Monday, January 19

• Dominic Monaghan in The Hobbit?

  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 01/19/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Ian McKellen | Peter Jackson | Dominic Monaghan | Guillermo del Toro | Andy Serkis | The Hobbit | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Friday, January 16

• Wolverine Reshoots Update

  X-Men Origins: Wolverine reshoots have been planned since December, but details about the reshoots were minimal, raising speculation that the movie was in trouble. Rumors that Superman director Richard Donner was brought in as a "directing consultant" for Gavin Hood didn't help. Donner quickly debunked the rumor, saying "I was there to do nothing but help Gavin anyway I could, as a producer and never as a director. I would never step on another director, and I didn't go until Gavin asked me to come over and help him. He called me in L.A. and I said, 'Hey, pal, I'm on my way.' He's a good buddy of mine right now."

  Still, with 10 days of filming starting on January 12 in Vancouver, speculation abounds. Collider called the reshoots "extensive," while FOX downplayed them, saying that the reshoots were always planned and telling Collider they are "intended to capture specific weather conditions." But what exactly are they shooting?

  PopWrapBlog spoke to cast member Dominic Monaghan and asked whether the ten days were just for reshoots or new scenes. Monaghan responded: "We're doing a bit of both, more than anything else, it's an additional scene which I would get shot in the head if I told you anything about. But my character features in a huge set piece with Hugh [Jackman] and Liev [Schreiber]. I think the best thing I can tell you is that it's a flashback scene."

  With other X-Men movies dependent on Wolverine's success, let's hope whatever they're doing works.

  
  
  Next Showing: X-Men Origins: Wolverine opens May 1, 2009

  Posted 01/16/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Richard Donner | Dominic Monaghan | Gavin Hood | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Superman