"The Hobbit" is finally happening! - To go into production at MGM

[MovieWes]

Hobbit announcement expected by Friday

Sir Peter Jackson met with Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee this morning to discuss the future of his Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit.

Sir Peter, accompanied by his wife Fran Walsh, talked with Mr Brownlee in a closed meeting inside the Minister’s office.

3 News understands an announcement on the film will be made by the end of the week.

The future of The Hobbit has been thrown into disarray following a highly-publicised spat between Mr Jackson and an Australian actors union.

The stoush erupted when the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), asked actors to boycott filming of The Hobbit until a standard employment agreement was reached.

The union was concerned actors on the film were being employed on inferior non-union contracts.

In response to the union pressure, Sir Peter threatened to take filming of The Hobbit overseas to Europe.

Co-producer and co-writer for The Hobbit, Phillipa Boyens, told Radio New Zealand this morning that several countries were currently vying for the film.

"Get this, Australia, [are] making a huge play for this production," Ms Boyens told Radio NZ.

Ms Boyens said filming was due to begin in January, but has now been delayed by the actors’ stoush.

"It's not a game because right bow, in America, Warner Brother's studios are running the numbers on five to six different locations. That's very real - and that has put at risk the livelihoods of countless thousands of New Zealand industry workers," Mr Boyens says.

Prime Minister John Key said this morning on TV One’s Breakfast that he was confident progress had been made between the two parties.

He said the Government was more then happy to facilitate talks and expressed concern over the movie moving overseas.

"I would be greatly concerned if the The Hobbit movies weren't made in New Zealand, this a $3 billion industry, it employs a lot of people, it's great for New Zealand it's a great way for marketing New Zealand. If you can't make The Hobbit here frankly what movies are you going to make here?"

[MovieWes]

From the New York Times...

Deal Near for ‘Hobbit’ Films in 3-D

By MICHAEL CIEPLY
Published: October 1, 2010

LOS ANGELES — “The Hobbit” is almost out of movie jail.

After months of negotiation and delay, Warner Brothers and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer are on the verge of an agreement that would allow the director Peter Jackson to begin shooting a two-part version of J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Hobbit” early next year.

Barring further hitches — and there have been many, as the studios wrestled with their dual ownership of the project over the last year — a financial deal should be in place over the next few days, according to several people who have been involved in the bargaining. They spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing company policies, confidentiality requirements and the delicate nature of the dealings.

The long-anticipated “Hobbit” films amount to an extension of the hugely lucrative “Lord of the Rings” franchise, which generated about $3 billion in revenue at the worldwide box office and enormous home video revenue for New Line Cinema, now a Warner unit. The films are to be made in 3-D. That is a shift from when the project was conceived. In the dimly remembered recesses of, oh, 2009, people involved with the two-movie version of the Tolkien book, then to be directed by Guillermo del Toro, insisted that 2-D screen technology was just right for a pair of movies that were viewed as being a little more intimate than their sweeping “Lord of the Rings” precursors. Then came “Avatar,” “Alice in Wonderland” and even the much-maligned “Clash of the Titans”— one film after another proving that viewers would pay a premium for 3-D.

For MGM, a deal that finally lets the “Hobbit” films proceed would lock in badly needed revenue as the company proceeds with a restructuring that is still far from resolved. For Warner, it means new tent-pole fantasy films just as the company is winding down its long-running “Harry Potter” series. And executives at both companies would be relieved of the building anxiety over delays that had threatened to kill the films, at least for the foreseeable future, if they could not be started by early next year.

Mr. Jackson, who is a producer and writer of the two “Hobbit” films, agreed also to become their director after Mr. del Toro left the project earlier this year, citing the delays. Mr. Jackson’s agreement to direct the movies has been in place but hasn’t formally closed because it depends on the studios’ willingness to begin production soon, according to people briefed on his status.

The first “Hobbit” film is expected to be released in mid-December 2012, the second a year later. Mr. Jackson has said he can direct the films only if those release dates can be met.

It remained unclear how Warner and MGM planned to apportion the financing of the project. They have owned it in a 50-50 arrangement, but by longstanding agreement, New Line has been in charge of production decisions, subject to some approvals by MGM.

