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Guillermo Del Toro Says THE HOBBIT Is Not Greenlit, Not Currently Planned For 3D!
Beaks here...
Guillermo del Toro participated in a thirty-minute conference call today to help promote Vincenzo Natali's critically acclaimed SPLICE - which del Toro produced and which opens next Friday, June 4th (go see it!). Obviously, in light of today's MarketSaw report claiming that THE HOBBIT a) has been greenlit, b) will start shooting this November, and c) will be in 3D, del Toro was pressed for a confimation - especially since the Latino Review crew vehemently refuted MarketSaw's story.
Here's the lowdown from the director of THE HOBBIT himself (responding to a question from Fred Topel)...
Q: We've been following your production of THE HOBBIT, and every time the production gets delayed. Do you know when you're actually going to start and get on set?
Guillermo del Toro: There cannot be any start dates really until the MGM situation is resolved, because they do hold a considerable portion of the rights, and it's impossible to make a unilateral decision by New Line or Warners to give the greenlight to proceed. We really believe that things will be known after the fact of MGM's fate. Whether they stay and get supported, or they get bought, or they transfer some of the rights: nobody knows. We've been caught in a very tangled negotiation.
Now I've been on the project for nearly two years. We have designed all the creatures; we have designed the sets and wardrobes; we have done animatics and planned very lengthy action sequences and scary sequences and funny sequences. We are very, very prepared for when it's finally triggered, but we don't know anything is sold.
Later in the interview, I asked this follow-up...
Q: The story that was reported earlier today that THE HOBBIT has been greenlit and will be shot in 3D, that is false?
Del Toro: On both counts, there are no final answers. It is not greenlit. That is categorical. And 3D has been discussed literally once in the room. The budget and the schedule and everything that we are handling - the cost of the film, the number of days it would take to shoot - is being handled right now without looking towards 3D. Is there a chance it will become 3D in the future? Maybe. Right now, it's not being planned as such.
So there you have it. All we can do right now is hope that this MGM situation gets resolved speedily and cleanly.
Until then, del Toro is working on his production slate at Universal, as well as the next chapter in THE STRAIN series. Stay tuned for the full transcript.
Guillermo del Toro: There cannot be any start dates really until the MGM situation is resolved, because they do hold a considerable portion of the rights, and it's impossible to make a unilateral decision by New Line or Warners to give the greenlight to proceed. We really believe that things will be known after the fact of MGM's fate. Whether they stay and get supported, or they get bought, or they transfer some of the rights: nobody knows. We've been caught in a very tangled negotiation.
Now I've been on the project for nearly two years. We have designed all the creatures; we have designed the sets and wardrobes; we have done animatics and planned very lengthy action sequences and scary sequences and funny sequences. We are very, very prepared for when it's finally triggered, but we don't know anything is sold.
Del Toro: On both counts, there are no final answers. It is not greenlit. That is categorical. And 3D has been discussed literally once in the room. The budget and the schedule and everything that we are handling - the cost of the film, the number of days it would take to shoot - is being handled right now without looking towards 3D. Is there a chance it will become 3D in the future? Maybe. Right now, it's not being planned as such.
Until then, del Toro is working on his production slate at Universal, as well as the next chapter in THE STRAIN series. Stay tuned for the full transcript.
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kablammo
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first
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Too bad but at least they're ready to roll!
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Forget the 3D! OK?
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almost!
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I don't want these in 3D. I want them to have SOME of the feel of the trilogy. Being in New Zealand and having WETA involved I think that will happen. Not cool that there's no start date and they're still caught in the MGM mess.
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It's a passing fad. Again. Fuck James Cameron and his bullshit turn in movies.
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At this rate he'll never make another film again. Is he not allowed to go off and do a side-project, contractually, or is he just in a permanent state of readiness in case this MGM thing ever gets resolved?
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Dammit dammit.
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And there's no fucking way that the suits will pass on the 21 dollar IMAX ticket gold-mine. If the don't, the average person will be shelling out 11 bucks. This will most certainly be in 3-D, bank on it.
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Not really needed to make this film any better. Spend the money on story.
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For a HBO The Silmarillion mini series. And by the way, The Preacher as well.
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Just sell the rights PPPLLLEEEAASSSEEE! It's getting embarrassing. If this does get done in the next year does that mean no McAvoy as Bilbo since he's the new Prof?
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nice to see you still posting around in non-LOST TBs :)
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Good call Ganymede3001
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I was looking forward to THE HOBBIT as my reason/deadline for retiring from Talkback; sort of like coming full circle.Come on, MGM. Del Toro and Jackson & Co. need to get cracking on this thing so that I can finally leave this dump!
