Sunday 11 July 2010

Crunch time for THE HOBBIT

It looks like events are coming to a head on the troubled pre-production of The Hobbit, with a big announcement mooted in the near future. Ian McKellen has reported that he can no longer put off other projects and will have to resume working unless the project begins soon, whilst Peter Jackson's negotiations to direct seem to be dependent on filming beginning before the end of this year. However, whilst New Line and Warner Brothers are keen to press forwards, MGM (the primary rights-holder on the project) remains in limbo due to ongoing legal action and the company's near-inevitable bankruptcy and collapse.


Until MGM's money worries are resolved soon - and that appears very unlikely - The Hobbit cannot proceed. Warner Brothers and New Line may have to investigate other options, such as outright buying the rights from MGM before they go under, but this would be very expensive, and it may be that whilst MGM still exist they may want to hold onto the possibility of getting a cut out of the project (although given their debts, such a cut would be a drop in the ocean compared to the $4 billion they'd need to survive). Some sort of formal announcement that the project is being shelved indefinitely, as has already happened with the James Bond franchise, would thus appear inevitable unless things change soon on the project.

5 comments:

Brett said...

It wouldn't surprise me if they did that, and to be honest, I think I would be slightly relieved. The whole project has just had the worst luck ever, and I disliked the way they were going with it (splitting it up into two movies, and the like).

I will definitely be said if we never get Ian McKellan back as Gandalf, though. He was pretty iconic in a way.

Dave Cesarano said...

I, for one, do NOT want to see it produced without at least some of the major actors reprising their roles, such as McKellen. If they're going to do the films, they had better do them right or not at all, in my opinion. It seems to me that they want to do them properly, but Hollywood, being mostly concerned with the bottom line, is probably willing to get the films done any way it possibly can. That doesn't fill me with confidence.

Jebus said...

I've been semi-following the woes of MGM (via darkhorizons.com) and it looks like so many projects - including ones completed - may never see the light of day. So sad...

Hope they sort this out so we can have McKellan as Gandalf again.

JD said...

Just too big for its britches I suppose...

Sam Lockley said...

It's such a shame that this film is coming up against so many obstacles, financial (eg MGM) or otherwise (eg guermo del toro and ian mckellan). The book is amazing and I'm sure under the watchful eye of Peter Jackson it would be an epic, two part masterpiece. Fingers crossed things work out.

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