104-660: The Macaulay River is a river of the Mackenzie Country of New Zealand 's South Island . It flows south from the Two Thumb Range , part of the Southern Alps , its valley merging with that of the Godley River shortly before it enters the northern end of Lake Tekapo . 43°44′S 170°33′E / 43.733°S 170.550°E / -43.733; 170.550 This article about
208-448: A fairy tale . Boyens stated that the most significant script change was to Bilbo's characterisation: "It shifted and changed into someone who, rather than being slightly younger and more innocent in the world, once had a sense of longing for adventure and has lost it and become fussy and fusty." In 2010, del Toro left the project because of ongoing delays. On 28 May he explained at a press conference that owing to MGM's financial troubles
312-547: A "world that is slightly more golden at the beginning, a very innocent environment", and that the film would need to "[take] you from a time of more purity to a darker reality throughout the film, but [in a manner] in the spirit of the book". He perceived the main themes as loss of innocence, which he likened to the experience of England after World War I , and greed, which he said Smaug and Thorin Oakenshield represent. Bilbo Baggins reaffirms his personal morality during
416-498: A 2006 interview, del Toro was quoted saying "I don't like little guys and dragons , hairy feet, hobbits .... I don't like sword and sorcery, I hate all that stuff". After he signed on to direct in April 2008, del Toro posted on TheOneRing.net forums that he had been enchanted by The Hobbit as a child, but found that Tolkien's other books "contain[ed] geography and genealogy too complex for my prepubescent brain". In taking
520-477: A copy of the screenplay and said that there was a high probability that he would return. He was quoted as saying, "I'm going to bet on it .... But I can't really talk too much about it because it's still sort of in the ether. But I would love to go back to work with Peter Jackson. It would be an honour." Several actors, including Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman , Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel , Barry Humphries as
624-555: A decision by the New Zealand Supreme Court called Bryson v Three Foot Six Ltd holding that under the Employment Relations Act 2000 , a model maker named Mr Bryson was an "employee" who could organise a union to defend his interests. The Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill was introduced on 28 October 2010 after an urgency motion, allowing it to pass its final readings
728-695: A familiar Frodo gets the tale as well." Ian McKellen , Andy Serkis , and Christopher Lee were also cast in January to reprise their roles of Gandalf the Grey, Gollum , and Saruman the White from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy . Although McKellen and Serkis were expected to return for their roles, McKellen was previously quoted in July 2010 on TVNZ 's Good Morning that: "I'm not under contract and my time
832-518: A lawsuit against New Line, claiming he had lost revenue from merchandising, video, and computer games releases associated with The Fellowship of the Ring . He did not seek a specific settlement, but requested an audit to see whether New Line had withheld money owed him. Although Jackson wanted it settled before he would make the film, he felt the lawsuit was minor and that New Line would still let him make The Hobbit . New Line co-founder Robert Shaye
936-709: A river in Canterbury, New Zealand is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mackenzie Country The Mackenzie Basin ( Māori : Te Manahuna ), popularly and traditionally known as the Mackenzie Country , is an elliptical intermontane basin located in the Mackenzie and Waitaki Districts , near the centre of the South Island of New Zealand . It is the largest such basin in New Zealand. Historically famous mainly for sheep farming ,
1040-582: A second film in 2006, set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings . Jackson concurred, stating that "one of the drawbacks of The Hobbit is it's relatively lightweight compared to LOTR [ The Lord of the Rings ] .... There's a lot of sections in which a character like Gandalf disappears for a while – he references going off to meet with the White Council , who are actually characters like Galadriel and Saruman and people that we see in Lord of
1144-500: A sense of Peter wanting people around him who totally understand the material and the work ethic." Lee had originally said he would have liked to have shown how Saruman is first corrupted by Sauron , but would not be comfortable flying to New Zealand at his age. Lee went on to say that if a film were made, he would love to voice Smaug , as it would mean he could record his part in England and not have to travel. On 10 January 2011, it
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#17328023303831248-447: A sex ratio of 0.98 males per female. The median age was 31.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 156 people (13.2%) aged under 15 years, 357 (30.2%) aged 15 to 29, 567 (48.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 102 (8.6%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 71.6% European/ Pākehā , 4.3% Māori , 2.0% Pasifika , 20.1% Asian , and 7.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
1352-446: A single film and kept brisk and fluid with no artificial 'break point'." By November 2008, he acknowledged that the book was more detailed and eventful than people may remember. He decided to abandon the "bridge film" concept, feeling that it would be better for the two parts to contain only material from The Hobbit : when you lay out the cards for the story beats contained within the book (before even considering any appendix material)
