Serkis & McKellen On Board For Hobbit So says Guillermo Del Toro Source: TheOneRing.net
Now that the worst kept secret in Hollywood is official, i.e. that Guillermo Del Toro is directing The Hobbit and its follow-up, the director is now free to speak about just what he has planned for the Lord of the Rings prequel. Del Toro took the time to speak to fan site TheOneRing.Net over the weekend and revealed a couple of details.
Most encouraging was that he's got Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis all but signed to return as Gandalf and Gollum respectively. Del Toro told us previously that he wanted all the relevant cast members back, but he now says, "I had the most charming meeting with Sir Ian, and all bureaucracy pending, he’s on board, as is Andy Serkis".
Another thing he also discussed briefly was the second film, which is going to be an almost entirely invented chronicle of the time between The Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring. The script isn't written yet, obviously, so Del Toro couldn't give details, but he did say:
"I traveled to New Zealand just a little while ago, and one of the main reasons for going was to sit down and talk about the second film. ‘The Hobbit’, the book, is really one self-contained film, so for the second movie we sat down and worked it out. When we did this we got really excited because this second film is not a ‘tag on’, it’s not ‘filler’, it’s an integral part of telling the story of those 50 years of history lost in the narrative. There will be certain things that we will see from the first movie but from a different point of view, but it will feel like a volume, in the 5 volumes of the entire story. It will not feel like a bridge, I’ve been hearing it called ‘a bridge film’, it’s not, it’s an integral chapter of the story, and I think we’re all on the same page."
There was also one other small point that gladdened our hearts, which had absolutely nothing to do with plot. It was this sentence: "The only thing I will be pushing for more in these films than the other three are full animatronics and animatronic creatures enhanced with CGI, as opposed to CGI creatures themselves. "
The effects in Lord of the Rings were, for the most part, excellent, but no matter how good CGI is, it will never have the charm of animatronics. You can say that animatronics are, on the whole, less convincing than CGI, but really sophisticated animatronics can be just as believable (look at Del Toro's other films) and even less than perfect animatronics have more warmth than slightly dodgy pixel work. A great big robotic Smaug? Bring it on.
For the rest of the interview, direct your mouse to this very spot.
I'm positive, despite being negative on the whole second film bit. and toro will be great, but jackson has pretty much defined it in LOTR, so it seems del toro is a little bit of a waste of talent, or am i being silly? ... Read More
Just the idea of these two guys working together is mouthwatering.Im really glad that hes keeping with some of the original cast so it doesnt feel completly new.I cant wait to find out whos playing Bilbo.I am more excited about this than Indy IV and thats saying something.Its bad that were going to have to wait until 2011 for the first one to come out and if they dont shoot them back to back who knows when the next one will be out. ... Read More
I don't have the books to hand, but from memory of The Hobbit, Gandalf refers to 'the Sorcerer' lurking in Mirkwood (following much earlier defeat by Isildur), and then in LOTR refers to him gaining power and returning to Mordor. Thus there is an oblique reference to Sauron in The Hobbit, but no direct link.
The 2nd film may therefore be about Sauron's return to power. Mouthwatering prospect, imho! ... Read More
Well, having read the interview, this guy knows what he has to do. The Jackson/del Toro relationship seems certain to cement. As for Serkis and McKellen, well, that's just the icing on the cake. ... Read More
I thought I'd been banned, the knife was pressed up against my throat when it came back on. Lucky timing, or not. Depends which way you look at it.
Anyway, token effort to be on topic: Very much looking forward to this, I hope he manages to get some deformed babies in jars in the films somewhere. That would be the business.
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Look, I don't care if you have a bewildering obsession with Del Toro and for some reason see him as a totally proven great director (true, Pan's Labrynth was good, but are any of his other films TRULY GREAT??), ...but I know you have accepted the LOTR trilogy as a masterpiece, for which I am greatful for I really believe it is untouchable... so PLEASE don't resort to niggling at details of the greatest ever trilogy just to try and support your boyfriend... not acceptable in my book; leave LOTR a... Read More
Look, I don't care if you have a bewildering obsession with Del Toro and for some reason see him as a totally proven great director (true, Pan's Labrynth was good, but are any of his other films TRULY GREAT??), ...but I know you have accepted the LOTR trilogy as a masterpiece, for which I am greatful for I really believe it is untouchable... so PLEASE don't resort to niggling at details of the greatest ever trilogy just to try and support your boyfriend... not acceptable in my book; leave LOTR a... Read More
I was hoping that the two film split might go the way of 'The Hobbit: There' and 'The Hobbit: Back Again'.
But this bridge film idea sounds well dodgy. (and it IS a bridge film, it sits in between the hobbit and the LOTR and tells the 'missing story' (sic) of the 50 year gap.)
Now I know Del Toro is the man and he definately knows fantasy, but the weakest parts of the old LOTR trilogy were when they strayed from the source material - (The 'is aragorn dead?' storyline in TTT and 'Frodo in ... Read More
L: HarryHavoc
about what purpose the second film will have in it. There is no need just leave is as the hobbit and the 3 lord of the rings film, we dont need another film to show us the progression of middle earth.
but glad ian and serkis are back!
sp;
I know JRRT wrote tons of material, unfinnished stories, notes to fill in gaps and timelines .
So I do not doubt there are
enough material to make this midquel pretty canon.
... Read More
