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Watch Willie Nelson audition for the role of Gandalf

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:54:00 +0000

With the help of Conan O'Brien, country singer Willie Nelson is auditioning for the role of Gandalf in "Hobbit 2."

On his unsolicited audition tape, he says, "You can hire me and fire that Ian McKellen guy. He's a good actor, but hell, I'm Willie Nelson. Oh yeah -- and now that I think about it, I'd make a great Magneto."

He makes a compelling case:

Peter Jackson gives first look into next “Hobbit” film

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:09:00 +0000

In March, Warner Bros. and director Peter Jackson held a live event from New Zealand in anticipation of the second film in "The Hobbit" trilogy, "The Desolation of Smaug." On Monday, Jackson posted a 6-minute clip from the event to his Facebook page, writing:

If you saw it, it was a pretty accurate picture of what life is like at the moment. Jabez and I sit in that editing room all day, every day, editing the second Hobbit movie, and we actually start on the third next week! A lot of that movie was shot nearly a year ago, so I'm looking forward to seeing it come alive, shot by shot in the cutting room. It's like assembling one of those complex 2000 piece jigsaw puzzles.

He reveals that unlike the first film, which had a linear plot, the second film "starts splitting into multiple story lines and we follow different characters as the story intensifies and the stakes go up" -- similar to the second film in his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Jackson also fields a very detailed question from super-fan and self-acclaimed Tolkien nerd Stephen Colbert.

Previously confidential report reveals intense labor dispute on the set of “The Hobbit”

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:11:00 +0000

After a Jan. 31 government ruling, New Zealand officials have released a previously confidential report on a 2010 labor dispute between local actors in "The Hobbit" and the film's producers and director, Peter Jackson. The Hollywood Reporter describes it as "an unusual glimpse behind the scenes of a nasty public dispute," explaining that it "ended in a stinging defeat for the local actors union -- and in a stunning outcome for the country’s government, which ended up paying Warner Bros. an additional $25 million in tax incentives and other fees to quell the threat that the production might be moved to another country."

The government has also passed legislation making it nearly impossible to unionize motion picture production in the country, according to THR.

Has Hollywood ruined Tolkien?

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 22:00:00 +0000

  HOW KIND OF Peter Jackson: for the price of one movie, he gave us two. One of these movies is about a heroic warrior prince fighting for his lost homeland, and some political intrigue with elves and wizards; the other, much shorter, movie concerns a hobbit.

Written by J.R.R. Tolkien as a book for children, The Hobbit is widely regarded as a prelude to the darker and more complex Lord of the Rings trilogy. The One Ring that is the focus of The Lord of the Rings, and which threatens to destroy Tolkien’s world of Middle Earth, is first discovered in The Hobbit by the protagonist Bilbo Baggins. The true nature of the ring is never revealed in The Hobbit — it is depicted simply as a magic ring that conveniently endows Bilbo with the ability to become invisible.

“Hobbit” beats “Lord of the Rings” with $84.8 million opening

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:29:00 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) -- Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" led the box office with a haul of $84.8 million, a record-setting opening better than the three previous "Lord of the Rings" films.

The Warner Bros. Middle Earth epic was the biggest December opening ever, surpassing Will Smith's "I Am Legend," which opened with $77.2 million in 2007, according to studio estimates Sunday. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" also passed the December opening of "Avatar," which opened with $77 million. Internationally, "The Hobbit" also added $138.2 million, for an impressive global debut of $223 million.

Despite weak reviews, the 3-D adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's first novel in the fantasy series was an even bigger draw than the last "Lord of the Rings" movie, "The Return of the King." That film opened with $72.6 million. "The Hobbit" is the first of another planned trilogy, with two more films to be squeezed out of Tolkien's book.

While Jackson's "Rings" movies drew many accolades - "The Return of the King" won best picture from the Academy Awards - the path for "The Hobbit" has been rockier. It received no Golden Globes nominations on Thursday, though all three "Rings" films were nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for best picture.

“The Hobbit”: Middle-earth faces a phantom menace

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 01:00:00 +0000

So let’s jump right in: Is Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” a gaseous and self-indulgent disaster, a “Phantom Menace”-scale overinflated blimp of a movie that casts retroactive shadows across Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy? Counsel is leading the witness, as they used to say on “Law & Order,” but those were among the thoughts I had after leaving a screening of the first installment of Jackson’s prequel trilogy, especially as seen in the eerie and distracting 48 frames per second 3-D format. (The best single description of which came in a tweet from Salon contributor Bob Calhoun: It “looks like Jehovah’s Witness art.”)

Bilbo Baggins says, “Buy this!”

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 23:00:00 +0000

After Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” ruled the megaplexes for most of the early years of this century, it was inevitable that “The Hobbit” would follow. What was perhaps also inevitable — given the way the film industry and popular culture, in general, operates these days — is that after turning J.R.R. Tolkien’s massive three-book fantasy trilogy into a massive three-film fantasy trilogy, Warner Brothers and New Line Cinema would turn the slender folk-tale prequel into … another massive three-film fantasy trilogy.

