Hmm... question re: the Hobbit movie(s)

[Rath Darkblade]

If there's anything we learned from Peter Jackson's last foray into Middle-Earth, it's that eventually the movies will come out in a super-duper-ultra-packed-with-all-kinds-o-stuff box-set. So, I'm wondering... will the same apply to the Hobbit movies? Does anyone know?

Just wondering...

[El Ravager]

As far as I know, nothing has been confirmed as yet. There were some rumors about an extended edition that popped up last October, but they were evidently fueled by a cataloging error at WB. The fact that nothing has been substantiated yet is probably a bad sign for those of us who desperately want an EE treatment like all three Rings films received. Granted it's been over a decade and my memory may be a little sketchy, but wasn't the EE of Fellowship solidly confirmed by this point in 2002?

[Datadog]

Don't worry - they will have an ultimate expanded Hobbit deluxe box set after all three are out. When they started to release the expanded versions earlier for LOTR, it cost WB in regular DVD sales because people started to hold off for the better versions. I think they're trying to play it safe this time so they can convince fans to buy both versions.

[Tawmis]

Peter Jackson is notoriously known for filming a ton of extra stuff, that ends up on the cutting room floor. Do not be at all surprised if "extended" versions are eventually released.

[audiodane]

Don't worry - they will have an ultimate expanded Hobbit deluxe box set after all three are out. When they started to release the expanded versions earlier for LOTR, it cost WB in regular DVD sales because people started to hold off for the better versions. I think they're trying to play it safe this time so they can convince fans to buy both versions.

That's probably already going to happen because people learned the hard way with the LOTR films.. I expect the hard-core fans will camp in two spots- buy every single release, or wait until the SDE (super deluxe edition) is released. Everyone else will be a causal buyer and probably only get one copy, at whatever point they see it and think "oh yea, that was a good movie, I'll buy it" without consideration as to which version it is..

I liked the Rings movies, but not enough to buy them. I liked the Hobbit too, and in general like the Hobbit far more than the LOTR trilogy. However, I've been pretty unhappy with Jackson splitting it up into three films. So I'm either going to wait until the SDE edition is released and buy the whole stinking thing in one pop, or not buy it at all. If I watch it again I want to watch it as a complete work, not in three pieces.

..dane

[Collector]

I do feel that the move to split The Hobbit into three is more of a marketing ploy than an artistic decision. It diminishes the effect of The Hobbit as more of a fairy tale to the Lord of the Rings' portrayal of a mythology. Both phenomena may come from the same roots, but each fulfills different Purposes.

[Maxor127]

The Hobbit seemed padded with so much filler already that I can't imagine what they'd have left for an extended version.

[El Ravager]

News on the Hobbit Extended Edition front:

*US & UK Release Date will be October 22 for digital download, and November 5 for DVD and BluRay sets.

*This cut is extended by thirteen minutes of additional footage.

*Bonus features are set to run about 9 hours, and include the following:

*The Filmmakers' Commentary - Director/writer/producer Peter Jackson and writer/co-producer Philippa Boyens provide their perspective and stories on creating the first film.

*New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth - From Matamata to Queenstown, travel with Peter Jackson and his team across the stunning locations of New Zealand, transformed by the filmmakers into Middle-Earth.

*The Appendices Part 7: A Long-Expected Journey - A 14-part chronological history of the filming of An Unexpected Journey, covering pre-production in the various departments of the film in the months leading up to the start of principal photography, the boot camp training for the main cast, and the work done on set chronologically through the three shooting blocks and in the world of its digital effects. Chapters include:

-The Journey Back to Middle-Earth
-Riddles in the Dark: Gollum's Cave
-An Unexpected Party: Bag End
-Roast Mutton: Trollshaws Forest
-Bastion of the Greenwood: Rhosgobel
-A Short Rest: Rivendell and London
-Over Hill: The Misty Mountains
-Under Hill: Goblin Town
-Out of the Frying Pan: The Forest Ledge
-Return to Hobbiton: The Shire
-The Epic of Scene 88: Strath Taieri
-The Battle of Moria: Azanulbizar
-Edge of the Wilderland: Pick-ups and the Carrock
-Home Is Behind, the World Is Ahead

