Peter Jackson dumped from new Rings films

[KiwiCoromandel]

Kiwi director Peter Jackson says he has been dumped from two Lord of the Rings movies - The Hobbit and another Rings prequel - by movie studio New Line.

In an email sent to fansite theonering.net, Jackson and partner Fran Walsh said New Line was now "actively looking to hire another filmmaker for both projects".

The email said the demise of the partnership was due to an ongoing lawsuit with New Line over income from the first Lord of the Rings film, The Fellowship of the Ring, and a "limited time option" on the rights to make the films.

It said Jackson and Walsh had planned to begin "development and design" on the two new Rings films next year while filming The Lovely Bones, and once the lawsuit had been dealt with.

Jackson apologised to Rings fans, saying he was "very sorry our involvement with The Hobbit has been ended in this way".

"This outcome is not what we anticipated or wanted, but neither do we see any positive value in bitterness and rancor," Jackson said.

"We now have no choice but to let the idea of a film of The Hobbit go and move forward with other projects."

A posting under the email by 'Xoanon' said it felt like "there had been a death in the family" and whoever ended up directing the movies had "big shoes to fill".

source:Reuters

image:Reuters:PETER JACKSON..."DUMPED" from new RINGS films..

[Shawn]

It's all been going downhill for him since Janet's "wardrobe malfunction".

BTW, his vocals are just as good as Tito's.

[Kooperman]

It's all been going downhill for him since Janet's "wardrobe malfunction".

BTW, his vocals are just as good as Tito's.

I'm waiting for his book. There are so many stories about the early days he could tell...especially since he and Michael shared the same bed for years.

[KiwiCoromandel]

pete says hi to you all....

[CTC Command]

whoever ended up directing the movies had "big shoes to fill".

Hardly. Let's hope whoever does these isn't going to make a bunch of senseless stupud and hamhanded changes to the story line like Jackson did.

Good riddance. Adios. Siyanora. Hasta la vista. Don't let the door hit ya in the ass on the way out. Smell you later homes. Hit the road jack. Take a long walk off a short pier, don't hold your breath...

yeah. didn't like peter jackson.

[DudeAsInCool]

Not a big fan either, CTC. Another cinefile and myself walked out of the first film - other than the expedition stuff, it was noisy, clunky, and in my mind, didnt capture the character nuances or magic of the novel - and I rarely walk out of films. Didnt bother with the hype of the next two, either.

***

ZAENTZ RINGS IN JACKSON FOR PREQUELS

As Lord of the Rings fans mounted a protest following word that New Line had dropped Peter Jackson from consideration as director of The Hobbit and another Lord of the Rings prequel, producer Saul Zaentz has given assurances that Jackson will indeed direct the two films. A German website, Elbenwald.de, posted an interview with Zaentz, who acquired the rights to the works of the late Rings writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, in 1976 (the Saul Zaentz Company owns Tolkien Enterprises), in which Zaentz says, "It will definitely be shot by Peter Jackson. ... Next year The Hobbit rights will fall back to my company. I suppose that Peter will wait because he knows that he will make the best deal with us. And he is fed up with the studios: to get his profit share on the Rings trilogy he had to sue New Line. With us, in contrast, he knows that he will be paid fairly and artistically supported without reservation."

Source

I've worked with Saul Zaentz before. Nice man - classy guy.

[Hemoglobin Harry]

The worst sin of the first movie was to leave Tom Bombadil out of the story. I understand why they left him out from a plot stand-point, but I think it was a mistake.

Now Tolkien has millions upon millions of fans who can't even take part in a debate about what Bombadil was.

[CTC Command]

The worst sin of the first movie was to leave Tom Bombadil out of the story. I understand why they left him out from a plot stand-point, but I think it was a mistake.

Now Tolkien has millions upon millions of fans who can't even take part in a debate about what Bombadil was.

In the interest of moving the story along, one can understand (though perhaps not forgive) leaving Bombadil out of the movie. It was the abuse of both character and storyline, for instance, like giving Glorfindel's role at the Fords to Arwen or turing the Council of Elrond from a nuanced debate of the wise into a shouting match of the retarded that I find unforgivable.

Changing these scenes did nothing to speed the plot along. They were pointless. I will never go to another Peter Jackson movie.

Peter Jackson shouldn't be allowed near a camcorder, let alone given another Tolkien story to direct. He sucks.