Peter Jackson's Final Production Diary Brings It Home - THE HOBBIT Is On It's Way...

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Here's your chance to watch something and then have a silly smile planted on your face for at least a few hours! Honestly, Peter Jackson has created his own signature method of marketing a movie (two in this case) that at once underscores the need to go see it and at the same time minimizes the need for on set employees to feel as though they must share the magic they are creating.

Look, directors (let alone directors shooting back to back tentpoles movies) are busy enough. For Jackson to care enough about his product and audience to do this for us is remarkable.

3ality Technica Rig Housing Red Epic Cameras In 3D Config

In an amazing twist that kept creeping into my mind, I was feeling quite moved at the end of this eighth and final production diary (there will be more post-production diaries), quite moved indeed - and yet we still have the movies to look forward to! For me anyway, this is perfect marketing. This is how you make a classic movie in today's world. 

With that out of the way, I won't spoil anything for you in the diary. You WILL be able to see some brief footage of what was made available to audiences at Comic-Con this year - although nothing too earth shattering, so I think it's ok to watch it.

And a shout out to Jackson's team on these movies: WELL DONE! You know who you are and there certainly are far too many to list, but without you the magic just wouldn't be there. Congratulations on the wrap. Next up? All those creative talents in post-production! Time to pick up the ball and run with it like few others can...

Here is the storyline for the first movie, THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY:
From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," the first of two films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece “The Hobbit,” by J.R.R. Tolkien. The second film will be “The Hobbit: There and Back Again.”

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Both films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever…Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins. Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” movies are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; and Andy Serkis as Gollum.

Have a watch!

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY opens this December 19. I can't believe it's almost time!