There have been a lot of rumors flying around about the upcoming Guillermo del Toro directed, Peter Jackson produced, two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic book, The Hobbit. Everything from casting rumors – Daniel Radcliffe, David Tennant or James McAvoy to play Bilbo? – to word of a third, “bridge” movie being made the would link the two Hobbit films to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Just as quick as these rumors surface, del Toro himself has been there to dispel them. And that has happened again recently when rumors surfaced that The Hobbit would be in 3D. By way of TheOneRing.net’s forum, del Toro himself has let fans know just what is true and what isn’t, including confirming who will be the Director of Photography for The Hobbit:
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“As a co-writer and director of this film (who works with the design teams, costume teams, creature teams, VFX teams every day of the week), let me be very clear one more time: we are not talking about 3D, we are NOT writing the screenplay for 3D right now- we are hiring my DoP Guillermo Navarro to shoot the film and we are not discussing 3D with him either or with WETA digital or WB or anyone else. That should be a little less sidestepping, I hope.
If after AVATAR the market may change and demands are put upon us, etc that is in the future. But if such things happen and we start discussing 3D down the line, I’ll let it be know here at TORN because that’s the proper way of doing things. But make no mistake- I’ve been living in NZ for almost a year now and we have not been discussing 3D. When we do, I’ll make sure your source finds out. Thank You, Guillermo.”
On top of labeling the 3D rumors as untrue, del Toro also popped into another part of the forum to deny certain casting rumors that have been floating around (Tom Cruise has even been rumored as a possible Bilbo Baggins, after he made a trip to New Zealand for a meeting with del Toro recently), as well as giving his thoughts (read: praise) about James Cameron’s Avatar:
“…is dead-on about the imminent conversion of film into an expanding 3-D field – at least in most blockbusters and I know of, at least, 4 or 5 major filmmakers preparing 3D films right now. Some of them seriously artistic and ungimmicky!! I’ve seen AVATAR and I was absolutely blow away by it!! I myself expect to explore 3D soon enough- it is the future, just not my immediate future. And no- neither David Tennant nor Tom Cruise are Bilbo and we are not redesigning Gollum.”
I notice that del Toro leaves Mr. McAvoy out of the discussion. Is it a sign that the actor is in the running, or did it simply slip his mind? Interesting…
Will James McAvoy play Bilbo Baggins?
I’m really glad that the 3D rumors about The Hobbit have turned out untrue (keeping in line with most of the other rumors about the project). When 3D is used right (i.e. in a non-gimmicky way), it can totally immerse you in the world of the movie, and I’m sure if it WERE to be employed for The Hobbit, that’s exactly what would happen. But I would like these movies to be a proper prequel to the Lord of the Rings series, shot in the same format (and yes, I realize 3D movies can be seen in 2D as well, but the shooting style is often still “3D gimmicky”).
It’s interesting to note that Guillermo Navarro is going to be the Director of Photography for The Hobbit, which will give it a bit of a different look and feel to the LOTR trilogy (which had Andrew Lesnie as the Cinematographer). Navarro has worked with del Toro since the start of his feature-length filmmaking career with Cronos, and has worked on other such projects as Jackie Brown, Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn and Spawn.
The script for The Hobbit Parts 1 and 2 is still being worked on, and we’re a long way away from the actual release (well over 2 years), so the amount of rumors and speculation is not only understandable (because of the anticipation for it) but inevitable. Until we get a bit closer to the finished product, we can expect even more of these rumors, and it’s nice to see the director taking time out of his hectic schedule to keep us informed.
What do you think about what del Toro has said? Are you glad The Hobbit movies won’t be in 3D?
Part 1 of The Hobbit is scheduled to hit theaters in December, 2011, with Part 2 following a year later in December, 2012.
Sources: TheOneRing.net and /Film
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6 Comments
I’m quite glad that David Tennant isn’t considered. I love him as the Doctor, don’t get me wrong, but he just felt — you know — not right for the part. I’m leery about McAvoy too, though. He’s bankable, sure, and was great in Last King of Scotland but I still can’t shake the feeling that he can’t come across as a squishy, befuddled homebody. The few things I’ve seen him in, he plays “intense” very well… But “intense” isn’t a word I’d used to describe Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, even in a darker, grittier version of Middle Earth. He’s a hobbit AND a Baggins, used to comfortable living, good and plentiful food, and peace and quiet.
Oh well. GdT hasn’t steered me wrong often (apart from Mimic
Must learn to trust… I’ll just have to accept the fact that Martin Freeman’s name isn’t even being whispered anymore.
Let’s not forget – McKellen says Bilbo has been cast…
http://screenrant.com/whos-playing-bilbo-baggins-ian-mckellen-rob-22721/
I’m not happy that the Hobbit will not be shot in 3D… I mean, have you ever read the books? The Hobbit is so incredibly different from Lord of the Rings that it would not do it justice to shoot it in the exact same way. The hobbit has a bouncy, cheerful flow to it, whereas The Lord of the Rings is dark and melancholy. They aren’t even written in the same writing style. Also the Lord of the Rings was NOT a sequel to the hobbit, even though Tolkien began writing it as a sequel it turned into its own, very different masterpiece. The Lord of the Rings is practically a written account of the fate of all of Middle Earth for that age, whereas the Hobbit is just a story about Bilbos adventure. They are hardly comparable. Therefore the Hobbit being in 3d and shot differently as its own work and not as a prequel to LOTR would be very appropriate.
As for James McAvoy, I think hed make an adorable bilbo
I’m really happy James McAvoy is still in the running for the part of Bilbo, I thought he played Mr Tumnus in the first Narnia movie fantasticly, and could easily play Bilbo. I will be keeping my fingers crossed for James..
Having read The Hobbit, LOTR and the Silmarillion whole or in part, at least a dozen times. (not counting about six times listening to book-on-tape)The one thing I felt was lost by the immense popularity of the movies was the feeling that, despite the fact that these books were so widely read, you still felt that it was your own treasured little story and that Middle Earth was your own imaginary land. Does that mean I wish they’d never made the movies? Absolutely not! As far as the Hobbit’s cinematic production is concerned, to 3-D or not to 3-D is not a major concern with me (though I probably would prefer it not to be)I would like to comment on any statements that the Hobbit is not a prequel to LOTR. The finding of the Ring by Bilbo and the introduction of Gollum directly link Bilbo’s story with the events in LOTR. In fact Bilbo’s finding of the Ring enabled him to accomplish the goal that Thorin and company were trying to achieve. I do look forward to the less ominous atmosphere of the Hobbit as a story and hope to recapture some of that “my special little story” feeling.
Give Bilbo to Sharlto Copley. There’s no one better to play him, seriously.
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