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Peter Jackson Responds To Angry Fan Reaction To New ‘The Hobbit’ Footage

Travis Woods — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:57:06 +0000

One of the primary draws of last week’s CinemaCon was the screening of ten full minutes of new footage from Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, his adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The biggest surprise of the new footage? Just how much it angered and disgusted fans.

Some context: Jackson chose to film The Hobbit at a rate of 48 frames per second, twice that of the normal 24 frames per second that most films are shot in. It’s a move that, according to /Film, made The Hobbit resemble “a made for television BBC movie,” because “it looked uncompromisingly real — so much so that it looked fake.”

Jackson then went on the defense, speaking with both The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly about the harsh critical reaction to The Hobbit footage.

While admitting that 48 fps “does take you a while to get used to,” the director simply feels that the audience did not see enough footage to adapt and process the higher frame rate. “Ten minutes is sort of marginal, it probably needed a little bit more…another thing that I think is a factor is it’s different to look at a bunch of clips and some were fast-cutting, montage-style clips. This is different experience than watching a character and story unfold.”

Jackson went on to say that “you get used to it reasonably quickly,” and that audiences will learn to adapt to the higher frame rate, which does produce an initially-unsettling “so real it’s fake” look. “We have obviously seen cuts of our movie at 48 and in a relatively short amount of time you have forgotten (the frame rate change). It is a more immersive and in 3D a gentler way to see the film.” Jackson also stated that once you go 48 fps, you never go back: in reference to the standard 24 fps, he said that “I’m very aware of the strobing, the flicker and the artifacts.”

As for what Jackson would tell fans who watch the whole film and still feel uncomfortable with 48 fps? “I can’t say anything…just like I can’t say anything to someone who doesn’t like fish. You can’t explain why fish tastes great and why they should enjoy it.”

The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey is set to hit theaters this December in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D, and in both 24 fps and 48 fps.

What do you think of the reaction to The Hobbit footage?

Steven Spielberg Says Tintin 2 is a Go

Damon Houx — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:18:16 +0000

Steven Spielberg‘s The Adventures of Tintin has made $76 Million in America, which – for a production that cost at least a hundred million – would not seem to be enough to generate a sequel. But that’s not the whole story, as globally the film has made nearly $400 Million. And so it appears that a sequel will move forward with Peter Jackson taking over the directorial reigns, according to Spielberg himself (via Total Film).

Spielberg mostly offers non-answers and won’t say what book they’re planning on using for the next film, he only says that Jackson will jump on board shortly after finishing shooting The Hobbit. In another world that would be a way to suggest the film will never happen, but the industry has changed so much I don’t think Spielberg’s lying.

What Tintin foretells is a world in which domestic box office is no longer the arbiter of success for blockbusters. The industry has been shifting this way for a while, but if you go back to 2009, Star Trek made $257 Million domestically and $385 Worldwide, while 2007′s The Golden Compass made $70 Million domestically, and $372 worldwide. One spawned a sequel, and the other supposedly destroyed a studio. Tintin‘s numbers are comparable to Golden Compass‘s, the difference seems to be that no one thought Tintin was going to be huge domestically. Tintin 2 still has a chance to have its plug pulled, but more likely it’s a harbinger of a new line of franchise films in which domestic numbers are irrelevant to sequel potential.

Do you want a Tintin 2?

Latest Photo of Martin Freeman in The Hobbit

Damon Houx — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:49:09 +0000

It’s not that surprising that we’re going to get a full year of hype for Peter Jackson‘s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. There are few films with as much anticipation around them, and few films that can be counted on to make over $300 Million at the box office (think how much it might make if it’s actually good?) The latest is a picture of Martin Freeman‘s Bilbo Baggins and a familiar sword.

That looks to be Sting (the sword, not the singer) in his hands, which fans would know right away as it played a crucial role in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And this looks to be a big dramatic scene as Bilbo is covered in spider-webs. We won’t know how the scene plays or if it’s even in the first movie until December 12, when the film is set for release.

