Posted on 11/15/2006 10:09:15 AM PST by maquiladora
Variety reports that MGM chairman and chief executive Harry Sloan talked about the studio's five core franchises at the European Media Leaders Summit in London.
As for The Hobbit, Sloan confirmed that MGM was in advanced talks with Peter Jackson to make two movies based on JRR Tolkien's "prequel" to "The Lord of the Rings."
The first would be a direct adaptation of The Hobbit, and the second would be drawn from "footnotes and source material connecting 'The Hobbit' with 'Lord of the Rings,'" he explained.
An MGM spokesman emphasized that negotiations with Jackson are still in progress, and that production isn't likely until 2008 or even 2009.
(Excerpt) Read more at comingsoon.net ...
Ring Ping
starring Barbra Mikulski as Bilbo Baggens and Helen Thomas as Gollum.
Terrific News!
Interesting that the story isn't that New Line might still buy the rights, but rather that MGM wants Jackson for an MGM production.
OMG - too funny
Is there anyway we can have hobbits and let Hollywood die?
And Jim Webb will be the voice of Smaug the dragon. The rest of the Democratic party will star as orcs and goblins.
But from the way Sloan is talking it sounds like they've probably come to some sort of deal. A project like this is just too good to be left on the shelf, it's an instant blockbuster with a huge built in audience, hence why they are wanting to make two movies and not just one, sort of the antithesis of the problem with LOTR and Harvey Weinstein!
Good news for a change! :o)
and Barney Frank as Gandalf the Gay.
"Phil, Fran and I read the thing on the net and spent most of this morning talking about The Hobbit. We think the two film idea is really smart. One of the problems with The Hobbit is that it is a fairly simple kids story, and doesn't really feel like The Lord of the Rings. Tonally I mean. It's always may be a little worried, but with two films that kinda gets easier. It allows for more complexity. At that implied stuff with Gandalf and the White Council and the return of Sauron could be fully explored. That's what we talked about this morning. Taking The Hobbit and combining it with all that intigue about Sauron's rise, and the problems that has for Gandalf. It could be cool. That way, it starts feeling more like The Lord of the Rings and less like this kids book. You could even get into Gollum's sneaking into Mordor and Aragorn protecting The Shire. That's what we'd do. Love to work with Viggo again."
 Ring Ping!! |
Hobbit Hole troop support projects
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As long as they don't "modernize" it.
Real interesting! I like it.
Thanks for the ping!
What's been happening on the HH thread, I saw were there was another wedding!
TalonDJ and JenB!
Cool... It's about time.
The two-film thing is starting to look like a standard PJ approach to selling movies: Find a way to sell the same movie to the same people three or four times.
Theater, DVD (theatrical), DVD (extended), Box sets, Special editions... heh. Brilliant, actually.
I see there's a new "extended" DVD out for King Kong. Of course. :-)
Well, that's one of the things that's happening... the rest is just a lot of talk, you know... what is lembas really made of... same ole same ole.... :~)
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