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[Loxley]

Gandalf, Gollum, Saruman, Elrond, Necromancer/Sauron are all returning characters too.

I think he's referring specifically to returning characters that were not in the book.

In other news I can finally have my LEGO Bag End

 

[Cheebo]

I think he's referring specifically to returning characters that were not in the book.

Not all of the ones I listed were either

 

[bengraven]

I think he's referring specifically to returning characters that were not in the book.

In other news I can finally have my LEGO Bag End

Ugh, not big enough. Need to buy like four and put them together.

 

[Loxley]

So here are some interesting bits as far as the languages of The Hobbit are concerned, but for now may as well consider these rumors until we get any concrete evidence.

- Bifur may only speak in Khuzdûl, possibly due to that silly axe protruding from his skull.
- Dwalin’s skull tattoos actually have meaning, and are pictorial tale about Dwarvish history, laws, customs!
- Thranduil’s sword will also feature lots of runic inscriptions
- The Wargs will have their own constructed language for the Hobbit. The Warg chief, a great white wolf, will communicate with his pack using this simple, gluttal language!

That last bit about the Wargs sounds really interesting. I have to say, even though I didn't think this was possible, they seem to be doing even more to flesh out Middle Earth this time around than they did in The Lord of the Rings. I really love that we'll likely be getting a more in-depth exploration of the various cultures of Middle Earth.

 

[Neffarias_Bredd]

I'd be down for a hobbit re-read and/or an EE rewatch

And I saw a couple of those Hobbit lego sets in Barnes and Nobles the other day...absolutely stunned by how expensive they were. Had no idea legos were that much

 

[Lamel]

Two films, each expected to be around 2 and a half to 3 hours long. Prologue exploring the history of dwarves expected, flashbacks during the White Council meeting exploring the Necromancer's origins expected and Old Bilbo narrating.

Returning characters from the trilogy; Old Bilbo, Frodo, Legolas, Galadriel.

Alright thanks. Interesting as Legolas and Frodo weren't in the novel. Can't wait!

 

[Loxley]

I'd be down for a hobbit re-read and/or an EE rewatch

And I saw a couple of those Hobbit lego sets in Barnes and Nobles the other day...absolutely stunned by how expensive they were. Had no idea legos were that much

Their Architecture series is even worse.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

More Hobbit figures.

http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/gallery2/album/SDCC-2012-WETA-Preview-Night/1342084367-16.php

Notice the Oakenshield under his coat.

 

[Annoying Old Party Man]

I hope they go ape-shit with the languages this time. Animals, songs, languages, bring everything Tolkien in!

 

[Edmond Dantès]

I wonder if Thranduil and the ruling class of Mirkwood Elves will speak Sindarin or Sylvan. Thranduil's family are survivors from Doriath after all and higher than the elves they eventually merged with in Mirkwood.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

So here are some interesting bits as far as the languages of The Hobbit are concerned, but for now may as well consider these rumors until we get any concrete evidence.



That last bit about the Wargs sounds really interesting. I have to say, even though I didn't think this was possible, they seem to be doing even more to flesh out Middle Earth this time around than they did in The Lord of the Rings. I really love that we'll likely be getting a more in-depth exploration of the various cultures of Middle Earth.

In regards to Bifur, I hope they don't go down the Michael Bay Bumblebee speech impediment comedy relief route. In this case it would be a language impediment though. I can understand Bombur being comedy relief as that is the case in the novel where the narrator pokes fun at him throughout the narrative, but Bifur.. well I'm not sure.

 

[Mr Cola]

Ive been thinking about the fellowship and our discussion yesterday about tweaking certain parts. I then remembered perhaps the only thing that really does not fit and thats a line Gandalf says, in reference to Biblo he says "you havent aged a day" quizzically. Now i would be in favour of removing that line because it is completely out of place now, the only other alternative is to believe Gandalf has a bit of senility problems. :O

 

[strafer]

Wish they were more detailed. Look so cheap.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

Hobbit marketing ramping up.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/7276197/Air-New-Zealand-promoting-Hobbit-on-flights

Love the ears.

I wonder if the marketing push will be bigger than TDKR's.

 

[Mr Cola]

footage give me the footage!

 

[Edmond Dantès]

footage give me the footage!

We should get impressions tomorrow and maybe even some leaked footage.

