Estamos en el chat de Weta, que ya ha empezado, y vamos a intentar transcribir toda la conversación entre los fans y Peter Jackson/Guillermo del Toro. Podéis seguirlo refrescando esta página:

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wetahost: Here`s the first question: 20 - Will you be doing less location shooting this time because your set builders, digital effects teams etc have become so proficient?
Peter_Jackson: We have them in a super exciting count down form and will start with Q20. We have chosen 1 questino but in the case of these 20 they represent many 100s of similar questins.

wetahost: 20 - Will you be doing less location shooting this time because your set builders, digital effects teams etc have become so proficient?
Peter_Jackson: Middle-earth is location, with very few structures really. It`s a natural countryside and that`s where a lot of shooting will take place.
Guillermo_del_Toro: Location will be favored and real set construction.
Guillermo_del_Toro: I love REAL set construction and think that sets are very important part of the storytelling and scope of a film...

bmeade: Are we starting?
Peter_Jackson: Hi bmead - we are underway, great for you to join us!
Guillermo_del_Toro: We are,. Welcome-
AnthonyPearson: What are your plans with the casting of Bilbo Baggins? Is Ian Holm still an option?
Guillermo_del_Toro: The fact that Ian Holm is SO memorable means that PJ, Fran and PB did their job right. We will utilize him in some fashion for sure but the difficulty of th erole will be better assesed after we do the script (s).
DavidPlaice: Will there be any locations outside New Zealand, e.g. the Welsh Marches for The Shire?
Peter_Jackson: Hi David - It is unlikely we will need any locations outside of NZ which has always been the perfect Middle Earth. there is nothing yet that tolkien has described that we haven`t managed to find in this amazing little country and I expect the Hobbit to be no different.
Guillermo_del_Toro: NOne being considered at the moment.

aust: Will Howard Shore be returning to do the score?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Yes- absolutely, Shore is teh VOICE of these films and we will absolutely be invited back. Peter and Fran have talked to him a couple of times already and Ive exchanged emails about the subject. He will return.

nolcai: Hello. Are you planning to use some location in italy?
Peter_Jackson: Hi nolcai it is unlikely we will shoot any of the Hobbit of Italy, but I would love come to Italy for a vacation, you should tell me the best places to visit.
Guillermo_del_Toro: Not really- But I love Italy...

Peter_Jackson: Lets go to Q19 now
wetahost: 19 - May i congratulate on your new appointment as director of The Hobbit, Guillermo. My question is to Guillermo, what can we expect from your vision and approach with this picture and I`m guessing there will be alot of dark elements to this film, but how far will you go in terms of horror and violence?
Guillermo_del_Toro: I hope that Mirkwood can be pretty scary but not graphic, I hope Riddles in the dark has an element of fear and suspense and to be deeply atmospheric but still allow the ingenious, engaging contest to take place. And Smaug should be all shock and awe when he unleashes his anger so, it will be pretty intense but not gorey.

icaroz: Will the Ring trilogy get a blu-ray release around the time of Hobbit? or sooner?
Peter_Jackson: Hi Icaroz - We are working on a blu ray version of the LOTR trilogy with Warner Bros at the moment, not sure when it is due for release. It certainly won`t be this year.

KenshinIV: What are the chances Ron Perlman will be voicing Smog?
Guillermo_del_Toro: At this time the voice of Smaug is down to a very few choices in my head and I have a completely specific one, Ron has a good chance but I have other plans for RP... we will see...

Galdor_Felagund: Will you use the Hobbit holes usd in LotR?
Peter_Jackson: Hi Galdor-Falagund - yes we hope with the permission of the land owner that we will rebuild Hobbiton bigger and even better than what it was for LOTR in exactly the same location

Peter_Jackson: Here is Q18
wetahost: 18 - Peter & Guillermo: What do you envision Gandalf`s role will be in this film? He seems to go off on his own and disappear in several sections of the book. Do you want to stay faithful to that or give him a more active role? How do you think you`ll ingratiate his character into an effective, cinematic storyline?
Guillermo_del_Toro: I believe that Gandalf is meant to be used in that way- coming and going in and out of the narrative. If anything, this creates the perfect setting for those “gaps” to be bridged by the second film…

mwilcox: Will you be filming the Hobbit in 3D?
Guillermo_del_Toro: At this stage it is too early to tell, but no plans are being made for that at the moment...

