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Sunday, November 1
With all of the legal troubles MGM has been going through, it was beginning to look like The Hobbit, the prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, would never get made. However, in early October, MGM announced that it had secured funds from "key lenders" to move forward with the production and that filming would begin in Spring 2010.
Sir Ian McKellen has confirmed that the production is on track and that he will be returning as Gandalf, but said that "there won't be many of the actors going back." Now, at least one of those actors in question has said that he isn't interested in returning to Middle Earth. John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli the dwarf, told Empire that he was asked about the possibility of playing Gimli's father, Gloin, but that he has "completely ruled it out."
There's a sentimental part of me that would love to be involved again. Really I am not sure my face can take that sort of punishment anymore.
Rhys-Davies' character was the only starring dwarf featured in the LOTR trilogy, but The Hobbit will have 13 dwarves, a fact that weighed on his mind when deciding not to play Gloin.
Why would you want to do it if it was just a couple of shots? When you've been one of one, why would you want to be one of 13?
Posted 11/1/2009 by BrentJS
Related: Ian McKellen | John Rhys-Davies | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | The Hobbit
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Thursday, June 4
Bacon's one tasty treat. And, these days, its popularity seems to be increasing faster than studies are published telling us how unhealthy bacon is. Don't believe us? Then perhaps you haven't yet seen the bacon-inspired iPhone case.
So we thought we'd honor our favorite breakfast meat with a rundown of its greatest movie moments -- all of them good for your arteries, and we promise not a single Kevin Bacon movie in the lot. See Top 10 Bacon Movie Moments.
Posted 6/4/2009 by reelz
Related: Better Off Dead | Wayne's World | So I Married an Axe Murderer | Canadian Bacon | The Lion King | Atlantis: The Lost Empire | Signs | Giant | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Kronk's New Groove
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Monday, January 19
When it comes to The Hobbit, the prequel to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Ian McKellen returning as Gandalf or Andy Serkis returning as Gollum seems natural, considering their characters' involvement in the original J.R.R. Tolkein novel, but Dominic Monaghan and his fellow hobbits returning seems odd, since their characters were not even born when The Hobbit takes place. Still, that's precisely what Monaghan revealed to MTV: "They really want us to come back, and I think there's a really strong chance that we might be back."
The return of Monaghan and company would have to include some serious re-writes, however. "We're not in 'The Hobbit,' no, but I think the idea in [Peter Jackson's and director Guillermo del Toro's] heads is that the trilogy of the Lord of the Rings films was so beloved by the fans that they're really keen to try to say thank you for the support that they gave to the Lord of the Rings movies and possibly bring back some of those characters that they know and love."
Whether Monaghan and company will appear in The Hobbit or its sequel, which will link the movie to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is uncertain.
One thing that is is clear is that Serkis is ready to protect his "precious" again as Gollum: "I am going to really be looking forward to it," he told ComingSoon.net, "I mean the combination between [Del Toro] and Peter is extraordinary as well. I know they are writing at the moment."
Next Showing: The Hobbit is scheduled for December 2011
Posted 1/19/2009 by Ryan
Related: Ian McKellen | Peter Jackson | Dominic Monaghan | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Guillermo del Toro | The Hobbit | Andy Serkis
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Thursday, May 1
Ian McKellen will reprise his role as Gandalf in Guillermo del Toro's Hobbit prequels.
The actor confirmed the role when he told Brit movie mag Empire that he "loved playing Gandalf" and "It's not a role you turn down." He went on to say that he was offered the part in the very room where Peter Jackson offered him the part for the first trilogy.
The Hobbit will be based on the original Tolkien book and is slated for release in 2010. The second Hobbit movie will be an original story covering the period between the Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring.
Posted 5/1/2008 by reelz
Related: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | The Hobbit
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Monday, February 11
After the runaway success of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, not everyone is happy in the Hobbit kingdom.
J.R.R. Tolkien's estate filed suit against New Line today claiming that the studio failed to pay a gross profit participation for the trilogy, which grossed nearly $6 billion worldwide. The Tolkien Trust, a British charity that manages Tolkien's estate, seeks $150 million in compensatory, punitive damages and a declaration from the courts that would allow the group to terminate future Tolkien-based projects by New Line, including the long-rumored Hobbit project.
Posted 2/11/2008 by reelz
Related: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | The Hobbit
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Thursday, June 21
Yesterday The American Film Institute unveiled an updated version of its top 100 movies of all time, with Orson Welles's 1941 masterpiece Citizen Kane once again topping the distinguished list.
AFI issued its first top-100 list in 1998 in commemoration of the institute's 100th anniversary. If the updated rankings are any indication, AFI apparently doesn't think much of movies made over the last decade. The new list includes only four films released after the initial rankings were compiled: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Saving Private Ryan, Titanic and The Sixth Sense.
Click here for the full list of AFI's top 100 movies of all time.
Posted 6/21/2007 by reelz
Related: Titanic | Saving Private Ryan | The Sixth Sense | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
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Wednesday, May 16
Could it be that the ring is still exercising its powers on young master Frodo? Variety is reporting that Elijah Wood, star of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, will be taking the lead role in the upcoming The Passenger, a biopic about the heroin-addicted father of punk rock, Iggy Pop.
The movie, which will be directed by Nick Gomez (Drowning Mona), will focus on Iggy Pop's early years, during his rise to fame with The Stooges.
According to wikipedia, "The Stooges became infamous for their live performances, during which it was not uncommon for Iggy Pop to leap off the stage (thus inventing the "stage dive"), flash his genitals, smear raw meat (and on one occasion peanut butter) over his chest and/or cut himself with broken bottles."
Fantastic!
Next Showing: The Passenger is set to come out during summer 2008.
Posted 5/16/2007 by reelz
Related: Iggy Pop | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Elijah Wood