Screen Rant » the hobbit

‘The Hobbit’ Cast’s Final Addition Is Billy Connolly

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:51:52 +0000

An actor signing on for film nearly a year after it has begun production is not normal practice in Hollywood – but, then again, there’s very little that’s “normal” about Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit.

From the two-movie structure of the estimated $500 million project – to the use of revolutionary 3D camera technology, even while shooting takes place around the New Zealand countryside – Jackson’s live-action treatment of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy novel is the sort of immense (and costly) undertaking that studios would rarely trust any filmmaker to handle. Unless they’re the same fellow who directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, that is.

That’s all to say: today, some eleven months after principal photography began on The Hobbit, the films’ cast has at last been completed – with the addition of ...

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Andy Serkis Discusses The Art of Motion-Capture Acting

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:52:47 +0000

Many people wouldn’t recognize Andy Serkis if they met him in person, yet they’re sure to remember many of the characters he’s portrayed onscreen, via the assistance of performance-capture technology.

Be it the raspy voiced bag of skin and bones that is Gollum from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the eponymous building-sized “monster” from King Kong, the genetically-altered chimp Caesar from Rise of the Planet of the Apes – or, most recently, the burly alcoholic Captain Haddock from The Adventures of Tintin, Serkis has served as the heart and soul of many a memorable digitally-rendered character. Hence, the previous studio-backed pushes for him to receive an Oscar nod for his work in both the Rings trilogy and the Apes franchise reboot/prequel.

Despite the especially-massive push for Serkis to receive recognition for his performance ...

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5 Big Questions for Movie Geeks in 2012

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:23:53 +0000

The year 2012 is a pivotal one – and not just because of that whole ‘world coming to an end’ business.

Sure, in one sense the movies of 2012 will be a smattering of the usual varieties, in the usual genres, encompassing the usual range of quality. However, within that spectrum of cinematic potential, there are some definite matters of interest amongst hardcore movie geeks that will be addressed or proven within the next calendar year.

We’d like to offer 5 questions we think movie geeks should be keeping in mind as they view their most anticipated films and watch the debates unfold – all while the box office profits get tallied, and the future of the movie biz is once again charted.

5 ...

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New ‘Hobbit’ Images; Interviews with Philippa Boyens & Richard Armitage

Sandy Schaefer — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:05:57 +0000

Considering the unadulterated enthusiasm and sheer joy expressed by Peter Jackson and the members of his creative team on The Hobbit in previously-released production diary videos, it’s easy to forget about all the lawsuits, studio financial collapses, directorial change-ups, union conflicts, and personal health issues that have afflicted this project for the past three years (or so).

In a new interview, Jackson touches (very) briefly on the difficulties he and his his crew have encountered, in their efforts to realize J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous predecessor to the Lord of the Rings trilogy on the big screen. We also have some cool new Hobbit images and thoughts from one of its co-writers (Philippa Boyens) and costar (Richard Armitage) to boot.

The first of two Hobbit-based movies (subtitled An Unexpected Journey) picks up with a young Bilbo Baggins, as brought to life by Martin Freeman (the UK version of The Office) who ...

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New Images From ‘The Avengers’, ‘The Hobbit’, ‘Prometheus’ & More

Sandy Schaefer — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:05:28 +0000

There are so many promising titles scheduled to hit theaters in 2012 that only a fraction of them actually made it onto our most anticipated list for the year. The ones we chose included Marvel’s superhero ensemble teamup (The Avengers), director Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-Earth (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), director Ridley Scott’s return to the Alien-verse (Prometheus), a “revisionist” history lesson (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and a genuinely cool-looking new spin on a classic fairy tale (Snow White and the Huntsman).

Today, we have new images (courtesy of USA Today‘s own anticipated 2012 movies list) to show off from all of those titles, along with two other significant 2012 movies: Pixar’s original princess fairy tale flick, Brave, and the sci-fi/comic book threequel Men in Black III.

