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From the Home Page: Peter Jackson: Hobbit and LoTR books rich in details



Altaira
Superuser


Jul 14 2012, 2:13am


Views: 2091
From the Home Page: Peter Jackson: Hobbit and LoTR books rich in details
The Los Angeles Times caught up with Peter Jackson for a quick Q & A interview. He told Geoff Boucher about his choice for making two movies and Jackson was "surprised at how rich the world is, and how many interesting themes and characters there are to explore" and by "also using extensive parts of the appendixes, which were published at the end of "Return of the King." This is not just "The Hobbit" - it's "The Hobbit" set in a much greater context of events taking place throughout Middle-earth during this period"
Peter Jackson also added: ". The material is so rich. In fact, only this last week or two, we've been talking to the studio about allowing us to shoot some additional material next year, to fully complete the story." Extended Edition anyone? here's hoping:) [More]

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(This post was edited by Altaira on Jul 14 2012, 3:56am)


geordie
Tol Eressea

Jul 14 2012, 9:01am


Views: 1567
If I may say so -
- in reply to:

Jackson was "surprised at how rich the world is, and how many interesting themes and characters there are to explore" and by "also using extensive parts of the appendixes, which were published at the end of "Return of the King."

I think this revelation was late in coming to pJ - if he'd spent a little more time reading LotR, inc. the appendices, instead of filling his movies with his own made-up nonsense, we might have had a much better series of films as films. IMO.

Sorry if this sounds hard, but the idea of mining the Appendices in order to drag out the story of TH to make it fit into to movies - when pj and co. didn't make better use of the material for LotR - sounds to me as if pJ is trying too hard to win over the Tolkien fans.

Ludicrous, is what it is.

.



dormouse
Half-elven


Jul 14 2012, 11:25am


Views: 1526
Or perhaps...
.. he hadn't read The Hobbit for a long time, or ever, and didn't appreciate how much is in it until he had to take directing on the film? There are things in the Appendices that could legitimately add depth to a film of The Hobbit - like the history of the dwarves, for example - at least if it's from the Appendices it won't be made up.

And is 'trying too hard to win over the Tolkien fans' really so much worse than not trying at all?

Not getting at you here, truly, just trying to suggest a slightly more positive light in which this might be viewed.

For me, I don't think it's ludicrous. Late in coming, perhaps, although we don't know when the revelation struck. But I would much rather he did realise it, and then turned to Tolkien for further information, than that he didn't - wouldn't you?


geordie
Tol Eressea

Jul 14 2012, 1:27pm


Views: 1504
Can't help but wonder -
- in which bit of the Appendices did pJ got the idea for bunny sleds and axe-in-heads?

Tongue


dormouse
Half-elven


Jul 14 2012, 1:41pm


Views: 1489
Probably the page....
... that was accidentally missed out in later editions! Wink


JWPlatt
Grey Havens


Jul 14 2012, 3:50pm


Views: 1505
Surprised
"Late in coming, perhaps, although we don't know when the revelation struck."

Right. That could have been twenty years ago or twenty minutes ago. Without knowing, the person making the assumption reveals his bias instead of his objectivity.


geordie
Tol Eressea

Jul 14 2012, 4:13pm


Views: 1473
Wait, what?
- we're supposed to be objective now? Since when?

Tongue


JWPlatt
Grey Havens


Jul 14 2012, 7:35pm


Views: 1467
Not In The Rules
Well, it's not in the rules, I think. I'm just talking about the interpretation of what you've read and knowing where the assumptions are and where the facts are as written. Your own subjective tastes may continue to be as wild, unqiue and contentious as you wish. Wink


(This post was edited by JWPlatt on Jul 14 2012, 7:36pm)


Ataahua
Forum Admin / Moderator


Jul 14 2012, 9:06pm


Views: 1466
I do wonder
what kind of films we would have got if PJ had been allowed to write scripts for three movies right from the start.
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded b*****d with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

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Xanaseb
Tol Eressea


Jul 14 2012, 9:53pm


Views: 1403
what news what news! :D //
 
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Jul 14 2012, 10:26pm


Views: 1410
As for myself...
In Reply To
[I do wonder] what kind of films we would have got if PJ had been allowed to write scripts for three movies right from the start.

I wonder what would have happened if Jackson had gotten to adapt The Hobbit first, as he had intended.
"Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men. It is a man's part to discern them, as much in the Golden Wood as in his own house." - Aragorn


DanielLB
Immortal


Jul 14 2012, 10:28pm


Views: 1395
Ifs and buts
LOTR would have been a lot different. Would it have been better? Quite possibly Smile


guitarzankansasfan
Lorien


Jul 15 2012, 5:34am


Views: 1357
It would have been one film
If The Hobbit had been adapted first, It would have been one film, shot on film and not digital, in 2D at 24 FPS, It might have starred someone other than Martin Freeman, and chances are there wouldn't have been very much from the LOTR appendices. It would have been released by Miramax in November of 2000 to wide critical acclaim and massive box office numbers, causing a large number of registered voters in Florida to skip the ballot box in favor of watching the film, resulting in Al Gore's election to the White House. In this alternate universe, John Rhys-Davies would not have played Gimli, but instead would have convinced the network to allow him to stay on for additional seasons of "Sliders", including an episode featuring an alternate alternate universe where The Lord of the Rings was adapted first, and professor Arturo meets his double on a movie set dressed as Tom Bombadil...

(This post was edited by guitarzankansasfan on Jul 15 2012, 5:38am)


geordie
Tol Eressea

Jul 15 2012, 6:33am


Views: 1333
O well, then...
- just so long as we've got that sorted out...

Wink


guitarzankansasfan
Lorien


Jul 15 2012, 10:16am


Views: 1328
I'm still rooting for a fourth LOTR film with Tom Bombadil
As for shooting new material, I still think they should pull all 4 of the Fellowship hobbits out of retirement before they get too old and film a standalone short based on the Old Forest-Tom Bombadil-Fog on the Barrow Downs section of LOTR. On a modest budget this could be successful with viral and word of mouth promotion, on limited release and direct to video sales and satisfy people like me who would really like to see Frodo vs. the Barrow Wight on film.

But unfortunately my daydreams are not PJ's.


DanielLB
Immortal


Jul 15 2012, 2:30pm


Views: 1305
While they are at it....
can they do Ghan, Quickbeam and Scouring Wink


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Jul 15 2012, 4:45pm


Views: 1341
'The Hobbit' might have remained one film...
It would have been much more difficult to convince the studio heads at New Line to allow Jackson to make two films out of The Hobbit if he had not previously adapted LotR. There could still have been nods towards the White Council and the Necromancer, Aragorn's time in Rivendell, and Legolas as the son of the Elvenking, but they would have needed to be subtle and brief. Still, any casting of those parts could have influenced the casting of the LotR films.
"Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men. It is a man's part to discern them, as much in the Golden Wood as in his own house." - Aragorn