sandwichjohnfilms

  Galadriel  Returns For The Hobbit The Cast for the upcoming film " The Hobbit " is starring to get its cast together with the addition of Cate Blanchett, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy and Mikael Persbrandt and have joined the cast of Peter Jackson’s highly anticipated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic “ The Hobbit .” Also joining them are Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy and William Kircher . The films, which are scheduled to commence principal photography in February 2011, mark Jackson’s return to Middle-earth following his Oscar-winning “ Lord of the Rings ” trilogy. The announcement was made jointly today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. and Steve Cooper, co-Chief Executive Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. Jackson, who directed all three “Lord of the Rings” films, will helm the two films back-to-back, telling the story of “The Hobbit” in two parts from a screenplay by Ja

Filming on Peter Jackson's long-awaited adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit gets under way Monday in Wellington, New Zealand, with everyone involved "raring to go," Jackson's assistant Matt Dravitski told New Zealand media. The start of filming on the two $500 million Hobbit films -- prequels to The Lord of the Rings -- comes after setbacks that have included disputes over distribution rights to the films; financial difficulties of studios MGM and New Line; the departure of Guillermo Del Toro as director; industrial action brought about by N.Z. Actros Equity, which threatened to move the shoot from New Zealand; and Jackson's hospitalization in February for a perforated stomach ulcer. Martin Freeman , who stars in the title role as Bilbo Baggins, joked about the so-called "curse of The Hobbit" last month: "There are some bits of bad luck associated with it [but] we're ready to go -- just as soon as 2015 comes around." The

Time for an update. Actually, we've been intending to kick off with a video, which is almost done, so look out for that in the next day or two. In the meantime, I thought I'd address the news that has been reported about us shooting THE HOBBIT at 48 frames per second , and explain to you what my thoughts are about this. We are indeed shooting at the higher frame rate. The key thing to understand is that this process requires both shooting and projecting at 48 fps, rather than the usual 24 fps (films have been shot at 24 frames per second since the late 1920's). So the result looks like normal speed, but the image has hugely enhanced clarity and smoothness. Looking at 24 frames every second may seem ok--and we've all seen thousands of films like this over the last 90 years--but there is often quite a lot of blur in each frame, during fast movements, and if the camera is moving around quickly, the image can judder or "strobe." Shooting and projecting at 48

Andy Serkis , who played the iconic Gollum in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings , is taking on a new role in The Hobbit 1 and 2 . In addition to reprising his role as the tragic creature, Serkis also has been tapped by Jackson to serve as second unit director on the two films , which are now in production in New Zealand. “I think I understand Peter’s sensibility and we have a common history of understanding Middle Earth,” Serkis told The Hollywood Reporter . “A lot of the crew from The Lord of the Rings was returning to work on The Hobbit. There is really a sense of Peter wanting people around him who totally understand the material and the work ethic." Serkis has already done some directing, including performance capture on a couple video games including Heavenly Sword. But, he said, “When Peter asked me. There was this email out of the blue. It was a fantastic surprise.” When he completes The Hobbit movies, Serkis aims to direct his first live-action feature. In addit

We're now two months away from the release of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies , the final film in The Hobbit trilogy and, very likely, the final Middle-earth movie (the Tolkien estate still owns the film rights to Middle-earth books like The Silmarillion , and they're not too happy with Hollywood these days) from Peter Jackson , who earned international acclaim, millions of dollars and 17 Oscars (including a record-tying 11 for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ) for his Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Though they've certainly made plenty of money -- the first two films have earned just shy of two billion dollars at the box office -- Jackson's Hobbit films have faced pleny of criticism, particularly for the decision to stretch what was originally a two-film adaptation into a three-film one. The story certainly feels stretched out to a lot of viewers, but it's hard to argue with box-office results. Warner Bros. anticipated making plenty of c

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is an uninspired goodbye to Middle Earth. When Lord of the Rings arrived in the dreary year of 9/11, it set the standard for big epic battle scenes, wowed us with every beautifully-shot sequence and sequel, and even inspired a generation of filmmakers to outdo it. And yet, as its architect Peter Jackson delivered two prequels, The Hobbit has done something I could never have imagined: they became bloated, predictable, and even bored. Sadly, The Battle of the Five Armies does nothing to alleviate those concerns, displaying its true colors of drab and disappointment. With the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch) released to destroy Laketown, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and his Dwarf allies must deal with a new problem: the dragon madness which is about to consume their leader Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). Caught between Thorin's increasingly brutal demands and the arrival of the Elvenking Thranduil (Lee Pace), Bilbo

Director Peter Jackson , via his facebook page , takes you, on the first of many behind the scene videos he plans to deliver the fans during the production of the upcoming film " The Hobbit ." In the video we get a chance to take a look at the pre production of the film, amazing film sets, wardrobe and the cast. Watch the video after the Jump... The Hobbit, to be made as two 3D films, follows the journey of Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of 13 dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers and ultimately Baggins' meeting with Gollum, where he gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring --

Warner Bros. and New Line have set July 18, 2014, as the release date for the third film in Peter Jackson's ambitious The Hobbit trilogy . Additionally, the second film has been retitled The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug . The third film will take the title that was previously assigned to the second film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again . Warners is banking big on the trilogy. And, in sharp contrast to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the second and third Hobbit pics will open within seven months of each other (the Lord of the Rings pics opened a year apart, at Christmas). “We wanted to have a shorter gap between the second and third films," Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman said in a statement. "Opening in July affords us not only the perfect summer tentpole, but fans will have less time to wait for the finale of this epic adventure." Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, president of international distribution, added: "The

