board77

Some guy wrote:

Saw this on TORN this morning:

LINK:
http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1164265935

Saul Zaentz On The Hobbit
Demosthenes @ 2:12 am EST

Saul Zaentz, the owner of Tolkien Enterprises, and ultimate holder of the film rights to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings was very recently interviewed about the Hobbit and Peter Jackson's involvement.

The interview has since been posted on German Rings site Elbenwald. You can read it here.

It's in German, so here's a translation of his comments.


Q: What is with the long anticipated Hobbit-adaption?

A: It will definitely be shot by Peter Jackson. The question is only when. He wants to shoot another movie first. Next year the Hobbit-rights will fall back to my company. I suppose that Peter will wait because he knows that he will make the best deal with us. And he is fed up with the studios: to get his profit share on the rings trilogy he had to sue New Line. With us in contrast he knows that he will be paid fairly and artistically supported without reservation.


So nothing is settled yet.

Quote:

Sir Ian McKellen would be "very pleased" to reprise the role of Gandalf the wizard in the long-awaited adaptation of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit, the actor has said.

US reports suggest the ongoing negotiations over the Lord of the Rings prequel may be close to being resolved. Firstly, it is understood that New Line, which backed the original trilogy, only part-owns the rights to The Hobbit, with rival studio MGM also maintaining an interest. And then there is Rings director Peter Jackson's separate legal dispute with New Line, this time over profits from the franchise.

Sir Ian has therefore taken the opportunity to restate his claim on the wizard's weatherbeaten hat, whether Jackson, who was at one point effectively blacklisted by New Line over the legal dispute, is able to return for the new film or not.

"I am glad to read that [The Hobbit] is looking more and more likely," said the 68-year-old actor. "I would be disappointed if they didn't want to have the original Gandalf. I suppose if I am still functioning and working well, it is very likely I would be asked to do it and if I were, I would be very pleased to do it."

Sir Ian said he hoped Jackson would direct the movie, but said he had the director's blessing to play Gandalf for someone else. "When Peter announced he had withdrawn from The Hobbit, he sent me an email saying 'Because I am not going to do it, it doesn't mean you have to do the same. Of course, you must play Gandalf whether I direct or not'," said the Shakespearean actor.

Sir Ian portrayed the character in the three Lord of the Rings movies, one of the biggest box-office successes of all time, and earned a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for the part in 2002.

The Hobbit, first published In 1937, describes the adventures of Bilbo Baggins as he joins Gandalf and a group of dwarves in a quest to slay a dragon. During the quest, he discovers the powerful ring that plays a central part in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.