Movie News
Guillermo Del Toro Comes Out of The Hobbit Closet
Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on April 24, 2008
Oh yes, ’tis true my friends — Guillermo Del Toro, the master director who has previously blown our collective mind with the awesome badassery of Hellboy and the euphoric grit and beauty of Pan’s Labyrinth has finally made it official. He will be directing The Hobbit.
Variety is reporting the announcement from Executive Producers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, New Line president Toby Emmerich and MGM chief Mary Parent that Del Toro will helm not one, but two Hobbit films. The sequel, as the report states, will deal with the 60-year period between “The Hobbit” and “The Fellowship of the Ring”, which as you will remember was the first in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Del Toro will move out to New Zealand for the next four years to work with Peter Jackson and his Wingnut and WETA production teams on the two flicks, the first of which will both probably not hit theaters until 2010.
As you well know, Del Toro has been in The Hobbit closet for quite a while. Back in August of last year it appeared that it was a three man race for the job between Del Toro, Spider-Man director Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson himself. After Jackson announced his decision to produce only, it was clear that Del Toro was the frontrunner. In fact, since late last year the speculation has turned into a situation of general awareness, whereas we all pretty much knew that Del Toro was the man, he just wouldn’t say for sure. Well now it is true, mainly because Variety says its true.
Let the casting rumor mongering begin. Let’s get it started — we’ve heard that Samuel L. Jackson is in the running for the voice of Smaug the dragon. As well, we would like to begin lobbying for Peter Dinklage to have a part in the film somewhere. We don’t really care who he plays, he just needs to be there.
Sound Off: Are you surprised that Guillermo Del Toro is directing The Hobbit? (Note: Unlike most of our other “Sound Off” questions, this one is rhetorical.)
Read more articles by Neil Miller
29 Comments
April 24th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
the 60-year period between “The Hobbit” and “The Fellowship of the Ring”
Who the, what the–?! So they are going to make up a story or are they taking something from Tolkein’s writings? That has money-grabbing, mythology-wrecking clusterf#&k written all over it. Is Lucas somehow involved?
April 25th, 2008 at 11:24 am
no man. the hobbit was written by tolkien before he started lotr. the main characters are bilbo (frodo’s uncle) and gandalf. it is much less dark than lotr, but plenty of action. it was a single book, but it sounds like they are making it into two movies. i don’t think that money is a driving force here. just a chance to finish up an epic story on the screen. now if they considered doing the silim…whatchacallit, then that would probably be milking it.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:38 am
TP, I understand what The Hobbit it is. However, the article says the sequel takes place between Hobbit and FOTR, so it’s not two movies to make The Hobbit as originally mentioned.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I think “sequel” means the second of the new movies. The first is “The Hobbit”. The second will be from a different source.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
The stuff between the hobbit and the fellowship of the ring is based off of notes that Tolkien left behind. That’s what I’ve heard.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Film one is The Hobbit. The second film should be based on what Gandalf was off doing during the story of The Hobbit when he isn’t with Bilbo and crew. There is some lit written on The Necromancer of the South (in Southern Mirkwood). Gandalf and the other five wizards drive the “necromancer” out of southern Mirkwood. He goes on to reside in Mordor. Although the much of this isn’t fully written out, it is talked about in several areas. When PJ was still working on LOTR he said this is what he wanted the the second Hobbit movie to be.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Hmmm, could be interesting. Showing some of the background to the Middle earth.
Aragorns hiding/growing up in Rivendell. Gandalfs struggle with the rising power of Sauron
in Mirkwood, the story of how Frodo came to live with Bilbo. Not too mention Balin’s
exploits into Moria.
Tolkien gave us some general information of the overall timeline in the appendices, so it
wouldn’t be impossible to create a script from it for the 2nd film. In fact, I would love to see
many of those scenes played out on screen.
Cheers to them for undertaking this endeavor, I think it will be fun.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I for one can’t wait to see the trolls try to eat Bilbo.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
“euphoric grit and beauty”!? Pan’s Labyrinth was profoundly tragic and depressing, at least to this moviegoer. I didn’t get anywhere near euphoric for some time after I saw that mind-f*&k of a movie.