The Avengers

Marvel Studios and writer/director Joss Whedon are attempting the never-before-attempted task of ...

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Our 20 Most Anticipated Movies of 2012

Rob Keyes — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:27:19 +0000

2011 had its share of disappointing movies, but among the good we had our favorites and it’s not dampening our spirits as we look forward to 2012 - where again, there are more major films releasing than there are weeks in the year.

From comic book, sci-fi and fantasy epics, to prequels, sequels and reboots, many of film’s iconic characters and actors make their way to the big screen again this year, and have earned their place among Screen Rant’s most anticipated movies of 2012.

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Peter Jackson Talks ‘The Hobbit’: Fairy Tale Tone, Dwarves, & Del Toro

Sandy Schaefer — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:55:24 +0000

It won’t reach theaters until December 2012, but the first part of Peter Jackson’s two-movie adaptation of The Hobbit has been much-buzzed about recently, thanks to the release of a teaser trailer and production diary video that have provided an early look at the filmmaker’s cinematic return to the world of dwarves, elves, hobbits, wizards, and other mystical Middle-Earth creatures.

One unanswered question that has surrounded the Hobbit flicks for a while now has to do with how much the films will connect to Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings book trilogy – given that the original Hobbit novel is part-prequel to that grand-scale story, but also part self-contained, children-friendly fantasy adventure.

Jackson spoke recently with Total Film about not only the tonal differences between The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings ...

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‘The Hobbit’ Set Video #5: The Return To Hobbiton

Sandy Schaefer — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:35:06 +0000

It’s already been a great week for J.R.R. Tolkien fans, thanks to the release of an official teaser trailer for the first part of director Peter Jackson’s two-movie adaptation of The Hobbit. Early reaction to the footage has been overwhelmingly positive and most everyone is eagerly anticipating the return trip to Middle-Earth.

Now, yet another Hobbit production diary video has been released online, courtesy of Jackson. This particular behind-the-scenes clip follows the project’s filmmaking crew as they prepare to (and do) transition from working on sound stages to shooting around the scenic New Zealand landscape.

However, it is Jackson and his crew’s return to the refurbished version of Hobbiton that’s the real highlight of this new set video. Between brief bits of older behind-the-scenes footage from the Lord of the Rings trilogy production, co-star Elijah Wood (looking virtually unchanged ...

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‘The Hobbit’ Trailer Is Here!

Sandy Schaefer — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:09:05 +0000

It’s been a tumultuous trek for The Hobbit over the past two years. The project was slowly but steadily coming together under the guiding hand of Guillermo del Toro – that is until MGM’s financial blues forced the filmmaker off the project in 2010. Even after Lord of the Rings helmer Peter Jackson finally stepped in to take del Toro’s spot, union issues, funding concerns, and health problems threatened to derail the cinematic return to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth.

Fortunately, those problems were all eventually resolved and the majority of production on The Hobbit has now been complete – enough so as to allow for the release of an actual teaser trailer for the Rings trilogy semi-prequel.

For those who’ve never read Tolkien’s source material, here is an official ...

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‘Avengers’, ‘Hobbit’, ‘Mirror Mirror’, & ’21 Jump Street’ Media Roundup

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:25:23 +0000

The winter holiday season not only means lots of highly-anticipated titles flooding theaters, it also means tons of promotional material being released for upcoming tentpole productions – like The Dark Knight Rises and Prometheus, to name a couple.

Today, we have new images from two other big blockbusters on the horizon, The Avengers and The Hobbit; in addition, new posters for the fairy tale re-telling Mirror Mirror and the hit 1980s TV show-turned-movie 21 Jump Street have been released online.

The Avengers

Comic book fans were recently treated to some brief bits of new footage in a German Avengers trailer, but it’s safe to say, we’re all still eagerly awaiting the unveiling of a second official domestic theatrical preview for writer/director Joss Whedon’s superhero extravaganza.

Marvel Studios is treading on new territory, with its attempt to maintain continuity between all of the pre-Avengers productions; the film’s ...

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Superman & The Hobbit Release Dates Remain as Scheduled [UPDATED]

Rob Keyes — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:58:34 +0000

Update: Warner Bros. has reached out to debunk rumors of release date changes for Man of Steel and The Hobbit. Details below.

Up until this summer, Zack Snyder’s reboot of the Superman film franchise was targeting a December 2012 release date, giving Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment not one, but two tentpole superhero films next year, the other being The Dark Knight Rises in July. Then, Warner Bros. pushed Man of Steel back a full six months to the new release date of July 13, 2013.

This effectively gave the studio a nicely spaced out schedule of major franchise releases by letting The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey have winter 2012, while also giving them a DC superhero flick for 2013. According to the latest rumor however, Warner Bros. may ...

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‘Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy May Be Given A 3D Re-Release

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:38:39 +0000

Disney has demonstrated (with The Lion King) that there is indeed a profit to be made in post-converting older blockbuster titles to 3D and re-releasing them in theaters. Upcoming 3D theatrical re-releases like Beauty and the Beast, Titanic, and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace aren’t expected to buck that lucrative trend.

It should come as little surprise then that one of the most popular (critically and financially) effects-heavy fantasy series of all time – Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tokien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy – may also end up being re-released in theaters in the stereoscopic (re: 3D) format.

Jackson has casually broached the topic of converting the Rings trilogy to 3D a handful of times in the past (see: this 2010 interview) and ...

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Andy Serkis Teases ‘The Hobbit’ Trailer; Talks Second Unit Directing [Updated]

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:35:12 +0000

It’s been an excellent year for master motion-capture performer Andy Serkis, between his acclaimed turn as the ape Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and his (already well-liked) role as Captain Haddock in Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin.

The actor’s win streak shouldn’t be broken anytime soon, seeing how he’ll soon return in CGI-enhanced form once again – this time, as the miserable Gollum in Peter Jackson’s two-movie adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, a prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Jackson has been keeping fans up-to-date on The Hobbit by releasing production diary videos every so often. However, according to Serkis, the next big treat for Tolkien lovers will take on the form of a teaser trailer.

Serkis informed IGN that the first Hobbit theatrical preview ...

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‘The Hobbit’ Set Video #4 Explains The Schematics of 3D Filmmaking

Sandy Schaefer — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:32:50 +0000

It’s been a few months since Peter Jackson last unveiled a behind-the-scenes look at the ongoing production of his two-movie return to Middle Earth, The Hobbit. Today, though, the filmmaker has released yet another ten-minute clip that explores the intricate technical side of the project.

The fourth Hobbit production diary focuses on one particular aspect of Jackson’s new films: the use of cutting-edge 3D tech (namely, the RED EPIC digital camera system) and how that effects everything from the storyboarding process to how the prosthetics departments dresses and applies makeup to members of the Hobbit cast.

Movie buffs who get a kick out of learning about the schematics and the tricky nature of the filmmaking process (2D or 3D) will hands down love Jackson’s latest video. However, even if you’re the type who normally couldn’t care ...

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New ‘Hobbit’ Production Video Shows Gollum’s Cave, Dwarf Battles & More

Rob Frappier — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:58:32 +0000

Peter Jackson and his team have been hard at work since the beginning of the year filming The Hobbit, but that hasn’t stopped the director, cast, and crew from having a little bit of fun as well.

In a newly-released video production diary, Jackson takes fans to the set of The Hobbit and shows off some of the cool new Middle-earth characters we’ll be meeting. Like the previous videos (part one and part two), the friendliness and camaraderie between the cast and crew is infectious, particularly among the dwarves, who are bonded together by the hours they spend in hair and makeup each day.

Also in this new video, Jackson offers fans a glimpse behind-the-scenes of some of The Hobbit‘s most famous scenes – including the first meeting between Bilbo and Gollum. The footage, which includes Andy ...

