Foundation (TFF), to celebrate this holiday season with a unique program. Through this joint venture, TFF provided Netflix with holiday-themed artwork from some of Hollywood’s A-list stars, including Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, Peter Jackson, Martin Scorsese and Charlize Theron. The original celebrity designs will grace the outside of a select number of the iconic Netflix red envelopes which will be distributed to members this holiday season. Netflix will make a donation to TFF as part of the campaign. [More]
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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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