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The Hobbit - Casting, Pre-production, Post-production News And Discussion

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W

WyndhamPrice

Member
Dolla Dolla said:
Me thinks the reason the budget is so huge is because pretty much EVERY creature in the LOTR series combined is appearing in the film(s) for the Hobbit, plus Smaug.

Trolls
Goblins
Orcs
Elves
Gollum
Wargs
Spiders
Eagles
Dragon

Not to mention all the different set pieces. The hobbit will be so epic. And asking stars to return has to have been a pretty penny after the massive amounts of money they've made from the movies / tv deals / dvds / blu-rays / extended editions / soundtracks / etc.
Click to expand...

Not to mention there is a battle with 5 armies tossed in there. It's going to be awesome to watch.
 
W

WyndhamPrice

Member
Speak of the devil:

TORN EXCLUSIVE: CATE BLANCHETT, KEN STOTT, SYLVESTER MCCOY, MIKAEL PERSBRANDT JOIN CAST OF PETER JACKSON’S “THE HOBBIT”
CATE BLANCHETT, KEN STOTT, SYLVESTER MCCOY, MIKAEL PERSBRANDT JOIN CAST OF PETER JACKSON’S “THE HOBBIT”

Los Angeles, CA—December 7, 2010—Cate Blanchett, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy and Mikael Persbrandt have joined the cast of Peter Jackson’s highly anticipated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic “The Hobbit.” Also joining them are Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy and William Kircher. The films, which are scheduled to commence principal photography in February 2011, mark Jackson’s return to Middle-earth following his Oscar-winning “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. The announcement was made jointly today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. and Steve Cooper, co-Chief Executive Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

Jackson, who directed all three “Lord of the Rings” films, will helm the two films back-to-back, telling the story of “The Hobbit” in two parts from a screenplay by Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro.

Cate Blanchett (“Lord of The Rings” trilogy, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) will reprise her role from “Lord of The Rings” trilogy as Galadriel, the Lady of Lothlorien. Ken Stott (“Charlie Wilson’s War”, TV’s “Rebus”) will play the Dwarf Lord Balin, Sylvester McCoy (TV’s “Doctor Who”) will play the wizard Radagast the Brown and well-known Swedish actor, Mikael Persbrandt (“Everlasting Moments”, “Day and Night”) will play the shape-shifter Beorn. British actor Ryan Gage (“Outlaw”, TV’s “Doctors”) will play Drogo Baggins, with New Zealand actors Jed Brophy (“Lord of The Rings” trilogy, “District 9”) playing the role of the dwarf Nori, and William Kircher (“Out of the Blue”; TV’s “Legend of the Seeker”) rounding out the company of Thorin Oakensheild in role of the dwarf Bifur.
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Cate Blanchett is back as Galadriel, Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown, and Mikael Persbrandt as Beorn.

Where the fuck is Ian McKellan? XD
 
R

rataplein

Member
I'm gonna be in new zealand for a whole year between 2011 and 2012. I have a working holidays visa... So between picking kiwis and cleaning toilets... It is possible to participate in the movie as an extra? I mean... They will need like 500 people for some takes... Do i have a chance to work in it?
Is not about the money... Just the experience.
I'm 6.1 ft, really long hair and a beard. I already look like the humans in the lotr movies
it's one of the things i'm most excites about.
 
V

Veidt

Blasphemer who refuses to accept bagged milk as his personal savior
Cate Blanchett is back as Galadriel
Click to expand...
yessssss.

And gandalf? where is gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him...
 
W

WyndhamPrice

Member
Veidt said:
yessssss.

And gandalf? where is gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him...
Click to expand...

There must be some scheduling or other contract hoo-hah going on behind the scenes that hasn't been solidified yet. Probably pay-related, as I would imagine he'll wind up with the biggest check acting-wise from these films.
 
W

WyndhamPrice

Member
Pai Pai Master said:
Wonder how long it'll be till we get the Bilbo casting....I honestly have no idea who'd be a good fit.
Click to expand...