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same for me too! I started coming to AICN in 1999 when I heard LOTR was being made!
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Get to leave my finger prints on THE HOBBIT in any way shape or form. I say THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING every day of it's release in St. Cloud MN some part of the film. I read it when I worked at camp for the summer that and the bible just cause Momz asked me to...I've SEEN to book can't wait wish I could see it today.
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Now, what are you doing looking at my ass?
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I dig AICN, no chance I'll stop postin' here. But I promise you I'll keep my word regarding that show. Not a word, brother. Not a word.
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May 27, 2010 9:31:23 PM CDT
Don't care about this one, I just want the next Bond film
by matthooper8
I need more Hobbit's like I need a hemorrhoid. This MGM shit is delaying Bond and that sucks.
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be sorted out?
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of your way to slam marketsaw when they reported about a new Star Wars film, and then reported the same story a short while later with any mention of your pathetic tirade? Geez, I guess it must hurt when oter sites do the things you guys used to do. I will be the first to say that ol Jim Dory can be over enthusiastic and sure, sometimes what he posts is just rumour, but he has certainly been proven right on a number of occasions, and he certainly does have insiders at Weta based on his track record of getting very early images from Avatar (including the infamous early cgi work of a Na'vi). So I m not sure what the hell gives AICN the rigt to always shit on marketsaw, after all its not like you guys have ever posted wild rumours before....right? *sarcasm mode* deactivated...
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Why do they start this 3D shit with every new movie? Does anyone really fucking care?
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should have stayed a baby. Much scarier than the hot-chick Species ripoff
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That movie has been getting way more TV advertising than I was expecting. Most horror movies just slip by me unnoticed if they aren't Saw or something by Platinum Dunes. But I've been seeing Splice commercials all over the channels.
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"Michael Bay and the rest of Platinum Dunes will oversee the launch of a new live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film."
Deadline New York -
assume he is telling the whole truth simply because he isnt in control of deceisions like wether the Hobbit will be in 3D, or when it gets greenlit. And he simply may not be allowed to disclose certain information...not because I think he is a liar (im a Del Toro fan so please relax anyone that thinks im attacking him). But AICN and the 3rd tier talent that runs the site now really needs to get off its high horse regarding what other sites report. Especially considering that AICN is also so damn slow reporting actual cool news, if it reports said cool news at all these days...
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...is why they can't get it fixed. It's MGM, they're part of the history of this business. Somebody must want to invest, buy them, save them, whatever. So is it true that they're really being difficult with those people? Do they really not want to be saved? (Which is possible in the big business world - maybe they want to break up whatever holdings MGM retains the rights to.) Or have they honestly been getting low-balled and have yet to receive a fair offer, or one that makes good financial sense. Because to most people on the planet, I would think, the money to be made on James Bond and The Hobbit seems like a no brainer. Produce the films, they're going to make money. I just don't get the whole thing at this point. It seems like the people involved with The Hobbit MUST have expected something to happen, though, or they wouldn't have done so much pre-production work.
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3D will always be nothing but a gimmick.
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...Del Toro should know better than to pal around with Don Murphy. That twunt has got some serious issues.
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The first one contained a great many cliches, but was so well put together that I couldn't help getting completely wrapped up in it. And the audio book version, with Ron Perlman narrating, was outstanding.But of course, like so many others I can't wait for The Hobbit. There aren't many films like this that you can see coming from so far away and know they'll be incredible. So, suits: get your heads out of your asses and get this money-printing cinematic machine on the road!
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I liked Avatar, but c'mon.
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We'll never see a Hobbit movie. Never ever ever.
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So wait ... basically nothing has changed. Fantastic. Next, updates on the state of Paul Newman's corpse.
Hang your heads in shame -
Really love the first two Hellboys....GDT needs to do a Part 3 to wrap up his trilogy before Ron Pearlman is too old/cranky to get back in the makeup. And after that,maybe make that Lovecraft movie hes been talking about for years? Or make a movie based on The Strain? I love GDT to death,but I hate how much of his time is being eaten up by a movie that may never happen.
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So like... do you work for marketsaw or what? You seem to be taking the contradiction of one of their scoops more seriously than is healthy.
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Along with the rest of us Hobbit fans. Fuckin' MGM. This damn movie has been cursed from day one.
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MGM has their head up their asses.
this is bullshit. I want the Hobbit movie(s) now dammit!! -
Only a studio hack could think that The Hobbit needs to be "enhanced" by filming it in 3D. Avatar was conceived from scratch as a 3D project; The Hobbit is one of the most beloved fantasy works of the 20th century and the very well-known prequel to a trilogy that basically printed money for these fuckers a few years ago. They seriously think that people will stay away if it's filmed in 2D? Only a studio suit would be unable to see the difference between this and Avatar.
