Check out this article -- http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 10275.html

It says an announcement is coming soon. Involving the casting of Bilbo possibly?

~Riella

Back when Del Toro was still on board, he made some sort of comment that the dividing point would be in the "obvious" place . But it's not really apparent to me either.

GB

I know exactly where I would cut it. When Thorin walks into the feast at Laketown and declares "I am Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror King under the Mountain! I return!"

Well I managed to quickly get myself all caught up on the casting rumors today and am VERY pleased with each and every one of the more legitimate ones. And the lesser rumor about Martin Freeman would actually make me very happy too. (I saw him in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and liked him a lot.)

I think it should end like the the Fellowship and the Two Towers ended traveling on in more or less high spirits.

Like just after they escape the elves or when they leave the town to head toward the mountain. something in that nature.

Oooh, I like your idea for where to cut the first film, fantasia! I have a feeling, though, from things I've read, that they may just make the break around the barrel-ride scene.

Going waaaay back to I-don't-know-what-page, I recall someone asking for book ideas on the spiritual themes in The LotR. I finally remember to jot a few of my own titles down:

~The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien's Divine Design in The Lord of the Rings by Fleming Rutledge

~Following Gandalf: Epic Battles and Moral Victory in The Lord of the Rings by Matthew Dickerson

~Finding God in The Lord of the Rings by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware

~Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual Themes of The Lord of the Rings by Mark Eddy Smith

~The Gospel According to Tolkien: Visions of the Kingdom in Middle-earth by Ralph Woods

So, there are a few. Now, note that, while these all have some valid and good points, at times a couple of the authors can go overboard, it seems, and read too much into the story. Just my humble opinion.

I always did think of Denethor as jerk, Merry and Pippin as comical, the banter and kill-counting contest between Legolas and Gimli as comical (and true to the book) etc.

I forget if I responded to this already, but I didn't mind, in the least, the orc-killing contest between Legolas and Gimli, since it's canon. What bugged me was that ridiculously silly drinking game.

I for one, have always wished that Gandalf's part of the story had been told in The Hobbit. When Jackson let on that The White Council/Dol Guldur storyline would probably be weaved into his films, I couldn't have been more thrilled.

High Ditto! That White Council/Necromancer story is a thrilling one, and I would love to see it interwoven on the big screen in The Hobbit.

Someone mentioned all the action will be crammed into the second movie if they decide to end the first film at the barrel ride. Sure, the second part is more epic in terms of action, but there are a number of intense scenes in the first part:
~the classicTom, William, and Bert scene
~the capture by the goblins and ensuing escape
~Riddles in the Dark is an all-time favourite Tolkien scene: though not fast-paced, it is very intense
~the near demise of the group by the wolves (the blazing trees with dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf hiding in them should be exceptional)
~the spiders of Mirkwood will be a wonderfully creepy highlight, methinks.
So, yeah, I believe there is plenty enough to keep us on our toes for the first film.

Anyway, I'm following The Hobbit news closely and am thrilled PJ is directing. The only concern now is, of course, this union dispute, which could seriously affect the thriving New Zealand film industry, very sadly. I just hope something happens now, at the 11th hour, to turn things around. It seems to be motivated by greed and jealousy, and is turning rather ugly. How opposite from the strongly positive and uplifting themes in Tolkien's books. Makes me sad.

johobbit: I have the book "The Gospel According to Tolkien: Visions of the Kingdom in Middle-earth" by Ralph Woods! it's very good and I like it! I nice read!

They could also have the defeat of the Necromancer at the end of the first movie for a climax

Well I managed to quickly get myself all caught up on the casting rumors today and am VERY pleased with each and every one of the more legitimate ones. And the lesser rumor about Martin Freeman would actually make me very happy too. (I saw him in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and liked him a lot.)

Wait, I'm confused... the "lesser rumor" about Martin Freeman? All the news sources I've seen list him as the leading and most likely choice? What did you mean by "more legitimate ones"?

~Riella

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/21/the.hobbit.new.zealand.ew/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Here's an article about filming The Hobbit in New Zealand. It's about the struggles Warner Bros is having with the local actors guild and about whether they're going to keep the Hobbit in New Zealand.

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2010/10 ... f-boycott/

This link says that one of the Actors Unions has called off the boycott

Martin Freeman got the role of Bilbo! I am so happy and excited! -- http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2010/10 ... more-39458

~Riella

Wait, I'm confused... the "lesser rumor" about Martin Freeman? All the news sources I've seen list him as the leading and most likely choice? What did you mean by "more legitimate ones"?

Well obviously he's been confirmed now so that's that. But at the time when I read the article on TORn, and based on my own experience as a news poster, Martin Freeman didn't quite seem to have the backing that some of the other rumors did. And I was referring to the rumored dwarves (which ironically none of which were mentioned tonight and many others were).

For those who have not seen already (and since poor TORn is down at the moment due to a massive influx of traffic I'm sure ) here are the casting announcements given tonight.

Bilbo - Martin Freeman
Thorin Oakenshield - Richard Armitage
Kili - Aidan Turner
Fili - Rob Kazinsky
Dori - Mark Hadlow
Gloin - Peter Hambleton
Oin - John Callen
Bombur - Stephen Hunter
Dwalin - Graham McTavish

As I remarked earlier (not on this site ) the only person here I have an ever so slight concern about is Richard Armitage. He's very, very young for the role of Thorin Oakenshield imho. But makeup can do wonders. The rest, I'm thrilled. Just thrilled.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment ... d=10682366
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2010/10 ... more-39468

Richard Armitage is 49, Though I would prefer he be in his 50's I don't think it will be a problem.

^ Try 39.

Indeed

Bill Nighy is going to be Smuag!!! I really like him, though I hope Smaug won't sound too much like Davy Jones

And it is such a relief to know that Smug will talk rather than being some dumb witless beast, which I thought they might do.

Excellent, fantasia!

I am So Very Eager for these films! There was such a range of emotion yesterday with the news of the lifting of the boycott the night before, yet the impact that sad situation could be having on NZ's film industry, along with the uncertainty as to where the filming will take place, yet then to finally get the news we've been waiting for for so long now: the cast! Whew!

Quick thoughts:
*thrilled about Freeman
*dubious about Armitage ('though I have not seen him act, ever, but he looks so very young and non-dwarvish )
*don't think I've seen any of them act, actually which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because I won't be coming in with pre-conceived ideas about them
*Bombur looks great
*and I do like the looks of the Dori actor

As long as they can each (especially Thorin—well, also Bilbo, but I have little concern about him) play these wonderfully varied characters the way Tolkien realized them in the book, I'll be a contented hobbit. And with makeup these days, almost anything is achievable!

"O great glory and splendour! And all my wishes have come true!" (Dear Samwise!) Well, I don't know if all my wishes will come true with these two films, but I am hoping a lot of them will be how I imagined Tolkien's beloved book.

aragorn2, I think Bill Nighy is an actor of enough versatility that he would be able to adjust his voice accordingly. They could also do something with it digitally to make it more dragon-like.

There is no way they would make Smaug a witless beast. He's one smart dragon and has a goodly number of lines in his part of the book.

I wonder who will be cast as ... Beorn?!

Now, we just need to hear that the huge meeting with the production company goes well early next week—that NZ can assure them of their security in their wonderful country—so that the films can be made in New Zealand, which is, in the opinion of so many, Middle-earth.