NeoGAF

Filming begins today for pick ups and the climax of There and Back Again.

Also, rumoured shooting for a scene that takes place in Bree. Make of that what you will. Personally, I could see an allusion to Strider featuring, just without Viggo.

The Desolation of Smaug - Journey through Middle-earth

http://www.thehobbit.com/middle-earth/


The marketing campaign for Desolation begins.

Originally Posted by Edmond Dantès

The Desolation of Smaug - Journey through Middle-earth

http://www.thehobbit.com/middle-earth/


The marketing campaign for Desolation begins.

So that's the "Flower" knock-off they were discussing in the i/o thread... Seems interesting though.

It's gonna be really hard tip-toeing around all of the information that's gonna be popping up on the internet these next few months :( I don't even wanna think about them filming, arghh!! I want to beeeee there!

PS, she colored them <3 And made a PONY! And a little Fili crest!! GAH!

Originally Posted by Candeldandel

It's gonna be really hard tip-toeing around all of the information that's gonna be popping up on the internet these next few months :( I don't even wanna think about them filming, arghh!! I want to beeeee there!

PS, she colored them <3 And made a PONY! And a little Fili crest!! GAH!

The calm before the storm. Once the trailer hits it'll be difficult to avoid anything Desolation related, especially with Smaug featuring so prominently.

I will say this after seeing Star Trek Into Darkness last night: if Cumberbatch plays Smaug either similar or in the same vein as his character in STID, he will definitely steal the show even moreso than anyone thought.

I have little doubt that Smaug will exceed expectations in pretty much every department. Does anyone think he'll be in the trailer or not? I'm thinking no, but maybe they'll do the same kind of teaser as they did in the prologue.

I'll be bracing myself for that storm, though I don't know if it'll do me any good. Got entirely swept away with the last one! Hahaha ahhh.

Bought the Blu Ray for $10 last night.. I didn't plan on doing so because of double dipping once the EE comes, but for $10 I felt good about it.

Originally Posted by Candeldandel

I have little doubt that Smaug will exceed expectations in pretty much every department. Does anyone think he'll be in the trailer or not? I'm thinking no, but maybe they'll do the same kind of teaser as they did in the prologue.

I'll be bracing myself for that storm, though I don't know if it'll do me any good. Got entirely swept away with the last one! Hahaha ahhh.

It'll be something like the Balrog in the Fellowship trailer. Just a glimpse, but enough of a glimpse to build anticipation. Dragon fire too at some point and maybe just maybe, some dialogue from Benedict.

Originally Posted by Candeldandel

I have little doubt that Smaug will exceed expectations in pretty much every department. Does anyone think he'll be in the trailer or not? I'm thinking no, but maybe they'll do the same kind of teaser as they did in the prologue.

I'll be bracing myself for that storm, though I don't know if it'll do me any good. Got entirely swept away with the last one! Hahaha ahhh.

No marketing team can resist to put a little bit of cumbervoice in a trailer

Originally Posted by Candeldandel

I have little doubt that Smaug will exceed expectations in pretty much every department. Does anyone think he'll be in the trailer or not? I'm thinking no, but maybe they'll do the same kind of teaser as they did in the prologue.

I'll be bracing myself for that storm, though I don't know if it'll do me any good. Got entirely swept away with the last one! Hahaha ahhh.

Pshhhh, just have a bit of that Cumberbatch voice as a voiceover in the trailers and you will get the fangirls in the seats Day 0.

Hell, his voice alone got my friend anxious to see Star Trek Into Darkness and she has yet to see ST2009, all because of Cumberbatch.

Have Benedict narrate this at the end of the trailer.

"My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail is a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!"

Originally Posted by Edmond Dantès

Have Benedict narrate this at the end of the trailer.

"My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail is a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!"

That will certainly have them running for seats, bank on that.

Again, he could read the phone book and people would be willing to pay to sit & listen. :D

Originally Posted by Candeldandel

Jesus H, who needs a trailer when y'all are just stoking my imagination :| I get shivers from just super-deep dragon noises, let alone a super-deep dragon voice. Benedict... Smaugerbatch.

Won't be long now.

New trailer, a Vlog and a new Tolkien book release. The next few weeks will be interesting for Tolkien fans.

For those interested, on the Hobbit blog, a clip appeared that shows New-Zealand in all it's glory as Home Of Middle-Earth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRA_eVAyH5c&feature=player_embedded

I prefer the two concepts over Rady's final design to be honest.

Yeah, the birdshit was a bit too obvious, should have just been on his back in a small spot for us to giggle at if we noticed.

These give him a bit more grandeur. Olorin was the one meant to go in the world as a wandering pilgrim, but it was Radagast in the movies that looks like a homeless person.

he looks like an empreror on this .... the final one is more in line with gandalf look

Awww! I like the standing one :) Pocket bunny! But... where is Sebastian?! No Sebastian = no sale.

