Guardian columnist James Russell writes in a sure-to-be-controversial piece that he doesn’t think the move to make the Hobbit into a trilogy is all about money. Rather, he wonders, is Peter Jackson “pushing his new Tolkien project to ridiculous extremes because he has nothing else to offer?”
He writes: “I think something much more dispiriting has motivated the decision: creative stagnation.”
“Who knows, the movie(s) might be good, and I might have to eat my words. While it may be maddening for those who see cold, hard profit as the prime motivation behind The Hobbit, it looks sad rather than venal to me. Jackson used to be a genuinely capable and interesting figure, with a particular talent for pioneering technical accomplishments (his decision to film in 48fps is the most compelling thing about The Hobbit). It sounds crazy to say, in light of the visionary epic fantasies he has created, but surely he could choose more creatively ambitious projects than this.”
Warner Bros is sponsoring a new contest that gives artists the chance to re-imagine the world of The Hobbit. They call it the Treasures of Middle-earth Design Contest.
Enter your own original fan artwork for a chance to win some great Middle-earth prizes. Or if you’re not artistically inclined (I know I don’t have an artistic bone in my body!), you can rate your favorite fan-created imagery inspired by Bilbo Baggins’ adventure.
The four grand-prize entries will be chosen by John Howe, Alan Lee, and Richard Taylor. Entries close October 15, 2012.
NB: Entry is open only to legal residents of the USA and Canada (excluding Quebec). You can read all the T&Cs, including those pertaining to the assignment of intellectual property, here.
In addition, they report that Warner Bros has announced that the third film will be renamed The Hobbit: There And Back Again.
The second film, to be released on December 13, 2013 will be called The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, president of International Distribution said in the press release: “The Hobbit: There and Back Again will be an action spectacle and an emotional conclusion for this already much-anticipated trilogy. Opening in the summer will maximize playability for what promises to be an event film for fans the world over.”
EDIT: I think that the second title Desolation of Smaug means that it will conclude with the demise of Smaug at the hands of Bard the Bowman. Highlight to see spoilery speculation.
Fans will pay the same ticket price to see Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit,” at 48 frames per second as they will to see it at 24fps, the traditional projection speed of movies for decades. The first of three films, still titled “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” hits theaters world wide on December 14 with the world premiere scheduled in Wellington, New Zealand November 28.
It isn’t clear yet how many theaters will upgrade to the technology needed to display the film at the higher rate, at at an expense, The Hollywood Reporter sites a source “close to the situation,” saying that U.S. distributor Warner Bros. has received assurances from exhibitors that ticket prices will not go up for the screenings.
Film fans, including those at TheOneRing.net, have been known to prefer traditional 2D films to 3D and others have complained about higher prices for the extra visual dynamics. But unlike 3D vs. 2D screenings, prices will maintain the same rate. Jackson said months ago at CinemaCon where he screened the 48fps footage, that his intention was not to raise prices for the new screenings. Continue reading “‘Hobbit’ will cost the same in 48 or 24 fps”
According to Tom Scott from the Dominion Post, none of Wellingtons cinemas have yet confirmed that they will be receiving The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 48fps.
Peter Jackson’s spokesman Matt Dravitzki referred The Dominion Post to Warner Bros. The Post was unable to reach Warners, and local distributors Roadshow Entertainment did not return the paper’s calls.
Both the Miramar Roxy Cinema, and Event Cinemas which runs the Embassy Theater (and is expected will host An Unexpected Journey’s world premiere) expect to receive a 48fps copies. They are currently investing in the technology required to screen high-frame rate films.
We all listened to and read Peter Jackson’s words from Comic-Con about three possible “Hobbit,” movies carefully. But we didn’t listen to all the words and we missed a few things.
He told us. He told us — he did.
He said exactly what he meant, he said it plainly and the media and fans (and me) tried to figure out what he meant when he told us in plainness. Monday, Jackson dropped an atomic bomb of news and fandom reacted accordingly.
“The Hobbit,” adapted for the screen from the 300-page, 75-year-old book by J.R.R. Tolkien changed from from two movies to three in the blink of a Facebook post.
AMBITION
More on the words we ignored in a minute. We need to figure out when these films break, what it means for fans and websites and studios and cinema and the director, but lets not rush past the size and scope of this news. Lets not walk around Paris admiring all the cafes and churches without also pausing and noticing the big tower in the center of town.
We witnessed, the last few weeks since Comic-Con, something monumental, unprecedented, unparalleled and a little bit crazy. Jackson (and when we say “Jackson” we always mean the director and Walsh, Boyens and a team of others supporting their vision) is in unchartered territory here. Continue reading “The bold ‘Hobbit’ trilogy decision and what to expect”
Guardian columnist James Russell writes in a sure-to-be-controversial piece that he doesn’t think the move to make the Hobbit into a trilogy is all about money. Rather, he wonders, is Peter Jackson “pushing his new Tolkien project to ridiculous extremes because he has nothing else to offer?”
