PODCAST 299: The Shape of Water & Crimson Peak [Del Toro Wins Edition]

This week the Horror Duo celebrate the recent Oscar success of filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro by sharing their thoughts on a pair of his most recent films. Forest covers this past year's sexy fish-man movie, The Shape of Water. Cory appreciates Crimson Peak, but thinks it falls short of being great.

CONTINUE READING

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Original Title

El laberinto del fauno

Genre

Drama | Fantasy | War

Director

Guillermo del Toro

Country

Spain | Mexico

Cast

Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil, Álex Angulo, Manolo Solo, César Vea, Roger Casamajor, Federico Luppi, Pablo Adán

Plot

In the falangist Spain of 1944, armed with only her imagination, young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) discovers a mysterious labyrinth and meets a faun who sets her on a path to saving herself and her ailing mother.

Opinion

Pan's Labyrinth is an undefined film, a dark fairy tale for grown ups, halfway between the fantasy and the real world, which, in this case, is war. By looking around, I figured this is the main reason why many did not like the film. Having said this, I really liked it.

Guillermo del Toro, which deals with brutality and innocence, has created something different, something special. The continuous alternation between reality and fantasy, lived through a little girl's eyes, has an addictive rhythm.

Sergi López is excellent as the brutal and sadistic falangist Captain Vidal. Ivana Baquero, 11-year-old at that time, delivers a great performance.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Ofelia: Many, many years ago in a sad, faraway land, there was an enormous mountain made of rough, black stone. At sunset, on top of that mountain, a magic rose blossomed every night that made whoever plucked it immortal. But no one dared go near it because its thorns were full of poison. Men talked amongst themselves about their fear of death, and pain, but never about the promise of eternal life. And every day, the rose wilted, unable to bequeath its gift to anyone... forgotten and lost at the top of that cold, dark mountain, forever alone, until the end of time.

Rating

8.5/10

Pacific Rim (2013)

Genre

Sci-Fi

Director

Guillermo del Toro

Country

United States

Cast
Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Ron Perlman, Heather Doerksen, Ellen McLain, Robert Maillet, Robert Kazinsky, Max Martini, Clifton Collins Jr., Burn Gorman, Diego Klattenhoff, Mana Ashida

Plot
In 2013, human cities come under attack by the Kaijus (colossal beasts of Japanese cinema) through a portal on the Pacific Ocean.

To combat them the Pacific Rim nations build the Jaegers (colossal robotic war machines). Each Jaeger is piloted by two people drifting to share mental load of operating the machine. The Jaegers are initially effective, but many are destroyed, the Kaijus are stronger and their attacks more frequent. In 2025, after the governments deem the Jaeger program ineffective and discontinue, Jaeger commander Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) devises a plan to end the threat permanently by destroying the portal with a nuclear bomb.

Opinion
Well-made though Optimus Prime (Transformers) would consider it a bit pornographic (I mean, humans inside robots). Just kidding.

Guillermo del Toro made a great job though the story isn't brilliant: if the pilots are drifting, aka their brain are linked, why do they need to talk? Their memories are shared but not their thoughts? This doesn't make any sense.

Quote
Fortune favors the brave, dude.

Rating
6.7/10

New Trailer For Guillermo del Toro's PACIFIC RIM!

Guillermo del Toro's PACIFIC RIM is looking better and better in each new glimpse of the monster flick, in what has been to date a very well run marketing campaign. Case in point is this second trailer which expands upon what we have already seen in the first iteration.

This trailer was released at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

PACIFIC RIM is slated for release on July 13. 

Hit the jump for the trailer...

Guillermo del Toro Is AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS Once Again!

I have to say this project absolutely fascinates me. Guillermo del Toro came close with his James Cameron produced effort to obtain financing from Universal for AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS but in the end the studio backed out. And with that rejection del Toro decided that the project resembled Ridley Scott's PROMETHEUS too much and completely shelved it.

Or did he? Tom Cruise is STILL attached. I'm uncertain if Cameron is still around to produce (his life is about to get some Pandora pandemonium), but this thing is still alive. Sounds more like halfway between the back and front burners to me!

