The Hobbit (film series)

"The Hobbit: There and Back Again" redirects here. For the novel "The Hobbit, or There and Back Again", see The Hobbit.

The Hobbit
File:TheHobbit.png The Hobbit film logo
Directed by	Peter Jackson
Screenplay by	Fran Walsh Philippa Boyens Peter Jackson Guillermo del Toro
Produced by	Peter Jackson Fran Walsh Carolynne Cunningham
Starring	Martin Freeman Ian McKellen Richard Armitage Andy Serkis Benedict Cumberbatch William Kircher Graham McTavish Ken Stott Hugo Weaving James Nesbitt Aidan Turner Luke Evans Stephen Fry Billy Connolly Evangeline Lilly Christopher Lee Cate Blanchett Ian Holm Sylvester McCoy Elijah Wood Orlando Bloom
Cinematography	Andrew Lesnie
Edited by	Jabez Olssen
Music by	Howard Shore
Production companies	New Line Cinema Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer WingNut Films
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release dates	An Unexpected Journey 14 December 2012 (2012-12-14) There and Back Again 13 December 2013 (2013-12-13)
Countries	New Zealand United Kingdom United States
Language	English

The Hobbit is an upcoming three-part epic fantasy-adventure film directed and produced by Peter Jackson and based on J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel of the same name. The films will act as a prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and will star Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, as well as several actors who will reprise their roles from The Lord of the Rings, including Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, and Orlando Bloom. Also returning for the production are a significant part of the production crew: among others, writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, illustrators John Howe and Alan Lee, art director Dan Hennah, and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie. As with the trilogy, props will generally be crafted by Weta Workshop and visual effects managed by Weta Digital. Additionally, composer Howard Shore, who wrote the score for The Lord of the Rings, has confirmed his involvement in the first two parts of the film project.

Although originally made as a two part film, Jackson and MGM have confirmed plans for a third film as well. The first two parts, titled The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again, were filmed back-to-back in New Zealand and are currently in post-production; principal photography began on 21 March 2011 and completed on 6 July 2012. They are scheduled to be released on 14 December 2012 and 13 December 2013, respectively. Jackson appeared at Comic-Con, where he unveiled more information about the films, also announcing that he wishes to turn The Hobbit into a trilogy and that the third film is close to entering production. On 30 July 2012, Jackson took to Facebook to confirm that the series would now become a trilogy with the third film being released in December 2014. Additional filming is now expected to take place.

Premise

See also: Plot of The Hobbit

An Unexpected Journey

According to a press release from Warner Bros. Pictures:

The film follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever ... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities ... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

— Warner Bros. Pictures, Press release 24 April 2012

There and Back Again

Thorin and Company have reached Lake-town and it is time for the hobbit Bilbo Baggins to fulfill his contract with the dwarves. The party must complete the journey to Lonely Mountain and Bilbo Baggins must seek out the Secret Door that will give them access to the hoard of the dragon Smaug. If Bilbo and the others are able to gain the treasure, will they be able to keep it? And will they discover what has become of the wizard Gandalf?