1456-458: A smooth transition to a new director". Reports began to surface around the Internet about possible directors; apparently the studios wanted Jackson, but such names as Neill Blomkamp , Brett Ratner , David Yates and David Dobkin were mentioned. However, this incident received negative reaction from many Hobbit fans, who were angry at MGM for delaying the project. They also tried willing
1560-521: A threat to the black stilt (or kakī), an endangered river wading bird. A captive breeding programme was set up and it is administered by the Department of Conservation . The Mackenzie Basin is one of the areas where wilding conifers proliferate. These weed trees cover large areas sometimes to a very high density and therefore excluding native vegetation and reducing the amount of available pasture. Some areas have control measures in place to prevent
1664-403: A very little preparation time remaining before shooting had to begin, with unfinished scripts and without storyboards , which increased the difficulty to direct it. Jackson stated, "Because Guillermo del Toro had to leave and I jumped in and took over, we didn't wind the clock back a year and a half and give me a year and a half prep to design the movie, which was different to what he was doing. It
1768-419: Is a collector of World War I memorabilia. Del Toro felt Tolkien's experiences in that war influenced his stories. By November 2008, del Toro had said that he, Jackson, Walsh and Boyens would realize something new about the story every week and the script was continually changing. The writing hours increased to twelve each day, as they dedicated three weeks to finally deciding the films' structures. During
1872-415: Is an opportunity for sheer grossness .... [Peter Jackson] had me eating testicles ... gross appetites. I mustn't give too much away but I've got a bald cap and then on top of that a really bad combover wig and this wispy mustache and wispy beard and horrible blotchy skin and disgusting fingernails .... And generally speaking a really unappetising piece of work. And a coward to boot and very, very greedy." Gage
1976-613: Is frequently utilised as the principal and second-unit location for television commercials, documentaries, and motion pictures, including much of Peter Jackson 's epic The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and The Hobbit film trilogy . Gliding is another common activity within the Mackenzie Basin, and the area was host to a Gliding World Cup event in 1995, as well as being the home of several gliding clubs, airfields, and numerous private glider pilots, of both amateur and professional status. Due to its clean, dry and dark sky,
2080-524: Is going to make an amazing Thorin Oakenshield. We cannot wait to start this adventure with him and feel very lucky that one of the most beloved characters in Middle Earth is in such good hands." McTavish was quoted on his casting, "I think that I would be very lucky indeed if ever again in my career, I was offered an opportunity that was going to be so iconic in its influence and scale with regards to The Hobbit . I can't think of anything comparable." On
2184-444: Is our Hobbit." Several other actors including Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield , Graham McTavish as Dwalin , Aidan Turner as Kíli , Mark Hadlow as Dori , John Callen as Óin , Stephen Hunter as Bombur and Peter Hambleton as Glóin were cast later that October. On the casting of Armitage, Jackson was quoted as saying, "Richard is one of the most exciting and dynamic actors working on screen today and we know he
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#17328023303832288-660: Is revealed to be in The Lord of the Rings , del Toro said he would address its different nature in the story, but not so much as to draw away from the story's spirit. Each Dwarf would need to look different from the others. Del Toro would have redesigned the Goblins and Wargs and the Mirkwood spiders would also have looked different from Shelob . Del Toro felt the Wargs had to be changed because "the classical incarnation of
2392-404: Is running out. I don't want to give the producers the impression that I'm sitting waiting." It was later revealed that Serkis would also serve as second unit director on the films. Serkis stated, "I think I understand Peter's sensibility and we have a common history of understanding Middle-earth. A lot of the crew from The Lord of the Rings was returning to work on The Hobbit . There is really
2496-407: Is solved." Two days later, del Toro announced at TheOneRing.net that "In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming", he would "take leave from helming", further stating that "the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. ... I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support
2600-451: Is very difficult, especially the Elven characters and Lee has always been our first choice for Thranduil. He's going to be great. We loved his performance in a movie called The Fall a few years ago and have been hoping to work with him since. When we were first discussing who would be right for Thranduil, Lee came into mind almost immediately." Dean O'Gorman was hired in April 2011 for
2704-542: The Hobbit project had then not been officially green-lit at the time. "There cannot be any start dates until the MGM situation gets resolved .... We have designed all the creatures. We've designed the sets and the wardrobe. We have done animatics and planned very lengthy action sequences. We have scary sequences and funny sequences and we are very, very prepared for when it's finally triggered, but we don't know anything until MGM
2808-633: The Hobbiton sets near Matamata . For his part, Jackson had kept the Rivendell scale model and the Bag End set (which he has used as a guest house ) from the trilogy. During the middle of the shoot, there was expected to be a break which would have allowed del Toro to edit The Hobbit while sets would be altered for the second film. The director expected the shoot to last 370 days. Jackson revealed in late November 2009 that he anticipated that