Now check what Guillermo had to say about the project:
"I'm going to try it one more time. Once more into the dark abyss. We're gonna do a big presentation of the project again at the start of the year and see if any [studio's] interested...Yeah, Tom [Cruise] is still attached. I think it would be so fantastic to make it with him. He's been such a great ally of the project."

And after seeing PROMETHEUS in theaters, del Toro seemed to be comfortable with the whole thing and laughed it off:
"I saw it finally and.. yes, there are things in common, but, you know, screw it. Lovecraft was there first."

...And a huge smile spreads across my face. AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS is an all or nothing effort and judging by the way PACIFIC RIM looks, I think he will get his financing finally. Will Legendary Pictures step up to the plate? Here's hoping! Imagine that Lovecraft classic amplified by del Toro's magic on the silver screen in 3D...

Source: Indiewire

It's HERE! MUST WATCH: First Trailer For PACIFIC RIM!!

Ummm Wow. Talk about entertainment! Guillermo del Toro's PACIFIC RIM looks staggeringly amazing. I can't believe the realism with such immense creatures!

Did you see the rocket propelled elbows to land a massive punch? My jaw dropped when I saw that!!

What an amazing trailer. Well worth the wait. Now it's a matter of waiting for the movie because this one, you're going to want to see again and again.

Here's the movie's storyline:
When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes--a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)--who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Genre: Science Fiction, Action and Adventure
Official Site: http://www.pacificrimmovie.com
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Ron Perlman, Robert Kazinsky, Max Martini, Clifton Collins, Jr., Burn Gorman, Larry Joe Campbell, Brad William Henke, Diego Klattenhoff

Hit the jump to watch the trailer...

Move Like Jaeger! PACIFIC RIM's Marketing Is Now Firing On All Cylinders!

Guillermo del Toro's PACIFIC RIM is making some big noise in all the right ways! Warner Bros. viral marketing website has been dropping Jaeger Bombs across their global map lately.

Let's get you up to speed on what's happened:

First of all we have blueprints to study for four of the Jaegers thus far (pictured). Countries build their own breed of Jaeger with unique strengths and to date we have the just released Australian Striker Eureka along with the Russian Cherno Alpha, Japanese Coyote Tango and the American Gipsy Danger.

Awesome concepts or what! And pragmatically very brilliant - regions of the world will be rooting for their own robot driving in audiences everywhere.

Precious little information about the Kaiju that attack our cities, but a couple of very cool teaser clips exist - one showing the chaos from an attack on San Francisco (below). ENJOY!

Everything we have been seeing from this production has seemed to be epic. It looks like Guillermo has been able to leverage every cent of a massive budget to pull off what seems to be a must-see event movie.

Hit the jump for more...


Here's the storyline for the movie:
When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju.

On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

PACIFIC RIM opens on July 12, 2013. The first trailer for the movie drops on December 14 pre-rolling with THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY in 3D. What a cinematic day that will be!

Kaiju Attack Clip:



Sources: EIGA | Wired | PACIFIC RIM Movie Site

**UPDATED - Is This A Jaeger From PACIFIC RIM?

**POTENTIAL SPOILERS**

**UPDATE: Apparently not. Guillermo has stated that this clip has nothing to do with PACIFIC RIM. Oh well. Still nice.

WHOA. A very nice spoiler if it's true and certainly the footage is bound to have some pedigree from Guillermo del Toro's PACIFIC RIM due to the nature of the visual FX company Mirada and the guy who owns it: Guillermo del Toro.

Due to the nature of the video and the screencaps I have posted for you, you are risking a pristine viewing experience by going further. You have been warned.

Hit the jump for more...

Click to enlarge

Yes, it's a giant robot and it's firing shoulder mounted missiles at something. There's a nice sequence revealing a forearm based missile system as well.

The size of the robot is on par with the office buildings beside it. Perhaps some concept work that was done prior to PACIFIC RIM? Regardless, it looks darn good.

In fact the whole clip is amazing. Looks like Merida means business and is here for the long run.

PACIFIC RIM stars Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Charlie Day, Rinko Kikuchi, Max Martini, Clifton Collins Jr., Rob Kazinsky, and Diego Klattenhoff.

Click to enlarge

Here's the storyline from the movie:
When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes-a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)-who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

PACIFIC RIM opens on July 12, 2013.