Cast

• Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit and the protagonist of the film. Freeman had long been rumoured as being under consideration for the role of Bilbo, although other actors such as James McAvoy, Tobey Maguire and David Tennant had also been rumoured (though Tennant later confirmed he had never been under consideration). It was later reported that Freeman had been approached by the producers to play Bilbo in the films, but was forced to turn it down because of scheduling conflicts with the BBC television series Sherlock. However, he was quoted as saying, "[I]f something could be worked out, that would be great. I did it [turned down the role] with a heavy heart, definitely." Weeks later, it was confirmed by the studio that he had officially been cast in the role. On his casting, Peter Jackson was quoted as saying, "Despite the various rumours and speculation surrounding this role, there has only ever been one Bilbo Baggins for us. There are a few times in your career when you come across an actor who you know was born to play a role, but that was the case as soon as I met Martin Freeman. He is intelligent, funny, surprising and brave—exactly like Bilbo and I feel incredibly proud to be able to announce that he is our Hobbit."
  • Ian Holm as old Bilbo Baggins: During the early stages of pre-production, former director Guillermo del Toro indicated that he was interested in having Holm reprise the role of Bilbo, but acknowledged that he might be too old to take on such a physically demanding role. On his potential casting, Del Toro stated, "[Holm] certainly is the paragon we aspire to. He will be involved in some manner, I'm sure." He also indicated that he was open to the possibility of Holm narrating the films. On 10 January 2011, Deadline Hollywood reported that Holm had entered into negotiations to play the older Bilbo. On 3 March 2011, Holm revealed that he had been in talks with the producers about reprising the role, but that he hadn't heard back from them yet. On 22 April 2011, Jackson confirmed via Facebook that Holm had been added to the cast.
• Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey: A wizard who recruits Bilbo and helps to arrange the quest to reclaim the Dwarves' lost treasure in Erebor. He was also portrayed by McKellen in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. In July 2010 McKellen appeared on TVNZ's Good Morning, where he stated that: "I'm not under contract and my time is running out. I don't want to give the producers the impression that I'm sitting waiting." However, on 27 November 2010, McKellen updated his website to include The Hobbit, suggesting that he had, in fact, decided to reprise the role of Gandalf in the two parts. In the update, he wrote, "THE HOBBIT's, two parts, start shooting in New Zealand in February 2011. Filming will take over a year. Casting in Los Angeles, New York City and London has started. The script too proceeds. The first draft is crammed with old and new friends, again on a quest in Middle Earth." In January 2011 McKellen confirmed on his website that he was "happy to say I start filming in Wellington on 21 February 2011".
• Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield: The leader of the Company of Dwarves who have set out to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug the dragon. On his casting, Jackson was quoted as saying, "Richard is one of the most exciting and dynamic actors working on screen today and we know he is going to make an amazing Thorin Oakenshield. We cannot wait to start this adventure with him and feel very lucky that one of the most beloved characters in Middle Earth is in such good hands."
• Graham McTavish as Dwalin: One of the Company of Dwarves that accompanies Bilbo and Thorin on the Quest of Erebor. On his casting, McTavish stated, "I think that I would be very lucky indeed if ever again in my career, I was offered an opportunity that was going to be so iconic in its influence and scale with regards to The Hobbit. I can't think of anything comparable."
• Ken Stott as Balin: A member of the Company of Dwarves and the brother of Dwalin. He is described in the novel as "always their look-out man." On the casting of Stott, Jackson commented "Fran and I have long been fans of Ken's work and are excited he will be joining us on this journey."
• Aidan Turner as Kíli: One of Thorin's nephews who sets out on the Quest of Erebor. On his casting, Jackson stated, "Aidan is a wonderfully gifted young actor who hails from Ireland. I'm sure he will bring enormous heart and humor to the role of Kili."
• Dean O'Gorman as Fíli: English actor Rob Kazinsky had originally been cast as Kili's brother Fili, but left the film on 24 April 2011 "for personal reasons". Jackson said that he would have time to cast a replacement due to focusing on filming scenes with Bilbo without dwarves. On 30 April 2011, Jackson announced via Facebook that O'Gorman had been hired as Kazinsky's replacement. Jackson stated, "Dean's a terrific Kiwi actor, who I am thrilled to be working with."
• Mark Hadlow as Dori: A member of the Company of Dwarves. He is described in the novel as "a decent fellow, despite his grumbling," while Thorin described him as being the strongest member of the Company. Hadlow is a long-time collaborator of Jackson's, having previously worked with him on films such as Meet the Feebles and King Kong. On his casting, Jackson said, "I have worked with Mark Hadlow on many projects; he is a fantastic actor. I am thrilled to be working with [him] on these movies."
• Jed Brophy as Nori: A member of the Company of Dwarves and brother of Dori and Ori. Brophy has collaborated with Jackson on several films, including Braindead, Heavenly Creatures and all three Lord of the Rings films as various creatures.
• Adam Brown as Ori: A member of the Company of Dwarves. The role will mark Brown's first film appearance. Commenting on Brown's casting, Jackson was quoted as saying, "Adam is a wonderfully expressive actor and has a unique screen presence. I look forward to seeing him bring Ori to life."
