P.J. and Del Toro taking questions on The Hobbit and The Hobbit 2: Hobbit Harder

[The Fake Shemp]

Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro invite you to a live internet chat about The Hobbit.

Peter and Guillermo would love to answer your questions and hear your comments about our new adventure into Middle-Earth.

Please register now - to make sure you don't miss out on the Unexpected Party and get regular updates on the movies.

Weta are excited to be hosting this one-hour live online chat on our website WetaNZ.Com.

[Eric P]

"where is mountains of madness, you fuck?"

[The Fake Shemp]

This is going down Saturday, May 24th, by the way.

Other questions we should ask:

"Why are you making a Hobbit sequel, as well?"

"Did you get those photos Maurice Cooks sent you?"

"Why did King Kong suck?"

"Why didn't Pan's Labyrinth have a happy ending?'

[Eric P]

that's my birthday weekend and i will be too incapacitated to harass mexicans.

get them to reschedule and i'm there.

[Phoenix Dark]

There is no Hobbit sequel - the book is being done with one film. That's been established

my question:
"The Hobbit is a very different novel than LOTR, both in scope and tone. How is this going to be reflected in your vision of The Hobbit, ensuring that it's truly a separate entity from the LOTR films instead of a sequel to them?"

[The Fake Shemp]

I think you send them questions now so that their assistants can carefully sort through all the Middle Earth fanfic and film geek hate to pick twenty questions that allow both filmmakers to practice fellatio on one another.

[Eric P]

I think you send them questions now so that their assistants can carefully sort through all the Middle Earth fanfic and film geek hate to pick twenty questions that allow both filmmakers to practice fellatio on one another.

"if god's own enemies of a mexican and an australian can come together to create the greatest film to the greatest work of art ever in any language by an englishman, where the fuck is at the mountains of madness, you fucks?"

[The Fake Shemp]

I thought it was confirmed that this Hobbit adaptation was a two-parter.

[Phoenix Dark]

I thought it was confirmed that this Hobbit adaptation was a two-parter.

Nope. The first film is The Hobbit. The second film is basically a bunch of combing through the LOTR appendix for stuff that occurs during the 50-60 years between The Hobbit and LOTR. ie Aragorn meeting Gandalf, Gollum being captured, Saruman finding the palentari, etc

[The Fake Shemp]

So it's two films, basically.

[Phoenix Dark]

Obviously two films are being made. One will deal strictly with Hobbit shit - including some stuff that's mentioned but never documented, like Gandalf vs The Necromancer. The second is going to be separate from The Hobbit and apparently more LOTR flavored - a direct prequel.

The Hobbit novel is a "prequel" to LOTR in the simplest definition of the word, but obviously the books are very different. The Hobbit is a children's book full of happy times whereas LOTR is more bleak and complex. That's not a criticism of The Hobbit, I love the book, it's just different. Notice how GAY (happy) the elves are in the Hobbit compared to the brooding, somber elves in LOTR for instance

[crimsondynamics]

I just want to know where I can pick up a pair of these:

[Yeti]

I haven't read these books since Junior High, maybe I need to reread them. I don't remember any mention of Gandalf fighting a necromancer.

[Eel O'Brian]

"Approximately how much hobbit faggotry can we expect to see spread across these two movies?"

[Phoenix Dark]

I haven't read these books since Junior High, maybe I need to reread them. I don't remember any mention of Gandalf fighting a necromancer.

Halfway through The Hobbit story Gandalf departs Thorin and Bilbo’s company to pursue his ‘pressing business’ to the south. This business is the threat of the Necromancer, a dark sorcerer that dwells in the tower of Dol Guldur at the southern reaches of Mirkwood.

At the start of The Hobbit Gandalf describes how he secretly entered the dreaded dungeons of the Necromancer nearly a century before and found Thorin’s father Thrain imprisoned there. Thrain had been tormented to madness, but Gandalf managed to recover his Erebor map and key from him. A hundred years later at Bag End Gandalf gives these to Thorin to kick-start The Hobbit adventure. The next mention of the Necromancer comes at the end of The Hobbit story we learn that while Bilbo and the dwarves were tackling the dragon, the White Council drove the Necromancer out of Mirkwood.

When writing Lord of the Rings, Tolkien wove the Necromancer story into the much larger tale of the rise of Sauron (as described in the Appendices). The Necromancer became the early guise of the dark lord Sauron, and Tolkien explains Gandalf’s actions in the wider context of the War of the Ring.