Check out the VFX reel (specifically at 1:14):



Source: CBM via Collider

PACIFIC RIM 3D Conversion Silver Lining - And What A Silver Lining!

You guys know me by now, if you're going to release a movie that's been converted to 3D you have to plan the production around that. So I mean, have a stereographer working side by side with the director to ensure the shots that are being set up and shot will work very well in three dimensions. That probably means a depth script even though it's not being shot in 3D. It also means consideration to how the movie is lit as well.

But then there's Guillermo del Toro. Obviously he was cleared to shoot PACIFIC RIM in 2D and no one is going to blame him for his reasons for doing so. He's the creative force. I may have a different opinion but would I have gone to see it in 2D? Absol-freakin-lutely.

Here's the thing though. Guillermo is one smart director. Legendary is calling the shots as far as money is concerned and wants it converted. So how can del Toro turn this into something wonderful? He's already in a compromised position due to the fact that he is now going to have a 3D movie that was shot for 2D. So how does he pull this off?

With suitable del Toro gusto. I love this guy! Guillermo is well versed in what makes great 3D and here's the proof - in his own words - on how he approached the executives (Warner Bros and Legendary):

"What happened was, in the weeks and months following Comic-Con, what I asked from the studio was to agree to four points that I wanted to do," he says. "The more the ILM shots arrived, the more I realized that there were only a few shots that would miniaturize. I asked the studio, number one, that we would not hyper-stereo-lize the thing. That we would not force 3D on the beauty shots. That we would keep the giant dimensions. They agreed. Number two, they agreed to something very unusual. Normally a conversion takes a few weeks. I asked to start it immediately so we could take the full 40 weeks to do the conversion. As an example, 'Titanic' took about 50 weeks to convert. The final thing that I asked that they agreed to, which was amazing, was that I asked them to give me an extra budget, which is considerable, to actually have ILM composite the shots that are CG native 3D. We're not giving elements. ILM is giving the composite in 3D from the get-go. That's a huge, huge element. Now I'm going to be involved in supervising it. What can I tell you? I changed my mind. I'm not running for office. I can do a Romney."

So to be clear, here's his list:
1. Don't exaggerate the 3D during some of the massive robot shots - his 'beauty shots'.
This makes sense. Some shots simply will not hold water if you force 3D upon them. Further, audiences need time to relax their eyes in between full immersive 3D. A 3D movie does not need to be, nor should it, always be forcing 3D - unlike some movie blog sites out there that claim they should be by how they rate the genre.

2. He got Legendary to agree to a 40 week conversion!
This is massive. Of course there is more to getting this job done than time, but time is one of the key components of any great conversion. You need time, money, appropriate content and resources. With 40 weeks, you can strike that component concern off the map. Love it!

3. Asked for and received more money - then throwing this at ILM for native 3D visual effects scenes!
The most intricate conversions would have been the action and impact scenes. In one fell swoop, Guillermo negotiated for and won the right to pay Industrial Light and Magic to not only fulfill his visual effects needs, but to render them in native 3D from the beginning. No need to convert these scenes and we'll end up with awesome 3D.

Don't fool yourself. Guillermo del Toro knows what he is doing in 3D. He hasn't shot in native 3D yet, but given his past awareness of the format (he spoke about myself and 3D right here), his clear knowledge of the format in what he negotiated for and won from Legendary for PACIFIC RIM, and of course his close friendship with James Cameron (they were going to do AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS together) - shows his affinity for what we know and love here at MarketSaw.

Best of luck with the conversion Guillermo! You truly have my support in this. You've addressed your needs to make a great 3D conversion and I for one, believe you can do this thing. You've rightly said that TITANIC took 50 weeks and it was a stunning conversion. Can't wait to see this thing on as large a 3D screen as I can find! Bring it on GDT...

PACIFIC RIM opens in 3D on July 12, 2013.

Source: STYD
Thanks: David S. Cohen

It's Official Now: PACIFIC RIM Will Be A 3D Movie

We assumed this was going to happen when we heard last fall about the unofficial word out of Warner Bros. that Guillermo del Toro's PACIFIC RIM was going to be post converted to 3D. Now comes official word, that yes - it will be 3D, from the studio who is spending $200m on the tentpole.