Under several possible financing options that were considered, Warner was expected to put up all or most of the cash — Mr. Jackson has vaguely pegged the investment in the hundreds of millions of dollars in a public statement — either by lending money to MGM or buying out its interest, perhaps leaving it with a royalty or other payments. MGM’s rights have included foreign distribution of the film, and as recently as this week questions remained about how that would ultimately be handled.

Press officials for MGM, Warner, New Line and Mr. Jackson all declined to comment.

As Warner and MGM tried for months to reach terms, they were stalled by Warner’s fear of shouldering disproportionate risk while giving Warner’s partner too large a stake in possible success, and by the difficulty of persuading MGM’s myriad creditors to sign off on a deal even as they were trying to find a buyer or otherwise retool the studio. With more than $4 billion in debt, MGM has virtually ceased operating, and it faces the possibility of a bankruptcy proceeding as part of a reorganization that some of its stakeholders are now predicting may come by January.

Over the last week, Mr. Jackson and his fellow producers issued a casting call for undersize performers to play roles as hobbits in New Zealand, even as a union dispute threatened to derail the production before it had a green light.

A New Zealand union backed by Australia’s Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance has sought to represent actors on the “Hobbit” films, and a coalition of international unions, including the Screen Actors Guild, advised members not to work on the movies because of the dispute. But New Zealand officials this week advised the producers that they could not legally bargain with its actors collectively under the country’s law, which restricts such dealings with independent contractors.

Warner, New Line and MGM said publicly that they would consider moving the films to another location, perhaps in Eastern Europe, if the dispute was not resolved. People involved with the films said Friday that they expected a resolution to the union dispute imminently.

Officials for the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists declined to comment, and a spokesman for the Australian alliance did not respond to an e-mail query.

Roger Birnbaum and Gary Barber, partners in Spyglass Entertainment, who have already agreed in principal to manage MGM if its restructuring can be completed, were instrumental in getting the “Hobbit” deal on track.

Within Warner, a long-awaited deal to begin the “Hobbit” films would be a coup for Kevin Tsujihara, the home video president who has been negotiating for MGM, and for Toby Emmerich, the New Line president who oversaw reorganization of his studio after it was absorbed into Warner Brothers.

Mr. Tsujihara has been deeply involved in MGM’s financial drama, as the Warner executive who organized a $1.5 billion bid to acquire MGM. He was recently named to the studio’s newly created office of the president, along with Jeff Robinov, the movie group chief, and Bruce Rosenblum, the president of the television group.

It has been nearly seven years since the release of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” which was the last of three films in the “Rings” cycle. Mr. Jackson directed the movie, which took in about $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office and swept a clutch of Oscars, including one for best picture, in 2004.

[MovieWes]

Can we safely assume that this movie is cursed?

Fire on The Hobbit Set, Just as Studios Ready the Green Light

Today 9:12 AM PDT by Bruna Nessif

The Hobbit can't seem to catch a break.

Despite long delays, money problems and last week's dustup over actors unions, Peter Jackson's $500 million Lord of the Rings prequel series is this close to getting the green light to start production in January, the Los Angeles Times is reporting.

But then this happens:

MORE: Force of Hobbit: SAG Warns Members Not to Work on LOTR Prequel

Jackson's New Zealand workshop went up in flames yesterday, burning for several hours.

Officials say the cause of the fire is being investigated, "They have to sift through the rubble and work their way to an area where they believe the fire started," TVNZ reports.

The shop would have been used in production of The Hobbit films, but no word on how extensive the damage might have been. Setbacks won't stop production, though!

Jackson is determined to get fans back to Middle-earth and is finalizing deals with the studios and unions, and settling problems with author J.R.R. Tolkien's underlying rights.

The (possibly) last obstacle?

Finding a way to finance the two-parter, which will cost half a billion dollars! (Small change, when you consider The Lord of the Rings trilogy raked in $3 billion worldwide.)

Warner Bros. and New Line Cinemas are ready to fork over half of the money, but it's taking a little longer for MGM to commit after struggling with bankruptcy for more than a year. MGM is expected to give the OK within a few days, the Times reports, and a deal with the Screen Actors Guild may also be close.

The prequels have been in preproduction for years, with $45 million already being spent. But if things get moving in January, we may be seeing Gandalf, Bilbo and Gollum back on the screen in time for the 2012 holiday season, and then again in 2013.

And it wouldn't be a typical day of work for Jackson without another minor problem, right?