2912-562: The International Federation of Actors , which on 24 September 2010, issued a Do Not Work order, advising members of its affiliates (including the Screen Actors Guild ) that "The producers ... have refused to engage performers on union-negotiated agreements." This would subject actors who work on the film to possible expulsion from the union. In response, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema considered taking
3016-577: The Stone-troll . Callen stated, "I did wonder about my casting and how they had made the choice—maybe the long hair and the beard sold it, I thought. But now that has all gone. Given that Óin is almost 200 years old I can presume only that it was the age." Hunter said, "Being cast in The Hobbit is really exciting and really an honour. I auditioned for the original Lord of the Rings way back when I signed with my agent in New Zealand. When I saw
3120-909: The Tekapo Rivers. Lakes Ōhau , Pukaki , Alexandrina and Tekapo lie within the Mackenzie Basin, as do the artificial hydroelectric lakes of Ruataniwha , Benmore and Aviemore . Sparsely populated, and with only four settlements ( Lake Tekapo , population <500; Mount Cook Village , population <150; Twizel , population <1,000; and Omarama , population <400), the Mackenzie Country comprises an area of huge glacial lakes and snow-capped mountains, particularly favoured by tourists and skiers. The Ōhau skifield near Omarama, and Roundhill and Mount Dobson Ski Areas at Lake Tekapo, are small commercial skifields popular amongst many living in Canterbury and Otago. The Mackenzie Country
3224-472: The "fairy tale logic [to] work as is". Several actors were considered by del Toro for roles in the film. He wrote the part of Beorn specifically for American actor Ron Perlman . del Toro had originally considered asking Perlman to voice the dragon Smaug , but decided against this. Del Toro met with English actor Brian Blessed to discuss the possibility of him playing Thorin Oakenshield . The director later stated that he thought Ian McShane "would make
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3328-403: The 2023 census, Mackenzie Lakes had a smaller boundary, covering 5,134.25 km (1,982.35 sq mi). Using that boundary, Mackenzie Lakes had a population of 1,182 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 300 people (34.0%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 399 people (51.0%) since the 2006 census . There were 375 households, comprising 585 males and 597 females, giving
3432-634: The Battle of the Five Armies which was shifted from 2012 to 2013 to be properly planned and shot. In May 2010, New Zealand Actors Equity (NZAE) received from the film's producers a sample of the contracts it was offering to actors' agents . NZAE rejected the contracts as not conforming to its voluntary standard, in particular as regarded residuals . NZAE's parent, the Australia-based Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance , contacted
3536-472: The Battle of the Five Armies, largely made use of footage originally shot for the first and second films, it required additional filming as well. The second film was retitled The Desolation of Smaug and the third film was titled There and Back Again in August 2012. On 24 April 2014, the third film was renamed The Battle of the Five Armies . On the title change, Jackson said, " There and Back Again felt like
3640-464: The Brown, Beorn , Bifur , Balin , and Nori , respectively. Blanchett was the first returning cast member from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy to be cast in the films, even though her character does not appear in the novel. On her casting, Jackson said, "Cate is one of my favorite actors to work with and I couldn't be more thrilled to have her reprise the role she so beautifully brought to life in
3744-620: The Department of Conservation for the potential ecological effects, and since it may clash with a proposed Mackenzie Basin Drylands Park. 44°03′36″S 170°27′00″E / 44.06000°S 170.45000°E / -44.06000; 170.45000 The Hobbit (film series) The Hobbit is a series of three fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson . The films are subtitled An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and The Battle of
3848-510: The Estate an upfront fee of $ 62,500, despite the trilogy's gross of an estimated $ 6 billion worldwide from box office receipts and merchandise sales. The suit claimed the Estate was entitled to 7.5% of all profits made by any Tolkien films, as established by prior deals. The suit sought to block the filming of The Hobbit . The suit was settled in September 2009 for an undisclosed amount. However
3952-556: The Five Armies (2014). The films are based on J. R. R. Tolkien 's 1937 novel The Hobbit , but much of the trilogy was inspired by the appendices to his 1954–55 The Lord of the Rings , which expand on the story told in The Hobbit . Additional material and new characters were created specially for the films. The series is a prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy . The screenplays were written by Fran Walsh , Philippa Boyens , Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro , who had been chosen to direct before his departure from
4056-876: The Great Goblin, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug and the Necromancer , were cast in June 2011. Cumberbatch portrayed both of his roles through motion capture , as did Humphries for his character. The casting of Cumberbatch was prematurely revealed by his Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman during the BAFTA Television Awards in May 2011. Speculations of his undisclosed role were further fuelled when Ian McKellen wrote on his blog that Philippa Boyens showed him Cumberbatch's screen test, stating that it