Guillermo has come out against using 3D for the movie for various reasons (he says the robots are too big for 3D, but to me TRANSFORMERS DotM was an awesome 3D movie visually). In the end though it is the studio who is shelling out the big bucks that will of course decide what happens with the property. It's the age old debate that rages on today: Should studio executives be able to override creative talent on how productions should ultimately look? Christopher Nolan for example seems to have enough sway to hold off the studio execs and protect his decision to shoot and distribute in 2D. Ultimately - in most cases - money talks. The second a Nolan tentpole fails to achieve, is the second where his considerable influence dwindles significantly.

So, now. What about this PACIFIC RIM thing? I am grimacing due to this disconnect for PAC RIM. Did Guillermo shoot it with a 3D conversion in mind? Apparently not. BAD. Will del Toro be intimately involved with the conversion? Undoubtedly yes. GOOD. Will the studio try to further interfere and stipulate how the conversion should be done over del Toro? Don't know. But today's advanced 3D conversion technology soaring with new business, I am fairly confident that we are going to see a great end product here. There is a right way and a wrong way to convert and while sure, there are a some things to raise an eyebrow over - I think Warners and del Toro have a winner here. In 3D and in 2D.

PACIFIC RIM opens on July 12, 2013.

What do you think? Will we get a superlative 3D product with PAC RIM?

Source: THR

Must See: new Character Posters For DWA's RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

Click to enlarge

Check out the new character posters for Dreamworks Animation's RISE OF THE GUARDIANS! I am quite bullish on this upcoming 3D animation feature that features the vocal stylings of Chris Pine (Jack Frost), Hugh Jackman (Easter Bunny), Alec Baldwin (Nicholas St. North), Jude Law (The Boogeyman) and Isla Fisher (The Tooth Fairy). 

It's kinda like a child-friendly version of THE AVENGERS. Love that the creative genius of Guillermo del Toro has an influence here!

Click to enlarge

Here's the official movie storyline:
Rise of the Guardians, based on the forthcoming books by William Joyce, will be released on November 21, 2012. It is directed by Peter Ramsey (Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space) and co-directed by Joyce. The film is being produced by Christina Steinberg (Bee Movie, National Treasure) and Nancy Bernstein, long-time head of Production at DreamWorks Animation. Rise of the Guardians is being written by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro and Michael Siegel. It stars Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law. More than a collection of the well-known childhood legends, Rise of the Guardians is an epic adventure that tells the story of a group of heroes – each with extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world.

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS hits theaters on November 21. For all of our coverage on RISE OF THE GUARDIANS including it's first trailer, click here.

Guillermo del Toro To Direct AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS Next? With Cameron Producing??

Sounds too good to be true! Keep in mind folks this is still just a rumor but it has been reported by Deadline that Guillermo del Toro's next project will be H.P. Lovecraft's AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS!! Deadline is usually reliable (but do tend to steal other's exclusives once in awhile).

The kicker is that James Cameron has apparently agreed to lend his name as a Producer! I am a bit taken aback by that, but if true certainly underscores the relationship that Cameron and del Toro have fostered over the years. Seems Cameron trusts him to deliver a great 3D movie. Bring it on!

As AICN has postulated - wouldn't MADNESS look great as an R-rated tentpole? You bet. We are all with you Guillermo!!

Peter Jackson Confirms MarketSaw's Exclusive That THE HOBBIT Could Shoot In November - And 3D Is Still On His Lips!! Oh And He May Direct It!!!

Peter Jackson has confirmed that November would be the earliest that THE HOBBIT could being shooting - We exclusively gave you that information back in March.

FURTHER, Jackson spoke about the budget of the movie (from Stuff): "US$150 million budget was a ballpark figure, but it could be higher if it was filmed in 3-D." Read that guys - this is the man himself talking 3D here.

So just when did Jackson's team find out about Guillermo del Toro's departure? Saturday. That must have been a shocker for them - but Jackson did say it was amicable.

And in a not so surprising move, Jackson has stepped forward to say that he would take over the reins of directing the movie if need be - if it can be worked out with other commitments: "If that's what I have to do to protect Warner Bros' investment, then obviously that's one angle which I'll explore. The other studios may not let me out of the contracts."

