EXCERPT:
Jackson is Christopher Columbus here, sailing right off the edge of the map.
Whatever else happens, however these movies succeed or fail artistically and financially, nobody can ever claim the powers behind them didn’t swing for the fences. Mark this down and I sure hope somebody is taking notes, because the events of the last couple of weeks are going to be legendary. Soar or sink, the ambition at work here just boggles the mind. If your mind isn’t boggled a little, you aren’t fully grasping what happened. Also, how good are these behind-the-scenes stories going to be?
FOR THE STUDIOS
FOR THE STUDIOS
Large professional movie studios (big businesses) like MGM and Warner Bros. spend a lot of money but the do so by making smart risks and minimizing exposure. They plan and they execute the plan and they market and the have a lot of moving parts to make that happen.
The two “Hobbit” movies had titles and marketing plans and product tie-ins like toys and books and all manner of things. By now items are well in the pipeline. Licensing and marketing and publicity are working hard to make sure things go right in December. They don’t leave it to chance or wait until the last minute.
When Jackson wanted to change and when he convinced studios to do it, the ground shifted under the feet of hundreds and maybe thousands of people. Film 1 books for example are well into production with those now dated movie titles in mind. Consider how complicated this becomes for book publishers who feature certain characters from Film 1 that might not be in the film any more. The same goes for action figures. The same goes for publicity tours and what if marketing laid plans to have support characters at premieres or press junkets when they no longer even appear in the film? I am sure I am missing a lot of people and plans that were disrupted on Monday.
To Jackson’s credit, he just wants to make what he feels is the best possible movie and he is willing to stick his neck out to do it.
Don’t think for one second that the studio just ships out a shorter movie and calls it a day. A gigantic machine, imagine the one that carried the space shuttle to the launching pad, was in motion with all its moving parts and the studio was willing to put it to a stop, change its direction and start it up again at a quicker pace than it is used to. This wasn’t done lightly and multiple studios had to sign off on it.
Countdown to Downton Abbey 3. Shirley MacLaine says there was no need for anyone to tell her they expected a bawdy aspect to her DA character. She added that's because it has always been her personal style..and don't we Americans know it. That's why the first news of her addition to the DA cast was greeted with a low moan from me - not in a good way;) teehee. I'm certain her and Violet will be hilarious opposite each other in the upcoming series.
The Hobbit’s Thorin Oakenshield tells us what happens when you get a dwarf drunk...by Meredith Woerner
The Hobbit's Richard Armitage plays the stoic Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the dwarves and a very strong presence throughout The Hobbit. But how will this lofty, Lordly character play with today's movie audiences? We asked, and Armitage answered — plus find out what other songs we'll be hearing from Armitage in the movie!
Is [The Hobbit] going to be a little bit more musical than The Lord Of The Rings?Richard Armitage: Yeah, yeah, and there are other songs in it [besides the one we've already heard]. Which I was kind of hoping for. But I thought, "are they gonna shy away from that?" But I think the culture of the dwarves, the dwarves are kind of raucous dirty, filthy beasts. And when they party, they party hard. So there are a few drinking songs in there.
What makes a good drunk? A smelly dwarf — and boy, do we smell.
Oakenshield is kind of this classical Lord figure in the books, how do you update this character for modern audiences? I never really thought of updating it. I actually did the opposite. I thought of it as more kind of Greek tragedy. I looked at Shakespeare, a lot of my preparation I was looking at Henry V and bits of Richard III, just to find roots in British literature that were deeper. But I think making it feel contemporary the big themes of the story — loyalty and trust and camaraderie — I think those things are contemporary.
There's been talk of splitting the second film in two, do you have strong feelings about that? Um, I have no concept of what you're talking about. But I think the book has it's natural points of peak and trough, so hopefully our story will musically honor what Tolkien was writing.
Where do [the current two movies] split? Nobody's quite sure yet. We've kind of shot it as one long story, so that will be one of the surprises we may get when we see the final films.
Saw It on Twitter..
Earliest known usage of "O.M.G." in a letter to Winston Churchill, 1917: http://twitpic.com/ag6zhn
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6 comments:
RiCrAr,
Just read the article about men eating healthily. Gosh it must be hard being a bloke, all that protein so they can build up all those lovely muscles for us girls to swoon over! No wonder Richard longs for the days when he's old and fat, with a pot belly (not long now Richard, promise!)
To hell with living healthily, live fast and die young I say. What's the point of living to a ripe old age if your life is dull and boring and one long health snack!
Hard to be a bloke, you say Sue:) What above females? We have to starve ourselves to remain slim & trim in order to attract said blokes. What happens *within a respectable amount of time* after reeling one in?:) Nature assures we gain weight for 9 long mos which leaves us, granted w/an adorable bundle, but also with the need to work even harder to lose the baby weight. Now there's a challenge in life. haha
At least in RA's case, his efforts have always resulted in professional compensation -- no doubt personal as well. We all enjoy looking our best even if we utter a few expletives during the strenuous process.