4160-554: The Mackenzie Basin serves as an important area for New Zealand-based astronomy , with a number of related facilities located there, including the nation's premier astronomical observatory, the University of Canterbury 's Mount John University Observatory , and several amateur observatories. Astronomy-related tourism is an increasing contributor to the area's economy, with more astro-tourism ventures in development near Lake Tekapo, Mount Cook village (planetarium) and Omarama. Each June
4264-420: The New Zealand government (including involvement by Prime Minister John Key ), Warner Bros. executives decided on 27 October to film The Hobbit in New Zealand as originally planned. In return, the government agreed to introduce legislation to remove the right of workers to organise trade unions in the film production industry and to give money to big budget films made in New Zealand. The legislation reversed
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4368-429: The Rings ). Frustration arose when Jackson's producer, Harvey Weinstein , discovered that Saul Zaentz had production rights to The Hobbit , but that distribution rights still belonged to United Artists (which had kept those rights, believing that filmmakers would prefer to adapt The Hobbit rather than The Lord of the Rings ). The United Artists studio and its parent company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer were for sale in
4472-422: The Rings films as various creatures. Elijah Wood joined the cast by January 2011 to reprise his role of Frodo Baggins . As Frodo had not been born during the events of The Hobbit , his inclusion indicated that parts of the story would take place shortly before or during the events of The Lord of the Rings . According to TheOneRing.net, "As readers of 'The Hobbit' know, the tale of 'The Downfall of The Lord of
4576-546: The Rings , including Cate Blanchett , Orlando Bloom , Ian Holm , Christopher Lee , Hugo Weaving , Elijah Wood , and Andy Serkis . Other actors include Manu Bennett , Sylvester McCoy , Mikael Persbrandt , Lawrence Makoare , and Stephen Fry . Returning for production, among others, were illustrators John Howe and Alan Lee , art director Dan Hennah , cinematographer Andrew Lesnie , and composer Howard Shore , while props were again crafted by Wētā Workshop , with visual effects managed by Weta Digital . The first film in
4680-501: The Rings . He mysteriously vanishes for a while and then comes back, but we don't really know what goes on." Jackson was also interested in showing Gollum 's journey to Mordor and Aragorn setting a watch on the Shire . After his hiring in 2008, del Toro confirmed the sequel would be about "trying to reconcile the facts of the first movie with a slightly different point of view. You would be able to see events that were not witnessed in
4784-425: The Rings' and 'The Hobbit or There and Back Again,' are contained in the fictional ' Red Book of Westmarch .' In Peter Jackson's LOTR films, the book is shown on screen and written in by Bilbo and Frodo and handed off to Samwise Gamgee .... The fictional book and either the telling from it or the reading of it, will establish Frodo in the film experiencing Bilbo's story. Viewers are to learn the tale of 'The Hobbit' as
4888-524: The Tolkien Trust properly to pursue its charitable objectives. The trustees acknowledge that New Line may now proceed with its proposed film of The Hobbit." Despite the legal suits, development proceeded and in April 2008, Guillermo del Toro was hired to direct the film. Del Toro has said he was a fan of Jackson's trilogy and had discussed directing a film adaptation of Halo with him in 2005. Though that project stalled, they kept in contact. In
4992-491: The Tolkien Trust's 2009 accounts show that it received payment from New Line Cinema of £24 million (a little over US$ 38 million). This amount was the Trust's estimated share in respect of the gross profit participation due for the films based on "The Lord of the Rings". Christopher Tolkien said: "The trustees regret that legal action was necessary but are glad that this dispute has been settled on satisfactory terms that will allow
5096-655: The annual mid winter star party is held at new moon on the Omarama airfield. In June 2012, an area of 430,000 hectares (1,100,000 acres) including Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park and the Mackenzie Basin was declared the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve by the International Dark-Sky Association . At the time of the designation in 2012, the reserve was the largest in the world, and
5200-480: The area was soon divided up amongst new sheep pasture stations in 1857. The basin extends approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) north to south, and 40 kilometres (25 mi) east to west. The Southern Alps constitute its western edge. The Mackenzie Basin is located entirely within South Canterbury . Using State Highway 8 , it can be accessed via Burkes Pass (elevation 709m / 2,326 ft) from
5304-470: The casting of Turner, Jackson stated, "Aidan is a wonderfully gifted young actor who hails from Ireland. I'm sure he will bring enormous heart and humor to the role of Kíli." On the casting of Hadlow, Jackson said, "I have worked with Mark Hadlow on many projects [ Meet the Feebles and King Kong ]; he is a fantastic actor. I am thrilled to be working with [him] on these movies." Hadlow also plays Bert
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#17328023303835408-462: The demonic wolf in Nordic mythology is not a hyena -shaped creature". Del Toro wanted the animals to speak so that Smaug's speech would not be incongruous, though he explained portraying the talking animals would be more about showing that other characters can understand them. Smaug would not have a "snub Simian [mouth] in order to achieve a dubious lip-synch". Del Toro stated that Smaug would be
