Production on THE HOBBIT Pushed to Mid-Summer 2010

Production on the Guillermo Del Toro-directed version of The Hobbit was previously set to begin in March of 2010. Latest news speculates it will be delayed to mid-summer 2010, possibly July. The German site, moviereporter.net, reports that, as part of an interview regarding The Lovely Bones, Peter Jackson estimates filming will begin towards the middle of next year:

“We’re currently working on the second script which we hope to have completed by the end of this year or beginning of next. When the scripts are completed, we can begin with the exact calculation of the necessary budget. We hope to start filming in the middle of next year. However, we’ve received no green light from the studio yet.” (translation courtesy of TheOneRing.net)

More than two years elapsed between the start of filming for The Lord of the Rings movies in October, 1999, and the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001. However, they are only tackling two films this time, plus the previous movies provide them a head-start on on a number of pre-production items such as some of the set and location designs (Bag End, Rivendell).

The issues facing MGM might be what is holding up that green light, but no one is saying for sure. Jackson also hasn’t given any indication whether this will delay the film’s proposed December 2011 release date. This was for the first film in the new two-parter with the second film scheduled for December 2012.

For the latest Hobbit news join the Guillermo del Toro Facebook Group.

* * *

Source: TheOneRing.net

'Fellowship of the Ring' Screening at Radio City Music Hall with Live Orchestra & Choir Performing Howard Shore's Score!

Last night, NYC’s Radio City Music Hall played host to a screening of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Howard Shore's original Academy Award®-winning score was performed live to the epic motion picture by the 21st Century Orchestra, The Collegiate Chorale and Brooklyn Youth Chorus conducted by Ludwig Wicki.

Marc Bernardin of PopWatch.Ew.com was at the event and reports that "watching it with a crowd who knew every beat (and some of whom were dressed as their favorite elves or wizards), applauded at every major character introduction (it was a loudness-tie between Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn and Orlando Bloom’s Legolas) and minor cameo (like Jackson’s), and knew when to laugh and then shut up was a hoot and a half."

Orlando Bloom as Legolas Greenleaf (left) and Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn
© 2002 New Line Productions (Pierre Vinet)

Add to this the spectacle of a live orchestra and choir and this event was an over-the-top treat for LOTR fans! Wish I had been there!

"After the two-and-a-half hours of Fellowship came to an end and the orchestra took their final bows, composer Howard Shore walked out on stage, accompanied by two special guests: Elijah Wood and Billy Boyd. They looked just as tickled by the evening as the audience was."

Great news - for those of you who missed this epic LOTR event, the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers will be screened in the same fashion at Radio City on Oct. 9, 2010. I'm there! Who wants to join me for a LOTR weekend in NYC?

Keep abreast of The Two Towers Radio City Music Hall 2010 event by signing up on the RadioCityLOTRConcert.com site. The signup field is located at the top right hand corner of the site.

Hey Hobbit fans, join the Guillermo del Toro FaceBook Group!

* * *

Source: Popwatch.ew.com, Theradiocitylotrconcert.com