Katie Stone, Matamata Chronicle
There has been some significant digging and planting going on on a farm near Matamata.
Contractors are making underground houses, moving hedges and planting apple and pear trees.
Visitors to the farm have to sign a contract stating they will not sell any of the photos they take while there. It might all seem very odd if you weren't a LOTR* fan.
These two men (and MGM) are at the heart of it:
Peter Jackson and Guillermo Del Toro.
Sometime towards the end of this year**, filming is scheduled to begin on the two part film The Hobbit. There's a rumour that it will be filmed in 3D. (I hope they do it better than Alice).
So far all I can find out about the cast is that Cate Blanchett (Galadriel), Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Andy Serkis (Gollum) and Hugo Weaving (Elrond) are possibly returning in their previous roles. Christopher Lee (Saruman) feels he is not able to make the journey to New Zealand at his age.
Release is estimated late 2012. Our family are looking forward to this with great pleasure.
*Lord of The Rings
** Andy Serkis May 18 mtv.co.uk
How interesting to be able to follow a bit of that up close! I am a LOTR fan ;) and I have heard that there were plans for making the Hobbit, but I've not been keeping up to date with the latest rumours...
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to the Hobbit; more my taste than LOTR! I love to think of the hobbit houses as real though. Most important, that...
ReplyDeleteI've liked almost all of Del Toro's work up to now (and Peter Jackson's of course - Braindead still raises a gruesome laugh every time I see it!), so I think there's a magic combination here for a possibly great film ... can't wait.
ReplyDeleteAh, I had almost forgotten that this film was in the pipeline, great! thanks for reminding me - if it's as good as the LOTRs trilogy I won't be complaining.
ReplyDeleteI first read TLOR in the early '70s and absolutely loved it. My love has never diminished and I thought that the films were amongst the best I've seen. The fact that I saw them with Friend Who Knows Too Much and her children was a treasured bonus. It is always good to see these things though a child's eyes.
ReplyDeleteStrange as it may seem I always separate The Hobbit in my mind from LOTR. I hope that the new film will be a huge success.
Great news... I'm glad to read it here. Just finished reading The Hobbit with my 9 year old :)
ReplyDeleteThe latest: I heard on the news this morning (1.6.10) that Del Toro has resigned due to all the delays in projected filming start date. He said he would live in New Zealand for 3 years, but not 6.
ReplyDeleteSo there will be another delay while they look for another director...