• John Callen as Óin: A member of the Company of Dwarves and brother of Glóin. On getting a role in the films, Callen stated, "I did wonder about my casting and how they had made the choice—maybe the long hair and the beard sold it, I thought. But now that has all gone. Given that Óin is almost 200 years old I can presume only that it was the age."
• Peter Hambleton as Glóin: A member of the Company of Dwarves and brother of Óin. He is also the father of Gimli, who was portrayed in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy by actor John Rhys-Davies.
• William Kircher as Bifur: One of the twelve companions of Thorin and Bilbo on the Quest of Erebor and the cousin of Bofur and Bombur.
• James Nesbitt as Bofur: One of the Company of Dwarves and the cousin of Bifur and brother of Bombur, he is described as "a disarmingly forthright, funny and occasionally brave Dwarf." On 15 October 2010, Deadline Hollywood reported that Nesbitt was in negotiations for a part in the film. On 1 November 2010, Jackson confirmed that he had been added to the cast. Jackson was quoted as saying, "James's charm, warmth and wit are legendary as is his range as an actor in both comedic and dramatic roles. We feel very lucky to be able to welcome him as one of our cast."
• Stephen Hunter as Bombur: Described in the novel as being fat and clumsy, he is the brother of Bofur and the cousin of Bifur. On being cast in the role, Hunter said, "Being cast in The Hobbit is really exciting and really an honour. I auditioned for the original Lord of the Rings way back when I signed with my agent in New Zealand. When I saw the films I thought, 'Man, I so want to do The Hobbit.'"
• Andy Serkis as Gollum: Serkis portrayed the character in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, but was not confirmed to reprise the role in The Hobbit until 10 January 2011. On 6 April 2011, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Serkis would also serve as second unit director on the films. "I think I understand Peter's sensibility and we have a common history of understanding Middle Earth. A lot of the crew from The Lord of the Rings was returning to work on The Hobbit. There is really a sense of Peter wanting people around him who totally understand the material and the work ethic."
• Hugo Weaving as Elrond: The Elven master of Rivendell. Elrond gives shelter to Bilbo's party, after which, presumably, the two become friends. Weaving portrayed Elrond previously in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. It had long been assumed that he would be returning to the role, but was not officially confirmed until 1 May 2011, almost six weeks after principal photography had begun.
• Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug: One of the last remaining dragons in Middle-earth. He guards the treasure in Erebor. Cumberbatch will portray Smaug through motion capture, similar to Andy Serkis with Gollum, and has been doing movement exercises to become limber.
  • Also providing motion capture for the Necromancer: Ruler of the stronghold of Dol Guldur in southern Mirkwood; he is later revealed to be Sauron and is driven out by the White Council. Nathaniel Lees is providing the voice.
• Mikael Persbrandt as Beorn: A shape-shifter (or, in the actual text, a "skin-changer"), a man who could assume the appearance of a great black bear. In the novel, he lives with his animal retinue (horses, dogs and cows, among others) in a wooden house between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood. Beorn received Gandalf, Bilbo and the 13 Dwarves and aided them in their quest to reclaim the Dwarves' kingdom beneath Erebor, the Lonely Mountain. He was convinced of their trustworthiness after confirming their tale of encountering the Goblins of the Misty Mountains and Gandalf's slaying of their leader, the Great Goblin. On 3 December 2010, Swedish newspaper Nöjesbladet announced that Persbrandt had been cast in an unspecified role. He was confirmed as Beorn on 7 December 2010. Jackson was quoted as saying, "The role of Beorn is an iconic one and Mikael was our first choice for the part. Since seeing him read for the role we can't imagine anyone else playing this character."
• Lee Pace as Thranduil: Referred to in the novel as "The Elvenking", he is the ruler of the realm of the northern part of Mirkwood. He is also the father of Legolas. In the novel, the Dwarves are captured by Thranduil's guards and locked in his dungeons when they refuse to divulge their intentions. In the early stages of production, the role had been linked to actors Doug Jones and David Tennant, but on 29 April 2011, Jackson reported on Facebook that the role had gone to Pace. On his casting, Jackson said, "Casting these Tolkien stories is very difficult, especially the Elven characters and Lee has always been our first choice for Thranduil. He's going to be great. We loved his performance in a movie called The Fall a few years ago and have been hoping to work with him since. When we were first discussing who would be right for Thranduil, Lee came into mind almost immediately."
• Stephen Fry as Master of Lake-town: The leader of the settlement of Men at Lake-town near the Lonely Mountain. According to Fry, "My character is an opportunity for sheer grossness ... [Peter Jackson] had me eating testicles... gross appetites. I mustn't give too much away but I've got a bald cap and then on top of that a really bad combover wig and this wispy mustache and wispy beard and horrible blotchy skin and disgusting fingernails ... And generally speaking a really unappetizing piece of work. And a coward to boot and very, very greedy."
• Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman: Bard of Esgaroth was a skilled archer and the heir of Girion, the last king of old Dale, described as "grim faced". He rallied the guards to defend the town when the Dragon came, slaying the dragon himself. He later leads the Men of Esgaroth at the Battle of Five Armies and is crowned king of the re-founded Dale.
• Billy Connolly as Dáin II Ironfoot: A great dwarf warrior, ruler of the Iron Hills and cousin of Thorin Oakenshield. According to Connolly, "...this guy will terrify the life out of you. I have a mohawk and tattoos on my head."