5512-440: The disproportionally high number of threatened plant species in the Mackenzie Basin. The plan attracted opposition at submission hearings. There is currently a high demand for water to irrigate the Mackenzie Basin, with 126 resource consents from 36 applicants before Environment Canterbury as of mid-2009. The water would be used to irrigate an area of 27,125 hectares (67,030 acres), but the schemes are opposed by many locals and
5616-470: The earlier films." McCoy, the former Doctor Who star, who appeared alongside McKellen in a Royal Shakespeare Company 's King Lear , was confirmed to be in negotiations to play a major role as a "wizard" in October 2010, leading to speculation he could appear as Radagast the Brown. During the production of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, McCoy had been contacted about playing the role of Bilbo and
5720-410: The early stages of pre-production, former director Guillermo del Toro indicated that he was interested in having Holm reprise the role of Bilbo, but acknowledged that he might be too old to take on such a physically demanding role. On his potential casting, del Toro stated, "[Holm] certainly is the paragon we aspire to. He will be involved in some manner, I'm sure." He indicated that he was open to
5824-465: The entire scripts written to our satisfaction, so that was a very high pressure situation". However, Jackson goes on to explain in the DVD/Blu-ray featurettes the various ways in which he and his crew overcame the obstacles encountered during filming. They found ways of making things work, even in a "very high pressure situation" in which he and his crew found themselves, especially the shooting of
5928-466: The film series as Sigrid and Tilda, the daughters of Bard the Bowman. Jackson said "Adam is a wonderfully expressive actor and has a unique screen presence. I look forward to seeing him bring Ori to life." The role was Brown's first film appearance. Cate Blanchett , Sylvester McCoy , Mikael Persbrandt , William Kircher , Ken Stott , and Jed Brophy were cast in December as Galadriel , Radagast
6032-500: The film would be in 3D . As well as confirming Jackson as director, the film was reported to be greenlit , with principal photography to begin in February 2011. Jackson stated that "Exploring Tolkien's Middle-earth goes way beyond a normal film-making experience. It's an all-immersive journey into a very special place of imagination, beauty and drama." Jackson had said that del Toro's sudden exit created problems as he felt he had
6136-540: The films I thought, 'Man, I so want to do The Hobbit .'" James Nesbitt and Adam Brown were added to the cast in November 2010 to play Bofur and Ori respectively. It was previously reported that Nesbitt was in negotiations for a part in the film. Jackson said "James's charm, warmth and wit are legendary as is his range as an actor in both comedic and dramatic roles. We feel very lucky to be able to welcome him as one of our cast." Nesbitt's daughters also appear in
6240-484: The first character design begun and the last to be approved. Del Toro and Jackson considered the sudden introduction of Bard the Bowman and Bilbo's unconsciousness during the Battle of the Five Armies to be "less cinematic moments" reminiscent of the novel's greater "fairy tale world" than The Lord of the Rings , and they would change them to make The Hobbit feel more like the trilogy. However, del Toro did say he considered some of these moments iconic and would require
6344-478: The first few months of 2009, writing would start from 8:30 am and end at 3:00 pm when del Toro would meet with Weta (i.e., Wētā Workshop and Weta Digital film effects companies). Completion of the story outlines and treatments ended in March 2009 and the studios approved the start of writing the screenplay. Filming was expected to take place throughout 2010 in New Zealand, with del Toro renovating
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#17328023303836448-420: The first film would likely not be released until the fourth quarter of 2012. The first film will stand on its own and the second will be a transition and fusion with Peter's world. I plan to change and expand the visuals from Peter's and I know the world can be portrayed in a different way. Different is better for the first one. For the second, I have the responsibility of finding a slow progression and mimicking
6552-399: The first." He also noted the story must be drawn from only what is mentioned in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , as they do not have the rights to The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales . Del Toro also added (before writing began) that if they could not find a coherent story for the second film, they would just film The Hobbit , stating " The Hobbit is better contained in
6656-528: The focus of the film but also more accurately channels the essence of the story." The following is a list of cast members who voiced or portrayed characters appearing in The Hobbit films. Martin Freeman was cast in early October 2010 in the role of Bilbo Baggins . He had earlier turned the role down because of scheduling conflicts with the BBC television series Sherlock . On his casting, Peter Jackson
6760-468: The job of director, del Toro was now "reading like a madman to catch up with a whole new land, a continent of sorts—a cosmology created by brilliant philologist turned Shaman ". He wrote that his appreciation of Tolkien was enhanced by his knowledge of the fantasy genre, and the folklore research he had undertaken while making his own fantasy films. Pre-production began around August 2008, with del Toro, Jackson, Walsh and Philippa Boyens writing
6864-420: The march were 'patsies' that had been fooled into thinking the production would be taken offshore. Further emails released showed Government ministers knew a deal had been reached a week before the protest, despite claiming negotiations were still happening. The project had been envisaged as two parts as early as 2006, but the proposed contents of the parts changed during development. MGM expressed interest in
