The Playlist

Following Peter Jackson's Hospitalization, 'The Hobbit' Will Now Start Filming On March 21st

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
February 7, 2011 4:04 AM
|
0 Comments

Bankruptcies, defecting directors and stomach ulcers -- the road to getting "The Hobbit" in front of cameras has been a long and rocky one. Last week it was reported that the film faced another setback when director Peter Jackson was hospitalized with a perforated stomach ulcer, a rather painful ailment that's caused when a hole is burned through the stomach lining, allowing acid and food to enter the abdominal cavity (and we thought the five tacos we had last night for dinner was brutal on our insides).

More:

Guillermo Del Toro May Not Have His 'Mountains Of Madness' Green Light Yet

By Edward Davis
|
February 1, 2011 7:27 AM
|
2 Comments

The Director Also Talks About What Would Have Been His Version Of 'The Hobbit' & More In Massive New Yorker TomeIf you haven't heard by now there's a massive dissertation-sized profile piece on filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro in the latest issue of the New Yorker. A fascinating read, the story, penned by Daniel Zalewski, touches on all facets of the 46-year-old filmmaker's life, from his obsession with monsters and macabre expertise in human and animal anatomy that started as a child growing up in Mexico; to his struggles with weight, his painful experiences on leaving "The Hobbit" and his Sisyphean task of bringing "At The Mountains Of Madness" to the big screen. The profile is about 20 pages long printed out and it's a full meal to digest to say the least. Touching upon "Frankenstein," to “Saturn and the End of Days,” the article doesn't even mention half the myriad projects Del Toro is working on, but one does get the sense from that filmmaker almost has too many irons in the fire and wants to make six movies at once. You're likely too busy surfing the web on your lunch break to read it all, but this is why you've got us to parse the most interesting need-to-know greatest hits of the profile.

More:

Casting Agent Says Saoirse Ronan Confirmed For 'The Hobbit'

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
January 27, 2011 10:44 AM
|
1 Comment

While it's not concrete and official just yet, it looks like all signs are pointing to Saoirse Ronan reuniting with Peter Jackson for his massive two-part "The Hobbit."

More:

Peter Jackson Hospitalized With Perforated Stomach Ulcer, 'Hobbit' Start Likely To Be Pushed Back

By Oliver Lyttelton
|
January 27, 2011 2:01 AM
|
0 Comments

Possibility Increasing That Hobbiton Was Built On Sacred Indian Burial Ground Man, can a multi-billion dollar franchise not catch a break? After years of delays, following the financial uncertainty over rights holders MGM, followed by the bailing of original helmer Guillermo Del Toro, and controversial labor issues in New Zealand, the two-part adaptation of "The Hobbit," the prequel to "Lord of the Rings" finally seemed to be moving ahead. Original cast members like Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis were finally locked in, and they were joined by new additions like Martin Freeman, in the lead role of Bilbo Baggins along with an extensive cast including Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott and Aidan Turner.

More:

'The Hobbit': Elijah Wood Talks Frodo; Saoirse Ronan Not Offered A Part; Orlando Bloom Not Locked

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
January 21, 2011 7:36 AM
|
2 Comments

So, some small bits of news surrounding "The Hobbit" have cropped up in the past day or so. Nothing particularly revelatory but just small updates on the progress on the film and in particular, how casting is shaping up.

More:

Andy Serkis & Ian McKellen Are Officially Back For 'The Hobbit'

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
January 10, 2011 10:29 AM
|
3 Comments

Christopher Lee & Ian Holm Set To ReturnOne more highly touted name expected to return for "The Hobbit" has been confirmed. Deadline reports that mo-cap expert Andy Serkis has officially signed on and will be back in the role of Gollum. Update: THR says Sir Ian McKellen is officially in too to reprise his role of Gandalf the Grey -- a major character in "The Hobbit." No surprise there.

More:

Elijah Wood Officially Signs On For 'The Hobbit' & Brit TV Mini-Series 'Treasure Island'

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
January 8, 2011 4:04 AM
|
0 Comments

Yeah, yeah we know. Given the rumors swirling around the past couple days, confirmation was inevitable, but a fresh press release dispatched tonight has confirmed that Elijah Wood will indeed be returning for "The Hobbit." It's largely believed that he will appear in the opening sequence of the film, reading from or telling the tale from the “Red Book of Westmarch" (that Bilbo and Frodo both wrote in during "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) allowing himself—and the viewers—to experience Bilbo’s story. There are still a few more expected names to be officially locked in (i.e. Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis) but that is likely to be coming prior to the beginning of lensing next month.

More:

Details Emerge On Elijah Wood's Appearance In 'The Hobbit'

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
January 7, 2011 2:19 AM
|
1 Comment

As word of Elijah Wood's potential return to the franchise that made him a worldwide star picked up yesterday, it was a bit of a question mark how Frodo would factor at all into the story that doesn't feature him at all. Well, the very well informed and well sourced fansite, The One Ring, have picked up the ball and run with it, revealing that Peter Jackson and co. have found a clever way of bringing the star back and linking "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy with the "The Hobbit." Obviously, if you don't want to know stop reading and yes, there are spoilers ahead.

More:

Elijah Wood To Return For 'The Hobbit'?

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
January 6, 2011 11:13 AM
|
8 Comments

Oh Yeah, Warner Bros. Is Going To Pay For & Distribute 'The Hobbit' Everywhere TooIn not so shocking news, MGM has a bit of cash crunch, thus the idea of them distributing or even somehow paying for "The Hobbit" was kind of hilarious.

More:

Orlando Bloom Likely To Return As Legolas In 'The Hobbit'

By Edward Davis
|
December 9, 2010 1:09 AM
|
0 Comments

Cate Blanchett has been officially confirmed to return to Peter Jackson's two-part, "The Hobbit" as the elvin queen Galadriel, the Lady of Lothlorien, and now it appears one more elf is returning.

More: