 Ring Ping!! |
48 days...
Posted on 10/29/2002 2:06:40 PM PST by Paul Atreides
Ian McKellen, the venerable actor who plays Gandalf in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films, told fans on his official Web site that he might consider appearing in a movie version of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. In response to a fan question, McKellen wrote, "I recently asked about the film rights to The Hobbit, which seem to be somewhat controlled by Peter Jackson, as far as I can tell. I hope that's the case, because obviously he should have first refusal at translating the novel into a movie."
McKellen added, "I should be intrigued to return to Middle-earth, even though it involved putting on Gandalf's nose, which is even more distinctive than my own. ... I thought it might be possible to make a really long screen version, probably for television, with every episode of the book covered week by week in a multitude of episodes. Ian Holm—who was proud to look so young as well as so old as Bilbo in The Fellowship of the Ring—even he might think the young Bilbo of The Hobbit was unlikely casting for an actor of his age." McKellen next appears as the wizard in the upcoming sequel film Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, which opens Dec. 18.
No matter what else he ever filmed, his place in movie history would be assured. Most certainly, such an accomplishment would overshadow that of George Lucas, who has admitted to omitting no less than the last three "episodes" of his Star Wars saga, which was supposed to have nine installments. His inexplicable twenty-year wait before beginning the prequels doomed that dream. So too did his three-year lag time between movies.
I fully expect PJ to complete his herculean Labor of Love well before he reaches Lucas' age. He at least truly cares about his material, and is enthusiastic about it.
Presently, it's serving the purpose of ushering my wife and I off to sleep. Usually within five minutes; never, I think, in more than ten.
Dan
Have you read about the great rings and the Istari? I found those to sections and the missions of the three Wizards, Gandalf in particular, to be interesting and enlightening to his role in LoTR. Skip the parts with elves with unpronouncable names. Life's too short and there won't be a pop quiz!
48 Days 6 hours till TTT!
I wish PJ would take on Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising sequence. LOTR fans would love those books, and any films PJ made from them.
I'm still a mega fan of the original trilogy though, and would buy those DVDs in a heartbeat---are they out yet?
Yet, I'll be buying the extended LOTR:FOTR DVD with anticipation, and Clones with resignation.
By the way, there is a great sci-fi channel version of Dune, with William Hurt, out on VHS. A trillion times better than the version that had Sting in it.
I'm still a mega fan of the original trilogy though, and would buy those DVDs in a heartbeat---are they out yet?
Yet, I'll be buying the extended LOTR:FOTR DVD with anticipation, and Clones with resignation.
By the way, there is a great sci-fi channel version of Dune, with William Hurt, out on VHS. A trillion times better than the version that had Sting in it.
I'm still a mega fan of the original trilogy though, and would buy those DVDs in a heartbeat---are they out yet?
Yet, I'll be buying the extended LOTR:FOTR DVD with anticipation, and Clones with resignation.
By the way, there is a great sci-fi channel version of Dune, with William Hurt, out on VHS. A trillion times better than the version that had Sting in it.
So far, I have not heard of an estimated date on the Star Wars DVDs. I can't wait for the extended LOTR!
BTW, the sequel to the Dune minseries, will be out in March 2003. It combines the second and third books.
I bought LOTR:FOTR on VHS; have the extended version DVD on order.
I'll check for the extended Sci-Fi Dune DVD. Dune Messiah would be cool to see in 2003; Children of Dune, sure, but the books lost me when Leto morphed into something non-human.
I think that it was a little far-fetched, which is why most people do not like it. It does seem to get off track from the original story. However, when you think about it, it is not too far removed from the mutated Guild Steersmen.
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