[Precious Doll]

From The Sydney Morning Herald 27 September 2010 by Christine Kellett

'Australian bullies' threatening The Hobbit movie

New Zealand film director Sir Peter Jackson has lobbed a grenade across the ditch, accusing an "Australian bully boy" actors union of threatening to derail his big budget Hollywood fantasy The Hobbit.

The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance has joined the Screen Actors Guild and a group of six other international labour unions in calling for a boycott of the movie on the grounds that actors may be employed on inferior non-union contracts.

The MEAA claims to have support from A-listers Cate Blanchett, Sir Ian McKellen and Hugo Weaving, who are said to be involved in $US150 million The Hobbit project.

In an extraordinary step last night, the notoriously media shy Jackson issued an angry four-page statement accusing the Australian-based MEAA of trying to cash in on the success of the New Zealand film industry by holding movie studio Warner Brothers to ransom.

"I can't see beyond the ugly spectre of an Australian bully-boy using what he perceives as his weak Kiwi cousins to gain a foothold in this country's film industry. They want greater membership, since they get to increase their bank balance," Jackson said.

"I feel growing anger at the way this tiny minority is endangering a project that hundreds of people have worked on over the last two years, and the thousands about to be employed for the next four years, [and] the hundreds of millions of Warner Brothers dollars that is about to be spent in our economy."

Among the complaints, MEAA national director Simon Whipp said actors could be sacked from the project with just one day's notice, and there were concerns producers would not pay fees in standard union contracts, such as payments from DVD sales.

The claims have been dismissed as "duplicitous and inaccurate" by South Pacific Pictures chief executive John Barnett, who has joined Jackson in telling the Australian union to butt out of New Zealand's economic affairs.

Jackson, whose Lord of The Rings trilogy delivered a tourist boon to his home country and put New Zealand on the movie making map, insisted her was not anti-union but warned the boycott would cost thousands of jobs if The Hobbit was forced overseas, including lost opportunities for Aussie actors.

"If The Hobbit goes east (East Europe in fact), look forward to a long, dry, big-budget movie drought in this country," he said.

"We have done better in recent years with attracting overseas movies and the Australians would like a greater slice of the pie, which begins with them using The Hobbit to gain control of our film industry."

The Screen Actors Guild issued a members' alert last week, urging anyone "contacted to be engaged on The Hobbit [to] please notify your union immediately."

"The makers of feature film The Hobbit – to be shot in New Zealand next year – have refused to engage performers on union-negotiated agreements," it warned on its website on Friday.

Jackson said the MEAA was using a "small minority" of New Zealand actors to demand that Warner Brothers negotiate an umbrella agreement with all actors on the project - terms the studio could not possibly meet.

"I've been told that Disney are no longer bring movies to Australia because of their frustration with the MEAA," Jackson said.

"NZ law prohibits engaging in collective bargaining with any labour organisation representing performers who are independent contractors, as film actors clearly are. The NZ Commerce Act claims it would be unlawful to engage with an Australian Union on these matters.

"It's incredibly easy to wave the flag on behalf of workers and target the rich studios. It's not hard to generate an emotive response, nor is it hard to sway public opinion, since nobody seems to like the facts to get in the way of a good story in these situations."

"[The] MEAA claims we are 'non-Union', but whenever we hire an actor who belongs to SAG, we always honour their working conditions, their minimum salary agreements and their residuals."

Jackson said having to shoot The Hobbit in another country would leave New Zealand "humiliated on the world stage."

"Warners would take a financial hit that would cause other studios to steer clear of New Zealand", he said.

The Lord of The Rings prequel has been dogged with problems including years of delays, doubt over right holder MGM's ability to finance the project and the surprise exit of former director Guillermo del Toro earlier this year.

While major casting announcements have yet to be made, Spiderman star Tobey McGuire is tipped for the lead role of Bilbo Baggins. The Office actor Martin Freeman is also rumoured to have been considered.

[MovieWes]

7 Unions Tell Members Not to Work on The Hobbit

7 unions have told their members not to work for The Hobbit films in New Zealand. They claim that producers of the two films have refused to engage performers on union-negotiated agreements, though they do add that the situation can be resolved. The statement includes that the unions think the producers intend to make "imminent" offers to performers for the film.