RSG1050: Mr. del Toro, have you started keeping a notebook of sketches on this film yet?
Guillermo_del_Toro: I have started already and shared some of the design a=ideas with Alan Lee and John Howe during a very excited lunch in London.
RobbieM: Will Ian McKellen return as Gandalf?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Absolutely!!
Peter_Jackson: Hi Robbie - absolutely

Peter_Jackson: Here comes Q17
wetahost: 17 - Dear Peter Jackson, I enjoyed your cameos in the LOTR movies, Will you have a cameo in this Hobbit, and what character would you like to play?
Peter_Jackson: I actually haven`t thought about it. My convention is to do cameos in films I direct. I don`t know if that extends to films I produce. I guess we`ll find out. I love Hobbits! I am a Hobbit, in very many respects, as were my parents. Tolkien wrote about a type of people he knew, in pre-war England, and somewhere along the line, he must have bumped into my relatives!
Guillermo_del_Toro: Unllike Peter, I`m a Dwarf ( a coarse creature I am)- but I studiously avoid cameos…

Jessalyn: When do you expect filming to begin?
Peter_Jackson: Dear Jesslyn - at this point in time the plan is to write for the rest of this year and start early conceptual designs. 2009 will be dedicated to pre-production on both movies and 2010 will be the year we shoot both films back to back. Post productin follows one film at a time with The Hobbit being released Dec 2011, and F2 release Dec 2012. That is the schedule in about as much detail as we have ourselves at the moment.
Peter_Jackson: And Q16 ... wetahost: 16- Peter: What was it about Guillermo that made you feel he was the right guy to continue on the saga of Middle-earth? Are the two of you on the same page for the vision, direction, and style that these movies will have? If the two of you disagree on a point, who wins out? Peter_Jackson: I`ll talk more about this in a later question, but watching his films, he has respect for fantasy. He understands it, he`s not frightened by it. Guillermo also understands character, and how the power of any movie is almost always linked to how closely we empathize with characters within the story. His work shows great care and love for the main characters he creates. He also has supreme confidence with design, and visual effects. So many film makers are scared of visual effects - which is no crime, but tough if you`re doing one of these movies!
If we disagree, the director has to win, because you should never force a director to shoot something they don`t believe in. But we`re both reasonably practical and ego-free, and I believe that if we disagree, we both have the ability to express our differing theorys - state our case, like lawyers - and between us, work out what`s best for the movie.

Eriol: So what age rating are you aiming at?
Peter_Jackson: Hi Eriol - the rating will be the same as the Trilogy, PG13 on both movies
Guillermo_del_Toro: An intense PG-13...

Reguba: Will the Hobbit get an extended edition like LOTR?
Peter_Jackson: Dear Reguba - interesting Q. The truth (and this is the truth) is that you don`t plan for extended editions up front an extended edition is the result of left over scenes that have been deleted out of theatrical cut. In an ideal world the script is written lean and tight and therefore there are no scenes left on the cuttring room floor and therefore no extended edition. However when writing 3 epic LOTR films there was no way we could keep the writing process as lean, so the extended edition was a result of seeing our thought process during the writing and shooting play itself out on screen with scenes we no longer needed when we finally cut the films together. Whether there will be an extended edition of the Hobbit will depend entirely on the final theatrical cut and what we have left over.
Guillermo_del_Toro: That one is REALLY too early to answer... but being a DVD freak (now a B-Ray freak) I think that if you have enough alternative material you can make it accesible on DVD (or B-R) format... Is not a priori that one decides this.