 

[Mr Cola]

I was thinking wouldnt it be awesome if when Gandalf arrives in Bag End searching for Biblo that he is reciting that song when he first arrived in the fellowship, the Road goes ever on and on. Such a good opening to that scene.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

I was thinking wouldnt it be awesome if when Gandalf arrives in Bag End searching for Biblo that he is reciting that song when he first arrived in the fellowship, the Road goes ever on and on. Such a good opening to that scene.

I think that's a given.

It would be a nice nod to the Fellowship shire opening.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

Another issue from the Fellowship prologue that could pose a problem is the finding of the Ring.

Spoiler

Bilbo had already discovered the ring before encountering Gollum in the Riddles in the Dark segment and Gollum had no idea the Ring was not where he thought he had left it, so Gollum shouldn't have been shouting "Losssst! My precious is lost!" when Bilbo finds the Ring in the prologue.

Although, they can play it off as Bilbo not remembering correctly. Or the line from the trailer "I didn't tell you the whole truth" might be a clever way of reconciling the differences.

 

[Mr Cola]

Another issue from the Fellowship prologue that could pose a problem is the finding of the Ring.

Spoiler

Bilbo had already discovered the ring before encountering Gollum in the Riddles in the Dark segment and Gollum had no idea the ring was not where he thought he had left it, so Gollum shouldn't have been shouting "Losssst! My precious is lost!" when Bilbo finds the ring in the prologue.

Although, they can play it off as Bilbo not remembering correctly.

Indeed, im still in the camp that believes it shouldnt be changed but at the same time it is interesting to read all the things which retrospectively dampen the consistency. One thing i just thought of, in the fellowship do they not counter the stone trolls at some point~? Maybe i remember it wrong but im sure it was pointed out on a featurrette. If they were there it adds another consistency problem. Im sure if someone picked through he three films with a fine tooth comb they could uncover dozens of inconsistencies really.

 

[Sirius]

They should paint the Air New Zealand planes as the Great Eagles. Now that'd an eye-opener, that's for sure.

 

[Mr Cola]

They should paint the planes as giant eagles. Now there's an eye-opener, that's for sure.

I can imagine the OT thread, someone will question why the eagles didnt help the dwarves

 

[ascii42]

Indeed, im still in the camp that believes it shouldnt be changed but at the same time it is interesting to read all the things which retrospectively dampen the consistency. One thing i just thought of, in the fellowship do they not counter the stone trolls at some point~? Maybe i remember it wrong but im sure it was pointed out on a featurrette. If they were there it adds another consistency problem. Im sure if someone picked through he three films with a fine tooth comb they could uncover dozens of inconsistencies really.

I believe Sam points them out to Frodo between Weathertop and Rivendell.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

Indeed, im still in the camp that believes it shouldnt be changed but at the same time it is interesting to read all the things which retrospectively dampen the consistency. One thing i just thought of, in the fellowship do they not counter the stone trolls at some point~? Maybe i remember it wrong but im sure it was pointed out on a featurrette. If they were there it adds another consistency problem. Im sure if someone picked through he three films with a fine tooth comb they could uncover dozens of inconsistencies really.

The encounter with the stone trolls is in the extended cut and Sam points them out "Look Frodo, It's Mr. Bilbo's trolls".

Another reason why the extended cut is the definitive cut of the film.

 

[Mr Cola]

another reason why the rewatch must commence, must be a good 5 years since ive seen any of the EE's

 

[Mr Cola]

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/07/13/comic-con-no-third-hobbit-movie-for-peter-jackson

Speaking of EE's looks like those hobbit ones will push the mark, enough for a third film :O

 

[Dabookerman]

For continuity's sake, you won't get any objection from me on the idea of inserting Freeman into that 3-second shot in the prologue of Fellowship. It's not really taking a huge chunk of Holm's part of the film out. However, seeing as it is a big moment for Bilbo as a character, some would probably object to it on the grounds that Ian Holm should be allowed to have that moment on screen in Fellowship since he did originate the role and is himself a Tolkien fan. That's more of an ethical objection to the idea though than anything else.

This actually brings up a good discussion point which I don't think has been brought up a lot in these threads, how would everyone feel if Jackson did eventually decide to go all George Lucas on us and re-release the LotR trilogy in 10/15 years with updated CGI?