The following was sent by the unions to their members:

The makers of feature film The Hobbit – to be shot in New Zealand next year – have refused to engage performers on union-negotiated agreements.

Members of Canadian Actors Equity, US Actors Equity, the Screen Actors Guild, UK Actors Equity, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (Australia) and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists are advised not to accept work on this non-union production.

If you are contacted to be engaged on The Hobbit please notify your union immediately.For more information about this non-union production see here:

Background

For some years performers in New Zealand have struggled on non-union contracts. These contracts provide no minimum guarantees of wages or working conditions, no residual payments and no cancellation payments in the event the performer’s contract is cancelled.

In 2006, at the request of New Zealand performers, the Australian union, the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (Alliance) opened an office in New Zealand.

Since that time the New Zealand branch of the Alliance has sought to negotiate with both individual producers and with the producers’ association but to no avail.

The International Federation of Actors (FIA), of which the vast majority of performer unions around the world are members, resolved that the time had come for performers around the world to support their colleagues in New Zealand and seek a union contract for all performers on The Hobbit.

Who is FIA?

FIA represents performer unions in 100 countries around the world. Unions represented include the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) American Actors Equity, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), Canadian Actors Equity, Equity UK and the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance.

FIA’s goal is to advance the interests of performers around the world.

What did FIA decide?

At a recent meeting FIA decided that the situation had persisted long enough and that it was time for action to be taken.

Consequently, FIA resolved as follows:

“Resolved, that the International Federation of Actors urges each of its affiliates to adopt instructions to their members that no member of any FIA affiliate will agree to act in the theatrical film The Hobbit until such time as the producer has entered into a collective bargaining agreement with the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance for production in New Zealand providing for satisfactory terms and conditions for all performers employed on the productions.”

Has someone tried to talk to the producers?

Yes

On 17 August the General Secretary and President of FIA wrote the production company which will produce the film asking that they make contact with the Alliance. A copy of that letter is available here.

On 20 August the English speaking unions in FIA wrote a joint letter to the producers of the film advising that they were adhering to the FIA position set out in the 17 August letter. A copy of that letter is
available here.

On 31 August the Alliance wrote to the studios behind the film, MGM and New Line. A copy of that letter is available here.

What have the producers said?

The producers, through their lawyers, have refused to negotiate with the union. The producers claim it would be unlawful (and a breach of New Zealand competition laws) for the producer to enter into an agreement with the union covering the engagement of performers on the production.

Would it be illegal for the producer to enter into an agreement with the union?

No

The Alliance has obtained legal advice that there are a variety of lawful means which could be used to establish the minimum wages, working conditions and residuals for performers on the production. A copy of this advice has been provided to the lawyers for the producer.

What is the current situation?

SAG, Equity UK and the Alliance have made contact with their performer members who are either rumoured to be involved in the film or to whom offers of involvement have been made. These performers have indicated strong support for the FIA position. The producers have indicated that, notwithstanding the request to meet and discuss the terms of engagement of performers on the production, they intend to make imminent offers to performers. In addition, they have now advised that they propose to pay some performers “residuals” on the production.

What would these residuals be?

These residuals are significantly less than the Alliance’s usual agreements in every respect. The producers have offered 2% of distributors gross receipts to commence for exploitations 2 years after the first US theatrical release of the film. However, it is unclear on what they would be based (for example what about sales which occur before the 2 years relating to use after the two year period), how these residuals would be divided between the performers and how they would be enforceable. It is not clear which performers may be offered this arrangement.

How does this compare to residuals under other Alliance agreements?

The Alliance agreement for large budget international studio films (such as Mad Max 4 aka Fury Road and Happy Feet 2) provides for residuals that are equivalent to those under the SAG Agreement. The residuals proposed by the producers of The Hobbit are less in every respect.

Under all Alliance agreements all performers are entitled to share in residual payments and there is no uncertainty about how each performer’s share is calculated or about enforceability.

What about other conditions?

The producers have advised they do not intend to negotiate with the union. Consequently the usual provisions of the New Zealand contract would apply. These include a provision which permit the producer to terminate the contract at any time without obligation to pay out the performer’s contract. This provision could also be used to justify non-payment of any residual obligation which may have been agreed above (even after the performer has performed all their work on the film and even if the performer’s work is used in the film).

This clause alone makes the residual offer above meaningless. Under an Alliance agreement this would not be the case.