This was announced over a month ago, it's Martin Freeman (of The Office UK and Hitchhiker's Guide).

MartinFreeman.jpg


Whole cast listing is found here.
 
G

GCX

Member
I'm sure McKellen will be confirmed sooner or later.

Other possibilities don't exist in my mind.
 
A

Advance_Alarm

Member
Neuromancer said:
I can't remember what's the deal with Radagast the Brown. I thought we never actually saw him, at least in the Hobbit.
Click to expand...

Galadriel wasn't in the Hobbit either, as long as its cool i dont mind
 
P

Peru

Member
The Lamonster said:
You just made my day. Hype x100
Click to expand...

Yeah, Alan Lee and John Howe were a great part of making the films feel 'right' as world. Admittedly I spent more time watching the great extra material on the extended dvds than the movies themselves, and it was a joy to see how much these two guys enjoyed it -- it's like they had been waiting for it their whole career and now got to get real with the imagery they had created.... which reminds me, they better film some mad amount of hours behind the scenes.
 
J

JayDubya

Banned
So this is how they made it two movies, by just making shit up.

:-/

* * *

I guess Legolas would have to be at the Battle of Five Armies, then.

His dad's featured in the Hobbit, I don't know if his exact age was ever stated, and I suppose if he was old enough, and his dad's leading an army of elves to claim treasure, I guess he'd be tagging along.

I don't remember... Did Smaug actually have any stolen elven treasures in his hoard, anyway? Or were the wood-elves just looking for freebies?
 
W

WyndhamPrice

Member
JayDubya said:
So this is how they made it two movies, by just making shit up.

:-/

* * *

I guess Legolas would have to be at the Battle of Five Armies, then.

His dad's featured in the Hobbit, I don't know if his exact age was ever stated, and I suppose if he was old enough, and his dad's leading an army of elves to claim treasure, I guess he'd be tagging along.

I don't remember... Did Smaug actually have any stolen elven treasures in his hoard, anyway? Or were the wood-elves just looking for freebies?
Click to expand...

There's (non-canonical) movie merch (like the TCG) that pegs Legolas at around 2000 years old but I think Jackson & co. put it more around 500 years old. I don't think it's too much of a stretch for him to be present.

If they threw 10 year old Aragorn in there or something then I'd call bullshit, even as an obnoxious fan of Jackson and the film trilogy.
 
D

Dolla Dolla

Member
JayDubya said:
I don't remember... Did Smaug actually have any stolen elven treasures in his hoard, anyway? Or were the wood-elves just looking for freebies?
Click to expand...
I think the Elves wanted retribution for suffering at the hands of Smaug or something, can't remember. That's what I remember from the cartoon version, anyway :D
 
J

JayDubya

Banned
Dolla Dolla said:
I think the Elves wanted retribution for suffering at the hands of Smaug or something, can't remember. That's what I remember from the cartoon version, anyway :D
Click to expand...

I mean Bard had a pretty legitimate claim on multiple fronts.

Chief among them: Bard killed the fucking dragon. If he hadn't been there with his ancestral / magic arrow, Smaug would have been having what was left of the Oakenshields for dinner.

The dragon had been killing the people of Dale for a very long time and had stolen quite a bit of that treasure from them.

The Wood-Elves's claim seems to have been, basically: well, we're here, and we've got bows. Treasure? :lol
 
K

Kraftwerk

Member
I swear to Eru, if Ian McKellen passes away before the movie is done, i will feed the people responsible for all the delays to The Nazgûl
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
JayDubya said:
I mean Bard had a pretty legitimate claim on multiple fronts.

Chief among them: Bard killed the fucking dragon. If he hadn't been there with his ancestral / magic arrow, Smaug would have been having what was left of the Oakenshields for dinner.

The dragon had been killing the people of Dale for a very long time and had stolen quite a bit of that treasure from them.

The Wood-Elves's claim seems to have been, basically: well, we're here, and we've got bows. Treasure? :lol
Click to expand...