So, in the end it sounds like there is a real possibility of Peter Jackson directing THE HOBBIT in 3D. That has a familiar ring to it doesn't it? :-) More when I get it!

Why Did My Source Think THE HOBBIT Was Greenlit? And A Brief RISE OF THE APES Update!!

In light of Guillermo del Toro stepping down from directing THE HOBBIT (which was a complete surprise to everyone), I thought I should address the reasons why I posted the movie was greenlit back on Thursday.

The bottom line is this: My source (one of the best I have ever had) told me flat out that the movie was greenlit. And now I know why. Simply said, EVERY DEPARTMENT WAS GIVEN THEIR BUDGET AND THE CASH TO RAMP UP.

In my books, that IS a greenlight whether it is from a studio head or production company. This particular source is on the inside - not an executive at the top either. When budgets are set and operating cash is distributed that means a greenlight for pre-production.

So now you know where we stand on this. There was clear and deliberate action to ramp up the movie and it did in fact happen. The status as of today is murky with no director and I am still digging for the inside story. The resignation came out of the blue. What I want to know is what will Weta be doing on the project in the short term now that GDT is gone? Obviously this whole thing is Peter Jackson's baby so there will always be leadership present, but what is going on right now?

Weta is in a bit of a pickle too as production for the PLANET OF THE APES prequel is set to pick up soon. In fact they are already creating some CG models and the pipeline for the rigging and such for them. The CG models are looking VERY COOL according to my source.

Movie is set for a June 24, 2011 release.

With James Franco already cast, I have very high hopes for the movie. I have a feeling RISE OF THE APES is going to forever change the franchise. More when I get it!!

EXCLUSIVE: Just What Did Guillermo Del Toro Accomplish Visually While He Was In Charge? We Have Got Some Answers!!

I have the first bit of printable news from one of my inside sources to help paint the picture of what has been going on over in Wellywood, NZ lately - you know, before Guillermo del Toro stepped down...

**Some minor creature SPOILERS**

This is a direct quote (emphasis is mine):

"Things have always been rolling... it was quiet for a little while a few months ago but then it ramped up again with previs pushing forward and getting some great results on animation and camera work, obviously wanting to get out as much as possible to finally sell the product and getting production into full swing.

Workshop sculpted and finished painting a few miniature characters that turned out awesome and they were later scanned in to the computer and ready to be built as a final movie CG model.

One of the bigger ones that were scanned was "Smaug" the dragon and all I can say is that it looked great... but who knows if any of this will ever see daylight again, if someone else will be directing it and thus changing the design there is always a chance for changes in designs. The 3 trolls with all their gear on the backs also looked fantastic in the workshop models. The attention to detail was stunning and later when seen in the previs, one can truly understand how great this film will be, if it ever gets done. :) I say that more in the way of "a joke", it's too good of a film to pass up on, so it will definitely be made. Might just take a little while. Some of the film set crew are still hoping for an October-November start, but who can really tell with the latest news coming to surface."

Those scanned miniatures sound outstanding! Wish I could see what has been accomplished already. What a situation - the only true hand-off that would make sense now is for Peter Jackson to pick up the reins. We'll see!! Still digging for more - stay tuned...

Guillermo del Toro Steps Down From THE HOBBIT!!

Wow! In a stunning turn of events tied to the delay of THE HOBBIT getting made and GDT's commitment to living in New Zealand, Guillermo del Toro has stepped away from the project, save for co-writing the screenplays.

I knew Peter Jackson would be the director and it would be in 3D, but this sure is a long about way of doing things right? Kidding of course, Jackson has not commented on who would replace del Toro who just stepped down from the helm of the HOBBIT movies.

In an exclusive to TheOneRing.net (these guys deserve these scoops of course with all of their hard work over the years), both Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro chime in:

Guillermo Del Toro announced today that he is no longer directing the two movies based on J.R.R Tolkien’s “The Hobbit”, but will continue to co-write the screenplays. Out of respect to the legions of loyal Tolkien fans, both Guillermo and Peter Jackson wanted to break the news to The One Ring first. They are both committed to protecting The Hobbit and will do everything in their power to ensure the films are everything that the fans want them to be.
“In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming “The Hobbit,” I am faced with the hardest decision of my life”, says Guillermo. “After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures. I remain grateful to Peter, Fran and Philippa Boyens, New Line and Warner Brothers and to all my crew in New Zealand. I’ve been privileged to work in one of the greatest countries on earth with some of the best people ever in our craft and my life will be forever changed. The blessings have been plenty, but the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. Both as a co-writer and as a director, I wlsh the production nothing but the very best of luck and I will be first in line to see the finished product. I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director”.

