The Hobbit

The 5th production video, a christmas special episode has been released by Peter Jackson. This video talks about various production logistics regarding transporting and also gives us a good view of Hobbtion, which actually has been built for real. Enjoy. :)

 
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Casting update: Actor Billy Conolly will be joining the cast of the hobbit and playing the role of the Dwarf Dain II Ironfoot.

Dain Ironfoot is the cousin of Thorin Oakenshield in the story and responded to his call during the Battle of The Five Armies by bringing in his battalion of Dwarves.

I personally feel Billy Conolly is an apt actor to play the role, though he will have to deviate away from his comedic side.
 
I seriously cannot wait for this movie. I read the hobbit as a child, and now I'll get to see it in HD on the big screen. Can't wait
 
Its a been around awhile but here is the 6th production released by Peter Jackson earlier this month. Though we don't actually get to see the sets it shows more location shooting at the various beautiful landscapes around New Zealand and some Deja vu moments at the locales where some scenes from LOTR was shot. Pretty good update and I am confident when I say New Zealand has the most beautiful locations I have even seen. :)

 
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So last week, a special 10 minutes footage of The Hobbit in 3-D was screened at Cinemacon, Las Vegas where the first public audience witnessed a new future in movies. As revealed earlier, Peter Jackson is filming The Hobbit as 48 fps as opposed to the standard 24 fps for a smoother, more natural motion free from the 'grain' that you will see in normal films, and other artifacts like strobing(blurriness when the camera pans from from area to another). Details of what all was shown in the 10 minute preview is available here at this link, but be warned that they contain massive spoilers. These however will be revealed to the general public anyways later, so if you want to have an early read, here you go.

Spoiler:
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/201...view-massive-spoilers-full-coverage-analysis/

• The White Council featuring Saruman, Gandalf, Galadriel and Elrond.

This showed Sir Christopher Lee in front of greenscreen, looking at the table where Gandalf has just placed a Morgul blade. Urgent discussion ensues about the nature of the weapon, and a luminous Cate Blanchett gets the lion’s share of the expository dialogue. She explains how the Men of the North once battled against the Witch-King of Angmar, and succeeded in burying him in a spell-protected crypt, “so dark and deeply buried it would never see light again.” Gandalf raises his eyebrows as if to say, “It’s right here, so never say never.” Hugo Weaving provides the deep-voiced “But that’s impossible!” incredulity of the scene while the faintest flicker of wickedness passes across Saruman’s face. I loved it! Intrigue and nervousness among the White Council… sounds great except it doesn’t exist in J.R.R. Tolkien like that. Nowhere in the books did the Dúnedain show the ability to imprison the Nazgûl. This is our first evidence of the filmmakers applying new narrative invention with material culled from the Appendices of LOTR. We evidently won’t see the Battle of Fornost or hear Glorfindel’s famous prophecy being uttered about the Witch-King’s ultimate fate, as his dark enemy flees into the distance. So be prepared to tell your non-Tolkien reading friends what really happened with the Nazgûl.
Cut to the prison-crypt, where Gandalf is investigating in the dark, using only his staff as a light source, and then BAM! there’s Radagast right behind him. Here is the wonderful Sylvester McCoy giving us a daftly adorable new wizard. Strange that Radagast is not shown as a member of the White Council, though. Setting that aside, I must admit McCoy’s portrayal, along with Martin Freeman’s wonderful Bilbo, are the two performances I most admire so far.
Radagast? Oh let me tell you, he’s got so much going on! He is wearing a funnily-shaped hat with dominant brown and black hues, underneath which is revealed a bird’s nest with hatchlings making a mess all in his hair and beard! McCoy brings a disarming, childlike quality to the character. As Gandalf whips around to see who is sneaking up on him, he exhales rather irritated, “Oh, it’s you,” followed by Radagast’s frightened admission that the crypt they’re standing in “is not a nice place to meet.” He also has a glowing crystal piece in his staff, and leaning over the vertical shaft, they both look down over the edge, as Gandalf counts a total of nine tombs, all with their spells broken and bars ripped.
I’m not remembering these clips in the correct order they were shown, but we also see a brief shot of Radagast being pulled along the forest floor in a sled drawn by mighty grey jackrabbits! I kid you not, it was a ramshackle version of an Iditarod dogsled, made of twisted branches and bracken, pulled by six or seven oversized rabbits. I think it was Radagast, but he went by so fast — what other character could it be? And this point the filmmakers are making a complete departure from Tolkien but it honestly doesn’t bother me. I like the idea that the writers and WETA’s clever artists can come up with something wholly new. It seems quite silly on paper, but it’s also whimsical enough to fit in nicely with the tone of The Hobbit book. It’s definitely no sillier than a line-up of farm animals setting up a feast and doing catering service in Beorn’s house, is it?
I believe this Radagast will be a most memorable character that moviegoers love to love. I think he’s an innovation for this story. Can’t wait to see more of McCoy in this role.

