The Hobbit Wasn't Stretched Out Enough - Now It's a Trilogy?
Wed, July 25, 2012 
The story they tell on the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring DVD (the Extended Editions, duh!) is how Bob Shaye was dumbfounded at the thought of turning J.R.R. Tolkien's literary trilogy into two films. "Now Peter... why in the world would anyone want to make two movies? Isn't it three books? Then it should be three movies!"
If only Shaye's wisdom was around today to slap some sense into Peter Jackson.
What was supposed to be The Hobbit and an untitled Lord of the Rings "bridge" film has ballooned into The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Instead of one three-hour cinematic undertaking on Tolkien's children story is going to be two, three-hour endeavors, caulked full of brand-new characters, like Evangeline Lilly as a warrior Elf (Not picking on her; just giving an example) and including favorites who had nary a presence in the afore-mentioned novel.
But that isn't enough for Jackson, who must wear out as much good will as possible and remind me why Guillermo del Toro's exiting was the last straw in my giving a shit. THR confirms discussions first brought aloud by Jackson at Comic-Con. He, along with producer/wife Fran Walsh and co-writer/producer/pal Philippa Boyens are in talks with Warner Brothers to stretch The Hobbit into a trilogy.
All comes to down "figuring out the logistics." Translation: if the studio will agree to hand over enough cash to everyone to willingly return for more, since reshoots are already scheduled next summer anyway for There and Back Again. Of course, it will happen. Warner Brothers is still hurting for sure-thing money-printing franchises in the wake of Harry Potter and Christopher Nolan's Batman ending and the status of Zack Snyder's Superman in the "Too early to tell" phase.
I despise the very notion of treating us movie-goers as idiots, thinking we'll just keep coming back for more. But in this case, especially overseas, you couldn't find a safer done-deals.
Reader Comments (1)
Would have definitely seen a movie based on the Hobbit, and probably would have checked out the "bridge" film as well, but stretching this out to a trilogy? Yeah, I'll wait for these to be free On Demand and see them then. Maybe.