Where to from here?

In accordance with the resolution of FIA performers are advised not to work on The Hobbit unless and until the production enters into an agreement with the Alliance protecting the wages and working conditions of performers on the production.

If you are contacted to work on the production please make immediate contact with your local union to establish the current position.

All unions remain hopeful that this situation can be resolved with goodwill on all sides.

Many thanks for your support.

[MovieWes]

The film is now officially in pre-production, and it seems that Ian McKellen was right about the film officially beginning production in January...

From TheOneRing.net...

Wanted: Tall or short people for ‘The Hobbit’

September 22nd, 2010 by MrCere | Source: Noldor Blog | Discuss | View Comments

The pieces are moving, wheels are in motion and Wellington is looking for short and tall people for two anticipated movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.”
Our friend Jack, from the Noldor blog, posted a piece of indisputable evidence on his site and shared it will us. In ran in the Wellington Dominion Post and looks to be pretty authentic.

So no green light has officially been given but this is a pretty clear signal that money is being spent and the production has studio approval. In fact, extras casting is just the sort of thing that happens when films are officially in pre-production. It seems like things are going forward but formal announcements are pending the MGM debt settlement. Thanks to Jack and as always stay tuned!

[jack]

I think it's about time we change the title of this thread to something along the lines of 'The Hobbit may happen, but don't count on it...'.

I wish Peter Jackson would hold off all news of this project until he can take a picture of the entire cast all standing in Hobbiton holding their contracts up for the camera and the entire world to see.

[MovieWes]

Peter Jackson to Announce Hobbit Plans "Sometime Soon"

Source: The Dominon Post
August 25, 2010


Peter Jackson was quoted today as saying he'll know whether or not he'll be directing The Hobbit "sometime soon" by The Dominion Post.

Jackson reiterated that legal negotiations are still plaguing the film's impending production, but offered some assurance with his statement that Warner Bros. (who control half the rights) is, "making progress untangling the MGM situation...". MGM is currently having financial difficulties and it is undecided what course the studio will be taking with its holdings.

Jackson went on to say that, after the decision is reached, he will be able to make a five-year plan "that will keep many people very busy". Among the potential projects the director is eying is a retelling of the Battle of Gallipoli from the point of view of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).

Another of the article's notes of interest is the suggestion that casting is still underway for The Hobbit despite the delay. Australian actor Jeremy Sims reportedly auditioned for the part of a troll, presumably either Tom, Bert or William Huggins from the original novel. One of the three characters even makes a cameo in both the book and film version of The Fellowship of the Ring.

[MovieWes]

Can 'The Hobbit' Wait For MGM Decisions?

By MIKE FLEMING | Tuesday June 29, 2010 @ 2:37pm EDT

EXCLUSIVE: My recent scoop that Peter Jackson is negotiating to direct the two installments of The Hobbit is probably the best news for debt-laden MGM in years. But the development has put extra pressures on the beleaguered studio backers. Because making a 2-picture directing deal with the Lord Of The Rings director is no easy feat. I’m told that 30% of the gross is already committed to various participants, including Jackson (just for writing and producing!). He and Fran Walsh once got $20 million against 20% of gross from Universal to direct King Kong, so he doesn’t work cheap. Insiders tell me that gross participants are right now being asked to make adjustments so that MGM and its partner, Warner Bros, can finance the film and make money. Creative deals are becoming routine on sequels like Men in Black, but they aren’t easy.

There’s no certainty that MGM creditors will respond to the urgency that Jackson's reps are ready to make a deal.. This is the same group that reacted to its debt stranglehold by benching its production and marketing executive teams, halting progress on a promising homegrown slate of films, and staging a desperate auction that resulted in a predictable batch of bottom-feeder bids that were too low to be seriously considered. The result is it's brought MGM to a screeching halt and allowed the library to languish.

Now the MGM creditors also must decide either to commit MGM’s half of the production costs for the two films or take available outside funding, all before the studio works out its future ownership strategy. If the creditors don’t seize on the momentum, MGM risks losing its chance to release the first film in December 2012. (The second film would follow a year later.) And there is a good chance that Jackson will change his mind, meaning that inaction costs the studio an enormous opportunity.