• Barry Humphries as the Great Goblin: The ruler of the underground caverns in the Misty Mountains.
• Christopher Lee as Saruman the White: Head of Gandalf's Order of Wizards and the White Council. Lee had originally said he would have liked to have shown how Saruman is first corrupted by Sauron, but would not be comfortable flying to New Zealand at his age. Lee went on to say that if a film were made, he would love to voice Smaug, as it would mean he could record his part in England and not have to travel. On 10 January 2011, it was reported that Lee had entered into negotiations to reprise the role of Saruman. On 11 January 2011, Lee announced on his website that he would be reprising the role.
• Cate Blanchett as Galadriel: An Elf and the co-ruler of Lothlórien along with her husband, Lord Celeborn. Blanchett was the first returning cast member from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy to be cast in the films, even though her character does not appear in the novel. On her casting, Jackson said, "Cate is one of my favorite actors to work with and I couldn't be more thrilled to have her reprise the role she so beautifully brought to life in the earlier films."
• Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown: A wizard of Gandalf's Order. During the production of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, McCoy had been contacted about playing the role of Bilbo and was kept in place as a potential Bilbo for six months before Jackson went with Ian Holm. The former Doctor Who star, who appeared alongside McKellen in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of King Lear in 2008, confirmed on 23 October 2010 that he was in negotiations to play a major role as a "wizard", leading to speculation he could appear as Radagast the Brown. This was later confirmed by the actor. He was officially added to the cast on 7 December 2010.
• Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins: A hobbit and favourite relative of Bilbo Baggins. On 6 January 2011, Deadline reported that Wood was in talks to reprise his role of Frodo Baggins in the two parts. He was confirmed as joining the cast on 7 January 2011 by TheOneRing.net. As Frodo hadn't been born during the events of The Hobbit, the inclusion of Frodo indicated that parts of the story would take place shortly before or during the events of The Lord of the Rings. According to TheOneRing.net, "As readers of 'The Hobbit' know, the tale of 'The Downfall of The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit or There and Back Again,' are contained in the fictional 'Red Book of Westmarch.' In Peter Jackson's LOTR films, the book is shown on screen and written in by Bilbo and Frodo and handed off to Samwise Gamgee....The fictional book and either the telling from it or the reading of it, will establish Frodo in the film experiencing Bilbo's story. Viewers are to learn the tale of 'The Hobbit' as a familiar Frodo gets the tale as well."
• Jeffrey Thomas as Thrór: King of Durin's folk, the son of Dáin I, father of Thráin II and grandfather of Thorin Oakenshield.
• Mike Mizrahi as Thráin II: A Dwarven king, Thráin is the son of Thrór and father of Thorin Oakenshield. A Longbeard and direct descendant of Durin, he became heir of the lost King under the Mountain and King of Durin's Folk in exile as Thráin II after his father was killed at Moria. Thráin and his kin fled when the dragon Smaug descended on Erebor and took the kingdom. Thráin took with him a map which showed a secret entrance to Erebor; yet was later captured and imprisoned in Dol Guldur, Sauron's temporary stronghold, where he soon after died.
• John Rawls as Azog: An Orc chieftain of Moria. He killed King Thrór, who came to revisit the ruins of Khazad-dûm. In the following years, he was the common enemy of all Dwarves and the war he started climaxed in the Battle of Azanulbizar, where he killed Náin, only to be himself slain by Náin's son Dáin II Ironfoot.
• Conan Stevens as Bolg: Goblin-king of the Misty Mountains, Lord of Mount Gundabad and son of Azog. He leads the army of goblins in the Battle of the Five Armies.
• Orlando Bloom as Legolas: The Elven Prince of Mirkwood and the son of Thranduil. On 4 December 2010, Deadline reported that Bloom had entered into negotiations to reprise the role of Legolas. Bloom revealed on 25 April 2011 that he had been in contact with Jackson, who had given him a copy of the screenplay and said that there was a high probability that he would return. He was quoted as saying, "I'm going to bet on it ... But I can't really talk too much about it because it's still sort of in the ether. But I would love to go back to work with Peter Jackson. It would be an honour." On 27 May 2011, Peter Jackson announced via Facebook that Bloom would reprise his role as Legolas.
• Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel: A female elf from Mirkwood. Her name means "daughter of Mirkwood". Peter Jackson has confirmed there will be no romantic connection to Legolas.
• Bret McKenzie as Lindir: An Elf of Rivendell. McKenzie has appeared in the first and third films of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. His silent role in the first film achieved some minor Internet fame as Figwit, which led to Jackson giving him a line in the third film. On 4 April 2011, McKenzie was added to the cast as Lindir, a Rivendell elf quarrelling with Bilbo in The Fellowship of the Ring, whose name means "singer". His father Peter McKenzie played the role of Elendil in The Lord of the Rings.
• Ryan Gage as Alfrid: The Master of Laketown's "conniving" servant. Gage was originally cast to play Drogo Baggins, father of Frodo Baggins. According to Jackson, "Ryan is a great young actor who we originally cast in a small role, but we liked him so much, we promoted him to the much larger Alfrid part."
• John Bell as Bain: Son of Bard, he is described as "confident and brave and ready to do battle if required even though he is still a boy."
• Craig Hall as Galion: Elven King Thranduil's butler, whose fondness for drink allows for Bilbo and the dwarves' escape attempt.
• Michael Mitchinson as Braga
• Ben Mitchell as Narzug