During Gandalf’s mission into Dol Guldur he learns that the Necromancer is Sauron returned (as indicated by the seizure of Thrain’s ring of power). Gandalf later urges the White Council (a gathering of the wise led by Saruman) to attack Dol Guldur before Sauron has enough strength to regain power in the north, and threaten the elven strongholds. Saruman overrules him and the Council do not act. Saruman’s overruling is due to his treacherous desire to have the One Ring for himself and he hopes that Sauron’s return at Dol Guldur will cause the ring to reveal itself.

This stalling by the White Council motivates Gandalf to form the Quest for Erebor. Gandalf encourages Thorin to retake the Lonely Mountain, as renewing the dwarven kingdom would weaken Sauron’s position in the north and prevent a possible alliance between the dragon and Sauron. In the same year as Bilbo and the dwarves travel to Erebor, Saruman concedes to Gandalf’s will at the White Council and they attack Dol Guldur. Anticipating this attack, Sauron flees to his ancient dwelling of Mordor to gather his strength.

http://www.storyscape.net/bridge_necro.html

Gandalf leaves Bilbo to go deal with the Necromancer in Mirkwood, then re-appears during the battle of the 5 armies iirc. The encounter isn't expounded on, which will leave Jackson and the writers with plenty of room to wiggle

[TVC15]

How about this one:  Aren't 9 fucking hours of boring fucking hobbit movies enough for one century?  Also, where the hell is At the Mountains of Madness?

[Cormacaroni]

How about this one:  Aren't 9 fucking hours of boring fucking hobbit movies enough for one century?  Also, where the hell is At the Mountains of Madness?

Such cynicism. There is also the possibility that he'll become wildly successful after 2 massive-grossing Hobbit movies and have all the backing to make his dream projects later. You know, just like Sam Raimi did after Spider-Man.

[Phoenix Dark]

How about this one:  Aren't 9 fucking hours of boring fucking hobbit movies enough for one century?  Also, where the hell is At the Mountains of Madness?

Such cynicism. There is also the possibility that he'll become wildly successful after 2 massive-grossing Hobbit movies and have all the backing to make his dream projects later. You know, just like Sam Raimi did after Spider-Man.

Fuck, that's a good point 

[Eric P]

let's get peter jackson to do The Wasp Factory

[TVC15]

How about this one:  Aren't 9 fucking hours of boring fucking hobbit movies enough for one century?  Also, where the hell is At the Mountains of Madness?

Such cynicism. There is also the possibility that he'll become wildly successful after 2 massive-grossing Hobbit movies and have all the backing to make his dream projects later. You know, just like Sam Raimi did after Spider-Man.

Sam Raimi has made anything that's not Spider-Man since he made the first Spider-Man?  Uhhhhh.  Also, why would I be excited at the prospect of del Toro turning into a hack like Raimi?

[Phoenix Dark]

think ya missed the sarcasm 

[TVC15]

think ya missed the sarcasm 

I'm sorry, del Toro's selling out to a played out franchise has me a bit pissy.

[Phoenix Dark]

Even as a LOTR fanboy I agree with your basic argument. LOTR's production was as epic as the films themselves and took years. Four years of this is going to take a toll, and more importantly cut into time that could have been spent on more imaginative projects. I wish Del Toro was just directing The Hobbit; let Jackson get his nerd on with the appendix shit dammit

[Phoenix Dark]

20 Questions
http://www.wetanz.com/holics/index.php?itemid=695&catid=2

WetaHost 13 - Hi. Do you intend to play this one by the Book (The Hobbit that is) and make it a very light childrens tale on film, or do you plan to stick with the much darker treatment- in keeping with the LotR films - particularly the latter ones. My personal preference would be for the latter - cannot see how eg. the Rivendell Elves could regress from their nobility in LotR to those "...Tra-la-la-la...." singing versions which wer in teh Hobbit Book. Thank you. "Tra-la-la-la" singing

Guillermo del Toro: We’ll see about the “Tra-la-la-“ later- but the book, I believe, in echoing the “loss of innocence” England experienced after WWI, is a passage form innocence to a darker, more somber state- The visual / thematic progression should reflect that in the camera style, color palette, textural choices, etc.

Peter Jackson: As I said earlier, I personally feel that The Hobbit can, and should have a different tone. The "tone" of these stories shouldn't be defined by the pressure our characters were under in LOTR. The world is a different place at the time of the Hobbit. The shadow is not so dark. However, what should stay the same is the reality of Middle-earth, and the integrity we bring to it as film makers.

I gave a sigh of relief. Now I have one foot on the hype train