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May 27, 2010 10:40:59 PM CDT
DEL TORO NEED TO FOCUS ON MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS!!!FACT!!!
by tehcreepythinman
His talents are wasted on The Hobbit. Let Jackson do the fucking thing since it would make up for King Kong and Lovely Bones, both of which were shit.
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Trust Guillermo to see through that shit.
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Del Toro will water that shit down like non-alcoholic beer. FACT: No director can deliver the mood and weight of an H.P. Lovecraft story to film.
If you're okay with that then by all means, set yourself up for failure. You hyper-critical fan boys will shred it to pieces before it even gets out of post production anyway. -
Save 3-D for really special occasions like Avatar and Up.
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If this was Lucas we'd have two Hobbit movies by now.
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and normally I really would nt care, but for some reason AICN's blatant hypocricy, and childishness regarding this matter just annoyed me....
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If this shit keeps happening, any director would eventually split. Especially one with all sorts of other projects lurking.
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May 27, 2010 11:43:24 PM CDT
WATCH THIS NOW!!! EFFECTS REEL FROM GASPAR NOE'S ENTER THE VOID!
by tehcreepythinman
Keep in mind that Enter the Void only cost 13 million Euro's - 16 million Dollars. http://www.buf.com/visual_effects.php?display=movie&id=882
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is this a fucking joke?
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I'd rather have more Bond than the hobbit, plus Ian McKellen isnt getting any younger!!
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as portrayed by Uncle Brucey
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MGM is effing them over, and this thing has been in limbo too long. Kudos to Jackson, del Toro, and others for wanting to bring The Hobbit to the big screen, but from here I say it's a waste of time for them.
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Seriously, for the sake of your fans, pass the torch of The Hobbit to someone else. I understand you've put a lot of time and passion into the project, but you owe us and yourself Hellboy 3 and MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS.
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AND NAZI APES THAT TALK WILL CARRY HEADS IN JARS
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Green-lighting the Hobbit would seem like the most brain-dead easy decision in the world. Unless you have a pile of Blair Witch Projects waiting in the wings, what on earth businesses are people running that they think they might get a higher return on that capital than a Hobbit movie? Give the filmmakers a big check and get out of the way - let them get on with their work while you suits bicker over where the gold falls. Or if you don't have the money, just put the rights up on ebay and get out of the way - there must be someone out there with the pockets to press the "on" button (though I admit I don't personally have $200 million on me).
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when no one gave a shit about 3-d. The LOTR won oscars without using that crap.
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while we're still young
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He'd get it made. CGI everything - actors included.
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Don't make the movie in 3D. I'm fucking tired of that shit. 3D is a goddamn gimmick for movies that are total ass and need some lame ploy to rope in the mooks. It doesn't enhance the movie in any meaningful way. Stop that shit!
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They are wasting the time of a talented director, who could be right now directing his version of Frankenstien, At the mountains of Madness or Hellboy 3.... I mean who wouldn't greenlight this fucking cash cow???? a $200m layout for a potential $2 billion dollar return over the 2 movies???? Cut the red tape and get this fucking thing rolling!!!! I an McKellen will be dead of either old age or AIDS by the time this fucker is greenlit!!!!!
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May 28, 2010 2:46:54 AM CDT
Del Toro: make Slaughterhouse Five, Hellboy 3, THEN Hobbit
by tall_boy66
It'll probably take about 5 years for MGM and the legal wrangling to get off the ground. Go do that.
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2 movies = instant billion dollars for each film. Holy shit, I hope MGM just rots tomorrow and the rights to Bond and Hobbit are cleanly transferred in a matter of hours.
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Just make that "At The Mountains of Madness" movie, Gordo.
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Just waiting for the trigger to get pulled. My vote for Smaug's voice....Clancy Brown.
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Oh yea the greedy parasitic pieces of shit who run the studios, that`s who!
Just make these movies the way the LOTR trilogy was instead of turning it into a gimmicky cartoon!
Oh and hurry up with it for fxck sake! -
What kind of shit-fest lawyers are holding up two immensely lucrative series from being made? I think the Del Toro HOBBIT has a good chance of being better than the LOTR - I definitely think he's a better director. And -unlike most people here - I LOVED Quantum of Solace, I thought it took the CASINO ROYALE ball and really ran with it. I was gagging to see what would happen next. Now all that development, the booking of Mendes, etc will go to waste. LAWYERS: SORT THIS FUCKING OUT YOU GREEDY SONS OF BITCHES! DON'T YOU ALL HAVE ENOUGH MONEY ALREADY!