I think Bard is going to feel forced in the movie. In the book, he kinda comes out of nowhere, like a reverse Tom Bombadil. I hope they take the opportunity to build on his charisma, because it's lacking in the story and comes across as a deus ex machina.
 
N

Neuromancer

Member
OuterWorldVoice said:
I think Bard is going to feel forced in the movie. In the book, he kinda comes out of nowhere, like a reverse Tom Bombadil. I hope they take the opportunity to build on his charisma, because it's lacking in the story and comes across as a deus ex machina.
Click to expand...
Some may argue it's his mysterious nature that kind of makes him a badass (not unlike Boba Fett from the original Star Wars movies.) The less you know about them, the cooler they are sometimes.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
Neuromancer said:
Some may argue it's his mysterious nature that kind of makes him a badass (not unlike Boba Fett from the original Star Wars movies.) The less you know about them, the cooler they are sometimes.
Click to expand...


When I was a kid, I was baffled by the Boba Fett phenomenon. He lives in trash, his spaceship looks like Dumbo and blind Han Solo accidentall kills him by knocking him into a Vagina Dente.
 
A

agrajag

Banned
JayDubya said:
So this is how they made it two movies, by just making shit up.

:-/

* * *

I guess Legolas would have to be at the Battle of Five Armies, then.

His dad's featured in the Hobbit, I don't know if his exact age was ever stated, and I suppose if he was old enough, and his dad's leading an army of elves to claim treasure, I guess he'd be tagging along.

I don't remember... Did Smaug actually have any stolen elven treasures in his hoard, anyway? Or were the wood-elves just looking for freebies?
Click to expand...


Yeah, pretty sure that was the case in the book.
 
J

JayDubya

Banned
OuterWorldVoice said:
I think Bard is going to feel forced in the movie. In the book, he kinda comes out of nowhere, like a reverse Tom Bombadil. I hope they take the opportunity to build on his charisma, because it's lacking in the story and comes across as a deus ex machina.
Click to expand...

That is just sort of how the narrative goes, you're right.

The dwarves send Bilbo with Ring of Power into the lair, Bilbo gives the dragon the impression that he's from Laketown whilst stealing, the dragon smashes and burns Laketown, and Bard just so happened to have an artifact arrow.

Bilbo does, by avian proxy - tell Bard where to shoot, though, so at least there's that.

The real deus ex machina in all Middle Earth tales are Smart Birds (that will only pick you up from Mordor, not drop you off).
 
M

Major Williams

Member
Perfect casting for Bilbo.

However, I saw Howard Shore doing the music again... :/ sadface... I want him out of there. Get someone new please.
1282551154_gorilla-takes-crew-member.gif

He only came up with 3 decent tracks in the entire trilogy. I know I'm in a minority, but none of his works are compelling in any film really. His scores lack true emotion - very fanfare-ish with no depth.
 
C

Crescendo170

Member
Mikael Persbrandt? How the hell did he land that role? I wasn't aware he had done anything nor had any conciderable reputation outside of Sweden .

Not saying I disapprove however.
 
P

Peru

Member
Major Williams said:
Perfect casting for Bilbo.


He only came up with 3 decent tracks in the entire trilogy. I know I'm in a minority, but none of his works are compelling in any film really. His scores lack true emotion - very fanfare-ish with no depth.
Click to expand...

You're wrong about the LOTR soundtrack.. but more importantly the rest of his work. Naked Lunch?
 
H

Hex

Banned
JayDubya said:
The real deus ex machina in all Middle Earth tales are Smart Birds (that will only pick you up from Mordor, not drop you off).
Click to expand...

Why do people say this?
No matter how many birds they sent carrying Hobbits to Mount Doom they would have been torn to shreds by fell beasts, arrows and catapults.
It had to be the way it was to keep attention off.
 
H

Hex

Banned
Major Williams said:
Perfect casting for Bilbo.

However, I saw Howard Shore doing the music again... :/ sadface... I want him out of there. Get someone new please.

He only came up with 3 decent tracks in the entire trilogy. I know I'm in a minority, but none of his works are compelling in any film really. His scores lack true emotion - very fanfare-ish with no depth.
Click to expand...

