"The Hobbit" Stillborn?

[Gkar4ever]

It seems that Peter Jackson and New Line Cinemas are having a fallout..
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movi...eut/index.html

Does this mean that New Line will be less likely to enter into an agreement with Peter for producing future films, including the much-hoped-for Hobbit film? What do Industry-knowledgeable people think? Does money forgive everything, or will New Line refuse to enter into a contract with someone who has sued them?

Personally, I *hope* that they can still get a deal done for The Hobbit in the future, but based on this, I'm not hopeful.

[colonyearth]

Could this feasably hurt the chances for THE HOBBIT? Yes...but doubtful. People and companies in the biz sue a lot more than you might think over stuff like this.

It will most likely not even go to court as WB and New Line will probably settle with Wingnut.

The fact that the suit only mentions the first film should tell you something.

You have to realize that the people responsible for the actions that Wingnut is sueing over aren't the creative people and decision makers...they're the suits that run the business end.

The creative folk don't care about that stuff and given the amount of money they would make from a Jackson directed HOBBIT film, they won't care even more. What they might loose in this suit is nothing compared to what they will loose if Jackson doesn't do THE HOBBIT.

So...in a nutshell...or perhaps a "wingnut"shell...this too will blow over, and THE HOBBIT will most likely go forward when its time comes. Jackson is doing a smaller film after KONG, then has planned to do THE HOBBIT after that, so it won't even begin planning until late '06 or early '07, and most likely wouldn't be released until at least late '07 or '08.

CE

[Shr'eshhhhhh]

I can't see the chances of Ian Holm starring being too high if we have to wait 2 more years. Surely he would be too old even for modern computer technology to adjust.

[colonyearth]

Bilbo is much younger in THE HOBBIT, and there was little doubt that Holm would not be returning anyway. He was a wonderful older Bilbo, but everyone assumed he would be recast when the younger Bilbo was called upon.

Holm simply is too old to play such a physically active role. My guess is that Jackson will do a wonderful job (as he did with the LOTR trilogy) in casting, and would cast someone who would not only play the role wonderfully, but would be believable as a younger Holm-looking actor.

CE

[Dr Maturin]

Speaking of casting, about the only thing the SW prequels got right was casting MacGregor as a young Obi-Wan. Casting him, period. He and Ian are the only two castmembers who appear in all three films who can really act (and Daniels, but he doesn't count). Yes, I am including Jackson, as I don't buy him as a Jedi Master. I heard he goes Shaft on us in ROTS, though.

[colonyearth]

As I've stated repeatedly in many forums and places...all of the actors are wonderfully talented. Portman was just nominated for an Oscar and Christianson was recently named one of the best up and comers.

Let us place the blame for weak performances and bad films squarely where it belongs...on the shoulders of one George Lucas.

The scripts are juvenile and the direction is non-existant. Even the best actor can't do a good job with horrid dialogue and no sense of character and what they should be doing with it.

This casting was great (except Jake Lloyd...he was terrible)...it's the director and writer who needed to be replaced.

CE

[Shr'eshhhhhh]

It would have to be an 'uknown' to play him. I've not seen any established actors who look at all like Ian Holm. Though the other day I did bump into a guy who was the spitting image of a young Anthony Hopkins. Maybe I should alert the guys making The Lecter Variations.