ComingSoon.net reports on an interview with Del Toro about his approach to preparing for The Hobbit. Del Toro talks “feeding his brain” and gathering ideas “in order to conceptualize his own vision of Middle Earth unique from where Peter Jackson went in his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy…” Like Jackson, though, he believes in immersing himself directly in the history and sensibility that informed Tolkien’s experiences. Read More
Category: Director news
Our friends at Popcorn Taxi have come through with the audio of their August 18 Q&A with Guillermo del Toro regarding Hellboy II to transcribe. The biggest bombshell of the night came near the end of the 42 minute session: The first official news that the scripting team of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro had begun writing The Hobbit. Here’s how Guillermo described the breaking news:
Guillermo:
“Well the only thing I can say is that we are now finally and officially and merrily in progression on the scripting process. We are all actively working on it and having a grand time at it. It keeps transforming and changing and it is ‘the most beautiful’ writing experience of my life, I’m enjoying it tremendously – and there’s bound to be news soon enough.”
Without further adieu, here is the transcript in full of the Q&A session. The Hobbit news can be found at (41:21) on the last page. I would encourage everyone to read the full transcript as Guillermo talks in depth about his early interests in automatons and clocks, his characters, cast, monsters fairies and vampires, children’s books, CGI and effects, his childhood, The Golden Compass, spirituality, his inspirations and his perspective of the world he perceives.
From BBC: Director Guillermo del Toro has announced plans to write a trilogy of vampire novels with crime author Chuck Hogan. The 43-year-old, best known for making Pans Labyrinth, Hellboy and The Devil’s Backbone, said the trilogy would advance in “unexpected ways”. The first book, The Strain, will be released next summer. Earlier this month it was reported that del Toro had signed a four-picture deal with film studio Universal. Del Toro to release book trilogy
Xoanon here: Just a little note about these books. THE STRAIN, the novel to be published is already written. The book was finished a while ago, before del Toro even began work on HELLBOY II. He will not be writing it during THE HOBBIT. It is safe to say what happens in NZ will mostly be Hobbity related!
CANBERRA – Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson is to produce a new sound and light show on World War I aviation for the Australian War Memorial. Jackson, who won three Academy Awards for the film trilogy, will produce a 10-minute big-screen extravaganza to help visitors experience the risks, action and drama of First World War aerial battles. “It is very exciting for the memorial to have Peter Jackson involved in the creation of the multimedia for Over the Front,” assistant director for public programs Helen Withnell said. Presented on a large screen – measuring 21m by 3.5m – a 6:1 aspect ratio – the 10-minute sound and light show will be screened each hour. Peter Jackson to produce short WW1 film
From message board member Isildur’s heir: I just received an email from The New Yorker magazine. It seems Guillermo del Toro will be speaking at the Director’s Guild of America, as part of the New Yorker Festival, on October 4 at 7:30 p.m. at The Directors Guild of America; 110 West 57th Street. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, so be ready!
Guillermo del Toro talks with Daniel Zalewski on monsters: Guillermo del Toro wrote, directed, and produced the 2006 film “Pan’s Labyrinth,” which won three Academy Awards and became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film in U.S. box-office history. His other films include “Cronos,” “The Devil’s Backbone,” “Blade II,” “Hellboy,” and “Hellboy II: The Golden Army.” His next project will be a two-film adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” to be released in 2011 and 2012.
Tickets ($35) available Wednesday, September 17th, at 12 noon E.T., at festival.newyorker.com or by calling 800-440-6974. Tickets will also be sold during Festival weekend at Festival HQ, at Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street, and at the door. Send in your reports if you’re lucky enough to go!