Birdcrap aside, I did enjoy the interpretation of Radagast. Still, I feel he wasn't given enough moments to showcase the sort of authority vested in him (in the vein of throwing aside the "shapeless" Ringwraith). It's an aspect I enjoy about Gandalf for that matter as well, flashes of the undimmed West filtered through proverbial dark glass.

amazing art. Love the toe hole, lol

I liked Radagast a lot, although i woulda loved to see him fight those spiders. The part where he went to Dol Guldur and fought the wraiths showed us how strong his magic really is, so amazing

Watched The Hobbit again last night on Blu-Ray (first time since theaters) and i enjoyed it more the second time around. I still have a problem with the pacing but still really enjoyed it.

Makes me want to watch the LOTR trilogy, haven't seen them since they came out in theaters and i have both theatrical and extended editions on blu-ray. Tempted to watch the extended editions since i haven't seen them yet and i have a bunch of free time over the next week.

Every fan needs to see EE at least once. All my friends who are LOTR nuts (me included) just can't go back after seeing em. So excited for Hobbit EE.

Some people prefer normal editions especially for TT and ROTK (friggin long with EE) but you can decide yourself after seeing em :).

Extended Fellowship is the definitive version. Extended Two Towers is worth it for the Boromir scenes alone. Extended ROTK doesn't really add much.

Originally Posted by Edmond Dantès

Extended Fellowship is the definitive version. Extended Two Towers is worth it for the Boromir scenes alone. Extended ROTK doesn't really add much.

It still has some of my favourite scenes ;-;

''His attack will come soon. You are all going to die. But you know this, don't you Gandalf? You cannot think that this ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor. This exile, crept from the shadows, will never be crowned king!''

Lee is chilling on his last scene.

Originally Posted by Edmond Dantès

Extended Fellowship is the definitive version. Extended Two Towers is worth it for the Boromir scenes alone. Extended ROTK doesn't really add much.

I thought the Mouth of Sauron was pretty creepy in RotK! Buuut it's been so long since I've seen the theatrical cuts of any of them that it's hard for me to remember the scenes that are just part of the extended versions.

Originally Posted by Candeldandel

I thought the Mouth of Sauron was pretty creepy in RotK! Buuut it's been so long since I've seen the theatrical cuts of any of them that it's hard for me to remember the scenes that are just part of the extended versions.

I like mouthy, but it ruins the flow of that particular scene to an extent, but it also adds more meaning to Aragorn's "For Frodo". Both versions have their merits and flaws.

Originally Posted by Edmond Dantès

I like mouthy, but it ruins the flow of that particular scene to an extent, but it also adds more meaning to Aragorn's "For Frodo". Both versions have their merits and flaws.

You miss the Saruman death scene if you don't watch the EE.

Originally Posted by Edmond Dantès

I like mouthy, but it ruins the flow of that particular scene to an extent, but it also adds more meaning to Aragorn's "For Frodo". Both versions have their merits and flaws.

I'm in the same boat, by itself I like the scene as well as the Mouth's design, but like Jackson said, they ended up cutting it for a good reason. That scene plays in a completely different context in the book; in that we don't know if Frodo is still alive. Whereas in the movie, we absolutely do know he's alive thanks to the way they restructured and shifted the "chapters" when translating them into a sensible screenplay. So that scene has almost no emotional weight because we know our hero isn't actually dead.

After my 3rd watch through (the film is great) I noticed a few of the 13 haven't even spoken a line yet.

Odd, I hope they all get their own moment.

Originally Posted by Napalm_Frank

It still has some of my favourite scenes ;-;

''His attack will come soon. You are all going to die. But you know this, don't you Gandalf? You cannot think that this ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor. This exile, crept from the shadows, will never be crowned king!''

Lee is chilling on his last scene.

I can't do the theatrical versions anymore. Boromir is the character who gains the most- his development in FOTR and also the flashback to his valiant self in TTT makes for such a better experience. Only a taste of the extra scenes mind.

ROTK gains a lot from the scenes with Saruman, Mouth of Sauron, and explaining how Aragorn made it onto the corsair ships. I've watched the EE with people who were so happy to finally see how that came about.

Originally Posted by Onikaan

After my 3rd watch through (the film is great) I noticed a few of the 13 haven't even spoken a line yet.

Odd, I hope they all get their own moment.

Don't worry, there're two more movies on the way :) I'm sure they'll all have a fair amount of lines, even in a story that's jam-packed full of characters.

I wonder if any of the extended editions of The Hobbit trilogy will be seen as the definitive versions.

Originally Posted by Edmond Dantès

I wonder if any of the extended editions of The Hobbit trilogy will be seen as the definitive versions.

Hard to say. I imagine they'll be so long that by the time you reach the end you forget what the beginning was about.

Originally Posted by Aaron

Hard to say. I imagine they'll be so long that by the time you reach the end you forget what the beginning was about.

The Unexpectedly Long Journey will probably pay off in the end.