That Hollywood is driven more by market forces than by artistic ones is a cliché so old it’s almost become axiomatic. Blame the collapse of the studio system in the 1960s. Hollywood did just fine when all the major studios were in the business of creating, as well as financing, the films bearing their logos; they even went so far as to seek out new talent, nurture it, and develop it over the course of years. Today, studios are just the money men, and projects are developed by independent production companies — every actor and director has his or her own — and then brought to MGM or Fox or Disney in supplication with the hope of a big, fat bankroll.

Why does “The Hobbit” look so weird?

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:38:00 +0000

No movie all year arrives with the crazy fan anticipation of Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” which has morphed from being a straightforward adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 children’s novel into the first installment of a full-blown (and perhaps overblown) prequel trilogy to Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings.” I’ll have a great deal more to say about all that next week, when “The Hobbit” finally reaches theaters. But without jumping the gun on a full review, there’s a technical and aesthetic issue we can talk about right now, one that has provoked considerable anxiety among LOTR fans ever since Jackson previewed some footage last year, and one that could poison the movie for many viewers.

“The Hobbit” looks really, really strange. At least it does when projected in 3-D, at the 48 frames per second rate (known as high-frame rate, or HFR) that Jackson intends as the preferred format. (The movie was shot on the latest iteration of cutting-edge digital video, using a brand-new camera called the Red Epic that was developed alongside the film.) Granted, most viewers probably won’t see it that way; outside major cities, theaters will primarily screen “The Hobbit” in more familiar formats, either 3-D or 2-D, at a conventional frame rate of 24 frames per second.

“The Hobbit” is not a hipster!

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 21:00:00 +0000

There’s a sequence in the most recent trailer for Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” that worries me. It’s at the very end: The dwarves are tentatively emerging from the debris of some colossal battle or other, and one of them says, “Well, that could’ve been worse” — and then a Volkswagen-size goblin carcass crashes down on them.

This is more Chuck Jones than J.R.R. Tolkien, and if there’s more of the same in the coming feature film — whose scope, as we already know, has expanded far beyond that of the original novel — it may not be just Tolkien’s lovely little picaresque adventure that gets swallowed whole, but its plucky, whimsical tone as well, consumed by modern irony.

Hobbits, superheroes power NZ film industry

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 05:45:00 +0000

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A crate full of sushi arrives. Workers wearing wetsuit shirts or in bare feet bustle past with slim laptops. With days to go, a buzzing intensity fills the once-dilapidated warehouses where Peter Jackson's visual-effects studio is rushing to finish the opening film in "The Hobbit" trilogy.

The fevered pace at the Weta Digital studio near Wellington will last nearly until the actors walk the red carpet Nov. 28 for the world premiere. But after "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" hits theaters, there's more work to be done.

Weta Digital is the centerpiece of a filmmaking empire that Jackson and close collaborators have built in his New Zealand hometown, realizing his dream of bringing a slice of Hollywood to Wellington. It's a one-stop shop for making major movies — not only his own, but other blockbusters like "Avatar" and "The Avengers" and hoped-for blockbusters like next year's "Man of Steel."

Along the way, Jackson has become revered here, even receiving a knighthood. His humble demeanor and crumpled appearance appeal to distinctly New Zealand values, yet his modesty belies his influence. He's also attracted criticism along the way.

Stephen Colbert is Middle-earth-bound

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 16:18:00 +0000

Not since the time Bob Dylan showed up in an episode of “Dharma & Greg” will a star cameo be as bewildering as when Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert appears in the second and possibly third installments of “The Hobbit” trilogy directed by Peter Jackson.

Colbert, a reported J.R.R. Tolkien fan, will not be in the first chapter, which opens Dec. 15, but Hollywood Reporter says he’s a lock for a role.

Which one? Here are five possibilities:

1. Beorn. This weird, old recluse shepherds an army of animal servants and assists Bilbo and the dwarves' escape from a goblin horde. He’s also a shape-shifter who happens to become a bear in key moments of the story. A Colbert? A prime choice if Colbert wants to skip the rubber makeup and flowery robes and just stick to the pinstripes.

2. Elrond. An Elfin leader who is described in the novel as “strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves, and as kind as summer.” Colbert’s venerability as a dwarf king is well known to the many little people in his life, but what makes this role certain is his keen wizardly ways — like when he produces exact change at a toll booth, or the time he knew to bring a sweater for a nature hike in October.

Stephen Colbert to appear in “The Hobbit”

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:06:00 +0000

Book fan and comedian Stephen Colbert will have a cameo in at least one of Peter Jackson's three upcoming "Hobbit" films, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Colbert hinted at the possibility of an appearance in a candid interview with Playboy, during which he admits he is "a little obsessed" with Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings":

Peter Jackson’s “Hobbit” trilogy: Terrible idea or geek opium?