Here comes " The Hobbit " Lord Of The Rings Lawsuit Settled The Tolkien Trust , New Line and HarperCollins have settled a suit by the trust over the gross profit participation of JRR Tolkien's heirs from “ The Lord of the Rings " trilogy. Terms of the settlement, announced Tuesday, were confidential. The case had been set to go to trial on Oct. 19 in Los Angeles Superior Court. The trust said Tuesday that the settlement will allow New Line's two films based on Tolkien's " The Hobbit " to go forward. Shooting is expected to start on the pics next year with Guillermo Del Toro directing. The Tolkien Trust and HarperCollins filed the suit in February 2008, alleging New Line had failed to pay at least $220 million to members of the trust. The plaintiffs had asserted that under a 1969 contract, the trust and other plaintiffs are entitled to 7.5% of gross receipts from the films and related products, minus certain costs. The plaintiff has also sought a de

MTV got a chance to talk to Elijah Wood and asked him about his upcoming role in " The Hobbit ." Wood has long maintained that he'd never suit back up as Frodo Baggins — the role he pioneered in the Oscar-winning " Lord of the Rings " trilogy" — in an adaptation of "The Hobbit" unless the appearance avoided gimmickry and fit within the larger context of J. R. R. Tolkien's legendary creation. Well, now Wood is officially returning to Middle-earth, and in what might be his first public comments about the upcoming project, the 29-year-old actor told MTV News that, although Frodo was never in Tolkien's "Hobbit," the character's appearance in the movies makes sense for Jackson's adaptation. "It's a very small piece, and I think that's the most appropriate," Wood said when we caught up with him at the Sundance Film Festival, where he was promoting " Fight for Your Right Revisited ," a short fil

Win Tickets To An Advance Screening For  THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES-  on December 10th at 7:00PM in Fresno. “ THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES ” brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins ( Martin Freeman ), Thorin Oakenshield ( Richard Armitage ) and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf ( Ian McKellen ), the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on thei

Win Tickets To An Advance Screening For  THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES-  on December 10th at 7:00PM in Phoenix. “ THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES ” brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins ( Martin Freeman ), Thorin Oakenshield ( Richard Armitage ) and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf ( Ian McKellen ), the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on the

Win Tickets To An Advance Screening For  THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES-  on December 10th at 7:00PM in San Jose. “ THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES ” brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins ( Martin Freeman ), Thorin Oakenshield ( Richard Armitage ) and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf ( Ian McKellen ), the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on th

Win Tickets To An Advance Screening For  THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES-  on December 10th at 7:00PM in Sacramento. “ THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES ” brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins ( Martin Freeman ), Thorin Oakenshield ( Richard Armitage ) and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf ( Ian McKellen ), the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on

Win your tickets to see an advance screening for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ! The screening is on December 10th @ 7:00PM at Century Stadium 14 in Sacramento. The Hobbit is a series of three epic fantasy-adventure films directed, co-written and produced by Peter Jackson and based on J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Hobbit (1937). The films are, by subtitle, An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug and There and Back Again , due for theatrical release in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. The series acts as a prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings series and will star Ian McKellen , reprising his role as Gandalf, Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug. Several other actors will reprise their roles from The Lord of the Rings, including Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, and Orlando Bloom . Also returning for the production are a s

We have seen the The Hobbit's dwarves and now we get a look at Dean O’Gorman as Fili and Aidan Turner as Kili in THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY . Two of the youngest Dwarves, Fili and Kili have been born into the royal line of Durin and raised under the stern guardianship of their uncle, Thorin Oakensheild. Neither has ever travelled far, nor ever seen the fabled Dwarf City of Erebor. For both, the journey to the Lonely Mountain represents adventure and excitement. Skilled fighters, both brothers set off on their adventure armed with the invincible courage of youth, neither being able to imagine the fate which lies before them. See the entire picture after the Jump... Cate Blanchett (LOTR Films) returns as Galadriel, the Lady of Lothlorien Ian McKellen (LOTR Films) returns as Gandalf Christopher Lee (LOTR Films) returns as Saruman Elijah Wood (LOTR Films) returns as Frodo Andy Serkis (LOTR Films) as Gollum Ken Stott (Charlie Wilson‘s War) as Dwarf Lord Balin Sylv

This year – perhaps more than any other in film history – has given us some of the best and most disappointing/terrible films of all time. Perhaps it's the media machine that seems to make every movie look like the second coming of Jesus, or Moses, or William Shatner. Those lofty expectations certainly held up with The Avengers; but there were also a healthy share of films that left us unfulfilled, like my oft-used prom queen analogy, who fails to put out after a night of courting and outright begging for something magical to occur. Maybe you liked Prometheus even after a preview that looked so amazing. That's fair. No matter where you stand, here's SJF's most disappointing releases – because we love to rub Hollywood's screw ups in their faces. Just so we're clear, the word ' disappointing ' refers to: Films that were highly anticipated, either for their casting/director or because the previews suggested a much better film than we actually got