The Lord of the Rings films were all nominated for best picture, so it will be interesting to see if The Hobbit gets the same sort of treatment now that Jackson is returning to the well after a couple of films that weren’t well received. Regardless, he’s got the original film’s look and feel right in all of the released promotional materials, so it’s likely this will fit well into that universe. No one’s making Prequel trilogy jokes yet.

Would you prefer the picture if Bilbo was holding Sting, the singer?

The Hobbit Trailer

Damon Houx — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:12:26 +0000

Peter Jackson‘s The Hobbit is one of the most anticipated films of next year, but also a big question mark. Now, there’s a trailer. The new film stars Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, with many returning cast members from the Lord of the Rings films, including Ian McKellan, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis and Cate Blanchett. And this trailer wants to remind you how much you liked the original series.

The Hobbit has been in development for so long that Guillermo Del Toro – the original director – left the project, leaving Jackson to take back over. And as impressive as Jackson’s work was with the trilogy, in the interim he made King Kong and The Lovely Bones, two films that are – at best – interesting failures. Now you get a trailer filled with imagery and nostalgia for that trilogy.

Here there is scale, and a sense of the lighter tone of the original book, but then also teases of Gollum’s return and the ring. A trailer’s a trailer, but Gollum’s role in the original story is relatively minor, so it makes you wonder if things connected to the original trilogy are going to get too much screen time. The movie is due out December 14, 2012, so for now it’s just idle (and cheap) speculation. That said, this isn’t a great trailer because it seems to function as a nostalgia button-pusher.

Are you more excited for this or The Dark Knight Rises?

Comic-Con 2011: Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson ‘Tintin’ Press Conference

Mali Elfman — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:04:57 +0000

Here we are at the press conference for The Adventures of Tintin with the big man himself Steven Spielberg and his surprise guest Peter Jackson out at Comic-Con. The duo just finished premiering their new footage for the film at their panel in Hall H which seemed to be very well received. Now we’re here, front and center getting video of the magical duo talking about their latest film. Check out our quick update directly after the press conference with highlights followed by our videos of the press conference (coming soon!) below. And until then, you can check out a newly released photo from Paramount of Tintin below…

(Note: this is a live transcript, there are some areas that have yet to be expanded on and possible typos. Please stand by for completion.)

Talk about using motion-capture on this film, and why you decided to use it?

PJ: The thing that we wanted to do… motion capture is not a genre, It’s a tool it’s a technique, we really tried to use motion capture and traditional animation. Steven or I, who are more adept to live action, we wanted to be able to walk into this work with the characters and location, pick up the camera and shoot a live action movie inside this photo real world — it’s the way that we can shoot a movie inside of that world, which is pretty interesting to me.

SS: The medium is not the message but the character and the plot is. You’re going to forget if it’s 3D or 1.85… if any movie is working, how it was made will be the least of your concern you’ll only have a good time.

Most actors love having their costumes and set to help them work, what challenges did you face with your actors not having that?

SS: I’ve always found that that the costumes, and wigs in, lets say a live action drama, even though it gives them a sense of ambiance and evironment… it all comes down to the actors looking each other in the eye, that’s where the story is told. Actors need actors to act together. So after looking at each other in the suits with motion capture things on their faces and laughing at each other for 10 minutes and getting that out of their system, they’re performing characters, and looking each other in the eyes which is the secret to great acting. That’s great acting. They’re skills see them through, not what they where or who they are.

Is Prof Calculus in this movie?

PJ: No he’s not. He doesn’t yet make his appearance, but if we’re lucky enough to do more movies there’s opportunities for more stories,.

SS I’m just really glad you know who he is!

Is it easier to make movies now in the digital era or do you miss your youth?

SS: It may be a digital era in terms of certain kinds of movies, it’s still an analog era in terms of telling the story. There’s nothing more important to either of us than the story.

Obviously you’re a fan of the series, but what can you bring to fans of the series and fans of you?