Whatever course of action the creditors take, execs like Parent and Vollman will certainly move on as MGM goes through the pre-packaged bankruptcy proceeding necessary to keep in place existing rights deals on franchises like James Bond. That process isn’t expected until late July at the earliest. But decisions on The Hobbit cannot wait that long.

[Zahveed]

That works.

[MovieWes]

Even better news than Blomkamp, which turned out to be false....

Peter Jackson in negotiations for 'The Hobbit'
by Nicole Sperling
Categories: Deals, Movie Biz, News, The Hobbit

Almost one month after Guillermo del Toro dropped out of directing The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson is in talks to helm the two films in the franchise. While we wait for the studios involved or Jackson’s manager to confirm, there are lots of questions that remain before The Hobbit can actually begin production, let alone reach the big screen.

First, MGM, the debt-laden studio that owns 50 percent of the rights to the classic tale, is facing an uncertain future. The studio failed to attract bids high enough to satisfy its creditors during an auction earlier this year, and the latest plan may see Spyglass Entertainment running the studio in a prepackaged bankruptcy, according to the Wall Street Journal. Talks are continuing and no decision has yet been made, though some resolution is needed before the studio’s debt waiver expires in mid-July. Some Hollywood insiders question whether production could actually proceed if there’s a chance that those rights could wind up in bankruptcy court along with the rest of MGM’s assets (it’s the same reason why the Bond franchise is tied up since MGM owns half of those rights, too), but sources close to the Hobbit project insist that MGM’s financial woes aren’t a factor in this production.

The other issue to consider is how much money the studios can offer Jackson. Saul Zaentz, Harvey Weinstein, and the Tolkien estate are all gross participants in the Hobbit movies — meaning they get a share of the profits right off the top. Jackson will also receive a part of the pie for his producing efforts, but adding director to his title card greatly increases his right to the revenue generated from the movies. How much can the studios pay and will they even be able to get this thing up and running with MGM’s future so uncertain? Stay tuned as we learn more.

[OscarGuy]

Hopefully a sigh of relief along these lines will be escaping my lungs soon.

[MovieWes]

From TheOneRing.net

Neill Blomkamp is the ‘Hobbit’ director – maybe

June 18th, 2010 by MrCere

Before anybody gets crazy, let me be clear that we are not reporting that Neill Blomkamp is the director of ‘The Hobbit’. I am not ready to put my name or TheOneRing’s name on a story that says this is fact.

However, we did receive a spy report that stated it as cold, hard, unsurprising fact. We haven’t been able to get a verification but the tip stated some other information on the side that fits with other info from other sources. A bunch of little pieces of information, some rock solid, some unclear, start to form a big picture that looks like it could have Blomkamp in it. I promise to explain it all if you will keep reading!

MGM and Warner Bros. want Peter Jackson to direct both movies adapted from “The Hobbit.” They are trying to talk him into it because his name can carry the films and is an obvious and bankable marketing strategy.

The problem is, Jackson really didn’t and really doesn’t want to be the director. If he did, he wouldn’t have hired Guillermo del Toro and he would already have stepped into the void and taken on the mantle. He leaves LOTR as his legacy and doesn’t feel comfortable competing against himself in that same arena. One way or another, if it is PJ vs. PJ, PJ loses.

One of those rock solid sources tell us that he is doing everything he can to serve the film but still not step into that role. He had plans to rarely or never even visit the set with del Toro on the project but even now he still hopes to be a guide rather than an overseer. This will be a lot more likely and possible if he works with a director with whom he has an established relationship. This points toward Neill Blomkamp. The two have a relationship of Jackson mentoring without taking over. They trust each other.

Despite not having a named director, the production is moving forward as if all were well and that info is oozing out from every crack everywhere. I am getting contacted by a lot of people involved in the casting process and it is in full swing. Auditions and all the surrounding busy work is happening with the same team that worked on LOTR.

One less familiar spy told us that some casting decisions have even been made, specifically regarding a dwarf or two. Directors may not have the complete casting control that outsiders imagine but doing that without a director seemed a little strange. Could it be a fib or could there be a director in place? With Comic-Con coming up (including a TORn panel to kick it off Thursday, July 22) perhaps the studio is waiting to have the world’s popular culture press gathered in one spot to make its big announcement. That keeps Jackson from breaking the news here at TheOneRing.net as he and del Toro did.

