The Hobbit is underway!

'Hobbit' Filming Begins in New Zealand

Filming for the J.R.R. Tolkien-classic, The Hobbit, is underway at Stone Street Studios in Wellington, New Zealand after months of setbacks that delayed production.

Director Peter Jackson, who has directed all three films in the trilogy, made the announcement over Facebook on Sunday.

The first installment of the Warner Bros. and New Line Production film is not expected to be released until December 2012, while the second part is slated for release in 2013.

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Great choice on casting Martin Freeman as Bilbo!
Captures the spirit of Ian Holm and Bilbo. Well done.

Yussssss! * /me does elbow thrust. *

I still got to get around to finishing the trio. The movies are one strung-out wank.

That's good. I've been really looking forward to them making the movie.

High tech digital cameras: http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/130552/20110405/red-digital-video-camera-epic-dslr-hobbit-peter-jackson.htm

another article with more details:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/film/story/2011/02/11/hobbit-cast-film-start.html?ref=rss

"Hollywood studio funding problems, a threatened actors' boycott and ulcer surgery for director Peter Jackson have plagued pre-production on the $500 million US, two-movie project. Some cast members spoke to reporters Friday on location in New Zealand and said they were putting the troubled history behind them."

half a billion dollars to shoot two films? I am a little worried the story might get lost in the technical wizardry... :-/ although LOTR didn't.

Oh, Martin Freeman? That should be interesting, for sure. I thought he made a pretty decent Arthur Dent in that he appeared appropriately befuddled and had what was arguably the greatest dressing gown physique known to Earthmen. Or Magratheans. It'd be interesting to see him fill the shoes of Bilbo Baggins.

Hellbent said:

I am a little worried the story might get lost in the technical wizardry

Don't be!
Watching Bad Taste and then the entire LotR trilogy again for the second time, it's clear that Jackson still has a penchant for using those quirky and inventive techniques in film that one usually attributes to lower budgeted numbers, or, as a quality, to directors that started from the bottom of the barrel and worked their way up to the top (Sam Raimi still holds onto this quality as well in his films if you recall the Evil Dead trilogy, and their styles are pretty similar in some respects - swivelling camera angles; caricature close-ups etc). In this case I think that Freeman is a very wise cast as he is capable of pulling off the sort of quirky character that under anybody else’s direction I might feel pretty damn nervous about.

Also, the hair is good.

Ahh finally, this is very good news indeed.

I'd love to see Jackson make another gross-out, over the top horror film again.

I'm just a little worried it might somehow be too over the top the way King Kong was. Peter Jackson isn't worried about making a successful film anymore the way he was when he made LOTR. LOTR was a HUGE risk and a monumental undertaking. Hobbit is business as usual with more money at his disposal than a clever analogy I can't think of right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for the film and as it approaches I know I will not be able to not have high expectations and be giddy as a schoolboy in excitement for it. :D

Hellbent said:

I'm just a little worried it might somehow be too over the top the way King Kong was.

Yeah, they really did suffocate King Kong.

Technician said:

Yeah, they really did suffocate King Kong.

For real? That's a shame. I haven't really seen that one through to the end. But regarding Hobbit, might the fact of its being closely if not immediately related to his most successful films to date cause his direction to be more careful, though? Even if he isn't as interested now as he was back then in shooting for critically successful films, as Hellbent said, the mishandling of such a film would, considering the connection, bludgeon his reputation. Even with the budget it was given King King was sort of an experiment. I'm actually inclined to say it was because of the budget, considering his past work.

Good news indeed. I was wondering when this part of the story would get around to being put to film.

Martin Freeman plays a guy who is dragged away from his home by an eccentric friend who turns out to be more powerful than he seems; together they go on infinitely improbable adventures and meet strange creatures along the way. I think I've already seen this...

(I am looking forward to it, though)

I'm sad they didn't start filming this when Guillermo del Torro was set to direct. Still, a Jackson is fine too.

Hellbent said:

High tech digital cameras: http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/130552/20110405/red-digital-video-camera-epic-dslr-hobbit-peter-jackson.htm

It's interesting that only now have digital cameras begun to surpass film cameras in image quality.

Danarchy said:

I'm sad they didn't start filming this when Guillermo del Torro was set to direct. Still, a Jackson is fine too.

I think it's only right that Jackson directs. I would of rather seen these movies never get made than have someone else take the helm.