6968-567: The mid-1990s , but Weinstein's attempts to buy the movie rights from the studio were unsuccessful. Weinstein asked Jackson to press on with adapting The Lord of the Rings . Ultimately, The Lord of the Rings was produced by New Line Cinema , not the Weinsteins, and their rights to film The Hobbit were set to expire in 2010. In September 2006, the new ownership and management of MGM expressed interest in teaming up with New Line and Jackson to make The Hobbit . In March 2005, Jackson launched
7072-473: The most perfect dwarf". Frequent del Toro collaborator Doug Jones said that he would love to play the Elvenking Thranduil , but del Toro later stated that he had another role (or roles) in mind for the actor. Del Toro was the one who originally pushed to cast Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown , a choice Peter Jackson later followed. While del Toro initially wanted Ian Holm to reprise
7176-471: The movie 'extortionate'. It was also argued that the discussion had occurred in a climate of 'hyperbole and hysteria'. In February 2013, emails and documents released under orders of the Ombudsman showed that the union representing actors had already reached an agreement with Warner two days before 20 October protest, but Warner refused to confirm the deal publicly. One union representative said those on
7280-530: The next day, 66 votes in favour to 50 opposed. The government's legislation has been criticised as breaching the International Labour Organization 's core ILO Convention 87 on freedom of association , and giving an unfair subsidy to protect multinational business interests. Some have subsequently called the price (further financial subsidies and specific laws made for the producers' benefit) that New Zealand had to pay to retain
7384-712: The north and the Lindis Pass (elevation 965m / 3,166 ft) from the south, or via State Highway 83 through the Waitaki Valley from the east. Aside from these passes, the terrain is generally highest at the northern end and gradually descends in a southward direction. The basin is drained by the Waitaki River . Prominent rivers crossing the Mackenzie Basin include the Ahuriri , the Hakataramea and
7488-478: The novel and other source material, such as Gandalf's investigation at Dol Guldur which leads him to the Necromancer , and the heroes' pursuit by the orcs Azog and Bolg, who seek vengeance against Thorin and his kindred . The films feature an ensemble cast that includes James Nesbitt , Ken Stott , Evangeline Lilly , Lee Pace and Luke Evans , with several actors reprising their roles from The Lord of
7592-570: The only reserve of its type in the Southern Hemisphere. The statistical area of Mackenzie Lakes corresponds to the portion of the Mackenzie Basin within the Mackenzie District. It includes Mt Cook Village and Lake Tekapo, but not Twizel. Mackenzie Lakes covers 5,139.71 km (1,984.45 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1,440 as of June 2024, with a population density of 0.28 people per km . Before
7696-444: The possibility of Holm narrating the films. On 3 March 2011, Holm revealed that he had been in talks with the producers about reprising the role, but that he had not heard back from them yet. In the early stages of production, the role of Thranduil had been linked to actor Doug Jones but on 29 April 2011, Jackson reported on Facebook that the role had gone to Lee Pace . On his casting, Jackson said, "Casting these Tolkien stories
7800-500: The prequels. Jackson explained he chose not to direct because it would have been unsatisfying to compete with his previous films. In February 2008, the Tolkien Estate (through The Tolkien Trust , a British charity) and HarperCollins Publishers filed a suit against New Line for breach of contract and fraud and demanded $ 220 million in compensation for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The suit claimed New Line had only paid
7904-412: The previous films, and he also hired comic book artists to complement Howe's and Lee's style on the trilogy, including Mike Mignola and Wayne Barlowe , who began work around April 2009. He has also considered looking at Tolkien's drawings and using elements of those not used in the trilogy. As Tolkien did not originally intend for the magic ring Bilbo finds to be the all-powerful talisman of evil it
8008-561: The production elsewhere, with Jackson mentioning the possibility of filming in Eastern Europe. Partly out of fear for the Tolkien tourism effect, on 25 October 2010, thousands of New Zealanders organised protest rallies imploring that production remain in New Zealand, arguing that shifting production to locations outside New Zealand would potentially cost the country's economy up to $ 1.5 billion. After two days of talks with
8112-549: The project. The films take place in the fictional world of Middle-earth , sixty years before the beginning of The Lord of the Rings and follow hobbit Bilbo Baggins ( Martin Freeman ), who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf the Grey ( Ian McKellen ) to accompany thirteen Dwarves , led by Thorin Oakenshield ( Richard Armitage ), on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug ( Benedict Cumberbatch ). The films expand upon certain elements from
8216-500: The right name for the second of a two film telling of the quest to reclaim Erebor, when Bilbo's arrival there, and departure, were both contained within the second film. But with three movies, it suddenly felt misplaced—after all, Bilbo has already arrived "there" in the Desolation of Smaug ". Shaun Gunner, the chairman of The Tolkien Society , supported the decision: " ' The Battle of the Five Armies ' much better captures