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 20:30:00 +0000

There are two major strains of reaction to Peter Jackson’s announcement that his long-brewing film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” which had already swollen from one movie to two, will now be a trilogy extending into the summer of 2014. I feel both of them at the same time: I’m excited, and I fear the worst. (Of course, that’s how I feel almost every time I watch a movie, but never mind.) On one hand, surely this is the most serious case of sequel bloat and metastasis in pop-culture history. On the other, if anybody can pull it off, Jackson can, and the idea of transforming his “Hobbit” movie into a wide-ranging “Lord of the Rings” prequel has enormous fan appeal, not to mention enormous financial appeal.

Jackson to make ‘The Hobbit’ into a trilogy

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 02:45:00 +0000

BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — Peter Jackson is adding a third film to what was planned to be the two-part series "The Hobbit."

The director of the Oscar-winning "The Lord of the Rings" movies said Monday that after viewing a cut of the first film and part of the second that there was room for a third.

Jackson says in a statement that a lot of J.R.R. Tolkien's tale of Bilbo Baggins would remain untold if a third film wasn't made. The films are set in the fictional world of Middle-earth 60 years before "The Lord of the Rings."

"We recognized that the richness of the story of 'The Hobbit,' as well as some of the related material in the appendices of 'The Lord of the Rings,' gave rise to a simple question: do we tell more of the tale?" Jackson said in a statement. "And the answer from our perspective as filmmakers and fans was an unreserved 'yes.' "

"We know how much of the tale of Bilbo Baggins, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur would remain untold if we did not fully realize this complex and wonderful adventure," he said.

Warner Bros. and MGM will continue their partnership to make the trilogy.

Evangeline Lilly scores elf role in “The Hobbit”

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:21:00 +0000

Due to her ability to look sort of like Liv Tyler, we imagine, actress Evangeline Lilly has just been cast in Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" as an elf. Evangeline is most famous for playing Kate on "Lost," probably because she has had no other speaking roles in television or film since the show. Jackson has faith in Lilly though, sending out a Facebook note in lieu of an official announcement that spoke to the star's talent:

Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character—the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Her name means 'daughter of Mirkwood' and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! (No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas.) What is not a secret is how talented and compelling an actress Evangeline is; we are thrilled and excited she will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan Elf to life.

“Hobbit” controversy: When is casting racism?

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:31:00 +0000

Naz Humphreys says she was told she was too dark for the job. And indeed, the ad specified potential applicants have "light skin tones." It sounds like a clear-cut case of blatant racism, one that led to the swift firing of the person who placed the ad and allegedly told applicants, "We are looking for light-skinned people. I'm not trying to be -- whatever." (Fun fact: Whenever anyone starts a sentence with "I'm not trying to be …" the next thing out of said individual's mouth is guaranteed to be damning.) But the job posting in question was a casting call. And the gig was as an extra in "The Hobbit."

The casting person's stipulation that would-be hobbits be "light" -- a requirement she made only of females, by the way – certainly appears to be an incredibly insensitive mistake. Humphreys, who is of Pakistani descent, told New Zealand's Waikato Times Monday that "It's 2010 and I still can't believe I'm being discriminated against because I have brown skin." And a representative for director Peter Jackson's Wingnut Films added, "No such instructions were given, the crew member in question took it upon themselves to do that and it's not something we instructed or condoned."

Martin Freeman cast as Bilbo Baggins in “The Hobbit”

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:23:00 +0000

The much maligned "Lord of the Rings" prequel just got a little … funnier?

Director Peter Jackson announced yesterday that British actor Martin Freeman will play the lead role of Bilbo Baggins. Freeman is best known to Americans for playing Tim Canterbury in the British version of "The Office." The character Tim, a mild-mannered salesman who is drolly aware of his job's pointlessness, is the U.K. version of Jim Halpert.

Freeman, at the very least, looks the part of Bilbo: boyish, unassuming, short with a decidedly British expression. "Hobbit" fans, however, wonder if Freeman can carry a dramatic movie. He was at ease starring in the underrated "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and he proved more than capable with short cameos in "Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz" and "Love Actually." But those, like "The Office," are comedies. Falling in love with the receptionist is one thing; fighting off trolls, goblins and giant spiders is another.

Will Tarantino direct “The Hobbit”?

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 21:30:00 +0000

Here's what Guillermo del Toro told me four years ago, in an interview at Cannes after the premiere of "Pan's Labyrinth": "I don't like little guys and dragons, hairy feet, hobbits -- I've never been into that at all. I don't like sword and sorcery, I hate all that stuff."

Yes, consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, but maybe del Toro should have stuck with that view all along. Two years after rearranging his family life and career and putting about a dozen other films on hold to move to New Zealand and direct a two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" for Peter Jackson, del Toro has now officially quit the project. Or semi-officially but not quite totally quit the project; he's still listed as a co-writer, along with Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and whoever else is hanging around the production offices in Wellington.