The most interesting thing in this, for me, was not about del Toro's decision (which was pretty well covered in the piece which I posted last week), but the news that Jackson had been intending to serve as Second Unit Director -- i.e., that he had volunteered to shoot some scenes while the main director was busy working on the most important shots with the main character(s). I've always suspected that, as a pretty hands-on person, at some point during the next two years he might not be able to restrain himself and wd just take over directing. Sounds like he's inching in that direction, but time will tell.
Also interesting was the reporter's trying to make the case against making THE HOBBIT as a two-parter, arguing that " only one film is needed . . . The Hobbit is a far shorter, simpler tale, and should be shot as a single movie." The same critic, Ben Child of THE GUARDIAN, had written more on this back in December: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2009/dec/11/hobbit-lord-of-the-rings
Personally I disagree: if they have the rights to make two movies, it's pretty clear they're going to make two, given the success of the LotR film trilogy. Better they make two adapting Tolkien's story than one of THE HOBBIT and one of whatever fanfiction they can cobble together from the LotR Appendices as a 'bridge' film. Plus, of course, from my point of view the more HOBBIT the better.
Most interesting of all, was the passing comment re. Jackson and LotR.
"This is the director who transformed The Lord of the Rings from an unfilmable white elephant of English literature into a blockbuster trilogy."
How soon they forget! The idea that LotR represented a classic of twentieth century literature, which some of us have been arguing for a long time, only won widespread acceptance within the last decade or so.
--John R.
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*thanks to Joan Marie Verba for posting the link to the MythSoc list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mythsoc/message/21283)
Since that article was posted last week, del Toro himself commented here in more detail about his departure from the production.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it has been suggested that a "bridge" film sequel or prequel could yet be made, after The Hobbit films appear. Del Toro said almost exactly a year ago (here) that he wouldn't be involved with that project, if it happens. (There was much debate about the implications here.) Though the clock is apparently ticking.
I know I'm probably a bad person to think and say so, but while Jackson produced three amazing fantasy films -- certainly the best fantasy films I've ever watched -- he rather confirmed that The Lord of the Rings is unfilmable: as adaptations of Tolkien's story, his effort failed horribly.
ReplyDeleteIt is my problem that I cannot quite forget the latter while enjoying the former -- something I often lament, but seem unable to do anything about.
I can only hope that the project will be so much delayed that del Toro will have time to come back :-)