An interview with Richard

http://www.popcorntaxi.com.au/2013/0...hard-armitage- mr-majestic-of-the-hobbit/

A key quote:

No, the heavy-lifting isn’t done. We’ve got the whole of the Battle of the Five Armies to shoot. It’s bloody terrifying. I started training again at the beginning of this year because the biggest battle of the entire trilogy, and possibly something bigger than you may have seen in Lord of the Rings, the Battle of the Five Armies, is coming and we haven’t shot a single move of it yet. So that’s something to look forward to, and to be terrified of.

Just confirming what I've known for a while. ;)

Originally Posted by Loxley

New vlog coming :D From Jackson's facebook page:

These final vlog's will be bittersweet indeed.

Originally Posted by Candeldandel

Don't worry, there're two more movies on the way :) I'm sure they'll all have a fair amount of lines, even in a story that's jam-packed full of characters.

I hope so!

Edmund, any idea if Tolkien himself implied that certain races of Middle Earth corresponded to different regions of the British isles. Welsh for Elves, English for Hobbits and Scottish for Dwarves?

Originally Posted by Onikaan

I hope so!

Edmund, any idea if Tolkien himself implied that certain races of Middle Earth corresponded to different regions of the British isles. Welsh for Elves, English for Hobbits and Scottish for Dwarves?

Welsh certainly inspired aspects of the Elvish language. In terms of the Dwarves and Hobbits he had the following to say:

"The dwarves of course are quite obviously, wouldn't you say that in many ways they remind you of the Jews? Their words are Semitic, obviously, constructed to be Semitic. The Hobbits are just rustic English people."

“I do think of the 'Dwarves' like Jews, at once native and alien in their habitations, speaking the languages of the country, but with an accent due to their own private tongue.”

Not long to go now.

I went and saw Star Trek on Saturday. And, even though I knew it wasn't gonna happen, I was still disappointed that there wasn't a Hobbit trailer :( It would've been so perfect! Especially since I have no interest in going to see Man of Steel. Benedict Cumberbatch was definitely the best part of that movie. Him and the super flashy Star-Trekky 3D effects :)

I was planning on only watching the trailer before Desolation came out (and not the vlogs), but I'm having second thoughts. Especially since it'll be my last chance to see them as they're happening... I just don't want to overdo the hype :(

star trek was aiight, i'm so sad that these films have the potential to be good blockbusters (great visuals and action and cast) but are held back by some of the worst scriptwriters in hollywood.

that axis of evil that abrams has writing for him are just terrible.

but yes, benedict cumberbatch absolutely fucking rocked. and it has me very excited for smaug.

Rewatched The Hobbit, lot of my impressions from theater viewing rang true, sometimes strengthened. Probably talked to death here but since it got me excited for the new one I'll just rant a bit:
The stuff inside the mountain, the orc hive, this is basically the best action set piece in all of Jackson's Tolkien work. I couldn't find a single example of those constructions not looking like real wood, real objects, and they look like they're traversed by real people, and this just makes ALL the difference: There's a physicality to the action, there's weight to it and a thrill to swooping down those shaky platforms alongside orcs and dwarfs crashing about. The big orc fatty is both genuinely funny, which is not always the case with LOTR/Hobbit film jokesters, and just satisfying to look at. Meanwhile you have the very well executed Gollum encounter as a counter weight to cut between, creating different forms of tension and action. Wonderful.

The rest of the movie has its up and downs. I like the first part, just being inside the hobbit home is lovely. The parts before the cave are sometimes hurt by the episodic nature, the insistence on having some literal cliffhanger in all the setpieces, and so on. But it's all worth it for those great adventures.

So why did they have Gandalf and Gimli wear prosthetic to make their noses bigger? Were they known for big nose in the books or something?

Or is it some kind of Hollywood or filming 101 b/c I know Jim Caviezel also wore a big prosthetic for his nose in The Passion of Christ movie as well.

Speaking of goblins, some unused designs:

Originally Posted by hayejin

So why did they have Gandalf and Gimli wear prosthetic to make their noses bigger? Were they known for big nose in the books or something?

Or is it some kind of Hollywood or filming 101 b/c I know Jim Caviezel also wore a big prosthetic for his nose in The Passion of Christ movie as well.

Dwarves have exaggerated features compared to the other races.

Wizards are assumed to have rather large, drooping, hooked noses due to their extreme old age.

Originally Posted by Edmond Dantès

I like mouthy, but it ruins the flow of that particular scene to an extent, but it also adds more meaning to Aragorn's "For Frodo". Both versions have their merits and flaws.

I just rewatched the EEs on Blu-Ray, and once again I just can't agree that the theatrical version of RotK has any merit. The EE has so many vital scenes, and I still think it feels shorter than the theatrical somehow. RotK EE flows infinitely better than the theatrical, to a much greater degree than the other two.

Plus, the EE Blu-Rays outshine the theatrical Blu-Rays so definitively that it's just not a contest if you're already watching a 2 1/2 hour movie. In for a penny, in for the scene in which they actually wrap up the arc of the main protagonist of 2 out of 3 films. Still insane to me that they cut that. Christopher Lee was right to be pissed.