SS: I hope Peter is scheduled to direct the next film which does include Prof Calculus and I look forward to working with him how he just worked with me, as he supported me in every creative decision I made, everything from [the details] in the start and to sitting here with you.

How do you avoid the “Dead Eye” problem that can come with the territory?

PJ: When you’re casting and shooting, that’s the most important thing, any great actor knows how to use their eyes and as a filmmaker I love those huge close ups. When I was doing “LOTR,” in New Zealand, we built the eyes that we used in a scientific way, we studied them (goes into detail)… with “King Kong” his eyes told you everything. And “Avatar” the eyes were critical there. I agree with you, with Tintin, our cast had to be as expressive as in any live action film.

What is it that touched you about Tintin?

SS: He’s an intrepid reporter who does more and gets into trouble (he expands).

PJ You never give up once you start, which is what you got through when making a movie too!

In the story, there’s a lot of him falling into a hole, how did you avoid that, or make it cinematic?

SS: Tintin does fall in a hole! But he gets up quick enough to allow the story to continue. There’s a lot of plot, look at the books, there’s a lot of narrative. In the middle of all that forward motion we take the time to let the characters have a relationship with one another. And time to why Captain Haddock drinks and is the man he is today (go back to that). It was important to take rest stops to get to know the people involved.

What do you do when you’re on a project and you realize that you’ve made a mistake? No one can always be right!

SS: I have a lot of those. I’ve never had that when the film is half-shot. When I have realized that, I have embarked on that project and made those movies. (He expands)

PJ: When you start a film, I shut my eyes and imagine the movie finished, even the music, but then the process you’re constantly discovering new things all the time. Production designers, DPs, it’s always evolving. With Tintin the process was even more stimulating because it starts with a simple animation and you’re slowly layering and layering it.

What did you learn from working with one another?

PJ: The things that surprised me, thinking about his huge body of work that’s effected all of us, I thought that he would have a kind of a process… but what I discovered, which was delightful, is that he walks onto the set and it’s like his first time to walk on a film set. There’s a childlike excitement that he brings onto every film…

SS: He doesn’t let anything rattle him, to where he becomes locked into indecision. He’s a problem solver, he looks at things from several different angle and then picks the best solution to the problem,… if I was more like him, I’d save myself a lot of footage! He has a great sense of seeing the big picture and achieving that emotional moment. We were like to code-breakers trying to figure this code out together, and once we realized that, there was no competition, just two Tintin fanboys trying to bring this movie to you!

What do you see as the 3D future, since people are so used to it? Or does it really enhance?

SS: I’m hoping that 3d gets to the point where people stop noticing, so that people see that. And then ticket prices will drop to the level of 2D. To show a 3D next to a 2D move, hopefully the price will come down which will be fair to the consumer. Not all films should be shot in 3D, I wouldn’t shoot a romantic type film with it. The last great one that I saw, which I’ll mention even though I was a part of (laughs), was “Transformers 3″ which was the most amazing experience I’ve had since “Avatar”. People who do it just to commercialize, they should care how to do it better, and bring collaborators and other directors who know how to use it, to help teach them, because it’s not a fire and forget tool (he goes on and expands), it takes a lot of very careful consideration.

PJ: Obviously after “Avatar” it survived for a while, but audiences have realized that their are bad movies that can be in 3D which is more expensive then the one in 2D. There’s a natural human response, which has to do with the increased ticket prices (he expands). With the right movie it can enhance the experience. It can make a great film really amazing to see! Something has to be done about the experience.

And now we’re beginning to get ready to start. Sadly we won’t be able to bring you video directly as Paramount has given it the boot BUT we will bring you photos from them soon!

New Tintin Trailer Looks Like Old School Spielberg

Damon Houx — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:28:18 +0000

It’s still a bit shocking that there isn’t a steady drumbeat of geek excitement for a project that unites Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson and Edgar Wright together, but such is the case with The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. Perhaps it’s a general disappointment with non-James Cameron motion capture. Regardless, there’s a new trailer for Tintin, which stars Jamie Bell as the titular Tintin, and Daniel Craig as Red Haddock. Take a look…

Perhaps this project should have had a year long roll-out, but we’ve yet to see the marketing plans on this one. Since Tintin is a more beloved international character, there’s the question of selling it to Americans. Do you have to introduce the character to them, or do you let the film do the work? We’ve seen what a long gestation period did for Tron Legacy, and the answer was: not much.

But with this dream team of talent, the natural parallel would be to Raiders of the Lost Ark, which put Spielberg together with George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan and Phillip Kaufman. The other fascinating thing is that Spielberg will have two films opening up against each other. Tintin is due December 23, while War Horse is scheduled for December 28 (likely the latter is a limited engagement). Spielberg has had two film years, in 1989 both Always and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade came out, in 1993 it was Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List, in 1997 there was The Lost World and Amistad. In all previous cases those films were separated by months – not days. We shall see.

Did you ever read Tintin?

Tintin Trailer Online – Spielberg Knows How to Make a Trailer

Mali Elfman — Thu, 19 May 2011 18:04:36 +0000

The trailer for Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s upcoming collaboration of the mega-minds, The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn has officially hit the web with a splash! One thing is for damn sure, Spielberg knows how to put together a trailer that will get you excited no matter what you feel about his recent work or any biases you might have against the project. The visuals, the fast-paced clips, and the music all wash over you and leave you filled with a sense of excitement and wonder that make you want to go on the adventure! This is a lesson in good advertising if nothing else.

We’ve seen photos of Jamie Bell as Tintin, Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg as the Thompson Twins, and Silk the thief, who’s played by Toby Jones, which have impressed us many times over, but now it’s time to see them in action. Check out the trailer…

I swear it’s the music that makes this trailer so great. The images of them riding a boat across the desert with water chasing them is impressive, but it’s really the arrangment and the build that sells it.

For those of you who don’t know much about the film, the story centers on intrepid young reporter whose relentless pursuit of a good story thrusts him into a world of high adventure. Of course it was shot with all the latest 3D, motion capture technology in order to create a new kind of epic that’s based on the famous comic strip of the same name. The cast also includes Daniel Craig, Gad Elmaleh, Mackenzie Crook, Carey Elwes and Daniel Mays.

The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn opens in theaters nationwide on December 23, 2011.

I for one am newly invigorated about the project. What do you think?

First Footage From ‘The Hobbit’ Released!

Travis Woods — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:50:14 +0000

Tolkien nerds, Lord of the Rings movie fans, and Peter Jackson aficionados, brace yourselves—the director is now hosting behind the scenes videos from the set of The Hobbit. Go ahead, I’ll wait while your head implodes. OK, ready to watch it? Here we go, hang on:

So there you go: badass stunt work, painting hobbit feet, dwarf wardrobes, sword-making, set-building, exact copies of LOTR set designs, actor walk-throughs, cast introductions, and Andy Serkis in an awkwardly tight leotard giving a speech to the cast and crew. Amazing! Also, I find it impossible not to stare into the tangled hobbit mess that it Peter Jackson’s hair. It’s… it’s hypnotizing. I dunno, I can’t explain it.

The Hobbit will be split into two films, which will be released in 2012 and 2013 in 2D and (sigh) 3D and IMAX 3D, and stars (deep breath) Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Rob Kazinsky, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, James Nesbitt, Adam Brown, Cate Blanchett, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Saoirse Ronan, Elijah Wood and Bret McKenzie, according to Coming Soon.

What do you think of the The Hobbit video?

Andy Serkis to Direct Second Unit on The Hobbit

Damon Houx — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 22:26:44 +0000

Though he’d been acting before, Andy Serkis made a name for himself with the motion capture performance in the Lord of the Rings films. Since then he’s become one of the leading motion-capture actors, and has been constantly working. But besides reprising his role as Gollum in the upcoming Hobbit movies, he’ll be serving as a second unit director for Peter Jackson, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

When the Lord of the Rings films were made, Jackson would sometimes have nine units going at all times to try and get the footage he needed – on the supplements for the film, producer Barry Osbourne talked about he would often get roped into running a unit, while Peter Jackson’s wife Fran Walsh also mentioned that she shot some footage for the film. As Jackson is coming into this having made the three previous films – blockbusters all – he will likely have more resources, but films of this scale require just as much crunch as something smaller.