“We feel very sad to see Guillermo leave the Hobbit, but he has kept us fully in the loop and we understand how the protracted development time on these two films, due to reasons beyond anyone’s control – has compromised his commitment to other long term projects”, says Executive Producer Peter Jackson. “The bottom line is that Guillermo just didn’t feel he could commit six years to living in New Zealand, exclusively making these films, when his original commitment was for three years. Guillermo is one of the most remarkable creative spirits I’ve ever encountered and it has been a complete joy working with him. Guillermo’s strong vision is engrained into the scripts and designs of these two films, which are extremely fortunate to be blessed with his creative DNA”.

“Guillermo is co-writing the Hobbit screenplays with Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh and myself, and happily our writing partnership will continue for several more months, until the scripts are fine tuned and polished” says Jackson. “New Line and Warner Bros will sit down with us this week, to ensure a smooth and uneventful transition, as we secure a new director for the Hobbit. We do not anticipate any delay or disruption to ongoing pre-production work”.

The Hobbit is planned as two motion pictures, co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM. They are scheduled for release in Dec 2012 and Dec 2013.

Wow. I am on it guys - emails out to my sources as I type. In fact I was informed by one of them about this story not moments ago. More when I get it!!

The SMAUG Clears! More Ammo Behind MarketSaw's Exclusive: THE HOBBIT Will Be In 3D

Jim here. Finally other sources are coming out of the woodwork claiming that Guillermo del Toro's THE HOBBIT will be in 3D (Stuff.co.nz via TORn). Excitement is mounting in advance of the official announcement that we all know at MarketSaw WILL be coming.

Of course we have had this excitement for years now. Stereoscopic 3D was ALWAYS the preferred format for the movie from Peter Jackson's perspective. Sure Weta or Wingnut spokesmen may claim otherwise to preserve their decision as being fresh news but that does not cover the facts here. MarketSaw put our reputation on the line many, many times on this exclusive morsel of news. We put up with naysayers bashing the information, and even fellow movie bloggers felt anger in having to report on our story thinking that it wasn't true. Some tried to prove it wrong.

In the end, vindication will be sweet. It is because we have the BEST sources in the world - sources that care deeply about their work and about the movies. I am proud to have them on our side.

THE HOBBIT will be GORGEOUS in 3D. Just the sweeping vistas of New Zealand / Middle-earth alone will be mesmerizing!! Throw in a healthy measure of SMAUG and we have an epic adventure befitting the Tolkien masterpiece.

Ian McKellan (Gandalf) further reveals that THE HOBBIT will begin shooting in June!

Needless to say we are anxious to get started on reporting further exclusives from inside the production! And TRUST ME, those scoops are coming. Keep it on MarketSaw for breaking news on all things Hobbit.

TOLDYA! Gullermo del Toro Comfirms 3D Talk For THE HOBBIT!!!

Jim here. I LOVE IT when a plan comes together and THE HOBBIT has been planned to be in 3D for some time now. They are just deciding to go public with it today.

Way back in November of 2007 MarketSaw was first to deliver the exclusive that THE HOBBIT will be in 3D. Back then, we made public multiple bombshells that were immediately reacted to on the Internet like our third STAR WARS trilogy news of late. The first piece of news back then was that Peter Jackson was coming back to the project and that his legal dispute with New Line had been settled - no one else had this info. Second piece was that Jackson will be directing and at the time he was indeed planning on it. Once he decided to only produce, GDT entered the picture. Movies and their production most certainly evolve and potentially change over time. THE HOBBIT certainly did. Third was that THE HOBBIT would be shot in stereoscopic 3D. This was never heard of before and many, MANY people were caught off guard - some even belligerent about the notion. Guillermo himself commented on the situation over on TORn. Fourth, it was MarketSaw that broke the news that the original LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy would be converted to S3D. Fifth, back in December of 2007 we told you first that THE HOBBIT will be divided into multiple movies. We said two movies at first and then we caught wind of a potential third. The third was talked about a great deal over at Wingnut, but has since faded to two. Possibility still exists to make three - I am not saying that it is going away completely.

