Exclusive: New Empire Hobbit Cover
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January is, statistically speaking, the most miserable of months. It’s cold, it’s dark, and Moira Stuart is forever banging on about paying your tax bill by the 31st, or Mr. Taxman will be round to cut off a pound, or three, of flesh.

So here at Empire, we feel it’s our duty to cheer you up – and what better way than by presenting to you our brand new issue, which should be hitting newsagent and supermarket shelves near you any… second… now.

Inside, you’ll find all kinds of cheery tonics, such as our horror overload, featuring Bruce Campbell, Freddy and Jason, the Wolfman’s Emily Blunt, and the Lesbian Vampire Killers, and our lovely look at the individuals who make up the Watchmen.

But pride of place – on our cover and in our hearts – is our big special on The Hobbit. What’s that, you say? It’s not even out for two years? Well, yes, but inside our special feature, you’ll find a one-stop shop of information on the films that may be the most anticipated of the next few years.



Inside, we’ll tell you how the film finally became a reality after years languishing in tangled rights hell; why Peter Jackson stepped aside from directing; what might be contained in the mooted second movie; and just what director Guillermo del Toro has in store for the whole shebang.

Here’s a taster of our exclusive interview with del Toro: “Whatever The Hobbit ends up being, it has to ultimately blend seamlessly into the first movie of the trilogy. We have to respect the cosmology and the canon established by the trilogy and follow it.”

For more from del Toro, and more on The Hobbit, pick up the March issue of Empire – on sale Friday.

Matthew Goode Auditions For Bilbo Baggins



In an interview with the UK Daily Telegraph’s John Preston, actor Matthew Goode commented on some news that would be of great interest to those fans following developments on The Hobbit.  Preston writes:

“Now he’s a father, Goode doesn’t even like travelling that much. But just before we met, he’d auditioned for the role of Bilbo Baggins in Guillermo del Toro’s two-part film of The Hobbit. As he is the first to admit, he’s not an obvious choice – ‘Look at the size of me for Christ’s sake!’ If he got the part, he would, he says, find it almost impossible to refuse – despite the fact that it would involve him spending several months in New Zealand.”

Guillermo del Toro Confirms Hobbit 3D Discussions

I wouldn't read much on it just yet, but now, after all this time, after AVATAR doing the Box Office it did, we have had enquires from above about The Hobbit being in 3-D.

No impositions or heavy leaning. Just enquires. Just fulfilling my promise to let you all know if discussions ever started.

Cheers

GDT

Ian McKellen confirms start date on The Hobbit

THE HOBBIT's, two films, start shooting in New Zealand in July.  Filming will take over a year. Casting in Los Angeles, New York City and London has started.  The script too proceeds.  The first draft is crammed with old and new friends, again on a quest in Middle Earth. 

The director Guillermo del Toro is now living in Wellington, close to the Jacksons' and the studio in Miramar.

So, here I am again. As promised, I am posting a longer message before the week's end.

I have to thank those of you that have supported me from the start as well as those that converted along the way. And even say farewell to those that never did convert or believed.

I will miss Mr. Crere, the faith of Compa and Sir DennisC, the wisdom of Voronwe, the joy of Grammaboodawg, the support of Kangi Ska and so many, many others

Now, Pasi, et al- that is what is quite uncommon even on big films. Pete and co stuck to LOTR for years, I've developed films for years and I have shot many a movie on location... but rarely do you relocate for such massive amount of time specially when you have to do major ironclad agreements to put in deep freeze other contractual obligations with multiple studios.

My commitment to the project demanded enormous sacrifices both in personal and professional terms. The consequences of which will ripple for years. I relocated my entire life and family to New Zealand and first came on board in 2008.

So- while the cited delays, contractual complexities or obstacles, cannot be attributed to a single event or entity - you will simply have to believe that they were of sufficient complexity and severity to lead to the current situation. Trust me on this, Pasi- leaving NZ and the Hobbit crew is extremely painful.

As stated before- a wealth of designs, animatics, boards and sculptures is left behind representing accurately my ideas for Mirkwood, Spiders, Wargs, Stone Trolls, etc, etc and everyone (PJ, FW, PB and myself) has the same goal in mind: to try and ensure the best possible transition of the movie to a new director.

I believe these films will happen. Preproduction continues as we speak. The writing team of PJ,FW,PB and myself will keep moving the screenplays forward.

