Posted on 12/07/2010 3:40:49 PM PST by Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Cate Blanchett, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy and Mikael Persbrandt and have joined the cast of Peter Jacksons highly anticipated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkiens epic The Hobbit. Also joining them are Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy and William Kircher. The films, which are scheduled to commence principal photography in February 2011, mark Jacksons return to Middle-earth following his Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy. The announcement was made jointly today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. and Steve Cooper, co-Chief Executive Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Jackson, who directed all three Lord of the Rings films, will helm the two films back-to-back, telling the story of The Hobbit in two parts from a screenplay by Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro.
Cate Blanchett (Lord of The Rings trilogy, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) will reprise her role from Lord of The Rings trilogy as Galadriel, the Lady of Lothlorien. Ken Stott (Charlie Wilsons War, TVs Rebus) will play the Dwarf Lord Balin, Sylvester McCoy (TVs Doctor Who) will play the wizard Radagast the Brown and well-known Swedish actor, Mikael Persbrandt (Everlasting Moments, Day and Night) will play the shape-shifter Beorn. British actor Ryan Gage (Outlaw, TVs Doctors) will play Drogo Baggins, with New Zealand actors Jed Brophy (Lord of The Rings trilogy, District 9) playing the role of the dwarf Nori, and William Kircher (Out of the Blue; TVs Legend of the Seeker) rounding out the company of Thorin Oakensheild in role of the dwarf Bifur.
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(Excerpt) Read more at theonering.net ...
‘hard to top Bombadil for relevance in the first book’
His character did nothing to advance the main plot lines.
Thanks for the info.
If you think The Return of the King was a mess, then I can understand your lack of hope for the Hobbit movies.
This will not be a Hobbit Movie made just for the kiddies, he’s already said it will include a lot of back story and prequel foreshadowing for LoTR. That’s why it’s split into two... as strict filming of The Hobbit, it wouldn’t have needed to be.
Not the actors per se, but the breadth of characters such as Beorn being included which means the Wood Elfen king will be in the mix and the whole nine yards.
I’m just glad Jackson is back in the driver’s seat. That’s where he belongs. I just hope he’s still got it... the drive and energy and excitement for this, that he had for LoTR.
It’s a different time now, and, as we’ve been discussing in the hh, sometimes that can have a big effect on the whole magic and dynamic of the thing. Everything came together before, at the right time and the right place.
Hopefully it will again. It is, as has been said, a tough act to follow.
Yep, when Gandalf left the Company after they escaped the wolves in the trees, he went to a meeting of the White Council iirc?
That’s when Biblo uttered the best quote in the book:
“I objected, but my contract was vague on several key points”
lol!
Well they haven’t named characters from the human settlements on the Long Lake yet, but I’m sure that they will be named soon. Not to mention the voice of Smaug.
Eh, have to agree somewhat, RTOTK was a bit..overdone maybe?
The first two had more of a hand made feel to them, the Return was more like a Lucas Film imho.
Of all of the scenes that had to be not included in Return, the battle of lonely mtn to me would have been the nicest touch.
In the appendices it mention that Bard’s Son died fighting at the gates of the Lonely Mtn and Thorin’s son protected his body “until the darkness fell”.
Ah well.
That occurred offstage, as did the defense of Lothlorien. They couldn’t mention that because of the Elvish Army going to Helm’s Deep in the movie.
I heard they were going to have Orson Bean provide the voice of Smaug. /sarc
Funny, I don't remember a Dwarf named "The Doctor"...
Dr. Who as a wizard sounds logical to me.
I don’t think “The Hobbit” will be near the movie(s) that “Lord of the Rings” was. The problem is the book is a child’s book Tolkien wrote years before LOTR. My eleven-year-old self liked it, but my seventeen-year-old self loved “The Lord of the Rings.” I re-read the trilogy every few years when I’m down with a bad flu or something.
Also, in “LOTR,” the Company of Nine were all distinct characters. You would never mistake Gimli for Legolas or Aragorn for Boromir, or even Sam for Frodo. But in “The Hobbit,” which is about Bilbo and a bunch of dwarves, they all blend together, except for Thorin.
It also lacks the sweep, scope and Big Themes of LOTR. After all, it’s a kid’s book. Set in the same universe, but anti-climactic after the War of the Ring.
I don’t think “The Hobbit” will approach the world-wide phenom status LOTR enjoyed. And there isn’t enough material for two movies. Should be one two-and-a-half hour flick. They’re just being greedy.
YES! I read it it High School!
Twodor, Fordo, Farahslax, Dildo Buggins, and Mount Badass!
40 years later, I am still laughing!
Nah, it could work just fine really, the difference is the Hobbit is NOT the whole of that period of time, there were several things going on that the Appendices mention.
As for 2 films, just end the first film with the Dwarves in the Elvish prison in Mirkwood and all of the elements that made the Hobbit fun could easily be included in the first film.
Beorn, Goblin King, the One Ring.
To me, one film would come across like the mid 80’s film adaption of Dune did, far too many things were compressed into the film due to time constraints and it hurt the effort.
I sit in the corner and pick my nose
and think of dirty things
Like deviant dwarves that suck their toes
and elves that drub their dings
hahahahahahahahahahahaha.
I read the entire LOTR series in High school and loved it dearly,
But still got an immense kick out of “Bored of the Rings”.
I hope he does it justice, even if it’s in two parts.
George Lucas was a disappointment with all of the Star Wars movies he directed, after the very first Star Wars movie: A New Hope. The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite Star Wars movie of the bunch, and it wasn’t even directed by George Lucas. What is it with this repeated pattern of movie directors making sequels and prequels that are not up to par with their original, first movies of a series of movies? I hope that Peter Jackson doesn’t fall into the same trap that way too many other movie directors continue to fall into.
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