And this is coming from someone who hasn't cared for anything he's done post-LOTR.

st.alfonzo said:

It'd be interesting to see him fill the shoes of Bilbo Baggins.

Bilbo Baggins wore shoes? I didn't know that.

I suppose it's too late to say metaphorical shoes, isn't it? Yes, I think it is.

Sheet.

AndrewB said:

It's interesting that only now have digital cameras begun to surpass film cameras in image quality.

Hopefully with that new technology films won't be stuck in 24 FPS(NTSC) production anymore. It's funny how the film industry to this day lags behind even youtube in that regard.

Xeros612 said:

Hopefully with that new technology films won't be stuck in 24 FPS(NTSC) production anymore. It's funny how the film industry to this day lags behind even youtube in that regard.

While 24p is the de-facto standard for film, it isn't defined anywhere as a part of NTSC.

Odd... I probably just related it to NTSC because I remember reading that PAL territory film standard was 25 FPS.

Besides, I really like that fps as it is. I'm used to it.

Andy Serkis to be second unit director.

Speaking on hearing about the offer, Serkis said, "“When Peter asked me. There was this email out of the blue. It was a fantastic surprise." Not entirely new to the job, the actor previously worked as a performance capture director on the videogame Heavenly Sword.

Following The Hobbit, Serkis says that he wants to try his hand at directing a full feature film, and what better way to start than by working on what should be one of the most epic films in years? Pure baptism by fire.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Andy-Serkis-To-Serve-As-Second-Unit-Director-On-The-Hobbit-24070.html

EDIT:
Here is an article about the film finally going into production with some links that might be of interest: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1660302/the-hobbit-filming.jhtml

Sweet

Xeros612 said:

Hopefully with that new technology films won't be stuck in 24 FPS(NTSC) production anymore. It's funny how the film industry to this day lags behind even youtube in that regard.

24fps isn't and never really was a technical limitation. It's a stylistic choice. It simply looks more "cinematic".

Well sure, if by stylistic and cinematic you mean motion blurred as all hell during fast action.

I mean sure, it's not awful. It's not like it's 10 FPS. But when even amateur videographers with cheap store-bought cameras can make 30 FPS videos, it seems off that professionals with top-of-the-line equipment insist on using a lower framerate. It's kind of like professional reviewers releasing videos in 640x360 or 720x480 while most of the general youtube populace who aren't paid for their videos are publishing in HD. Doesn't make sense.

Xeros612 said:

Well sure, if by stylistic and cinematic you mean motion blurred as all hell during fast action.

I mean sure, it's not awful. It's not like it's 10 FPS. But when even amateur videographers with cheap store-bought cameras can make 30 FPS videos, it seems off that professionals with top-of-the-line equipment insist on using a lower framerate. It's kind of like professional reviewers releasing videos in 640x360 or 720x480 while most of the general youtube populace who aren't paid for their videos are publishing in HD. Doesn't make sense.

24p has a stylistic effect that filmmakers and viewers alike are very used to. It just doesn't feel the same cranking it up to 60fps or whatever; watching films at high framerates feels less natural. I imagine eventually this will change, tho.

Might as well not let a franchise go to waste, let the money making continue. The lord of the rings was cool effects and visuals made unwatchable by being nested in mounds of incredibly long and boring dialogue and lots of incredibly gay emotional man hugging. The stupidest part was when the dwarf, human, elf and whatever other stupid characters were all traveling over plains by flat out running like they're a bunch of ungulates or something. Was this time supposed to be too primitive to know how to ride horses? The best thing about lord of the rings was the quote "i smell manflesh" because it influenced this work which is superior to lord of the rings in all ways:

gggmork said:

The stupidest part was when the dwarf, human, elf and whatever other stupid characters were all traveling over plains by flat out running like they're a bunch of ungulates or something. Was this time supposed to be too primitive to know how to ride horses?

Did you even read the book? Or pay attention during the movie?

gggmork said:

Might as well not let a franchise go to waste, let the money making continue. The lord of the rings was cool effects and visuals made unwatchable by being nested in mounds of incredibly long and boring dialogue and lots of incredibly gay emotional man hugging. The stupidest part was when the dwarf, human, elf and whatever other stupid characters were all traveling over plains by flat out running like they're a bunch of ungulates or something. Was this time supposed to be too primitive to know how to ride horses? The best thing about lord of the rings was the quote "i smell manflesh" because it influenced this work which is superior to lord of the rings in all ways:

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