Perhaps even sooner than we may anticipate we will all look at the finished film and then- I will tear up whenever I recognize a set or a creature or a quirk created under my supervision. Everyone on these boards will get two movies. Me? I will be watching filmic family albums. Photos of my children from far away.

I hope you will understand how delicate the subject is for me.

I will drop by now and then, I will read the boards with interest and do hope to see some of you around at SDCC and many other places.

I am not here, however, to provide a blow-by-blow of what happened, but to assure you, as I have, that it has been the toughest situation of my life.

Beyond that- I am simply no longer an official voice for these projects. Be good, be well- and I invite you all to follow me into the next phase of my filmmaking journey.

Sincerely

GDT

Tim Burton
Tim Burton’s grasp of magic and high weirdness is initially encouraging to fans, but doubt sets in when Johnny Depp is brought on to play Gandalf and decides to base his portrayal on eccentric celebrity Ozzy Osbourne. When Helena Bonham Carter is tapped to play Gollum, hopes take a dive, and the final product is praised for its bold use of color and shapes, but criticized for introducing a 10-minute dream sequence in which Bilbo is chased by a giant ring in a clown suit.

Terry Gilliam
The first stills to come out of the production are very promising, but Terry Gilliam’s famed bad luck comes into play when, over the course of a single week, a fire destroys the Smaug set, a flash flood wipes out Lake Town, Thorin Oakenshield develops spasmodic dysphonia, and the special-effects budget is cut to about half that of Big Momma’s House 3. The movie as released, while flawed and a commercial failure, nonetheless becomes a cult favorite among film students and fisheye lens salesmen.

George Lucas
George Lucas decides that this Lord of the Rings prequel is lacking a certain something, and changes the plot to be about Sauron’s early life as an adorable toddler caught in the middle of a continent-spanning dispute over water rights. Also, Sauron’s best friend is an orc with an exaggerated Mexican accent named Boopily Boodily Moop. The resulting film is a failure on every conceivable level, although somehow this doesn’t prevent Lucas from producing a related Cartoon Network series called Ultimate Ring Force.

Michael Bay
While the film is visually impressive, most viewers can’t recall Middle-earth being quite so explosion-prone in the books. In particular, the opening scene — in which Bilbo, instead of providing food and drinks for 13 dwarves, must escape from his shuddering, collapsing hobbit hole, diving from the exit just as Bag End goes up in a massive eruption of lava and stone — is singled out as being “somewhat over the top.” Every geek goes to see it, every geek hates it, and every geek goes to see it again just in case they didn’t hate it enough the first time.

Uwe Boll
The movie garners less criticism than any previous Uwe Boll film, mostly because at this point everyone’s given up on even watching Uwe Boll films. However, Uwe Boll himself goes to see it, and posts some minor criticisms on a web forum. When he reads his own comments, Uwe Boll becomes enraged and challenges himself to a bare-knuckled MMA match. The resulting video of Uwe Boll spending two hours beating himself up is a critical and commercial hit, providing Uwe Boll with his first and only Oscar, for Best Concussion Based on an Original Screenplay.



Read More http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/06/alt...s#ixzz0qVnHOuXg

Photos from The Hobbit Set Construction



Images from set contruction on The Hobbit have appeared online, courtesy of the German fansite Herr-der-Ringe-Film.de.

The site, written in German, reports that these images were taken last month in New Zealand. While they do precede the recent departure of Guillermo del Toro as director, they also provide a fairly good look at exactly how much work has already been done on the films.

Is God Mad At The Hobbit?



The proposed “Hobbit” films are having problems. Problems is putting it mildly. First MGM went bust, Guillermo Del Toro left the movie
in favor of other projects, and then there is the well-publicized standoff between director Peter Jackson and a variety of unions. Add to that an estimated $500 million dollar price tag, and you might start to wonder if this is actually ever going to happen.

And things are only getting worse.

Yesterday flames gutted the New Zealand workshop set that would have been used for Jackson’s embattled adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved novel.



With everything that the production of “The Hobbit” has endured so far, it is no wonder that the media is making frequent references to “The Curse of The Hobbit”. However, even with the laundry list of impediments, the production could begin shooting as early as mid-January.

The Hobbit Will Finally Shoot in February 2011



The first three “Lord of the Rings” films are legendary, but they might be nothing compared to the behind-the-scenes turmoil that has gone on with the upcoming two “Hobbit” movies. After years of problems (and still more problems left to be resolved), Peter Jackson’s two “Hobbit” movies have now been given the official greenlight, with production set for as early as February of next year.