Development

Background

First stages of development

See also: Development of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh originally expressed interest in filming The Hobbit in 1995, then envisioning it as part one of a trilogy (the other two would have been based on The Lord of the Rings). Frustration arose when Jackson's producer, Harvey Weinstein, discovered that Saul Zaentz had production rights to The Hobbit, but that distribution rights still belonged to United Artists (which had kept those rights, believing that filmmakers would prefer to adapt The Hobbit rather than The Lord of the Rings). The studio was on the market, so Weinstein's attempts to buy those rights were unsuccessful. Weinstein asked Jackson to press on with adapting The Lord of the Rings. Ultimately, The Lord of the Rings was produced by New Line Cinema, not the Weinsteins and their rights to film The Hobbit were set to expire in 2010. In September 2006, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, now the owner of UA, expressed interest in teaming up with New Line and Jackson to make The Hobbit.

Peter Jackson, director, co-writer and producer of the film.

In March 2005, Jackson launched a lawsuit against New Line, claiming he had lost revenue from merchandising, video and computer games releases associated with The Fellowship of the Ring. He did not seek a specific settlement, but requested an audit to see whether New Line had deprived him of money. Although Jackson wanted it settled before he would make the film, he felt the lawsuit was minor and that New Line would still let him make The Hobbit. New Line co-founder Robert Shaye was annoyed with the lawsuit and said in January 2007 that Jackson would never again direct a film for New Line, accusing him of being greedy. MGM boss Harry Sloan halted development, as he wanted Jackson to be involved. By August, after a string of flops, Shaye was trying to repair his relationship with the director. He said, "I really respect and admire Peter and would love for him to be creatively involved in some way in The Hobbit." The following month, New Line was fined $125,000 for failing to provide requested accounting documents.

On 16 December 2007, it was announced that Jackson would be executive producer of The Hobbit and its sequel. New Line and MGM would co-finance the film and the latter studio (via 20th Century Fox) would distribute the film outside North America—New Line's first ever such deal with another major studio. Each film is budgeted at an estimated US$150 million, which compares to the US$94 million budget for each of the films in Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. After completion of the merger of New Line Cinema with Warner Bros. in February 2008, the two parts were announced as scheduled for release in Decembers 2011 and 2012. Producer Mark Ordesky will return to supervise the prequels. Jackson explained he chose not to direct because it would have been unsatisfying to compete with his previous films.

That same month, the Tolkien Estate—through The Tolkien Trust, a British charity—and HarperCollins Publishers filed a suit against New Line for breach of contract and fraud and demanded $220 million in compensation. The suit claimed New Line had only paid the Estate an upfront fee of $62,500, despite the trilogy earning an estimated $6 billion worldwide from box office receipts and merchandise sales. The suit claimed the Estate was entitled to 7.5% of all profits made by any Tolkien films, as established by prior deals. The suit also sought to block the filming of The Hobbit. The suit was settled in September 2009 for an undisclosed amount. However the Tolkien Trust's 2009 Accounts show that it received a payment of £24 million, (a little over 38 million USD), in respect of a 'film rights settlement'. Christopher Tolkien said: "The trustees regret that legal action was necessary but are glad that this dispute has been settled on satisfactory terms that will allow the Tolkien Trust properly to pursue its charitable objectives. The trustees acknowledge that New Line may now proceed with its proposed film of The Hobbit."

Development with del Toro

Guillermo del Toro was originally set to direct the film, but left due to ongoing delays. Jackson has stated that del Toro's "creative DNA" will remain in the scripts and designs.

Despite the legal suits, development proceeded and in April 2008, Guillermo del Toro was hired to direct the film. Del Toro has said he was a fan of Jackson's trilogy and had discussed directing a film adaptation of Halo with him in 2005. Though that project stalled, they kept in contact. In a 2006 interview Del Toro was quoted saying "I don't like little guys and dragons, hairy feet, hobbits, [...] I don't like sword and sorcery, I hate all that stuff". After he signed on to direct in April 2008, Del Toro posted on TheOneRing.net forums that he had been enchanted by The Hobbit as a child, but found that Tolkien's other books "contain[ed] geography and genealogy too complex for my prepubescent brain". In taking the job of director, Del Toro was now "reading like a madman to catch up with a whole new land, a continent of sorts—a cosmology created by brilliant philologist turned Shaman". He also posted that his appreciation of Tolkien was enhanced by his knowledge of the fantasy genre and the folklore research he had undertaken while making his own fantasy films.

Pre-production began around August 2008, with Del Toro, Jackson, Walsh and Philippa Boyens writing the scripts. Del Toro collaborated with Jackson, Walsh and Boyens via videoconferencing and flew every three weeks, back and forth from Los Angeles (where some of the designs were done) to New Zealand to visit them. Del Toro spent his mornings writing and afternoons looking at material related to Tolkien to help him understand the writer's work. He watched World War I documentaries and asked for book recommendations from Jackson, who is a collector of World War I memorabilia. Del Toro felt Tolkien's experiences in that war influenced his stories.

By November 2008, Del Toro has said, he, Jackson, Walsh and Boyens would realize something new about the story every week and the script was continually changing. The writing hours increased to twelve each day, as they dedicated three weeks to finally deciding the films' structures. During the first few months of 2009, writing would start from 8:30 am and end at 3:00 pm when Del Toro would meet with Weta (i.e., Weta Workshop and Weta Digital film effects companies). Completion of the story outlines and treatments ended in March 2009 and the studios approved the start of writing the screenplay. Filming was expected to take place throughout 2010 in New Zealand, with Del Toro renovating the Hobbiton sets in Matamata. For his part, Jackson had kept the Rivendell scale model and the Bag End set (which he has used as a guest house) from the trilogy. During the middle of the shoot, there was expected to be a break which would have allowed Del Toro to edit The Hobbit while sets would be altered for the second film. The director expected the shoot to last 370 days.

Jackson revealed in late November 2009 that he anticipated that the script for The Hobbit would not be finished until the beginning of 2010, delaying the start of production until the middle of that summer (several months later than previously anticipated). The announcement created doubts about whether the film would make its previously-announced release dates of December 2011 and December 2012. Jackson reiterated that no casting decisions had been made. On 22 January 2010, Alan Horn said the first film would likely not be released until the fourth quarter of 2012.

