The Hobbit begins filming in July

[klonk]

BBC - Hobbit filming to begin in New Zealand in July http://bit.ly/aadMP7

Shooting of the long-awaited film version of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit is set to begin in New Zealand in July.
Actor Sir Ian McKellen, who reprises his Lord of the Rings role as Gandalf the Grey, revealed casting is taking place in LA, London and New York. [...]

We'll see how that goes. IMHO, the LOTR movies did not quite capture the feel of convincing otherworldliness that is the best part of the Rings books. Will The Hobbit, the movie, retain the often light and sometimes whimsical tone of the original? Stay tuned!

[Dmitri]

"Guillermo del Toro will direct the film and its proposed sequel"

Oh hell yeah.

Never read LOTR books so I did like the movies, but I've read 'The Hobbit' as a kid (in Russian) and absolutely loved it and I know exactly what you mean re. capturing the spirit of the book... But I wouldn't worry too much about this one; if movies like Pan's Labyrinth are any indication, this is going to be a really good one.

[klonk]

Tolkien must be a difficult writer to film, because he uses digressions and asides to round out his stories, and it's hard to imagine how to script that kind of thing. I will hope for the best!

[Muad'dib]

While the movies may not have been 100% successful in capturing the books, I pose the question: What film ever does? Truthfully, I thought the LOTR movies were amazing, and far exceeded my rather low expectations.

[Michael]

I am unable to appreciate Guillermo Del Toro as much as I try and thought the tone of the LOTR was pretty much like a Star Wars ep., meaning obviously produced for the widest possible audience, meaning lowest common denominator. There were so many scenes where the original dialog from the book would have been better than what it was changed to. Douriff as Saruman's lacky was the best thing in the three films from my POV along with McKellan's Gandalf. You know, the original Aragorn quit. Not surprised. The 80's rotoscopes were better as far as story.

Hope the Hobbit kicks butt, will definitely see it.

[Muad'dib]

The original aragorn was fired because he was a) a pretty boy who obviously did not fit the role and b) a slacker who injured several people due to his lack of diligence in the weapons practice section.

[klonk]

Good heavens, I'd have fired his butt too. Theatrical fencing is the art of missing, and you had best do it every time. Even a bated movie prop sword is no joke.

[Muad'dib]

I should say "is rumored to have" injured several people... Also, the lord of the rings was not the only film he has been disinvited from.

[klonk]

Ah, okay. Innocent until proven clumsy. Gotcha. Rumors concerning the movie business are notoriously unreliable and I suppose Internet movie rumors are... like that only more so!

[Muad'dib]

See PM.

[zenshiite]

I can't wait for the Hobbit. Or the sequel, which really isn't a sequel so much as it is a telling of what Gandalf was doing while Bilbo was with the Dwarves. Which means Gandalf, a good Saruman, and the White Council doing battle with Sauron in the Mirkwood. That's a story that Tolkien only briefly glossed over in the Silmarillion, the Hobbit and LOTR.

[klonk]

It will be interesting to see what they do with the story of the necromancer & Mirkwood. The Hunt for Gollum also takes up a matter Tolkein only described briefly in passing. Of course it's unfair to compare an amateur production with the other sort (and I do not say it is amateurish.) But I thought Tolkien was right to give that episode a quick once-over.

[Buddy]

I'm with dan here. I loved the books as a kid and thought Jackson did as good a job as anyone could Looking forward to Bilbo.

[zenshiite]

I would really like them to have the Dwarf songs, but I doubt it'll happen seeing as Jackson wanted to cut those out.

[Michael]

They *have* to have the songs. Jackson didn't want them? It wouldn't even be The Hobbit without, "Break the dishes, chip the plates, that's what Bilbo Baggins hates..." And of course the song the Orcs sung when they were up the trees. How can they leave out the songs, ferchrissakes?