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Latest ‘Hobbit’ Image: Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield

Sandy Schaefer — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:59:20 +0000

Early images of the dwarf characters in Peter Jackson’s two-part adaptation of The Hobbit have varied (slightly) in shape and size, ranging from the almost elf-ish Kili (Aidan Turner) to the Santa Claus-like Balin (Ken Stott).

Now an image of Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, a mighty and fearless dwarf warrior, has been unveiled – and his appearance is likewise noticeably different than his peers, including Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) from Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Armitage has a long history as a TV actor, with a resume that includes recurring stints on series like MI-5 and Robin Hood, as well as a well-regarded mini-series adaptation of North & South. U.S. moviegoers will be familiar with the man once they see Captain America, which features Armitage as the villainous Heinz Kruger.

Here ...

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More ‘Hobbit’ Dwarf Images: Balin & Dwalin

Sandy Schaefer — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:52:01 +0000

Remember earlier this year, when Lionsgate kept its adaptation of The Hunger Games making daily headlines for nearly a month by announcing casting updates, one-by-one? Well, Warner Bros. has clearly recognized what an ingeniously effective strategy that was, and is following suit by unveiling images of the thirteen dwarfs in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, a couple or so at a time.

Today brings another image of two dwarfs, clad in black armor and with thick curly beards, to boot: The warrior Balin (Ken Stott) and his brother Dwalin (Graham McTavish).

Those of you only familiar with J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth through Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film trilogy should still recognize the name Balin, a.k.a the Lord of Moria, whose tomb was discovered by the Fellowship upon their arrival at the devastated ...

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New Hobbit Image: Bofur, Bombur and Bifur

Rob Frappier — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 04:25:57 +0000

For the past several months, Peter Jackson has kept Tolkien fans happy with a slew of images and behind-the-scenes video from the set of The Hobbit.

Thus far, we’ve gotten official looks at Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellan as Gandalf the Grey, and several cool shots of the dwarves (including the brothers Nori, Ori, and Dori; the Northern dwarves Oin and Gloin; and the young warriors Fili and Kili). Needless to say, each update has been met with high praise and today’s release should be no different.

Adding to the growing collection of dwarf images, MGM today released a new picture of the working class dwarves Bofur, Bombur and Bifur. Fans of the book will recall that these three cousins were often more of a hindrance than a help, particularly Bombur, ...

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4 More ‘Hobbit’ Dwarf Images, Bilbo & Elrond Set Photo

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:16:50 +0000

Peter Jackson’s two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is well into its lengthy production – and being one of the more savvy directors about how to use digital media, Jackson is keeping fans chomping at the bit with strategic releases of promotional materials.

Recently some official Hobbit images hit the Web, including looks at Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellen returning as Gandalf, and even looks at new supporting character, such as the dwarf brothers Nori, Ori and Dori.

Today we have another slew of Hobbit images to share – this new crop includes looks at four more supporting characters and a nice photo that was snapped on-set of Bilbo Baggins in a scene with a certain Elf King that fans of the Lord of the Rings series should recall .

For those who don’t yet know, here is the synopsis for ...

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‘The Hobbit’ Set Video #2: Production Break & Shooting Locations

Sandy Schaefer — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 16:18:34 +0000

Principal photography on Peter Jackson’s two-part adaptation of The Hobbit will recommence in about a month and a half, but that doesn’t mean the filmmaker is off on vacation – or has forgotten about keeping fans updated on his new Tolkien literature adaptation.

Jackson has posted a second video blog from the Hobbit set that offers fans a behind-the-scenes update on the project, to go with the recently-released images of dwarf siblings and Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in the film(s).

While the first half of this video is composed primarily of interviews with Hobbit cast and crew members talking about how they’ll be spending the shooting break, the (more interesting) second half chronicles the efforts of Jackson and Co. to scout-out additional shooting locations around New Zealand.

Between the brief glimpses ...

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