A few days ago, I posted this piece on rumors that Peter Jackson and Warner Bros. were talking about the possibility of splitting Jackson’s 2-part ‘Hobbit’ movie into 3 films. At the time, I wrote that it’s a good idea. I still feel that way.
And the universe (or at least Peter Jackson and Warner Bro.) agrees with me, as today Deadline is reporting that it’s a done deal and that the 2-part ‘Hobbit’ will now be split into 3 films, the last to be released Summer 2014.
I’m all for it, and I’ll add even more reason. Jackson is using 125 pages of Tolkien’s notes about the planned re-writing of ‘The Hobbit’ that Tolkien intended to undergo in the hopes of making it work better alongside the ‘LOTR’ books. I know that a few of you are bemoaning that “it’s a children’s book!” or “aaagh! Return of the King had 15 million endings”… but I argue this:
The Powers That Be (in this case Warner Bros.) are going to make products based on this material whether we like it or not. If not ‘The Hobbit’ film than a ‘Hobbit’ videogame or comics or whatever (they’re still going to do that anyways). They’re going to push their rights as much as they can into the ancillary material and turn that into product (as they might be doing with the ‘Hobbit’ trilogy already in bringing in elements that were part of Tolkien’s bigger picture but just weren’t in the original book’s pages).
Here’s what Jackson posted in his announcement today on Facebook:
“We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance. The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth.”
Jackson continued:
“So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of “The Hobbit” films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.”
I’m of the opinion that this all happens under Peter Jackson’s guidance rather than the unknown ‘whoever comes next’. Really, make a list of filmmakers who could accomplish this task nearly as well as Peter Jackson and as loyally and appropriately? Sam Raimi? Guillermo Del Toro? I think I just exhausted your list. Now, do either of these guys have WETA at their disposal without Jackson’s involvement?
No. The Tolkien properties are going to be brought to the screen. At least Jackson insures that they’re done right. And give me 15 million endings (because I don’t really want this stuff to end).