S3D was AGAIN talked about at a HIGH level in Wellington in January of 2008.

Doubt about our scoops was rampant and as I said many were belligerent about it. As this news was coming from multiple, trusted internal sources in Jackson's camp I knew it to be true and I stuck to my guns through thick and thin (remember my PERSONAL GUARANTEE?). Gradually over the years our stories are coming to light - and I can't be any happier! Now Guillermo del Toro has announced publicly on TORn that they are indeed talking about stereoscopic 3D for THE HOBBIT. I put a lot on the line about this story - but it is worth it. Tolkien's universe is dear to my heart.

Here is his words exactly taken from their forums:

I wouldn’t read much on it just yet, but now, after all this time, after AVATAR doing the Box Office it did, we have had enquires from above about The Hobbit being in 3-D. No impositions or heavy leaning. Just enquires. Just fulfilling my promise to let you all know if discussions ever started. Cheers, GDT

Folks - this talk has been around for years and we were the first to bring it to light. Perhaps GDT was held in the dark as he was brought on relatively recently in the whole development. No matter - he is now admitting to it. What is more likely to have happened is that GDT never committed to the possibility of 3D before - it has never been in his toolbox. But Peter Jackson is very VERY much a 3D man. And of course the studio wants it.

Let me set this straight for everyone: Guillermo del Toro is a genius. I love the man's work and I admire how closely he likes to keep his fans updated. But I say it is ok for a movie blog to have a scoop here and there. Sure it takes the a lot of the thunder out of an announcement but I have been keeping the flames fanned for years now and that is worth something too. Guillermo also addressed me personally in his previous TORn posting:

"I believe Jim is defending what he believes to be true. He is a knowledgeable, passionate film-lover and perhaps his source in this case is also someone that would love to see the HOBBIT films happen in 3D. Perhaps so- Jim has been right in the past and he may be right in the future. He is dead-on about the imminent conversion of film into an expanding 3-D field - at least in most blockbusters and I know of, at least, 4 or 5 major filmmakers preparing 3D films right now. Some of them seriously artistic and ungimmicky!! I've seen AVATAR and I was absolutely blow away by it!! I myself expect to explore 3D soon enough- it is the future, just not my immediate future. I promise to you guys and Jim to let you know if anything changes in that or any regard,,, And no- neither David Tennant nor Tom Cruise are Bilbo and we are not redesigning Gollum. My best wishes to all- GDT"

So there you have it. The decision to go S3D has finally come around to being practically official. I am overjoyed at the possibilities that THE HOBBIT(s) in 3D represent!! Don't forget the recent delay announcement for the production. A little more time for S3D...

What do you think?? THE HOBBIT in S3D? WOW!

Rumor Mill: Dark Smaug On The Horizon Plus Further Word That THE HOBBIT Will Be In 3 Parts -AND- 3D!!

Jim here. Got some interesting HOBBIT news for you. The information I am sharing is from one of my most trusted sources and so you can rely quite a bit on it despite being very early in the production of THE HOBBIT(s).

Why am I so excited about this news I am about to divulge to you? It's because a lot of it I had already uncovered back in 2007. It is being collaborated right now! Sure, this is not ironclad yet - it is still early in the process, but this is not the first time I have heard these things. So how does this sound to you guys (especially if you are a new reader and didn't hear the first word from us on it):

1. THE HOBBIT(s) will be in stereoscopic 3D.
2. THE HOBBIT will be shot in THREE movies - two Del Toro movies covering the book itself and a third bridge movie.
3. Peter Jackson will direct the bridge movie.
4. Smaug and the characters in THE HOBBIT will be darker than in the book.

