Peter Jackson threatens to take The Hobbit east
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11417340
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- candida
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This comes just days after the casting call was put out for all New Zealand actors who are under 5ft 2 inches tall and “fattish in the stomach, shortish in the leg”, with auditions taking place yesterday in Wellington.
In an open letter, the producer suggested ditching his beloved New Zealand and filming east instead ("Eastern Europe, in fact") or – a last resort – curtailing production completely. According to the unions, without their protection, the native actors are subject to contracts which "provide no minimum guarantees of wages or working conditions" – BBC. The International Federation of Actors is insisting they secure union contracts or, failing that, refrain from auditioning at all.
Jackson, the movies’ executive producer, who won three Oscars for his iconic adaptation of Tolkein’s Lord of The Rings and shares remarkable similarities with the diminutive Hobbit race, has assured the unions that those working without their protection are eligible to partake in a profit-sharing scheme.
This is the latest in a series of events stunting the movies’ development. Amidst ongoing financial uncertainty from Hollywood studios MGM and New Line, and a legal battle with Tolkein's heirs in September 2009, Mexican director Guillermo del Toro (of Pan's Labyrinth fame) pulled out all together earlier this year, fed up with two years of delays.
Jackson seems an obvious replacement. And if the unions don’t let up, he could even land the leading role.
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flyingkick
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Did Jackson lose weight?
- 1 year ago
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flyingkick
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BKsaysAction
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flyingkick:
Yeah he started it when he was filming lord of the rings and by king kong he was pretty skinny.
- 1 year ago
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BKsaysAction
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zHellas
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Aww... I thought this meant we'd get Japanese Dwarves & Korean Elves!
- 1 year ago
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zHellas
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UtopianSky
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He's going to use actual dwarves instead of using visual effects like in the previous films?
I don't think that's right- Hobbits were short but fully proportioned, except for the big feet and slightly larger heads. They were not supposed to be shaped like real dwarves are.
- 1 year ago
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UtopianSky
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remanns
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UtopianSky:
Yep. They were eco-viable ( sorta ) in design ! ( they didn't all have glandular issues ). I wish no cartoonist/illustrator had ever scribbled a charming chubby lil rotundahobbit. Makes you wince.
- 1 year ago
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remanns
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candida
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UtopianSky:
I think the general definition of dwarf is an adult under 4ft 10 inches so I guess they are just casting short actors...
- 1 year ago
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candida
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UtopianSky
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candida:
But in the previous Lord of the Rings movies they used average height actors, and just used visual effects to make them look short. That turned out well- and doing something different will just make it look like this film is not part of the same series.
- 1 year ago
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UtopianSky
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candida
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UtopianSky:
I agree - it worked really well. But perhaps they are going for a different aesthetic given that Guillermo del Toro was originally going to direct?
- 1 year ago
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candida
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remanns
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Just cross your fingers that somehow everything gels .
- 1 year ago
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remanns
