MUST WATCH: New Production Video From Peter Jackson For THE HOBBIT - Post Production!!

Well here's another must watch production video from Peter Jackson for THE HOBBIT. Needless to say when these things drop, it's something you ignore everything else for and enjoy.

This video is all about the post production mayhem that Jackson and his team is going through to get THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY ready for us in December.

Here's the movie's storyline:
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the 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.

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY opens on December 14.

Hit the jump to watch the production video...

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!!

PLANET OF THE APES Prequel Perhaps Coming In 3D!!

Jim here. Wow. Big news here: Fox is investing in their PLANET OF THE APES franchise with a prequel entitled RISE OF THE APES (tentative title). Variety reports that 20th Century Fox will release the scifi thriller June 24, 2011.

Here is the kicker! Peter Jackson's Weta has partnered with Fox to deliver the effects for the movie which promise photo real apes for the first time ever.

From Variety: RISE OF THE APES is an origins story set in present-day San Francisco. The film is a reality-based cautionary tale, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of war for supremacy.

Rupert Wyatt is directing, Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa writing with Peter Chermin and Dylan Clark producing.

Stunning isn't it? Many of Fox's tentpoles are going to be 3D in the coming years and, coupled with Weta's involvement, this points rather hopefully toward three dimensions for RISE OF THE APES. Sounds completely up my alley and with the Weta team behind the ape project, I am totally stoked. Who is with me? :-)

Exclusive Weta Update! MORTAL ENGINES In 3D, DISTRICT 10 Shooting This October AND AVATAR 2 Spoiler!!!

*EXCLUSIVE*

Jim here. What's new in Weta world?? I have got the goods for ya from two of my top embedded sources!

MORTAL ENGINES is definitely a GO! And it WILL BE in stereoscopic 3D!! It is extremely hard to get any information on this project at all - but you know us, we are in there digging all the time :-) Peter Jackson is both Director and Producer on this project. Mortal Engines is based on a series of five books by Phillip Reeve set in a devastated post annihilation world. Huge floating cities roam the skies and do battle with one another.

DISTRICT 10 (Production title at least) is now in pre-production with filming to start in the October time frame this year. Shooting locations will be South Africa once again as well as New Zealand. There has been no word on whether it will be shot in S3D or not as of yet. You will be the first to know! Peter Jackson is again producing the sequel with Neill Blomkamp directing.

AVATAR 2 will continue several years after the events of the original. It will also lay the groundwork for the other moons in the system. Things are going to get quite "weird" to the point of becoming somewhat abstract! Each movie will stand on its own and there will definitely be NO shooting the sequels back to back. Trilogy? Actually no. The sky is no limit for this universe - the plot lines are endless.

AVATAR 2 SPOILER ALERT: This is verbatim from my source...
"Oh and Pandora has a lot of shit coming its way. Break out the space marines, looks like some bugs need a stomping."

Holy Makarov! You didn't think Weta has been sitting idly by and doing nothing but TINTIN have you? :-) I have asked for clarification on the quote I gave you about AVATAR 2 and if he can go into any detail for us. Keep in mind that things could change this early in the AVATAR 2 creative process but he felt comfortable in telling me this. It must have graduated from Lightstorm Entertainment ideas to Weta concept design. STAY TUNED!! Exciting stuff!

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.

3D Geek Alert: Awesome Interview With Joe Letteri Of Weta!

Jim here. A special treat for you AVATAR fans! Guess whose got "Oscar" written on his forehead? Ok yeah - other than Jim Cameron :-)

You guessed it: Joe Letteri. For those not acquainted with Joe's exploits, he was Weta's Visual Supervisor on AVATAR and was effects supervisor on THE LOVELY BONES, X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, KING KONG (won Oscar), and the last two LOTRs movies (won Oscar for BOTH) to name just a few.

You can check out his interview right here at TVNZ.

His body of work in visual effects is astounding - check it out at IMDb. This guy is definitely on my interview list too! :-) I would say his Oscar chances are hovering around 100%.

Know Motion Builder? Weta Looking For TDs For Tintin

Steven Spielberg and Weta are looking for applicants who know Motion Builder for the motion capture based movie TINTIN:

Weta Digital is looking for LA-based artists with experience in Motion Builder for a limited period shoot (Tintin). Immediate start. Applicants should be technically competent and comfortable working within a team that is processing a high-volume of data (that's an understatement!).

The position involves:
Integrating post-processed motion capture data and into virtual environments.
Developing motion-montages for virtual camera work (Experience using the Story tool is a plus)
Generating and checking rendered media.

Please contact:
Ben Murray (bmurray@wetafx.co.nz)
Meredith Meyer-Nichols (mkmn@wetafx.co.nz)

So if you have the creds - what are earth are you waiting for?

Guillermo Del Toro DIRECTS BOTH HOBBITS!

Wow - a stunner! GDT has officially been signed to direct both Hobbit movies as reported by Variety.

SO - I have to get my WETA sources in order for these major MAJOR projects! I can't wait to see what they have in store for us.

While I think PJ would have been the better choice for at least the second movie, we shall see what the Magician from Mexico can deliver! I am definitely prepared to be awed by what he has up his sleeve. HAVE FUN GDT!!

AND AGAIN - NO CONFIRMATION THAT THE MOVIES WILL BE 3D YET AS REPORTED HERE FIRST!