THE HOBBIT (2012/2013): News, Rumors, Pics Till Release

[Agenda]

I think two movies is just right as long as they don't make each of them three hours each. The Hobbit is shorter than Lord of the Rings, but still quite lengthy (272 pages) in its own right, especially for a children's book. This isn't Narnia we're talking about.

[DigificWriter]

davejames wrote:

---

I also wonder, with all these LOTR characters popping in, are we actually supposed to watch this story out of order now, when all is said and done?

I'm sure it's been suggested here before, but I'm kinda hoping we get an alternative, "Hobbit Only" cut when it comes out on blu-ray, where they leave out all the LOTR call-backs and just tell the story straight.

The only characters I've seen/heard of that weren't part of The Hobbit novel are Frodo, Galadriel, Saruman, and possibly Legolas (don't remember if he showed up), and, in the case of Frodo, all indications are that he appears only as part of the 'framing story' for the movies, which is old Bilbo (Ian Holm) narrating the full tale of his adventures.

When exactly the 'framing story' takes place in terms of the timeline and chronology of the LotR films is something I don't believe we've been told, although I could be wrong on that.

[Alidar Jarok]

davejames wrote:

---

Well I wasn't just referring to locations, but the general look of the movie (cinematography, production design, direction, etc). I figured Jackson would want to differentiate it just a little from LOTR, instead of making it look like it was filmed at the exact same time as the other movies. But oh well.

The time isn't dramatically different. Most of these places in Middle Earth are timeless sort. Time is marked in ages more or less and this all took place within the same age. Sure it's 60 years (book timeline, the movie is a bit more ambiguous), but not much would change with styles and weapons. This isn't modern progress. Did things really look all that different in 1090 compared to 1030? How about between the death of Julius Caesar and the death of Augustus Caesar?

Of course, things regarding the Dark Lord moved swiftly during this time with regards to things like the fall of Minas Morgul, but that's not something that would affect the story. Either way, such political things aren't going to affect appearances.

[RoJoHen]

Jinglebell JaRock wrote:

---

The time isn't dramatically different. Most of these places in Middle Earth are timeless sort. Time is marked in ages more or less and this all took place within the same age. Sure it's 60 years (book timeline, the movie is a bit more ambiguous), but not much would change with styles and weapons. This isn't modern progress. Did things really look all that different in 1090 compared to 1030? How about between the death of Julius Caesar and the death of Augustus Caesar?

Of course, things regarding the Dark Lord moved swiftly during this time with regards to things like the fall of Minas Morgul, but that's not something that would affect the story. Either way, such political things aren't going to affect appearances.

I don't think he means the look of the sets. I think he means the general visual style. With it being a separate movie(s), you'd think Jackson might want to do something visually to distinguish it from the LOTR with things like colors and lighting and cinematography.

[Allyn Gibson]

DigificWriter wrote:

---

When exactly the 'framing story' takes place in terms of the timeline and chronology of the LotR films is something I don't believe we've been told, although I could be wrong on that.

It takes place in the early scenes in Fellowship, around the point in time when Gandalf says to Frodo, "If you are referring to the affair with the dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out the door."

[JarodRussell]

Allyn Gibson wrote:

---

It takes place in the early scenes in Fellowship, around the point in time when Gandalf says to Frodo, "If you are referring to the affair with the dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out the door."

Oh, that would be nice if they'd actually include these scenes from Fellowship and added the new bits. Like they repeated the bridge of Khazad dum scene in The Two Towers.

[DigificWriter]

Allyn Gibson wrote:

---

It takes place in the early scenes in Fellowship, around the point in time when Gandalf says to Frodo, "If you are referring to the affair with the dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out the door."

Hmm. Not sure how that's going work, if it's true, because at the exact moment that Frodo and Gandalf are having their conversation on the cart that includes that line, Bilbo is in his study writing the first part of his book, poring through old maps, and frantically searching for the Ring when he thinks he's lost it.

[Allyn Gibson]

DigificWriter wrote:

---

Hmm. Not sure how that's going work, if it's true, because at the exact moment that Frodo and Gandalf are having their conversation on the cart that includes that line, Bilbo is in his study writing the first part of his book, poring through old maps, and frantically searching for the Ring when he thinks he's lost it.

I'm not sure how it's going to work, but they did reshoot the scene of Frodo and Gandalf on the cart recently.

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

By the way, that scene is one of the reasons the Theatrical version o Fellowship rather than the extended version, which breaks the rhythm

[John Clark]

It was pretty much a certainty that my group of friends will be going to see it. I've just watched the trailer and if anything, I'm even more eager to see it now.

[DigificWriter]

If Jackson and Co. are in fact intending for the 'framing story' of The Hobbit movies to take place during the early part of Fellowship, they're going to have to eventually re-release new cuts of the Fellowship theatrical and extended editions in order to compensate, since, unless they do, it's going to be hard for fans to sit down and watch the eight movies in order on DVD without the 'narrative flow' being disrupted slightly.

[Reverend]

There is such a thing known in editing as a time cut. That is you cut from one scene to another and there is an implicit passage of time in which any audience not made up of half-wits can deduce that events not directly linked to the main narrative took place, even though we didn't see them. So long as the framing takes place somewhere between these scenes I don't see a need for revisionism.

The only place one could legitimately alter FotR with this sort of thing in mind is the brief shot from 'Riddles in the Dark' where a younger looking Ian Holm finds the ring. That and I suppose that very early effects work shot of Gollum in Moria.

[JarodRussell]

DigificWriter wrote:

---

If Jackson and Co. are in fact intending for the 'framing story' of The Hobbit movies to take place during the early part of Fellowship, they're going to have to eventually re-release new cuts of the Fellowship theatrical and extended editions in order to compensate, since, unless they do, it's going to be hard for fans to sit down and watch the eight movies in order on DVD without the 'narrative flow' being disrupted slightly.

George Lucas would probably do that.

[Sindatur]

8 Movies?

Hobbit 1
Hobbit 2
Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
Return of the King

Where do these other 3 movies come into the picture?

[JarodRussell]

Hm well, 8 DVDs probably.