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..Some concept art or something.
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Ya gotta do 'The Hobbit: Live on Ice!'. You just said you have the script, sets, costumes, etc. Take this mother on the road!!!
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Imagine Gimli's ugly mug × 13 and in 3D for three hours - that sums up The Hobbit in 3D. And there's no Liv Tyler to balance the equation. Liv's tits in 3D would have compensated.
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3D gets a big screen.... non-3D my preference gets a tiny screen hidden away in a corner of the cinema. Fuck 3D, fuck it up it's stupid ass.
Affleck still the bomb! -
...my side of the fence I am not saying no...but my girlfriend as not read any of the books, she loves the LOTR films. I happened to say that they were making The Hobbit films, she asks what happens, I mention about meeting Gollum, finding the one ring, meeting dwarves and spiders and big battles etc. She said something along the lines of "we have seen that already and also would ruin the mystery of the ring etc." Anyway...so for people who have not read the books no...for me who loves the book, would love to see Smaug in Jackson's universe...IF IT HAPPENS!
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Jesus, just give some bailout money to it, before they reboot Bond again.
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MGM is just holding on to strings right now, i'm sure Warners would pay up a pretty sweet penny to claim the hobbit rights mgm owns, and as for bond, i can't think of one studio that wouldn't put a bid in for those rights. JAckson/Del toro as well as EON productions are just handcuffed right now, both parties WANT to make another installment but they are unable to since the distributer is unable to pay the electric bill let alone release and market a movie. MGM should just cut their loses, sell off the hobbit, bond and any other catelog rights and restart the studio with smaller films or perhaps unheard of franchises (summit films did that and now they wipe their asses with 100 dollar bills thanks to thwe twilight films)
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"Does the world need The Hobbit movies"Well, it depends on who makes them, doesn't it?
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...in the meantime! I cannot believe this is taking so long.
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Tolkien movies are soooo 2003.
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everyone knows that already.
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I think I can even hear the death rattle. Such a shame, too. They should have jumped on this immediately after ROTK won all those Oscars.
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"The greeaaaatest adventure is what lies ahead..."
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I love your sarcasm.
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...and it'll be a long, long time before another James Bond, too. Too many greedheads with their accompanying legions of flying monkeys with briefcases and subpoenas flying around.
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Indeed. Striking when the iron was still hot and all that. I mena, really, come to think of it, it's almost 9 years when THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING was released.
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Now that's a rain cloud over my parade :@
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Thanks for the heads up on that effects reel. Most impressive. Proof that a film with stunning visuals can, in fact, be made with a modest budget.
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I hope this blows over soon, because I'm eager to see GDT's take on the introduction of Gollum, not to mention Smaug (I like Monkey_King's suggestion of Clancy Brown as his voice). I also don't want to see this in 3D.
DoctorWho?, I share your concerns about Lovecraft. But if anyone can deliver the mood and weight of Lovecraft to film, it's GDT. If someone's going to try it, I'd rather he take it on than anyone else. As for what they're directing, I'd prefer that Peter J. get moving on the Naomi Novik books myself. -
Marvel is gunning for Guillermo del Toro to direct and Neil Gaiman to write Dr. Strange and the Defenders movie.
Shield assembles to defend earth will be an eccentric group of of scientist academia types culled together to form the "Defenders", the odd ducks to the more golden-child Avengers team if you will. Project "Defenders" consist of Doctor Strange leading the team, Namor, and the Hulk (Bruce Banner), and Henry Pym (AntMan). The story incorporates things from the bestselling magical/occult/secret society/new age stuff ala'latest Jonathan Hickman and Dustin Weaver's S.H.I.E.L.D. comics series. -
I know this site focuses mostly on the creative part of moviemaking and the highs and lows of expectations of those of us who take our fandom too much to heart, but this is one case where I really need help to wrap my head around the business ... I just don't understand what's happening here. Is there actual fear that it might flop? Is it all negotiating tactics to starve out some weakening co-owner of rights? Or has the creative accounting created such a convoluted mess of shell companies that they've actually lost track of who owns what? Is is bogged down in red tape from the checklist of hearings a judge needs to hold? I hunger for the corporate spoilers.
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MGM isn't going to lower their price so nobody's going to buy them. They won't sell off Bond of Hobbit rights because let's face it, they've been gutted pretty well by Warner's, Turner and Sony already so that's about all they ahve of any worth.Del Toro can all the preproduction done and ready, this film will not be made. Not for many years anyway.Eventually Del Toro will decide he wants to actually make films instead of sit around with his thumb up his ass waiting to make films, so he'll go do something else and hope once things get sorted they will wait for him to be available again. I'm assuming they will, but that could tack on another year or two.And let's not forget that actually filming it will take a year, plus another year for effects and editing.I will be absolutely amazed if The Hobbit hits theaters before 2015.