Bare in mind that part of the reason Star Wars fans hated all the changes Lucas made to the original trilogy were because he's also made the original, theatrically-released cuts of the films impossible to find. What if Jackson/WB were to still alllow people to buy the movies in their original, 2001-2003 form? Maybe they'd be on a separate disc or something.

Personally I'd totally be up for that. Who would really honestly throw a fit if the Wargs got a visual overhaul to match their (apparently) better look in The Hobbit? Lord knows their effects have not held up well over time. Besides, there's no novelty factor for me in badly-aged CGI. With Star Wars, many long-time fans felt the movies lost a lot of their charm once Lucas started tossing in anachronistic CGI into every scene, whereas LotR made its name on it's digital effects.

Heck, they've already made slight alterations to the original cuts of the trilogy on the blu-ray releases, like the noticeable color-enhancements to the Council of Elrond scene. In the original film looked like it had been run through a pot of urine, whereas the BR version features a much better color palette and the scene doesn't look over-lit and muddy, it looks fantastic.

There's no novelty in bad/old cg like there is with physical or traditional effects.

I think very few people would object to the idea of improving digital doubles, compositing and rendering quality etc.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/07/13/comic-con-no-third-hobbit-movie-for-peter-jackson

Speaking of EE's looks like those hobbit ones will push the mark, enough for a third film :O

There must be a tonne of extra footage then.

Three and a half hour extended editions? Yes please!

 

[Morn]

There's no novelty in bad/old cg like there is with physical or traditional effects.

The Last Starfighter says you're wrong.

 

[Dabookerman]

The Last Starfighter says you're wrong.

I should clarify what I mean.

Starfighter had early cg that was probably groundbreaking at the time in a particular field. They have a kind of legacy attached to them.

I'm referring to shit like wolverine.

 

[Loxley]

Hobbit marketing ramping up.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/7276197/Air-New-Zealand-promoting-Hobbit-on-flights

Love the ears.

I wonder if the marketing push will be bigger than TDKR's.

Ha, love it. It wouldn't surprise me at all if WB pushed a little harder with The Hobbit.

Just saw these, i09 has some great close-up photos of the giant trolls WETA has at their Comic-Con booth:

I like that one is clearly wearing an apron. Part of me desperately wants those faces to be animatronic, sort of like what WETA was originally planning to do with Treebeard only to decide to digitally animate his face instead. Maybe just for a few close-ups shots, I mean the detail is great.

 

[Mr Cola]

Had a go at the make your own wallpaper from the wb site, great app

 

[Edmond Dantès]

Ha, love it. It wouldn't surprise me at all if WB pushed a little harder with The Hobbit.

Just saw these, i09 has some great close-up photos of the giant trolls WETA has at their Comic-Con booth:

I like that one is clearly wearing an apron. Part of me desperately wants those faces to be animatronic, sort of like what WETA was originally planning to do with Treebeard only to decide to digitally animate his face instead. Maybe just for a few close-ups shots, I mean the detail is great.

Finally some trolls with some semblance of personality, rather than the forgettable trolls from the trilogy.

I wonder how much of Guillermo's influence is in these designs and the design of the new wargs/Beorn.

 

[Mr Cola]

Just about to jump on the plane to Comic Con
by Peter Jackson on Friday, July 13, 2012 at 4:04pm ·
Looking forward to giving fans a glimpse of the Hobbit, answer questions and share a few stories about our return to Middle-earth.

For those of you who won't be attending Comic Con, we have several things in the pipeline to share with you over the next few weeks. Our new video will be ready very soon - in fact our video blog crew has already left for Comic Con, and we'll be capturing a behind the scenes look at our experiences there. We're talking about possibly including a few clips from our Hobbit reel in the blog.

We are also working on our next trailer, which you should expect to see sometime in September.

Lastly, let me give you more detail about my decision to screen the Hobbit Reel at Comic Con in 2-D and 24 fps. My LA Times quotes are brief and the topic deserves a little more detail than that. We have conducted many private screenings of Hobbit footage in the US and several international territories, running the same reel twice - once at 24fps, and secondly at 48fps. This has allowed distributors and exhibitors direct comparison of the two formats. The response has been universally strong for the higher frame rate of 48fps.