Del Toro's interpretation

The first film will stand on its own and the second will be a transition and fusion with Peter's world. I plan to change and expand the visuals from Peter's and I know the world can be portrayed in a different way. Different is better for the first one. For the second, I have the responsibility of finding a slow progression and mimicking the style of Peter.

—Del Toro on tonal consistency with Jackson's trilogy

Del Toro and Jackson had a positive working relationship, where they compromised on disagreements to the benefit of the film. Del Toro believed he would be able to shoot the film himself, although Jackson noted he had similar hopes for filming all of his trilogy and offered to help as second unit director. Del Toro planned on shooting the film in the trilogy's 2.35:1 aspect ratio, rather than his signature 1.85:1 ratio. He hoped to collaborate again with cinematographer Guillermo Navarro. Del Toro shares Jackson's passion for scale models and background paintings, though he wanted to increase the use of animatronics; "We really want to take the state-of-the-art animatronics and take a leap ten years into the future with the technology we will develop for the creatures in the movie. We have every intention to do for animatronics and special effects what the other films did for virtual reality." Spectral Motion (Hellboy, Fantastic Four) were among those Del Toro wanted to work with again. Some characters would have been created by mixing computer-generated imagery with animatronics and some would have been created solely with animatronics or animation. Gollum would be entirely digital again; as Del Toro noted "if it ain't broke, why fix it?"

Del Toro said that he interpreted The Hobbit as being set in a "world that is slightly more golden at the beginning, a very innocent environment" and the film would need to "[take] you from a time of more purity to a darker reality throughout the film, but [in a manner] in the spirit of the book". He perceived the main themes as loss of innocence, which he likened to the experience of England after World War I and greed, which he said Smaug and Thorin Oakenshield represent. Bilbo Baggins reaffirms his personal morality during the story's third act as he encounters Smaug and the Dwarves' greed. He added, "The humble, sort of a sturdy moral fibre that Bilbo has very much represents the idea that Tolkien had about the little English man, the average English man", and the relationship between Bilbo and Thorin would be the heart of the film. The Elves will also be less solemn.

Del Toro met concept artists John Howe and Alan Lee, Weta Workshop head Richard Taylor and make-up artist Gino Acevedo to keep continuity with the previous films, and he also hired comic book artists to complement Howe's and Lee's style on the trilogy, including Mike Mignola and Wayne Barlowe, who began work around April 2009. He has also considered looking at Tolkien's drawings and using elements of those not used in the trilogy. As Tolkien did not originally intend for the magic ring Bilbo finds to be the all-powerful talisman of evil it is revealed to be in The Lord of the Rings, Del Toro said he would address its different nature in the story, but not so much as to draw away from the story's spirit. Each Dwarf would need to look different from the others. Del Toro would have redesigned the Goblins and Wargs and the Mirkwood spiders would also have looked different from Shelob. Del Toro felt the Wargs had to be changed because "the classical incarnation of the demonic wolf in Nordic mythology is not a hyena-shaped creature".

Del Toro also wanted the animals to speak so that Smaug's speech would not be incongruous, though he explained portraying the talking animals would be more about showing people can understand them. Smaug would not have a "snub Simian [mouth] in order to achieve a dubious lip-synch", and Del Toro noted that such is the attention given to him that he would be the first design begun and the last to be approved. Del Toro, whose Chinese zodiac sign is the Dragon, is fascinated by the mythological species and attempted to include one in Pan's Labyrinth, but was unable to do so for budgetary reasons. His favourite cinematic dragons are Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty and Vermithrax Pejorative from Dragonslayer. He has also provided a foreword to Howe's portfolio book Forging Dragons, where he discussed the dragon's differing symbolism and roles in various cultures and legends.

Del Toro and Jackson considered the sudden introduction to Bard the Bowman and Bilbo being unconscious during the Battle of the Five Armies to be "less cinematic moments" reminiscent of the novel's more "fairy tale world" than The Lord of the Rings, which they would change to make The Hobbit feel more like the trilogy. However, Del Toro considered some of these moments like Bilbo waking up to find the battle is over iconic and would require the "fairy tale logic [to] work as is".

Several actors have been identified as having been considered by Guillermo del Toro for roles in the film. He wrote the part of Beorn specifically for American actor Ron Perlman. Del Toro had originally considered asking Perlman to voice the dragon Smaug, but decided against this. Del Toro met with English actor Brian Blessed to discuss the possibility of him playing Thorin Oakenshield. The director later stated that he thought Ian McShane "would make the most perfect dwarf". Frequent del Toro collaborator Doug Jones said that he would love to play the Elvenking Thranduil, but del Toro later stated that he had another role (or roles) in mind for the actor. Del Toro was the one who originally pushed to cast Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown, a choice Peter Jackson later followed. While del Toro initially wanted Ian Holm to reprise the role of Bilbo Baggins, he also said that he "absolutely" supported the casting of Martin Freeman as the character, and wanted all other returning Lord of the Rings characters to be played by the original actors where possible.