• Riddles in the Dark with Sméagol/Gollum and Bilbo

This is where Martin Freeman really has a few minutes to shine. But it’s insane to think anyone can outshine Andy Serkis in the perfection of his Gollum creation. Mr. Freeman holds his own and it’s a wonderful characterization of a new Hobbit we have never quite seen. This Bilbo Baggins doesn’t remind me of Merry or Pippin, even though he has a light comedic touch. He certainly isn’t like Sam or Frodo, and yet the Baggins’ sense of adventure is written in his eyes in subtle ways. Yes, I can see those kinds of details at 48 fps.
How does Gollum look ten years later? Have the digital animation masters at WETA created something new? Well, in this writer’s opinion, Gollum looks really fantastic, but not like a reinvented wheel. He is the very familiar and pitiable Sméagol/Gollum we already know/love/hate. He and the other CGI creations fare quite well with the enhanced clarity of this higher frame rate. These two most classic of Tolkien’s characters engage in a bizarre moment of competing desires to eat raw flesh versus the desire to escape alive, all handled with a funny light touch. Expect this Riddle Game to be a standout episode in the first installment.

• The Trolls – Tom, Bert and Bill – all with dialogue!

The sequence with Bilbo trying to pickpocket a massive Stone Troll is another highlight that was given a more minutes of continuous screening time before cutting to other shots. We have seen the statues of the Trolls in THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, especially in the Extended Edition, and now they are finally alive and moving — and *speaking!* They have heavy ****ney accents and, as expected, are quite brutish and primarily motivated by hunger. Still don’t know the names of the voice actors providing the Tolkien-true performances. The digital compositing of Bilbo against the larger-scale Trolls wasn’t exactly cleaned and finished, but it’s impressive when the camera moves overhead to let the audience pretend they’re sitting on a branch watching the mayhem below. The birds-eye view helps the trick of scale, methinks. Here, however, the Dwarves do not approach the Troll’s campfire piecemeal, as in the book, but come charging forward in a brave attempt to rescue their comrade. Kili makes the first decisive stroke against one Troll’s calf-muscles, then we see Thorin chopping relentlessly at their feet, screaming “DROP HIM!” which they do. We do not see the famous Gandalf “DAWN TAKE YOU ALL AND BE STONE TO YOU” moment.

• Gandalf in Dol Guldur with Thráin

This was just a little bit of this, but it leads up to the stuff in the teaser trailer. Gandalf is seen skulking about in Dol Guldur’s dungeon level (this is the closest we will ever get to sounding like a Dungeons & Dragons module) acting very much like he is being followed. Trying to elude the unseen pursuer in the dark passageways, our grey wizard twists about in every direction, still not seeing his foe. Then there’s a horror-movie JUMP! moment when Thráin pounces on Gandalf. No other dialogue or follow-up, it was over as fast as that. What I’d really like to see is the moment where the crazed-from-torture Thráin actually calms down enough to give Gandalf the key and map!

• Legolas and Tauriel in an action sequence and a tense threat to Thorin!

I witnessed the whole Company of Dwarves struggling through Mirkwood forest, greenscreen everywhere, and most obviously they were covered with spiderwebs and goo. Their run through the forest is abruptly cut short with an arrow in Thorin’s face. It is rather reminiscent of the bit in FELLOWSHIP where Haldir and his team bring weapons to bear against Frodo. Too bad I didn’t see anything of the new Tauriel character played by Evangeline Lilly — except one swooping action shot where she slides cowboy-style across the ground with her bow drawn, ready to kill… Fans have asked only one question about this invented character: what does she look like? Well, brown is what she looks like. I mean, she is sporting the same outfit we’ve seen Legolas wear but not in green. Her hair is not blonde — actually she seems to be the first chestnut brown-haired Elf we have seen in PJ’s adaptations. Orlando Bloom makes a triumphant return to the role of Legolas spitting out a venomous threat to Thorin: “I won’t hesitate to kill you, Dwarf.” I’ve never heard Legolas sound quite so pissed off. It’s really, really cool.

However on the downside the preview had divided audiences where certain critics/bloggers questioned Jackson's filming methods calling the 10 minute preview 'jarring', 'non cinematic, effect', 'like made for a television bbc movie' etc. They claimed that the 48 fps scenes were too realistic having a television soap like quality. Jackson however remains steadfast in his vision and suggests that his method for shooting the Hobbit at 48 frames per second using a number of 5120-by 2700 resolution RED PIC cameras is the tip of the cinematic iceberg going forward and that the audiences will have to get used to it and catch up.

So what do you think of Jackson's decision to shoot at 48 fps? Has anyone here watched a movie at 48 fps? Will the critics change their opinion it later on like the transition from silent film to talkies, black and white to colour, normal tv to HDTV etc? Will 48 fps shooting usher a new era in movies and the future of movies as well? Do share your thoughts. :)
 
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In midst of the all negativity and disapproval of Peter Jackson's decision to shoot the Hobbit at 48fps, after the Cinemacon viewing by critics and media alike, this Wall Street Journal article mentions the technology at ''cutting egde''.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304203604577394331145205406.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

“It’s beautiful—like night and day,” says John Knepp, president of Cleveland-based Cooperative Theatres Inc., a chain with around 300 screens, who saw 10 minutes of raw “Hobbit” footage that was shown at the higher frame rate at CinemaCon.”

