New Hope for Jackson Hobbit Film?

DrJimbo writes "Just in time for the 70th Anniversary of the Hobbit (published September 21, 1937) Entertainment Weekly has a 5-page article on a possible reconciliation between Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema that may pave the way for the director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy to return and helm the filming of The Hobbit. It was previously reported here that Jackson would not be making the Hobbit film. The EW article says that Jackson wants to make two films: first the Hobbit in its entirety and then another film that bridges the roughly 60 years between the end of the Hobbit and the start of the Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately Jackson already has a lot on his plate with filming of The Lovely Bones scheduled to start this month and a live action Tintin film in the works."

Start the live-action Evangelion movie, please!

[agoliveira]

I really enjoyed LOTR, really, but there is a project that Weta has in the pocket that I would like much more to see realized: a live-action Evangelion movie. They have being studying it for quite some time but it's "on hold" [wetaworkshop.co.nz] for quite some time already.

Re:Someone smack New Line with a cluestick?

[Iftekhar25]

Overall good point, but:

And this is off an initial investment of $300 million for the whole trilogy?

Jackson & crew actually went way over budget, and the total was closer to $500 million plus, with all the extra effects shots they had to do in the latter movies because of lack of planning in principle photography (which, understandably focused more on the first two films, which is why there's less special effects in the first films than the last one), and the need to do pick-ups, etc.

In addition, they renegotiated contracts with pay rises for members of the crew after the crew discovered that they were really onto something, and New Line wasn't spreading the wealth.

New Hope?

[Spy der Mann]

- My name is Hobbit Skywalker - I've come to rescue you!
- Are you sure you're not an Ewok in disguise?

Re:Someone smack New Line with a cluestick?

[Anonymous Coward]

Check your numbers. None of them crossed a billion in theatrical. Return of the King came the closest but I wasn't able to quickly find a world total. I believe it was 377 million domestic which based on averages still places world grosses under 800 mill. Damn impressive but well under a billion. LOTR was something like 315 domestic so world totals would have been under 750 mill, once again impressive but no where near a record. Titanic I believe is still the only film to pass the billion mark and that's without adjusting the dollars. I'm guessing the trilogy was between 2.3 and 2.5 billion total for theatrical releases. Once again staggering but not 3 billion. Hard to guess at DVD numbers but it's going to be well below 5 billion total even with all the versions. That's still $0.75 from every man woman and child on the planet on average. Not bad at all.

Sure it is !

[AftanGustur]

70 years on and The Hobbit isn't in the public domain. It truly is a shame to see our constitution thwarted in this manner.

According to this chart [museumscopyright.org.uk], "The Hobbit" [wikipedia.org], has been in the public domain since 21st September 2007.

Re:Sure it is !

[Eccles]

Huh? Tolkien died in 1973, so by my reading, the Hobbit loses copyright protection in 2043.

Re:Not public domain

[KutuluWare]

That would be Article I, Section 8:

The Congress shall have power ... To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries

As with so many people in these near-xenophobic times, you appear to be making the incorrect assumption that the Constitution only applies to US Citizens. When the constitution means "United States" things, it explicitly says so. Section 8's enumerated power of copyright applies to all writings of authors everywhere in the world.

Jackson, MGM and Zaentz are stalling

[Dracos]

Technically, MGM owns the production rights to The Hobbit. New Line and MGM currently have a partnership agreement to produce The Hobbit, but the rights revert back to Saul Zaentz sometime next year if principal production hasn't begun. Since Michael Shaye (president of New Line) has been such a dick to Jackson in recent months, it makes total sense for MGM to stall the process until the rights revert, then MGM and Jackson can repurchase the rights and make the film(s) Jackson wants, which will please the fans and cut New Line out of any revenue from it.

The fans, MGM, and Zaentz all want Jackson to direct.

Zaentz bought the film rights for all of Tolkien's works in 1971 so the Professor could pay back taxes. Tolkien didn't believe any part of Middle Earth could be done justice on the big screen.