Serkis will also be returning to play Gollum. Serkis is not that weird of a choice for second unit work as he’s been helping direct on some of his motion capture work, though his role is unknown in total. The IMDb lists him as also working on his feature film debut. Perhaps he’s taking this on as training.

Does this make you excited for The Hobbit?

Flight Of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie Cast As An Elf In ‘The Hobbit’

Travis Woods — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:47:05 +0000

Lord of the Rings fans, here’s another detail to send you into a frenzy until The Hobbit prequels are officially released—Flight of the Chonchords’ Bret McKenzie has been cast in the upcoming Peter Jackson-helmed film.

And, despite having an awesome head of tangled hobbit hair, the comic actor will be playing an elf (and yes, I know he was briefly an elf in Fellowship of the Ring).

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “The Hobbit, which is shooting in New Zealand, follows Bilbo Baggins’ (Martin Freeman) epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.”

While I understand their individual meanings, when grouped together, none of the words in that quote make any sense to me. But! Lord of the Rings + Peter Jackson = AMAZING, so I’ll roll with it.

McKenzie is currently best known as on half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, the HBO comedy that aired from 2007 to 2009. The Hobbit began production in March after numerous delays, and will bring back such Rings cast members as Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Cate Blanchett, and Andy Serkis as Gollum, and will be split into two films, where “their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.”

What do you think of The Hobbit casting news?

‘The Hobbit’ Production Begins!

Travis Woods — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:04:17 +0000

Well, epic movie fans, Tolkien geeks, and weird hairy foot enthusiasts, your time to rejoice has come—Warner Bros/New Line Cinema and MGM have announced that production on the long-delayed and long-awaited The Hobbit (the prequel film to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, based on the book of the same name by J.R.R. Tolkien) has finally begun.

/Film nabbed the press release heralding the new double-movie (it will be split into two parts), which is, like its epic processors, directed by Peter Jackson:

“’The Hobbit’ is set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

“The two films, with screenplays by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson, will be shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Filming will take place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.”

The film, which will bring back such Rings cast members as Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Cate Blanchett, and Andy Serkis as Gollum, centers around the “title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves… Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.”

I’ll be honest with you—I have no idea what any of that means. But! As long Jackson is directing, as long as Elijah Wood keeps making that goddamn Frodo face for ten or so hours, and as long as Viggo Mortensen doesn’t show up to remind me of how much of a badass I’m not, I’m totally sold on this.

What do you think about The Hobbit news?

The Hobbit To Start Filming March 21

Krystal Clark — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:56:56 +0000

After multiple delays, last minute castings, and a health scare, The Hobbit is on the move! The film’s production was pushed back after director and producer Peter Jackson had to go in for surgery to repair a perforated ulcer. The procedure sounds pretty painful and we weren’t sure what effect it would have on the production. Thankfully, Jackson has recovered and given fans a glimmer of hope by announcing The Hobbit’s production start date.

The Hobbit’s production company Foot7 Ltd announced on Monday morning that principal photography on the film will begin on March 21. Jackson went on to say, “Despite some delays we are fully back on track and very excited to get started.” Ltd also revealed that the March 21 date was chosen for practical reasons.

“This date has been chosen following practical considerations of the filming schedule requirements, actor availability and the NZ seasons. Shooting will take place at Stone Street Studios in Miramar and on location around New Zealand.”

Yes! In a little over a month, the actors will descend upon New Zealand to continue the Middle Earth legacy. After all the drama, it looks like it’s finally happening. The Hobbit will finally get made!

Are you excited about the new film?

Source: Foot 7 Ltd via Coming Soon

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