News from Middle Earth

[qos]

I just read a report on CNN.com that Guillermo del Toro, director of Pan's Labyrinth, has been selected to direct The Hobbit. Peter Jackson will be the executive producer.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, Pan's Labyrinth is a gorgeous film that beautifully expresses myth and magic. On the other hand, del Toro's style and vision is very different from Jackson's. I can't help but think this new movie will be distinctly different from the first three. But that might end up being a delightful surprise.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Del Toro is arguably the best living director of fantasy. He has a record of balancing personal projects- like Pan's Labyrinth- with big Hollywood movies. I think this makes him a pretty good choice for The Hobbit.

[makhsihed.livejournal.com]

Del Toro is... incredible. Hobbit-style? Well, that's arguable and odd. But the style of the Hobbit should be different from the style of the Rings trilogy... not least because the style of writing and story in the books was very different. "The Hobbit" is a much different sort of story with a much different feel than "The Lord of the Rings". So a distinctly different director makes sense.

Whether Del Toro's style will adapt well to the Hobbit (or vice versa), though... that'll be interesting. All I can think of is The Hobbit turned from relatively light (compared to the Rings trilogy) into dark fantasy. o.o I'm sure it won't, but... that's what keeps running through my head. Jackson's style is much less gritty than Del Toro's; yet the Hobbit is much less gritty than the Rings trilogy. One would think the directors/movies should be swapped. ^^'

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

Yah, I'm intrigued with the idea. I do think I trust the Peter Jackson though. I got a feeling he knows what he's doing. :)

[spring-heel-jim.livejournal.com]

Hey hon, how's you ?

I saw this article too - and must admit, my thoughts were the same as yours. Much as I love Pan's Labyrinth, it has a very different style to the LOTR films.

But like you say, that might be a good thing. Is Ian Holm still up for Bilbo ?

[qos.livejournal.com]

Well, I've been mixed, as my last few entries (here and elsewhere) show.

I don't know if Holm is still up for Bilbo. Serkis seems on board as Gollum, and McKellan as Gandalf, but TheOneRing.net didn't say anything about Holm.

[spring-heel-jim.livejournal.com]

I've actually met Andy Serkis. Interviewed him when I was on the university paper, and he was in Cabaret. Nice guy. Very accommodating.

If only I'd known he was going to be Gollum then I would have got his autograph. Or asked for a bit part as an Orc...