Del Toro's departure

In 2010 Del Toro left the project due to delays. On 28 May he explained at a press conference that due to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's financial troubles the Hobbit project had then not been officially greenlit at the time. "There cannot be any start dates until the MGM situation gets resolved... We have designed all the creatures. We've designed the sets and the wardrobe. We have done animatics and planned very lengthy action sequences. We have scary sequences and funny sequences and we are very, very prepared for when it's finally triggered, but we don't know anything until MGM is solved." Two days later, Del Toro announced at TheOneRing.net that "In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming", he would "take leave from helming", further stating that "the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. [...] I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director". Reports began to surface around the internet about possible directors; apparently the studios wanted Jackson, but such names as Neill Blomkamp, Brett Ratner, David Yates and David Dobkin were mentioned.

However, this incident received negative reaction from many Hobbit fans, who were angry at MGM for delaying the project. They also tried willing the studio to sell their rights to Warner Bros. On 27 July, del Toro responded to these angry fans, saying that "it wasn't just MGM. These are very complicated movies, economically and politically."

On 25 June 2010, Jackson was reported to be in negotiations to direct the two-part film. On 15 October 2010, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. confirmed that The Hobbit was to proceed filming with Jackson as director and that the film will be in 3-D. As well as confirming Jackson as director, the film was reported to be greenlit, with principal photography to begin in February 2011. Jackson stated that "Exploring Tolkien's Middle-earth goes way beyond a normal film-making experience. It's an all-immersive journey into a very special place of imagination, beauty and drama."

Industrial dispute in New Zealand

On 24 September 2010, the International Federation of Actors issued a Do Not Work order, advising members of its member unions (including the Screen Actors Guild) that "The producers...have refused to engage performers on union-negotiated agreements." This would subject actors who work on the film to possible expulsion from the union. In response, Warner Bros and New Line Cinema considered taking the production elsewhere, with Jackson mentioning the possibility of filming in Eastern Europe.

Partly out of fear for the Tolkien tourism effect, on 25 October 2010, thousands of New Zealanders organised protest rallies imploring that production remain in New Zealand, as shifting production to locations outside New Zealand would potentially have cost the country's economy up to $1.5 billion. After two days of talks with the New Zealand government (including involvement by Prime Minister John Key), Warner Bros. executives decided on the 27th of October to film The Hobbit in New Zealand as originally planned. In return, the government of New Zealand agreed to introduce legislation to clarify the distinction between independent contractors and employees working in the film production industry and also broaden the government's financial support for big budget films made in New Zealand.

Some have subsequently called the price (further financial subsidies and specific laws made for the producers' benefit) that New Zealand had to pay to retain the movie 'extortionate'. It was also argued that the discussion had occurred in a climate of 'hyperbole and hysteria'.

Production

Filming

File:TheHobbitFilm13Dwarves.jpg

The Company of Dwarves from left to right: Nori, Fili, Dori, Bofur, Gloin, Dwalin, Thorin, Balin, Oin, Bombur, Bifur, Ori and Kili.

Principal photography began on 21 March 2011 in Wellington, New Zealand. Filming took place at Wellington Stone Street Studios, the town of Matamata and at other undisclosed locations around New Zealand. The shoot concluded on July 6, 2012 after an exhaustive 266 days.

During July 2011, scenes from The Hobbit were filmed at Pinewood Studios, England. Sets were constructed on the F Stage and N&P Stages for the shoot. Jackson recorded a video blog from the set, which featured Christopher Lee in full makeup and costume as Saruman.

The second block of shooting in New Zealand began at the end of August and was completed in December 2011.

The third and final block of shooting started in February 2012. On 6 July 2012, Peter Jackson announced on his Facebook page that they had completed principal photography. However, Peter Jackson had earlier confirmed that some scenes for the second film may be shot sometime during 2013.

48 FPS

In April 2011, Jackson revealed through his Facebook page that he is filming The Hobbit at 48 FPS (frames per second) instead of the normal 24 FPS:

"We are indeed shooting at the higher frame rate. The key thing to understand is that this process requires both shooting and projecting at 48 frames/s, rather than the usual 24 frames/s (The great majority of films have been shot at 24 frames per second since the late 1920s). So the result looks like normal speed, but the image has hugely enhanced clarity and smoothness. Looking at 24 frames every second may seem ok—and we've all seen thousands of films like this over the last 90 years—but there is often quite a lot of blur in each frame, during fast movements and if the camera is moving around quickly, the image can judder or "strobe." Shooting and projecting at 48 frames/s does a lot to get rid of these issues. It looks much more lifelike and it is much easier to watch, especially in 3-D."

The Hobbit will likely be the highest budgeted film so far to be shot on Red Digital Cinema Camera Company's Epic camera of which Peter Jackson received one of the very first shipments. In a production video it was revealed that 48 Epic cameras are being used.

Reaction

At an industry event screening in April, 2012, the new 48 FPS format was described as receiving "an underwhelming reaction at best". While Variety stated that the footage "looked distinctively sharper and more immediate than everything shown before it, giving the 3D smoother movement and crisp sharpness", it also reported that it lost "the cinematic glow of the industry-standard 24 fps" and that "human actors seemed overlit and amplified in a way that many compared to modern sports broadcasts [...] and daytime television". One projectionist complained that "it looked like a made-for-TV movie".

Peter Jackson claimed that the poor reception "wasn't particularly surprising" because "it does take you a while to get used to it. Ten minutes is sort of marginal, it probably needed a little bit more."

Structure

The project has been envisaged as two parts since 2006, but the proposed contents of the parts has changed during development. MGM expressed interest in a second film in 2006, set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Jackson concurred, stating "[...] one of the drawbacks of The Hobbit is [that] it's relatively lightweight compared to LOTR [Lord of the Rings] [...] There's a lot of sections in which a character like Gandalf disappears for a while. From memory - I mean, I haven't read it for a while now - but I think he references going off to meet with the White Council, who are actually characters like Galadriel and Saruman and people that we see in Lord of the Rings. He mysteriously vanishes for a while and then comes back, but we don't really know what goes on." Jackson was also interested in showing Gollum's journey to Mordor and Aragorn setting a watch on the Shire.

After his hiring in 2008, Del Toro confirmed the sequel would be about "trying to reconcile the facts of the first movie with a slightly different point of view. You would be able to see events that were not witnessed in the first." He also noted the story must be drawn from only what is mentioned in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, as they do not have the rights to The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales. Del Toro also added (before writing began) that if they could not find a coherent story for the second film, they would just film The Hobbit, stating "The Hobbit is better contained in a single film and kept brisk and fluid with no artificial 'break point'." By November 2008, he acknowledged that the book was more detailed and eventful than people may remember. He decided to abandon the "bridge film" concept, feeling that it would be better for the two parts to contain only material from The Hobbit:

when you lay out the cards fro [sic] the story beats contained within the book (before even considering any apendix [sic] material) the work is enormous and encompasses more than one film. That's why we are thinking of the two installments as parts of a single narrative. That's why I keep putting down the use of a "bridge" film (posited initially). I think the concept as such is not relevant anymore. I believe that the narrative and characters are rich enough to fit in two films.

Del Toro said that he was faced with two possible places to split the story, including Smaug's defeat. He noted the second film would need to end by leading directly into The Fellowship of the Ring. In June 2009, Del Toro revealed he had decided where to divide the story based on comments from fans about signifying a change in Bilbo's relationship with the dwarves. The second film's story would also have depended on how many actors could have reprised their roles.

Third film

On Monday, July 30, 2012, Jackson confirmed plans to make a third film, turning his adaptation of The Hobbit into a trilogy.

According to Jackson, the third film would make extensive use of the appendices that Tolkien wrote, to expand the story of Middle-Earth, and published in the back of The Return of the King. While not necessarily a "bridge" film, this story would bridge the gaps between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Martin Freeman and Sir Ian McKellen have already been contacted about appearing in a third film.

Music

It was reported at the 2012 Comic Con that Howard Shore will be recording his score for An Unexpected Journey with the London Philharmonic Orchestra sometime in August.

Marketing

An Unexpected Journey

File:The Hobbit- An Unexpected Journey.jpg

The official teaser poster for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The first trailer for An Unexpected Journey was first screened before the Jackson-produced The Adventures of Tintin in the US on 21 December 2011, and released on the Web on the same day. Geoff Boucher of the Los Angeles Times said, "While it was all too fleeting there was enough in it to stir the heart of fans". Jen Chaney of the Washington Post stated, "Visually and tonally, this preview for part... looks like a perfect match for the Frodo Baggins tales that released in 2001, 2002 and 2003. This time, of course, the focus is Bilbo Baggins, who goes on a quest along with a gaggle of dwarves, all determined to snatch back valuable treasure from the dragon Smaug. But plot isn’t the main matter at hand in the trailer... This clip is all about reacquainting us with Middle-earth."

Toys

See also: Lego The Lord of the Rings

On 16 December 2011, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Lego announced the development of figures and play sets based on the upcoming adaptations of The Hobbit as well as The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The launch of the LEGO The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey collection is scheduled to coincide with the release of the first part of the film adaptation in December 2012.

Video games

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment now has the rights to develop a video game based on The Hobbit following the expiration in 2008 of Electronic Arts' license to The Lord of the Rings. When Guillermo Del Toro was set to direct he had stated that a video game, if it was to be made, would not be released to tie-in with The Hobbit film, but rather after their release. Del Toro had stated that while he would like to be involved in the creation of the video game, making it at the same time as the film would complicate things due to a "tight schedule". In October 2011, Warner Bros. confirmed that a Hobbit video game would be released in 2012, before the release of the first film. However, the studio did not confirm whether or not the game would be a tie-in with the film.

See also

• The Hobbit (1977 film)

External links

• Official website
• Official studio blog
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at IMDb
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at AllMovie
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at Box Office Mojo
• List of worldwide release dates for An Unexpected Journey
• The Hobbit: There and Back Again at IMDb
• The Hobbit: There and Back Again at AllMovie
• The Hobbit: There and Back Again at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Hobbit: There and Back Again at Box Office Mojo