Rumory

Is Peter Jackson Thinking About Splitting the Final Hobbit Into Two Films?

by Alanna Bennett | 3:59 pm, July 15th, 2012

Well, now we have further proof that the splitting of final films has become an epidemic in the film industry. We saw it with Twilight, with Harry Potter, and recently with The Hunger Games. Now, joining in on what seems to be becoming a veritable rite of passage for fantasy films, Peter Jackson‘s The Hobbits are joining the ranks of final films being split into two…Maybe.

Right now there are two Hobbit movies on the roster: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Previously, Jackson had addressed rumors that there would not be a third Hobbit film. “The plan was always for two,” he said.

Now, though, Jackson is thinking about going back and filming more footage, using it to split the final film into two. That is, making three total Hobbits.

Jackson made this “announcement” during a press line at Comic-Con. Asked directly whether he’d been thinking of the split, he said this:

Well, we’ve been certainly talking to the studio about some of the material we can’t film. And we’ve been asking them if we can do a bit more filming next year. Which I don’t know what would come of that, whether that would be extended additions or not. But those discussions are on going… I’d like to shoot a bunch more material that we can’t shoot. There’s so much good stuff in the appendices that we haven’t been able to squeeze into these movies. That’s a discussion that we’re having, yeah.

So, basically: Peter Jackson wants more. Whether that’ll mean a whole extra film or just some really awesome DVD extras, it’s too soon to tell.

There’s video of this interaction, as well:

We’re certainly less skeptical of decisions like this when they’re made by the likes of Jackson. What do you think? Would you be up for another Hobbit?

(via io9)

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TAGS: comic con | Peter Jackson | The Hobbit

Anonymous

The Hobbit is already one novel split in two films; splitting it in three is starting to be a bit much. Besides, I’ve always thought that the biggest LOTR movies weakness were the stuff Jackson decided to change and his movies after that were in serious need of editing so no, I don’t trust him that much on this one.
Anonymous

Weren’t many changes also made though because he could not fit parts of the book in? If he can include more of the source, there will be less need for change.

Either way, I am fine with more Hobbit. After all, movies are incredibly short and lack the time to do character development to the extend that television shows can.
Anonymous

OK, no. This is getting ridiculous. I didn’t mind the last Harry Potter book getting split into two films, because it was long enough that there was enough material for both. But The Hobbit is a fairly short book, and might feel stretched over two films. I don’t really see how it could possibly support three, even with more stuff from the LOTR backstory squeezed in.

Peter Jackson: resist the temptation. Just give us two movies of a reasonable length, and leave all the extra material for the extended DVD releases.
http://twitter.com/aikaseltzer Aika

How about putting them straight to DVD.
PS I’m excited for PJ’s cameo in this one!
John Wao

BOOOOO!
http://www.facebook.com/eric.lindberg3 Eric Lindberg

No, this would be pushing it. I was already leery of them splitting The Hobbit into two movies. While I’m excited to see the new material they’ve added, a third film would be just studio money-grubbing. I’d rather not see a movie that’s cobbled together from a timeline or notes in an appendix.

If Jackson could fit each volume of Lord of the Rings into one film each, there’s no reason for The Hobbit to be split into three.
Sabrina

Where exactly is he actually saying that he’s planning to split the 2nd one into 2 movies? Isn’t it reading between the lines and jumping to conclusions on the fans part? Cause it seems more like he’s talking about shooting more footage for the Special Extended Editions. O_o
Anonymous

Am I the only one who’s confused by this? By saying the final film will be split into two films, it gives the impression that the first film is a self-contained narrative. This is more like one story split into three films, not two films with the final film split.
Anonymous

There is a TON of stuff in the apendices, and lots of things going on simultaneously with the Hobbit narrative that we don’t see in the actual book, but hear about much later in the LotR apendices, like what’s happening in the kingdoms of elves and men.

However, I do have to say, I’d rather see him go back farther and cover the Fall of Gondolin or Children of Hurin. Or even Beren and Luthien, since it’s the famous one, even though I don’t like it as much as the others, personally. But then, I would be pleased if he spent the rest of his life making these movies. He did such a good job on the furst 3, they were obviously a labor of love.
http://twitter.com/Silbena Anna A

OH MY GOD YES. All of these things would be awesome in movies, but only if they did them right…