Anyway, perhaps Mr. Toro can steer away from his obsession with graphic depictions of emotional and physical abuse, and give us something more, shall we say, “euphoric”. At least epic would do for starts. With Peter Jackson as commander, that is at least a possibility.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Neddy,
Not to be a complete power-nerd or anything but there were only ever 5 wizards in middle earth (Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast and the 2 blue wizards). The blue guys headed into the east upon arriving in middle earth and aside from that aren’t mentioned again. The White Council were the ones responsible for driving out the necromacer from Dol Guldur. White Council being Saruman, Gandalf, Cirdan, Galadriel, and Elrond with the possibility of some other prominent elves ie Celeborn and Thranduil.
I have mixed feelings about this second movie as I can’t forsee it having more of a roll than giving back story. Aside from the defeat of the necromancer there weren’t a lot of climatic moments in the intervening years between the Battle of Five armies and the start of LoTR. So on one hand I keep thinking that the movie could be great to fanboys like me but might not appeal to a greater audience. On the other hand I doubt the studios would have green-lit a second movie without a good reason (unless of course its all about the money). I guess I’ll wait and see how things unfold.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
as long as they don’t ever, fucking ever, try to make movies out of The Silmarillion (its too great a novel to be ruined by cinema, and also taint my image of tolkiens world!) ill be happy, actually the movie they’re making sounds exciting, the sorcerer being driven out of greenwood/mirkwood.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
RamblinWrec…you ARE a comepete power-nerd.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
na hes not, he got his facts wrong lol, i havent read the hobbit in a while but im pretty sure the white council involves the wizards only, but the other prominent figures he mentioned were invited so they could drive the necromancer (sauron) out of mirkwood, not dol Guldur
April 25th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I think what they’re going to do is split this story into 2 movies.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
OMG Del Toro got the job? This is probably going to be some of his best work since Hellboy. How long has then been in the works?
April 25th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
mike, you are sooo wrong. RamblinWrec is 100% accurate.
April 25th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I think there are parts of the Silmarillion that could be filmed. There are three well-developed stories that could be made into a trilogy of films:
1. Turin Turambar (recently published as “The Children of Hurin”)
2. Beren and Luthien
3. The Fall of Gondolin
Forgive me if I’ve spelled anything wrong there. You wouldn’t want to film the whole Silmarillion, but those three stories could make good movies. Lots better than a story about the 60 year period between the Hobbit and LotR. wtf?
April 25th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
RamblinWrec is definitely right. I’m looking forward to the Hobbit, especially smaug. I really don’t see how they are planning to do the second movie, but Peter Jackson was planning to do that, so he must have had a plan. The second movie may be somewhat about money, but PJ has his plans for it.
April 25th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Not to be a power-nerd, but the “blue guys” do actually have names–Pallando and Alatar.
April 25th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Also, oh man, I would love to see the fall of Gondolin as a movie. Man.
April 25th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
If there is going to be another movie (besides the hobbit) I would love the story of turin turambar. He is a great and tragic character as he would have been destined to destroy melkor had it not been for the curse placed on him after his father defied melkor. So many great battles and visuals could be had. The elf city, the black sword, dragonhelm and the great worm you don’t get much better then that
April 25th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
I have yet to see a good film from Del Toro, and I pray that he is not gonna ruin The Hobbit for everybody *sigh* why couldn’t Jackson have done it dammit!
April 26th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I am going to refuse to see these two movies. Especially the one that takes place during the ”60 year period between the “Hobbit” and the “Fellowship of the Ring”. Sounds like its just going to be made up.
April 26th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
What a tragedy that Del Toro is directing this… I really got a good chuckle out of the post
calling him a “master director.”
April 26th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Who says nothing happens between the Hobbit and the Beginning of the Lord of the
Rings?
The whole story of Dol Guldur, for example, will be told.
And as you know, if Dol Guldur is even named, “old men and masters of lore will blanch
and fall silent.”
Here are some of the events that need to be recounted. See the chronologies in the
back of the LoTR.
These are some excerpts:
Important Dates
1000
Saruman and Gandalf arrive in Middle-earth around this time.
1100
The Wise (Elrond, Galadriel, Cirdan, Celeborn) discover that an evil power has built a
stronghold at Dol Guldur in Mirkwood.