8320-460: The role of Bilbo Baggins , he also said that he "absolutely" supported the casting of Martin Freeman as the character, and wanted all other returning Lord of the Rings characters to be played by the original actors where possible. In December 2012, Philippa Boyens expressed regret that del Toro's version of the film remained unmade. She revealed that it would have had a different script and visual elements, and would more closely have resembled
8424-501: The role of Fíli . Jackson stated, "Dean's a terrific Kiwi actor, who I am thrilled to be working with." O'Gorman was a last minute replacement for Rob Kazinsky had originally been cast for the role in October 2010, but left the film on 24 April 2011 "for personal reasons". Hugo Weaving returned to the role of Elrond by May 2011. Stephen Fry and Ryan Gage also joined the project in May as Master of Lake-town and Alfrid respectively. Fry spoke of his role, saying "My character
8528-436: The script for The Hobbit would not be finished until the beginning of 2010, delaying the start of production until the middle of that summer (several months later than previously anticipated). The announcement created doubts about whether the film would make its previously announced release dates of December 2011 and December 2012. Jackson reiterated that no casting decisions had been made. On 22 January 2010, Alan Horn said
8632-454: The scripts. Del Toro collaborated with Jackson, Walsh and Boyens via videoconferencing and flew every three weeks, back and forth from Los Angeles (where some of the designs were done) to New Zealand to visit them. Del Toro spent his mornings writing and afternoons looking at material related to Tolkien to help him understand the writer's work. He watched World War I documentaries and asked for book recommendations from Jackson, who
8736-406: The sparsely populated area is now also a popular tourism destination. The basin was named in the 1850s by and after James Mckenzie , a shepherd and would-be farmer of Scottish origin. Mckenzie was captured for allegedly stealing sheep; he herded his flocks in what was then an area almost totally empty of any human habitation, though Māori previously lived there intermittently. After his capture,
8840-576: The story's third act as he encounters Smaug and the Dwarves' greed. He added, "The humble, sort of a sturdy moral fibre that Bilbo has very much represents the idea that Tolkien had about the little English man, the average English man", and the relationship between Bilbo and Thorin would be the heart of the film. The Elves will also be less solemn. Del Toro met concept artists John Howe and Alan Lee , Wētā Workshop head Richard Taylor , and make-up artist Gino Acevedo in order to keep continuity with
8944-490: The story, including Smaug's defeat. He noted the second film would need to end by leading directly into The Fellowship of the Ring . In June 2009, del Toro revealed he had decided where to divide the story based on comments from fans about signifying a change in Bilbo's relationship with the Dwarves. The second film's story would also have depended on how many actors could have reprised their roles. Although The Hobbit
9048-438: The studio to sell their rights to Warner Bros. On 27 July, del Toro responded to these angry fans, saying that "it wasn't just MGM. These are very complicated movies, economically and politically." On 25 June 2010, Jackson was reported to be in negotiations to direct the two-part film. On 15 October 2010, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. confirmed that The Hobbit was to proceed filming with Jackson as director and that
9152-637: The style of Peter. Del Toro and Jackson had a positive working relationship, in which they compromised on disagreements for the benefit of the film. Del Toro believed he would be able to shoot the film himself, although Jackson noted he had similar hopes for filming all of his trilogy and offered to help as second unit director. Del Toro planned on shooting the film in the trilogy's 2.35:1 aspect ratio , rather than his signature 1.85:1 ratio. He hoped to collaborate again with cinematographer Guillermo Navarro . Del Toro shares Jackson's passion for scale models and background paintings, though he wanted to increase
9256-413: The trees from spreading. Rabbits are a common invasive species in the area affect both agricultural production and biodiversity . Rabbit numbers dropped after the introduction of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RCD) but are now increasing. The Department of Conservation has plans to drop sodium fluoroacetate (1080) laced poison bait to control the rabbit numbers. This is seen as necessary due to
9360-839: The trilogy premiered at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington on 28 November 2012. 100,000 people lined the red carpet on Courtenay Place , and the entire event was broadcast live on television in New Zealand and streamed over the Internet . The second film of the series premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on 2 December 2013. The final film premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 1 December 2014. The series received mixed reviews, but
9464-741: The use of animatronics ; "We really want to take the state-of-the-art animatronics and take a leap ten years into the future with the technology we will develop for the creatures in the movie. We have every intention to do for animatronics and special effects what the other films did for virtual reality ." Spectral Motion ( Hellboy , Fantastic Four ) was among those del Toro wanted to work with again. Some characters would have been created by mixing computer-generated imagery with animatronics and some would have been created solely with animatronics or animation. Gollum would be entirely digital again; as del Toro noted, "if it ain't broke, why fix it?" Del Toro said that he interpreted The Hobbit as being set in
