Hobbit Film Finally Gets Green Light, To Be Shot in 3-D

An anonymous reader writes with word that "after much kerfuffle and uncertainty, the Hobbit film has finally been greenlit," with Peter Jackson as director. Says the linked story: "The announcement did not state whether the two-part prequel to The Lord of the Rings would be shot in New Zealand. Matt Dravitzki, Jackson's assistant at Wingnut Films, said an annoucement on the place of filming would be 'probably a week or two away.'"

Re:3-D

[nixNscratches]

Maybe if 3D actually worked for more people, was used in ways that improved the overall storytelling process and was less expensive, you wouldn't hear so many criticisms of it. It works for me, marginally, but I usually end up with a headache and after a few minutes I lose interest. It ruins immersion for me, whether it's a game, or a movie so it's safe to say I'm not a big fan.

pity

[bhcompy]

Pity it's Jackson. I would love to have seen what del Toro could have done with it. He's more suited to the fact that the Hobbit is in itself a dark fantasy kids story, which is what del Toro is the best alive at.

FTA...

[Krokus]

Weta Digital in Wellington was heavily involved in 3-D visual effects for James Cameron's Avatar and is also working in 3-D for the first Tintin film, directed by Steven Spielberg.

wtf?

How are they going to fix the sausage fest?

[Rogerborg]

I can't see a studio putting money into it unless there's some bullshit female character retconned in. I mean, Peter, Petey, Petey baby, does Thorin really have to be a dude? We've already spoken to Salma Hayek's agent, man, she'd be perfect for Thorina, Warrior Princess.

Re:3-D

[Neuticle]

I have no more mod points, so I'll post. I've often tried to state the same thing, but you articulated it better than I have been able.

I think directors will mostly outgrow the "random stuff flying at audience" gimmick as the novelty wears off. After that, I think they will realize that unlike previous technology jumps, 3D doesn't give directors and cinematographers more freedom to be creative, it restricts them to filming in a way that "works in 3D".

/God help us if Paul "Shakey-cam" Greengrass ever start filming in 3D

Re:pity

[bonch]

Yeah, Jackson sure proved how much he cared about the source material. I'm sure Tolkien fans loved seeing Gimli rolling down a hill for comic relief, Aragorn's life-saving horse, and Galadriel the Incredible Hulk.

Del Toro prefers animatronics because CGI doesn't look real enough for creature footage. You probably would have gotten a more authentic film from him than "pan the camera around everything" Jackson. A lot of the outdoor scenery in the LOTR films was pretty bland and ordinary-looking compared to the version of Middle-Earth in the book, which was alive, conscious, and menacing. In the book, Saruman didn't try to take down the mountain to stop the fellowship--the mountain itself did. That kind of ominous threat from the world around them would have come through in a Del Toro version. It would have been surreal and fantastical instead of just static footage of New Zealand plains.

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Re:How are they going to fix the sausage fest?

[Pteraspidomorphi]

http://www.movies.spoilertv.com/2010/01/hobbit-casting-call.html [spoilertv.com]

[ITARIL] FEMALE, A WOODLAND ELF, this character is one the Silvan Elves. The Silvan Elves are seen as more earthy and practical. Shorter than other elves, she is still quick and lithe and physically adept, being able to fight with both sword and bow. Showing promise as a fighter at a young age, ITARIL was chosen to train to become part of the Woodland King’s Guard. This is the only life she has ever expected to live, until she meets and secretly falls in love with a young ELF LORD. This role will require a wig and contact lenses to be worn. Some prosthetic make-up may also be required. LEAD. AGE: 17-27. ACCENT – STANDARD R.P.

Re:3-D

[raddan]

Except that I can say without a doubt (as a doctoral compsci student) that computers raise more questions than they answer. Compared to humans, computers are severely limited as to what they can do; investigating their limits is fascinating and strange, and those insights feed back into human knowledge in unexpected ways. Cryptography, for instance, played (some would say) a deciding role in the last world war, and compared to today, that field was in its infancy. The outcome of that early research is what allows modern commerce to happen.

I think extraordinary people can say dumb things, just like the rest of us. I think it's still a dumb comment, unless you mean to say that it's somehow a self-referentially terse, subtle and clever about how stupid people can be. In which case, wow.