Can't agree, I love the scores to the trilogy.
 
M

Major Williams

Member
Hex said:
Can't agree, I love the scores to the trilogy.
Click to expand...
Think about the main theme with french horns - only strings in the background mimic what the french horns are doing.

It's like he played the theme with one hand on his piano and was like 'Fuck it, let's roll with it' and orchestrated the same exact thing for french horns and strings. No accompanying percussion, no background harmonics/alternate themes to go with it. Through the entire trilogy.

A theme, explored properly (throughout 3 movies no less) should go through multiple iterations and be fully explored to the full extent of emotion that can be extracted from it. It sounds the same throughout the entire trilogy.

We are going to suffer through empty music thinly veiled by big brass, maybe a little girl singing, and thin string movements. Trailer music will be done by someone else and make everyone want to see it, but the film's score itself will fall flat.
 
W

WyndhamPrice

Member
Major Williams said:
Think about the main theme with french horns - only strings in the background mimic what the french horns are doing.

It's like he played the theme with one hand on his piano and was like 'Fuck it, let's roll with it' and orchestrated the same exact thing for french horns and strings. No accompanying percussion, no background harmonics/alternate themes to go with it. Through the entire trilogy.

A theme, explored properly (throughout 3 movies no less) should go through multiple iterations and be fully explored to the full extent of emotion that can be extracted from it. It sounds the same throughout the entire trilogy.

We are going to suffer through empty music thinly veiled by big brass, maybe a little girl singing, and thin string movements. Trailer music will be done by someone else and make everyone want to see it, but the film's score itself will fall flat.
Click to expand...

There is a different version of that theme for every character group and it's only ever heard at it's most bombastic once in the entire trilogy.

I really don't understand how you are saying this trilogy's music is boring, it's stacked with themes for virtually every character/location/event, and it's all weaved together amazingly. The complete recordings editions of each film's score really bring this to light. Fellowship on its own is a masterpiece.
 
M

Major Williams

Member
WyndhamPrice said:
There is a different version of that theme for every character group and it's only ever heard at it's most bombastic once in the entire trilogy.

I really don't understand how you are saying this trilogy's music is boring, it's stacked with themes for virtually every character/location/event, and it's all weaved together amazingly. The complete recordings editions of each film's score really bring this to light. Fellowship on its own is a masterpiece.
Click to expand...
I think it all comes down to opinion really.

I feel Howard shore would be better placed in simpler films with simpler themes (i.e. childrens' CG films or serious war films), but these fantasy films with multiple meanings and themes in each shot seem to cry out to me for a more complex score in line with the composing style of James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer, or even Steve Jablonsky (yes I know he did Transformers, but he is a very capable composer).
 
W

WyndhamPrice

Member
Major Williams said:
I think it all comes down to opinion really.

I feel Howard shore would be better placed in simpler films with simpler themes (i.e. childrens' CG films or serious war films), but these fantasy films with multiple meanings and themes in each shot seem to cry out to me for a more complex score in line with the composing style of James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer, or even Steve Jablonsky (yes I know he did Transformers, but he is a very capable composer).
Click to expand...

Yeah, I guess we'll just agree to disagree.

It would be interesting to see someone else tackle the music if Middle Earth but I feel that Shore is tied to that world like John Williams to Star Wars. If I had to go with anyone else, Desplat's Harry Potter work really impressed me, and Giacchino (despite my not being a huge fan of the Star Trek score, now there's a repetitive work) is always fantastic and I don't think he's really gotten a chance to be truly "epic" outside of LOST yet.

And in some magical fantasy land Bear McCreary would make the same jump Giacc did from TV to acclaimed film composer- his Battlestar Galactica work is criminally overlooked in the grand scheme of things.
 
D

Dabookerman

Member
Major Williams said:
I think it all comes down to opinion really.
Click to expand...
Yes it does. And yours is thankfully in the smallest minorities conceivable. In fact I don't recall anyone ever complaining.

If Shore didn't do it.. There would be complete and utter uproar.
 
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