Jackson will once again direct both films with a combined budget of $400 million, with $30 million of that already sank into pre-production on the film’s New Zealand sets. Of course, whether the films will actually shoot in New Zealand remains to be seen given the labor issues the production is currently still mired in.

Of the cast, only Sir Ian McKellan is officially back as Gandalf, with Martin Freeman rumored to be the frontrunner for the lead, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. With the greenlight given, expect the first part of “The Hobbit” to land in theaters by December 19, 2012, followed by part two in the following year.

That is, unless something else comes up to sabotage the production. You know, like maybe meteorites from outer space, or mole men from the Earth’s core. Hey, this is the “Hobbit”, it could happen.

expect the first part of “The Hobbit” to land in theaters by December 19, 2012

The Hobbit Casting Official Announcement: Yes, Martin Freeman is Bilbo Baggins



With “The Hobbit” set to shoot early next year, the studio has released an official announcement on the film’s casting. And yes, as expected, Martin Freeman (left) is indeed playing Bilbo Baggins, played by Ian Holm in the first three “Lord of the Rings” films. The major casting also includes Richard Armitage (below, right) as Thorin Oakenshield, Aidan Turner as Kili, and Rob Kazinsky as Fili.

Press release below:

Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Rob Kazinsky, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow and Peter Hambleton have joined the ensemble cast of The Hobbit, it was jointly announced today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema; Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros.; Steve Cooper, co-Chief Executive Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., and Peter Jackson.

Since The Hobbit films received a green light on October 15, pre-production has been in full swing. Set for release in December, 2012 and December, 2013, we can confirm that Martin Freeman (The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Hot Fuzz) will play Bilbo Baggins, the hero of the story. Richard Armitage (UK TV’s “MI-5″ and soon to appear in Captain America: The First Avenger) is set to play Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the Company of Dwarves which sets off to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from a thieving dragon.

“Despite the various rumors and speculation surrounding this role, there has only ever been one Bilbo Baggins for us,” says Peter Jackson. “There are a few times in your career when you come across an actor who you know was born to play a role, but that was the case as soon as I met Martin. He is intelligent, funny, surprising and brave – exactly like Bilbo and I feel incredibly proud to be able to announce that he is our Hobbit.”

He adds: “Richard is one of the most exciting and dynamic actors working on screen today and we know he is going to make an amazing Thorin Oakensheild. We cannot wait to start this adventure with him and feel very lucky that one of the most beloved characters in Middle-earth is in such good hands.”

Rounding out the Company of Dwarves are Aidan Turner (TV’s “Being Human”) and Rob Kazinsky (TVs “EastEnders”) who play Kili and Fili, respectively. Jackson comments, “Rob is an extremely talented young actor with a huge career in front of him, I’m thrilled that he has agreed to take on the role of Fili. Besides his talent as an actor, Rob is also a champion sword fighter; I’m looking forward to seeing the damage he can do to a horde of marauding Goblins!” He continues, “Adian is a wonderfully gifted young actor who hails from Ireland. I’m sure he will bring enormous heart and humor to the role of Kili.”

The remaining dwarves will be played by Graham McTavish (Secretariat and TV’s “24″) as Dwalin; John Callen (TV’s “Power Rangers Jungle Fury”) as Oin; Stephen Hunter (TV’s “All Saints”) as Bombur; Mark Hadlow (King Kong) as Dori; and Peter Hambleton (TV’s “The Strip”) as Gloin.

Jackson notes, “Graham is a terrific actor, with a great depth of experience, which I know he will bring to the role of “Dwalin. I have worked with Mark Hadlow on many projects; he is a fantastic actor. I am thrilled to be working with both of them on these movies. He adds, “I am also proud to announce the casting of New Zealand actors as Peter Hambleton, John Callen and Stephen Hunter. Fran and I know that they will bring great depth and talent to our Company of Dwarves.”

The two “The Hobbit” films are being co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production, Warner Bros Pictures handling domestic distribution and MGM distributing internationally. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham are producing the films, with Phillipa Boyens serving as co-producer and Ken Kamins as executive producer.

The Oscar-winning, critically acclaimed LOTR trilogy, also from the production team of Jackson, Walsh and Cunningham, grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide at the box office. In 2003, Return of the King swept the Academy Awards, winning all of the 11 categories in which it was nominated, including Best Picture — the first-ever Best Picture win for a fantasy film. The trilogy’s production was also unprecedented at the time.