The ninth of Peter Jackson’s video production blogs on The Hobbit Trilogy, focusing on post-production of An Unexpected Journey. Very funny, and plenty of new material from the film featuring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins.
Rolling Stone’s Ultimate Guide to Hobbit, on sale November 23rd, contains exclusive interviews with Peter Jackson, Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis and more; plus never before seen concept drawings from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – this book will be your guide to Middle-earth.
For more info click here.
“I’M GOING ON AN ADVENTURE!”
The brand new trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, featuring Martin Freeman, is now online!
From this brief glimpse, Martin seems rather perfectly cast!
UPDATE: Now updated to the official encode from Warner Bros, viewable up to 1080p High Definition.
UPDATE 2: The official Hobbit movie site has a nice feature where you can choose five alternate endings to the new trailer - four of them feature new footage with Martin. We’ve linked each below. Note though that they may only work on desktops.
I have come across a Swedish newspaper article saying that they will start shooting the third Hobbit movie next summer. Is this true, will they do more shooting or have the newspaper got it all wrong?
The newspaper is partially correct. Though we can’t say with any degree of certainty for the exact scheduling of further filming, there WILL be further material shot for the films. Peter Jackson said this was the intent a couple of weeks ago when he was interviewed at San Diego Comic Con and the possibility of the additional film emerged, and in the linked interview he simply says ‘next year’ for the further filming, presumably after Sherlock Series 3 has completed principal photography in April. As always though, plans are continually subject to change, so unless you hear it from Peter Jackson or those involved in production on The Hobbit, take everything with a degree of caution.
It’s worth noting that the additional filming won’t be for a third film from scratch though. The material already filmed for the second film will be split at a natural break point - and there is definitely one natural break point in the plot we can think of, while avoiding spoilers - with the additional material to be shot being used to bulk out both films.
As to what this additional material will involve - and again avoiding spoilers - it will be drawn from the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings, which feature extension background on parallel narrative events to those depicted in The Hobbit itself, explaining numerous absences for Gandalf throughout the plot. Much of this has already been included in the footage already shot by all accounts, but on viewing the rough cut a real desire to add more material that wouldnt be possible from the already allotted production budget has emerged from the filmmakers. These parallel events will lead directly into The Lord of the Rings trilogy and bolster the narrative of those films, effectively creating a six film series.
Martin Freeman with Andy Serkis, Phillippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Sir Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage, photographed post panel for The Hobbit at San Diego Comic Con, exclusively for Entertainment Weekly.
SDCC 2012: Martin Freeman interviewed by Collider.com
From Collider.com, ‘Martin Freeman, Sir Ian McKellan, Andy Serkis and Peter Jackson Talk THE HOBBIT, the Possibility of Three Films, 48fps, 3D, SHERLOCK, More’.
We’ve clipped Martin’s section below, where he talks about the use of scale to fulfill his role as Bilbo, his previous experience with an effects packed blockbuster in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, as well as the reconfirming of filming for Sherlock Series Three from January 2013 for the likely standard three months of principal photography, which would see shooting end in April 2013.
SDCC 2012: Martin Freeman on The Hobbit Panel - report round up
“It’s a bit like a fledgeling duck, finding your flippers.”
- Martin Freeman on getting used to wearing those Hobbit feet, from the SDCC panel Q&A
By all accounts The Hobbit panel went down a storm in Hall H yesterday afternoon, and Martin Freeman in particular has come in for a lot of praise for his multi layered portrayal of the lead character, Bilbo Baggins. We’ve collected various reports and choice quotes from the panel below the break, which also features much talk in the film of the dragon Smaug, played of course by one Benedict Cumberbatch… there are spoilers from the start below.
SDCC 2012: Peter Jackson on The Hobbit, praise for Martin Freeman, and suggests more filming in 2013
Some choice quotes from an excellent interview with director Peter Jackson over at Hero Complex on the Los Angeles Times website:
HC: In some ways, Martin Freeman might have more weight on his shoulders than any single actor in the first trilogy. How would you say he’s handling it?
PJ: We adjusted our shooting schedule around Martin’s Sherlock TV series, to enable him to do the movie. We literally couldn’t think of any other actor in the world more perfect to play Bilbo Baggins. Get that casting wrong and the movie falls flat on its face. Martin knocks it out of the park.
HC: Even as well as you know Tolkien, I’m sure the process of making these two new films has presented you with new insights and connections with the material. What surprises have you found in Middle-earth or in the work of the bookshelf wizard?
PJ: As slight as people think the “Hobbit” novel is, compared to the “Lord of the Rings” books, we have been surprised at how rich the world is, and how many interesting themes and characters there are to explore. We are also using extensive parts of the appendices which where published at the end of “Return of the King.” This is not just ”The Hobbit” — it’s “The Hobbit” set in a much greater context of events taking place throughout Middle-earth during this period. The material is so rich. In fact only this last week or two, we’ve been talking to the studio about allowing us to shoot some additional material next year, to fully complete the story.
Read the full interview at the Hero Complex site.
Peter Jackson has announced the end of Principal Photography on The Hobbit after 266 days of shooting!
He posted the above image on Facebook (here) with the comment:
We made it! Shoot day 266 and the end of principal photography on The Hobbit. Thanks to our fantastic cast and crew for getting us this far, and to all of you for your support! Next stop, the cutting room. Oh, and Comic Con!
Cheers, Peter J