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What is this about people complaining about 3-D? It would be frickin' awesome if Hobbit was done in native 3-D!! That is... if they can manage to figure out a way. The only fully live-action film I've ever seen using modern techniques is "My bloody Valentine". People praise Avatar's 3-D, but I think they forget that the movie is 90 percent digital! Even movies like the new Piranha 3D (and Alice) aren't being filmed in native 3D. They are, in fact, being converted in post. Anyway... I think directors are scared shitless about being the *first* to film a real fully native 3D live-action film. Guillermo, no doubt, as anyone would be, is too. That said, native 3D would rock. Also, if I know anything about the industry, the project is greenlit, and Marketsaw is probably not far off in their predictions. If I know Guillermo, he'll fight against 3-D at first, but end up giving in (possibly to the lesser quality 3-D-conversion process.) I'll toss my vote for wanting Hobbit to be in 3-D, although it seems I'm in the minority of geeks, which surprises me.
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Del Toro has his head so far up his own ass he'll direct Hellboy IV before Hobbit.
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They are losing so much money right now it's not even funny.....hope they don't realize that 8-13 year olds like Star Wars more than LOTR. IDDDDDIOTS
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the only thing the hobbit had going for it was the LOTR momentum and that's long gone. The book was fun back in the day ( the Hobbit I mean ) but it's relatively linear and simple, and even if you bring on othe rstories from unfinished tales etc... I don't see how it could be 2 films. Better zero than two I guess.
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Please Guillermo, don't give in! There is NO reason to do this in 3D! There isn't a single person on (middle) earth that would NOT see this because it's not in 3D.I'll fly to New Zealand to present my case in person if I have to!!
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Otherwise I think it will have been too long between LOTR and The Hobbit. Plus with Del Toro directing, the films will feel a bit different as well. I'd really prefer that Peter Jackson were directing The Hobbit, and Del Toro were moving on with Mountains Of Madness or adapting The Strain.Also, it's not like there aren't a bunch of other great works of fantasy literature out there to adapt, both new volumes and old classics. Conan, Perdido Street Station, The Name of the Wind, Fritz Lieber's Lankhmar stuff, Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun series, a new and good version of the Earthsea books to wash away the taint of the SyFy Channel one. Don't forget that Jackson also wants to adapt those Naomi Novik Napoleanic War era dragon books.Don't get me wrong, I'd love an awesome Hobbit from Jackson and Del Toro. I'd be there day one for a Del Toro directed At The Mountains Of Madness. I hope that the Halo film adaptation eventually finds its way back into the hands of Jackson and Blomkamp. Still doesn't mean that they should wait around too long if legal BS is gonna tie things up. We never would've gotten District 9 if they just sat and waited for Halo.
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..should adapt a Clive Barker novel. Why do Hollywood suits never get any good ideas like that?
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fuck there are so many people having hissy fits about the Hobbit being in 3D, and pleading for it to not be so? You do all realize that it will also be released in 2D right? Sooo....its actually quite simple, you just go see it in 2D as opposed to 3D. Thats what I did with Avatar......just saying...
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What a boring book! Maybe it's because I'm more of a science fiction reader, but I foiund it to be just silly. The amount of precise information about alien colonization history the protagonist deduces from looking at some pictures on the wall is just ridiculous. And how often does he need to say those Mountains look like some other dude's paintings? And those scary penguins? I almost expected Danny DeVito to show up.
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it would suck if it took too long to negotiate and that GDT left the project. I wouldnt blame him, but I am very interested in his vision of Middle earth.
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The problem with 3D, aside from it giving me headaches when viewing it, is that they're concentrating too much on this purely superficial gimmick. The result are lame films like Avatar or Alice in Wonderland.
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get used to the 3d beans
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Sure this has been posted elsewhere but didn't see it here. http://tinyurl.com/23u7aoc
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Wasn't 3D Star Wars (original trilogy) supposed to come out this year or last year? I don't follow as much SW stuff as I used to, but what happened?
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Most likely looked like bad cookie cut out Viewmaster. So bad even Lucas couldn't say "good enough".
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...as has been said by others.
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AICN is so slow sometimes, i read this on Yahoo news a few minutes ago. I am very disappointed that i am not going to experience a Del Toro take on the Tolkien universe, but I dont blame him either. No one would commit 6 years of their life to these movies, think of all the movies he could make in that time frame.
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by Peter Jackson himself. Fail again.
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