9568-420: The work is enormous and encompasses more than one film. That's why we are thinking of the two instalments as parts of a single narrative. That's why I keep putting down the use of a "bridge" film (posited initially). I think the concept as such is not relevant any more. I believe that the narrative and characters are rich enough to fit in two films. Del Toro said that he was faced with two possible places to split
9672-644: Was $ 36,500, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 141 people (13.7%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 780 (76.0%) people were employed full-time, 117 (11.4%) were part-time, and 3 (0.3%) were unemployed. The original vegetation cover prior to human settlement has been completely transformed in the basin and indeed most of the surrounding Canterbury-Otago tussock grasslands ecoregion, initially due to fires lit by Māori and European settlers, and in more recent times by farming activity and by pests. The extensive network of canals for hydroelectric schemes posed
9776-429: Was 43.4, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 55.6% had no religion, 31.0% were Christian , 1.8% were Hindu , 1.0% were Muslim , 2.8% were Buddhist and 2.3% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 279 (27.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 81 (7.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income
9880-430: Was a financial success and became one of the highest-grossing film series of all time having grossed over $ 2.9 billion worldwide. It was nominated for various awards and won several , although not as many as the original trilogy . Jackson and Walsh first expressed interest in filming The Hobbit in 1995, at that time envisaging it as part one of a trilogy (parts two and three would have been based on The Lord of
9984-472: Was annoyed with the lawsuit and said in January 2007 that Jackson would never again direct a film for New Line, accusing him of being greedy. MGM boss Harry Sloan halted development, as he wanted Jackson to be involved. By August, after a string of flops, Shaye tried to repair his relationship with the director. He said, "I really respect and admire Peter and would love for him to be creatively involved in some way in The Hobbit ." The following month, New Line
10088-518: Was estimated at US$ 150 million, compared to the US$ 94 million budget for each of the films in Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. After completion of the merger of New Line Cinema with Warner Bros. in February 2008, the two parts were announced as scheduled for release in December 2011 and 2012. Producer Mark Ordesky , the executive producer of The Lord of the Rings , planned to return to supervise
10192-413: Was fined $ 125,000 for failing to provide requested accounting documents. On 16 December 2007, New Line and MGM announced that Jackson would be executive producer of The Hobbit and its sequel. The two studios would co-finance the film and the latter studio (via 20th Century Fox ) would distribute the film outside North America—New Line's first-ever such deal with another major studio. Each film's budget
10296-461: Was impossible, and as a result of it being impossible I just started shooting the movie with most of it not prepped at all. You're going on to a set and you're winging it, you've got these massively complicated scenes, no storyboards and you're making it up there and then on the spot." Jackson also said, "I spent most of The Hobbit feeling like I was not on top of it. Even from a script point of view, Fran [Walsh], Philippa [Boyens] and I hadn't got
10400-624: Was kept in place as a potential Bilbo for six months before Jackson went with Ian Holm. On the casting of Persbrandt, Jackson was quoted as saying, "The role of Beorn is an iconic one and Mikael was our first choice for the part. Since seeing him read for the role we can't imagine anyone else playing this character." On the casting of Stott, Jackson commented " Fran and I have long been fans of Ken's work and are excited he will be joining us on this journey." The casting of Brophy came after his collaboration with Jackson on several films, including Braindead , Heavenly Creatures , and all three Lord of
10504-404: Was originally cast to play Drogo Baggins in December 2010, though according to Jackson, "Ryan is a great young actor who we originally cast in a small role, but we liked him so much, we promoted him to the much larger Alfrid part". Orlando Bloom was cast to reprise his role as Legolas by the end of May. Bloom revealed on 25 April 2011 that he had been in contact with Jackson, who had given him
10608-490: Was originally made as a two-part film, on 30 July 2012, Jackson confirmed plans for a third film, turning his adaptation of The Hobbit into a trilogy. According to Jackson, the third film would make extensive use of the appendices that Tolkien wrote to support the story of The Lord of the Rings (published in the back of its third volume, The Return of the King ). While the third film, which as its title indicates, depicts
10712-425: Was quoted as saying, "Despite the various rumours and speculation surrounding this role, there has only ever been one Bilbo Baggins for us. There are a few times in your career when you come across an actor who you know was born to play a role, but that was the case as soon as I met Martin Freeman. He is intelligent, funny, surprising and brave—exactly like Bilbo and I feel incredibly proud to be able to announce that he
10816-468: Was reported that Lee had entered into negotiations to reprise the role of Saruman. Jeffrey Thomas joined the project in March 2011 as the character of Thrór, as did Mike Mizrahi as Thráin II . Bret McKenzie was added to the cast in April as Lindir . His father Peter McKenzie played the role of Elendil in The Lord of the Rings . Ian Holm was added to the cast in April as old Bilbo Baggins. During
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