When we screened only the 48fps reel at CinemaCon a few months ago, some bloggers focussed stories, not on the content, but on their negative reaction to 10 mins of high frame rate footage. This reaction convinced me that the only fair way to experience 48fps, is to sit down and watch a complete feature length movie, with a narrative, not quick trailer cuts. Do I want the ComicCon Hobbit stories to be all about 48 fps? Of course I don't. I want to present footage from a movie we're all proud of, with terrific performances and I'm looking forward to seeing what you think.

I've always been happy to bet on myself, and for me the experience of watching the full Hobbit movie in 3-D and 48 fps is something really special. Fully immersive, like stepping into Middle-earth. The screen disappears, and you enter the world of the movie in a vivid way. I love it.

The subject of high frame rates has serious film industry implications, and it's important that it's judged in the fairest possible context. I'm afraid that a presentation of a short clip reel in a huge convention center is simply not the way to do it. I'm sorry if people attending Comic Con were hoping to see a glimpse of 48 fps, but let me say that in December, if you choose to see the Hobbit in a great cinema, projecting the higher frame rate, you will be in the best place to make up your own mind. And you will have the choice - there will be plenty of cinemas screening both versions.

Here's my prediction: this time next year, there will be several movies shooting at 48 fps. As an industry, we have to push the current technology to provide more spectacular and immersive experience in the cinema, on a nice huge screen.

Cheers,

Peter J

Time to rewatch all the vlogs

 

[richiek]

Finally some trolls with some semblance of personality, rather than the forgettable trolls from the trilogy.

Here are the stone trolls in FOTR for comparison:

 

[despire]

Awesome thread. Subscribed so that I can keep up with the news

Any place where I can watch all of the behind the scenes videos Jackson has released so far regarding Hobbit?

 

[Mr Cola]

Awesome thread. Subscribed so that I can keep up with the news

Any place where I can watch all of the behind the scenes videos Jackson has released so far regarding Hobbit?

Search facebook hobbit, they should all be under the videos section

http://www.facebook.com/TheHobbitMovie/videos

 

[Loxley]

As much as I don't want to wait until September for the new trailer, at least now we have solid confirmation of when it will hit. Up until now it's just been wishful thinking on my part we'd get it during Comic-Con.

I also love the idea of them doing a vlog about going to Comic-Con, should be pretty interesting.

 

[Mr Cola]

man those vlogs are good

 

[Edmond Dantès]

As expected in regards to the trailer, but still surprising that they'll miss the TDKR hype train and a chance to showcase the film and get some buzz going.

I suppose the old trailer will be attached to the film though.

September can't come soon enough.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

September!

The wait! It paaaaiiiiiinnnnnnnssssssss usssss, master!

 

[Scrow]

lol, it kind of looks like she is flipping the bird in that picture

was thinking the same thing

 

[Gila]

Here are the stone trolls in FOTR for comparison:

Whoa, when is this in the film? Is it when Aragorn and Sam are looking for Athelas?

Never noticed it!

 

[WJD]

Whoa, when is this in the film? Is it when Aragorn and Sam are looking for Athelas?

Never noticed it!

It was in the EE I believe. Can't remember where exactly.

 

[despire]

Yeah, it was when they were looking for the athelas plant.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Sam even mentions that they're "Bilbo's trolls." It was a nice nod, anyway.

 

[Mr Cola]

Interesting interview with serkis

What are you guys showing the fans tomorrow (Saturday, July 14)?

It’s kind of vignettes of various different scenes from the first movie and then kind of focusing in on the characters… introducing you to all the Dwarf characters. It’s about 8 ½ minutes introducing the characters.

Watching the vlogs yesterday 3 in particular stood out, lots of footage of the dwarves, im quietly excited.

 

[Unorthodox]

I can't wait for The Hobbit!

 

[Mr Cola]

The official Hobbit panel begins at 2:30pm PT today - We'll be covering it with a live blog and most likely NOT able to live stream it. No one will - against Comic-Con rules! Sorry!
by TheOneRing.net 2:12 PM

BAH, i demand leaks

 

[bengraven]

It was in the EE I believe. Can't remember where exactly.

You see them with the trolls briefly in the regular edition.

It isn't until the EE that you get Sam actually saying, "Look Mr. Frodo! It's Bilbo's trolls!".