* The Appendices Part 8: Return to Middle-Earth - Another selection of documentaries and featurettes await, further detailing the development, design and production of An Unexpected Journey:

* The Company of Thorin - Explores the characters and backgrounds of the five families of dwarves and the company of actors chosen to play Thorin's company on the Quest of the Lonely Mountain. Chapters include:

-Assembling the Dwarves
-Thorin, Fili & Kili
-Balin & Dwalin
-Oin & Gloin
-Dori, Nori & Ori
-Bifur, Bofur & Bombur

*Mr. Baggins: The 14th Member - A revealing look at the film's charismatic and talented lead actor, Martin Freeman.

*Durin's Folk: Creating the Dwarves - Reveals the journey and process of designing, conceptualizing and physically realizing the dwarves in The Hobbit.

*The Peoples and Denizens of Middle-Earth - Focuses on the realization of new characters and creatures encountered in the first film, from casting to characterization to physical and digital design. Chapters include:

-The Stone Trolls
-Radagast the Brown
-Goblins
-Azog the Defiler

*Realms of the Third Age: From Bag End to Goblin Town - Follows the creation of the Middle-Earth locations from conceptual design to set and prop building to fully digital realities. Realms explored include:

-Hobbiton
-Rhosgobel
-The Misty Mountains
-Goblin Town

*The Songs of The Hobbit - A look at the realization of Tolkien's songs in An Unexpected Journey.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, the bonus material sounds very pleasing and I'm sure PJ et al will do/have done a good job on extended the cut. On the other hand...only 13 minutes? Seems pretty skimpy compared to the LOTR extended editions, which all had 30+ minutes of additional footage. I suppose overall I'm eager for this release, but it just seems a lot cheaper than the LOTR counterparts. Substantially less additional footage, only one audio commentary track (IMO, the cast commentary, which will not be present on this release, was one of the most entertaining features on the LOTR EEs), and the box art is extremely unremarkable:



Links to a couple of news articles, including a preview of one of the extended scenes:

http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/the-hobbit-- ... 52595.html
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=11784

Thoughts?

[Tawmis]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, the bonus material sounds very pleasing and I'm sure PJ et al will do/have done a good job on extended the cut. On the other hand...only 13 minutes? Seems pretty skimpy compared to the LOTR extended editions, which all had 30+ minutes of additional footage.

My thoughts? The part that pisses me off that all these movies KEEP doing this. If you buy the BluRay/DVD early; they're going to release another one, 6 months to a year later, with MORE bonus stuff.

THAT is what pisses me off.

So either I patiently wait for the bonus version to come out (and hope that ANOTHER bonus one doesn't come out) or just buy each one as it comes out...

[Rath Darkblade]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, the bonus material sounds very pleasing and I'm sure PJ et al will do/have done a good job on extended the cut. On the other hand...only 13 minutes? Seems pretty skimpy compared to the LOTR extended editions, which all had 30+ minutes of additional footage.

My thoughts? The part that pisses me off that all these movies KEEP doing this. If you buy the BluRay/DVD early; they're going to release another one, 6 months to a year later, with MORE bonus stuff.

THAT is what pisses me off.

So either I patiently wait for the bonus version to come out (and hope that ANOTHER bonus one doesn't come out) or just buy each one as it comes out...

Ungh. The only film I've heard about that does this is "Star Wars", Tawm. I haven't seen anything from the Peter Jackson stable that does anything like THAT... maybe I'm just ridiculously uninformed?

I agree that the cover-art is quite under-done, but it's still early days - maybe it will change by the time it's out.

Only thing is... this is supposed to be out by the end of October. I thought the second film was due to be out by Christmas???

[MacTeq]

Actually, most Peter Jackson films got the 'Director's Cut-treatment', even back in the 90s. I still haven't figured out why 'The Frighteners' needs a 4hr Making Of-documentary or why King Kong needs to run for 200 min though.
That said, I thought with the Tolkien films at least fans were informed beforehand, no?