I agree as long as we're not competing w/supermodels or skinny minny actresses in order to make a living, we can relax somewhat and enjoy life's pleasures even if they include a few too many calories. Hubby often reminds of one particular pleasureable activity that's calorie free.*Allelulia to that!*;)
Watched part of the US womens soccer vs NZ today. Believe it was broadcast from your nearby stadium. I must check online for the final score. Has the influx of large crowds and heavier traffic been a problem for you?
I just added a news article above re Hobbit movie #3. It says PJ had to renegotiate contracts w/the thespians. Hopefully that hasn't effected Richard's plans for Category Six. Have not heard anything about it since the article from EW a couple wks ago.
Enjoy your wkend and the Olympic coverage.
RiCrAr,
No traffic problems where I live because of the Olympics thank heavens. However, Manchester United's Stadium, where some of the Olympic football matches are being held, did run out of food before the second half had started! Not allowed to buy or bring food in from elsewhere, so many ended up with rumbling empty bellies (not something us northerners are very good at dealing with. We like our pies at footie matches).
About the re-negotiating of contracts for actors and the third Hobbit film. Negotiations will have been going on for some time before the announcement I suspect. Which brings me to the interview where Richard was asked about this very subject, to which he replied that he "had no concept" of what they were talking about. Me thinks he maky well have done, as rumours and talk would have been rife amongst the cast. That man is too good an actor. Was he telling fibs perhaps? Either way PJ and financial backers are taking a risk making TH into a triology, especially if film one and two take a dive. (Not there is much chance of that, but in these austere times you never know).
I think Category Six will go ahead. Apparently his female co-star (whose name escapes me at the moment)if 5'9" tall. A match made in heaven for a 6'2.5"lanky lad from the Midlands!
Yes Sue, 5'9' does sound like "a match made in heaven for 6'2.5" lanky lad from the Midlands":) Do you feel that means we can expect a least one steamy scene from said lanky lad & lady?
I'm not certain that Richard was aware PJ was making definite plans for 3rd film prior to CC. Perhaps Jackson employed his usual top secret mode for all his talks with the studios financing The Hobbit films.
Can't help but wonder if RA had already made future professional commitments that now require renegotiation on his part.
Of course, Richard might've suspected PJ could move forward w/movie 3 negotiations when the latter said during an interview that he'd enjoy working with the same group again. Amusing that the director's attitude towards The Hobbit films evolved from a firm "I don't want to be the director" to a fervent "let's do a third one!"
Most crucial question for us now being Does Thorin's beard appear in Cat6 or temporarily disappear? Inquiring minds want to know:D
I keep checking on those Olympic footy games in Manchester, but have yet to see a lovely Northern gal streak across the field with R A monogrammed on her derriere;)
RiCrAr,
I'm just wondering if perhaps the ending to part two of TH will be Thorin's death? To me it would make the perfect ending (sad but true). Perhaps similar to the scene Richard played out in Robin Hood as GOG? Perfick!Then his nephew (Thorin's that is not Richard's)played by Aidan Turner, takes over as King of the dwarves in film three of TH.
Richard did say there was still loads of filming yet to do, so perhaps at that stage he knew that it was likely there was going to be a third film. Of course he would be sworn to secrecy by the powers that be and would therefore be careful not to let anything slip (oh dear, that conjures up some naughty images)during interviews.
Hope the beard goes, it ages him terribly, although if he is going to be trying to find his son then perhaps he will need to age up a little. As for a little rumpy pumpy, will they have time do you think, while chasing tornadoes? (Make time Richard, that's an order!)
A thespian needs to keep his "rumpy pumpy" muscles toned, doesn't he Sue;) Doubtful he had any opportunity to do so on the Hobbit set, with all that testosterone and very few ovaries present.
It would really surprise me if PJ & the female exec Boyens didn't plan to write around Thorin's death in order to make certain RA is in movie #3.
I've only read The Hobbit, not any of the Tolkien appendices that were mentioned as source material for third film, so don't have a clue how movie 2 could end on cliffhanger other than Thorin's demise. Was very pleased w/myself for getting thru the novel, because fantasy is really far from my preferred reading genre.
Another reason I'm convinced Richard/Thorin will be featured for at least part of film3 is Boyens complimentary remarks about RA's interpretation of Thorin. She enthusiastically said she and PJ were thrilled while watching the initial Thorin scenes. That's the point where Jackson swiftly injected a distracting comment about the movie in general. That sly fox of a director is, at least in my mind:) trying his best to keep the full impact of Thorin for the premiere.
Didn't Richard say at CC that most of his intense fight scenes were yet to be filmed? Imagine how pleased the director will be once he sees Thorin swordfights that probably will look like Guy of Gisborne on steroids:)
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