McKellen hopes for role in `Hobbit'

[Sleazer]

The scenes with Gollum were weak...but the rest of the LOTR flicks were very good.

[Newsbot]

This just in...

"The Hobbit" has been greenlit and will start production in February, an individual close to the production has told TheWrap.

As TheWrap reported previously, Peter Jackson has agreed to direct the film in addition to producing and writing the two-part project.

In the agreement completed this week, Jackson's deal was finalized and MGM and Warner Brothers agreed to give the project its long-awaited greenlight.

The greenlight means that millions of global fans for the revered J.R.R. Tolkien property can look forward to a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings," which was one of the most successful movie franchises in movie history.

Jackson was already on board to write and produce "The Hobbit." But because of financial turmoil at MGM, which owns half of the franchise together with Warners' New Line Cinema, the project became one of the most torturous in Hollywood history.

Sets have already been built in New Zealand, and actors - including Sir Ian McKellan - have been on hold for months.

Martin Freeman has been rumored to play Bilbo Baggins.

However, the individual said that labor issues related to the production have still not been resolved, and negotiations will continue with the Screen Actors Guild. The union flap involves whether the production would use Screen Actors Guild members or not.

About $30 million has already been spent on the project, the first part of which is scheduled to hit theaters Dec. 19, 2012.

But Warner Brothers was wary about moving ahead at the risk that an agreement with MGM may not hold up over time.

At MGM, the decision about greenlighting "The Hobbit," a $400 million, back-to-back production of two films, has been hanging between CEO Stephen Cooper, owners-in-waiting Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum of Spyglass Productions and the creditors committee at MGM.

Spyglass has signed a letter of intent to give the production company 4-5 percent ownership of MGM in exchange for taking over the company's management. That deal would entail a prepackaged bankruptcy, under the supervision of the judge and with the accord of the studio's debtors and investors.

But just this week, takeover king Carl Icahn threw his weight behind an alternate plan, to have Lionsgate merge with MGM instead. Icahn owns 30% of Lionsgate, and about 10% of MGM's debt.

So that outcome remains in flux, with a vote pending by MGM debtholder on October 22.

[Rollo Tomassi]

They are finally filming this thing. After Herculean efforts to prevent it from happening, the cosmos gets kicked in the jimmy sack.

[anarky]

You find an old thread like this, and you read it, and you can't help but think, "Holy shit, Jackson, hurry the fuck up and make the movie already!"

[Positive Boy]

Have a little patience. The Shire wasn't built in a day, you know. I'm still excited about this movie! Those little hobbits are so cute!

[Rollo Tomassi]

2012 is gonna be a great year. In the Summer we get the Spider-Man movie, Avengers, and the third Dark Knight film.
And then for the Christmas season we get Superman, the new 007 film, and the first Hobbit film.

[Diabolical]

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. No.

[vynsane]

They should also somehow work in Tom Bombadillo, since they cut him out of FOTR.

yeah, no... no, they shouldn't.

[anarky]

Tom Bombadillo kicked ass. He was like a bad acid trip in the midst of LOTR. Fuck Cracked. (Well, this time, at least.) They probably should've included him, toning down the weirdness, since he's where they got their weapons (as opposed to graverobbing in the movie).

The Hobbit will be coming out December 22, 2012. The day after the world ends.

[Ran]

Suck it, Newsbot.

"The Hobbit" films get titles and release dates.
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Peter Jackson's two upcoming movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" have been given official names and release dates.

The first of the two films, which are currently being filmed back-to-back in New Zealand, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," arrives in theaters on December 14, 2012.

The sequel, opening December 13, 2013, will be known as "The Hobbit: There and Back Again." Both will be released through Warner Bros.

The two prequels to Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy follow the adventures of Bilbo Baggins -- to be played by Martin Freeman, with Ian Holm reprising his role as the elder Bilbo -- in his quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the dragon Smaug.

The sprawling cast includes a number of other "Rings" veterans: Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey; Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; and Andy Serkis as Gollum.

So that gives everyone a week to see the first one before the Mayan calendar ends.

[Rollo Tomassi]

The Mayans have issued the following statement:

"Had we known the two Hobbit prequels, the follow-ups to the most excellent film trilogy ever, were to take so fucking long to get made, we would have had Dave, our Calandeer, chisel an extra year in. Our sincere apologies."

[anarky]

Actually, the Mayans did release a statement: "Our calendar doesn't end, you fucking Snigtards! We just didn't see any point in talking about dates almost a thousand years in the future. Even then, if you've got eyes and can read and aren't trying to scare basic cable viewers, we mention some things that happen in those dates. You'll get to see your Hobbit movie just fine. Hopefully Jackson unlearned some of what he did on King Kong."

[Rollo Tomassi]

The Mayan Calendar Maker has released a follow-up statement:

"Uh, yeah, my name isn't Dave. I don't know who in the Mayan PR office keeps referring to me as Dave the Calandeer. But that's not my name.
PS the world ends for everybody. Its called DEATH. Fuck you apocalypse assclowns."

[RoIIo Tomassi]

Peter Jackson announced the two Hobbit films would be expanded to three. He said he would've like to expand it to four because, really, that is a fuck ton more money for him, but he thought three would be pushing it.

[anarky]

I'm actually worried about that news. Even with the extra stuff, two movies was pushing it. (We know they both would've been three hours or more.) Now it's three movies, and it's because he's putting more in? I'm concerned they're gone to be heavily padded.