Saturday 16 October 2010

Hobbit movie finally gets green light

The problems surrounding the Hobbit movie have been well documented, but it appears that the troubled film has finally been given the green light, with LOTR director Peter Jackson firmly ensconced in the director's chair.

Shooting is allegedly scheduled to begin in February 2011, although as of yet the location of said filming has not been disclosed. There is speculation that the film will be shot in 3D, but this remains unconfirmed - as do numerous other details, such as who will play Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman allegedly turned down the role).

While there's many things to resolve, it's a relief to see that the main difficulties have been overcome and that the project is starting to creep into gear. As skilled a director as del Toro is, Jackson is undeniably a better director for the movie, and I've got high hopes that he can deliver an experience similar to the brilliance of the LOTR films.

More news as and when - a statement about the location of the filming is expected soon.

3 comments:

Robin said...

What do you mean when you say that Jackson is undeniably a better director for the Hobbit?

It's just that I was really excited about seeing del Toro's take on the Hobbit and felt quite disappointed when he left the project. I don't want to sound like a snob, because I did enjoy the LotR movies, but they were a bit too much mainstream and "safe choices" to be totally brilliant. I thought that del Toro might be able to offer us somewhat more interesting view on Middle-Earth.

The Art of Kim Kincaid said...

Such good news!! How about James McAvoy for the role of Bilbo?

James said...

Robin - while I would have been interested to see what del Toro would have brought to the film(s), it's hard to see beyond Jackson as being the perfect match. He worked wonders with the LOTR trilogy (far from an easy book to adapt to film), and the commercial and critical reaction was overwhelmingly positive. I'm sure he can work similar magic with The Hobbit.