2060
The Wise fear the power at Dol Guldur may be Sauron.
2463
The White Council is formed. Saruman becomes the Head of the White Council.
2759
Saruman takes up residence at Isengard.
2851
The White Council meets. Gandalf reports that Sauron is at Dol Guldur and urges an
attack, but Saruman overrules him. Saruman begins to desire the One Ring for himself
and starts searching the Gladden Fields.
2939
Saruman learns that Sauron’s servants are searching the Gladden Fields for the One
Ring.
2941
The White Council meets. Saruman agrees to attack Dol Guldur, hoping to prevent
Sauron from finding the Ring. The White Council drives Sauron out of Dol Guldur.
2942
Sauron goes in secret to Mordor.
2951
Sauron declares himself openly in Mordor.
2953
The White Council meets for the last time. Saruman lies to the Council, saying he has
learned that the Ring was washed down the Anduin to the Sea. He fortifies Isengard and
begins to spy on Gandalf and sends agents to Bree and the Shire.
2990
Saruman may have begun cross-breeding Orcs and Men around this time.
c. 3000
Saruman uses the palantir of Orthanc and is ensnared by Sauron and becomes a traitor
to the Council. Saruman learns from his spies that the Rangers are guarding the Shire.
3001
The Rangers double their guard on the Shire.
3014
King Theoden of Rohan begins to fall under the influence of Saruman through his agent
Grima Wormtongue.
April 30th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
I think that Pan’s Labyrinth was a fantastic movie and far better directed than lotr
hopefully this directer can capture the true spirit of Tolkiens work and not produce
another action based movie to please the masses who have never read the books.
ps. the Tolkien story that is best suited for coversion to film I believe would be Turin Turambar. Its got great characters ,love ,friendship ,betrayal ,battles, personal anguish ,great twists , and every thing else under the sun needed to make a epic fantasy movie. Also its shorter and less constricting than a normal novel, perfect for a movie.
April 30th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I think that Pan’s Labyrinth was a fantastic movie and far better directed than lotr
hopefully this directer can capture the true spirit of Tolkiens work and not produce
another action based movie to please the masses who have never read the books.
ps.. the Tolkien story that is best suited for coversion to film I believe would be Turin Turambar. Its got great characters ,love ,friendship ,betrayal ,battles, personal anguish ,great twists , and every thing else under the sun needed to make a epic fantasy movie. Also its shorter and less constricting than a normal novel, perfect for a movie.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I have nothing against Guillermo del Toro being the director and Peter Jackson being producer, del Toro has proven that he can do both intelligent fantasy and Hollywood action, I just hope they don’t add any more action scenes, as The Hobbit is well packed with them already. I’m only concerned with the treatment of the book and the Middle-earth in general. Jackson did some incomprehensible changes to the storyline in the last two Lord of the Rings movies that didn’t work for me so well, as they hurt the story’s depth.
Now, The Tale of the Children of Húrin (In Silmarillion it was the chapter Of Túrin Turambar, and in Unfinished Tales Narn I Hîn Húrin, properly Narn I Chîn Húrin, CH being pronounced as the scottish loCH), probably would make a great movie, and it’s been published in full in book form recently. It’s a tragedy with no humour in it though, and no mûmak trunks to surf on. One of the saddest tales I’ve ever read, but also very beautiful. I don’t think any movie could do justice to Middle-earth of the first age. You’d need to create Alan Lee’s watercolours on screen without going too far, and still limit CG to a minimum. The various fantastic monsters that aren’t humanoid in shape, like dragons, balrogs and giant spiders always need to be CG, though.
From Silmarillion, I’d like to see someone try to pull of Morgoth’s and Ungoliant’s unholy alliance in CG… they are bound to failure. Glaurung is much easier, as you just need a huge wingless dragon (Glaurung, the father of dragons, had no wings in those ancient days). It could have been done in the 70’s. Just rotoscope a live Komodo dragon at 60fps, blow it up to enormous size compared to Túrin, slow it down to 24fps, and you’ve got it.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Me too, I have nothing against Guillermo del Toro and I hope he will do a wonderful job, and they have 2 to 3 years to find what they need to do.