The article also mentions other technology that includes laser projection and vibrating seats.

A still from The Hobbit movie, which is shot at 48fps.

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Looks like the whole cinematic feel we have been experiencing so far will be changed and improved upon alot by offering something we can only enjoy and experience in theaters.
 
Just came across this article which sheds some more light on Peter Jackson's decision on shooting at 48 fps. They also posted a video, shot both at the standard industry rate of 24 fps and the increased 48 fps. You can check them out here and judge for yourself if you like it or not.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/28/editorial-48-fps-hobbit-preview-high-frame-rates/

I found it a bit different or perhaps something very new especially in the case of the film, since it looks ultra realistic and smooth, especially when the camera pans. I can see it working and I hope they get it done right.
 
I'm seriously going for another LOTR marathon just before watching the Hobbit. Man, I still think the Balrog vs Gandalf scene is by far the most epic battle ever portrayed on cinemas.
 
Sorry, I accidentally ended up deleting my previous post while editing. Anyways here is the newly revealed timeline banner along with the close ups of each scene.

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Looks like The Two Hobbit films have been now split into 3 for a December 2012, December 2013 and a summer 2014 release under the following rumored titles.

1) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
3) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/07/30/59780-peter-jackson-confirms-third-film/

In a note posted to Facebook this morning (in the U.S.) Peter Jackson confirmed there will be a third film in the “Hobbit” series:

So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of “The Hobbit” films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.

TheOneRing.net has confirmed with two independent sources that the third “Hobbit,” film will not follow the schedule of traditional December releases for Middle-earth movies and will hit audiences in Summer of 2014. TORn has also learned that this newly announced film will not serve as a bridge film but continue to tell the story of “The Hobbit,” in three parts. It is believed that the breaking points of the first film has changed. That film, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” will be released in theaters this December 14. The next film, announced as “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” is expected to keep its December 13, 2013 schedule. Its name may change however. The newly announced film, as yet untitled, will follow months later in the summer months of 2014.

The reaction has been swift and strong from film communities and Tolkien fans around the world. Read Peter’s full note here. Join us in our LIVE chatroom Barlimans, on the board, on twitter (@theoneringnet) and on Facebook (facebook.com/theoneringnet) Follow the break for the official press release


New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Warner Bros. Pictures Announce Third Film in The Hobbit Trilogy

BURBANK, CA, JULY 30, 2012 — Peter Jackson will make a third film in his upcoming adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, it was jointly announced today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officers, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

Jackson, the Academy Award®-winning filmmaker behind the blockbuster “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, recently wrapped principal photography on what he originally planned to be a two-film adaptation of The Hobbit, which is set in Middle-earth 60 years before The Lord of the Rings.

Jackson stated, “Upon recently viewing a cut of the first film, and a chunk of the second, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and I were very pleased with the way the story was coming together. We recognized that the richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, gave rise to a simple question: do we tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as filmmakers and fans was an unreserved ‘yes.’ We know the strength of our cast and of the characters they have brought to life. We know creatively how compelling and engaging the story can be and—lastly, and most importantly—we know how much of the tale of Bilbo Baggins, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur would remain untold if we did not fully realize this complex and wonderful adventure. I’m delighted that New Line, MGM and Warner Bros. are equally enthusiastic about bringing fans this expansive tale across three films.”

Emmerich stated, “We completely support Peter and his vision for bringing this grand adventure to the screen over the course of three films. Peter, Fran and Philippa’s reverence for the material and understanding of these characters ensure an exciting and expanded journey that is bound to please fans around the world.”

“With the abundance of rich material, we fully endorse the decision to further develop what Peter, Fran and Philippa have already begun. We are confident that, with the great care the filmmakers have taken to faithfully bring this journey to the screen, the film will be welcomed by the legions of fans across the globe,” said Barber and Birnbaum.

Robinov added, “Peter, Fran and Philippa have lived in this world and understand more than anyone its tremendous breadth and scope, and the relationships that bind it together. We strongly support their vision to bring this great work fully to life.”

The first film in the trilogy, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” will be released December 14, 2012, with the second film releasing on December 13, 2013, and the third film slated for summer 2014. All three films will be released in 3D and 2D in select theatres and IMAX

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes three films based on The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. The trilogy of films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. Returning cast members from “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy also include Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, and Andy Serkis as “Gollum.” The international ensemble cast also includes (in alphabetical order) John Bell, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Billy Connolly, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Evangeline Lilly, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas, and Aidan Turner.

The screenplay for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro. Jackson is also producing the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

Under Jackson’s direction, all three movies are being shot in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Additional filming, as with principal photography, is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and its successive installments are productions of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing, being handled by MGM.
 
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