Here is what he has to say about the famed dragon that is soon to star in the movie and about PJ potentially bringing us a third HOBBIT movie (emphasis is mine):

"Smaug will be a mixture of practical and animation ...going purely on practical, the design rocks. I think THE HOBBIT may be a different beast to the book, at least in terms of going darker. And judging from Smaug "and the Gollum tweaks" will be something to rival the previous attempts at the very least. It is still very lock and key at the moment. I can tell you this, Peter Jackson is very keen to have the two part Hobbit tale set in 3D. Del Toro however is holding back on that school of thought. At least for the time being. Im hearing word "and its only speculation at the moment", that it wont be two films. It will be three. The two parts and the bridge movie. Word alone is not trustworthy. However I hear this from lots of people. And have seen things to indicate this may be the way it is heading. Del Toro on Hobbit duty, Jackson on the bridge project. Time will tell."

I am completely thrilled about the possibilities! I have been hoping for this eventuality ever since I exclusively posted that PJ's lawsuit was being dropped and that he would indeed be coming back to the project. To me it just makes sense. Del Toro has a grasp on THE HOBBIT from a literary perspective and is a good choice for the first two, but who better than Jackson himself to connect THE HOBBIT to his LOTR trilogy? All in 3D! I am a little worried that Del Toro will not shoot in 3D for some obscure reason, but confident that Jackson will bring him on board. Any bridge movie would definitely be in 3D though I am sure as Jackson would be helming it.

My bet? We will wind up with THE HOBBIT I, II (Del Toro) and III (Jackson) in 3D and then will be treated to a complete conversion of the whole LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy into 3D as well (Peter Jackson confirmed my exclusive story at Comic-Con this year). One sweeping epic, end to end. Magnificent! :-)

Keep it on MarketSaw for the best 3D coverage anywhere on the planet.

Photo courtesy of Raymond Gaustadnes.

Confusion Reigns Over Conflicting Reports! Is There A THIRD Hobbit Movie Planned??

SAME DAY UPDATE: Interview with Guillermo del Toro and TORn on April 25th:

GDT: You know, I traveled to New Zealand just a little while ago, and one of the main reasons for going was to sit down and talk about the second film. ‘The Hobbit’, the book, is really one self-contained film, so for the second movie we sat down and worked it out. When we did this we got really excited because this second film is not a ‘tag on’, it’s not ‘filler’, it’s an integral part of telling the story of those 50 years of history lost in the narrative. There will be certain things that we will see from the first movie but from a different point of view, but it will feel like a volume, in the 5 volumes of the entire story. It will not feel like a bridge, I’ve been hearing it called ‘a bridge film’, it’s not, it’s an integral chapter of the story, and I think we’re all on the same page.

In essence this tells us that THE HUFFINGTON POST is WRONG. I will be deleting this post shortly. Granted GDT is not very clear here, but anyone can see that the second movie will NOT be part of the book as the book does not cover those years! Grrr. Thanks Arianna.

Pure speculation at this point based on two conflicting reports: The Huffington Post has posted on April 24th that New Line has corrected an error in that the first Hobbit movie will be based on "The Hobbit" book by Tolkien and that the second movie will bridge that first Hobbit movie with the three "Lord Of The Rings" movies. The Huffington Post states:

"Please note that this version DELETES INCORRECT reference to second movie spanning time between "Hobbit" and "Rings"; New Line now says movies are based on book only."

This new information is completely different from the official word posted April 24th from the official movie blog of "The Hobbit" known as The Hobbit Blog. The official blog states:

"Del Toro will move to New Zealand for the next four years to work with Jackson and his Wingnut and WETA production teams. He will helm the two films back to back – telling the story of “The Hobbit,” and its sequel, which will deal with the 60-year period between “The Hobbit” and “The Fellowship of the Ring,” the first of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy."

So these conflicting reports could indicate a number of things:
1. There will be a THIRD movie that links "The Hobbit" 1 & 2 with the LOTR trilogy!
2. The period of time between "The Hobbit" and LOTRs will be left empty cinematically. (UNLIKELY as hundreds of millions of dollars would not be generated).
3. The Huffington Post is in error.
4. The official Hobbit Blog is in error.
DISCUSSION: If there were two movies based on "The Hobbit" book alone (which Guillermo del Toro would do a simply EXCELLENT job at in my estimation!) and a third installation between "The Hobbit" and LOTRs directed by the man himself, Peter Jackson - isn't that THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS?

The more 3D movies the better... :-)