Another new spy claims that shooting isn’t scheduled for the end of the year as Ian McKellen and previously mentioned spies have speculated but for the very beginning of 2011. We have been posting Hobbiton-under-construction pictures for months and New Zealand’s sometimes crazy weather dictates that you shoot there in the summer so December and January are the right time to begin production. All this points toward the need for a director or perhaps already having one in place.

We also dug out the Warner Bros. report as part of the Time Warner company report from a few weeks ago. The big wigs speak and inspire hope in investors and share holders and explain how the company is moving forward. Warners spoke of two Hobbit films and even used a graphic in its presentation. (Humorously enough, it was a fan-produced, photoshoped image that has been used on the net for years now that Warners presented as its Hobbit imagry!) The point is, the big boys, the brass, the decision makers, the powerful, the rich and the accountable want this thing going forward.

Those guys are smart enough to know, and its obvious from the rest of the presentation, that when del Toro walked away, they took a financial hit and lost an asset. They value talent and they know they lost some. This is why they are pushing for Jackson but they realize other talent can be less famous and still be worthwhile. Who can make them money?

So now this spy report has come in from somebody claiming, well, lets see exactly what was said. After some offhand details that rang very true, we got to the news nugget:

(I) was given the breakdown details for the film, which included who the director is: Neil Bloomkamp.

Spelling aside, it just fits the bigger picture. On a personal note, I spent some time with Jackson and Blomkamp at Comic-Con last year in an interview room and attended the world and geek premiere of “District 9.” While everybody is obligated to speak well of colleagues in such situations, the two of them were seemingly completely at ease with each other and complimented each other. From my first-hand experience, its easy to imagine them wanting to work well together. This was before Blomkamp’s modestly budgeted sci-fi film without a single known star set in Johannesburg went on to be a surprise big earner and received a “Best Picture” Oscar nomination. Talent.

Those who believe he can only make documentary-style splatter films with clever curse-word filled dialog are selling the young talent very short.

In short we know from lots of sources:
1. Jackson doesn’t want to do it
2. He wants somebody he trusts and can be sure of
3. Casting is happening now
4. Pre-pre-production is happening now
5. MGM and Warners need a talent in place yesterday
6. The platform for making a big genre splash announcement is approaching
7. The schedule fits with rumors from many sources
8. Many spies are sounding similar notes
9. One tells us they have seen the film breakdown with Blomkamp directing

So is Neill Blomkamp going to direct “The Hobbit”? Could be. My personal opinion is that this information is correct.
If you have further information about this or anything related please e-mail our news team at Spymaster@TheOneRing.net or me at [email]MrCere@TheOneRing.net.[/email]

[OscarGuy]

Yates? He's one of the reasons the last Harry Potter film was so boring...I really don't want this one to happen...sick.

[MovieWes]

Please tell me this isn't true!!!

David Yates to Go from 'Potter' to 'The Hobbit'?

by Elisabeth Rappe Jun 14th 2010 // 6:02PM

The unexpected (but not altogether surprising) news of Guillermo Del Toro leaving The Hobbit has left Middle Earth fans sad and uncertain. Though Peter Jackson, Warner Bros, and New Line promised a fast replacement, things have been relatively quiet on the rumor front. And no wonder? It takes someone as brave as a hobbit to sign onto the mess that is MGM.

But one name has surfaced this week. Slashfilm caught an insider glimpse of industry tracking boards, and reports that David Yates is the top choice for the job. This is rumor, and no talks have taken place, but it's not that wild of a choice. Yates has proved himself with two Harry Potter films, and I can't imagine he's really going to drop the ball with either part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The only issue might be one of timing. Filming on Deathly Hallows just finished this weekend (those who follow the cast and crew of Hogwarts on Twitter saw the tearful tweets), and Yates is now heading into post production. Yates couldn't visit Middle Earth until sometime next year. But given all the delays and financial woes that are bogging down production, it's very likely that's the soonest Bilbo Baggins will be ready to receive him.

I think Yates would be a very good choice. The Hobbit is a much smaller story than Lord of the Rings, and one of its charms is seeing a very epic and grand journey through the eyes of one grumpy, cold, and timid Bilbo. His arc from a creature of habit to a Thief is a subtle one. Yates has never lost sight of the little moments that makes Harry and his friends who they are, and he could keep the focus on that arc, instead of getting lost among the Misty Mountains.