Peter_Jackson: Now for Q15
wetahost: 15 - Will you be using the same production team ie. Special effects, art directors, cinematographers, composer etc..
Guillermo_del_Toro: Many of them will be back. I will supplement the FX departments, the design departments (with very interesting names), but the crew will utilize as many of the original elements as possible.

elffan9: Will we be seeing Legolas in Mirkwood?
Guillermo_del_Toro: We all think that this is a very interesting idea but the scripts are in process so- sorry,.. too early to tell.

Peter_Jackson: And now Q14
wetahost: 14 - In the Hobbit book, we have talking trolls and the Eagles and Smaug talks as well, however in the LOTR Trilogy, trolls did no more than grunt, Fellbeasts screamed, and the Eagles, who were meant to talk, just stayed silent. How much will the portayle of such animals change in the Hobbit?
Guillermo_del_Toro: I think it should be done exactly as in the book- the “talking beast” motif has to exist already to allow for that great character that is Smaug. It is far more jarring to have a linear movie and then – out of the blue – a talking Dragon.
Yetzi: did you start casting for the 13 dwarves?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Nope- no catsing has started yet.
Guillermo_del_Toro: Casting- I mean... BUt some people have thrown their helmet in the ring.
Peter_Jackson: Hi Yetzi - no casting has commenced and won`t until the scripts are written. We have had chats with one or two ofthe LOTR actors however but the casting will be driven largely by the writing and it is impossible to cast 13 dwarves without knowing their personality and characters. We anticipate we won`t be in serious casting mode for these movies until well into next year.

Peter_Jackson: Now for Q13
wetahost: 13 - Hi. Do you intend to play this one by the Book (The Hobbit that is) and make it a very light childrens tale on film, or do you plan to stick with the much darker treatment- in keeping with the LotR films - particularly the latter ones. My personal preference would be for the latter - cannot see how eg. the Rivendell Elves could regress from their nobility in LotR to those "...Tra-la-la-la...." singing versions which wer in teh Hobbit Book. Thank you. "Tra-la-la-la" singing
Guillermo_del_Toro: We’ll see about the “Tra-la-la-“ later- but the book, I believe, in echoing the “loss of innocence” England experienced after WWI, is a passage form innocence to a darker, more somber state- The visual / thematic progression should reflect that in the camera style, color palette, textural choices, etc.
Peter_Jackson: As I said earlier, I personally feel that The Hobbit can, and should have a different tone. The "tone" of these stories shouldn`t be defined by the pressure our characters were under in LOTR. The world is a different place at the time of the Hobbit. The shadow is not so dark. However, what should stay the same is the reality of Middle-earth, and the integrity we bring to it as film makers.

Shane: Will the two movies be shot at the same time?
Guillermo_del_Toro: The idea is to shoot them "back to bacK" with a small break to breathe and to reconstruct certain sets and have time to reasses... But a schedule of a year is expecvted.
Peter_Jackson: Hi Shane - Yes the movies will be shot back to back and the shooting of the movie will be driven by which actors are working with us at a given time and what locations we are in. For instance, if we are shooting hObbiton scenes for Hobbit movies we would also shoot Hobbiton scenes for F2. So during our year of filming we will be shooting both movies at the same time out of sequence.

reel1: Hi, Guys. Was it intentional to release the first Hobbit film on the 10 year anniversary of FOTR?
Peter_Jackson: Dear Razor - No this is the first time I have actually thought about it ... that is nice I will claim credit for the idea from this day forward

Peter_Jackson: Q12 ....
wetahost: 12 - Peter: During production of the trilogy, there were days where there were several filming crews working simultaneously, with different people directing. Would you ever want to head up a crew and direct the shooting of a scene for a day?
Peter_Jackson: Most directors prefer to direct everything themselves. I thought I could on LOTR, but very quickly found out that the sheer scale prevented it. Instead of a 15 month shoot, we would have shot for 3 years! Guillermo always shoots his own material, so we`ll do our best to construct a schedule that allows him to do that. It will depend a lot on how the scripts break down.
I`d happily shot some second unit stuff, anytime Guillermo asked me to. But let`s see what happens.

Mr.Movie: Are you already go to New Zealand, Mr.Del Toro ?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Yes- Ive been actually been thyere already -secretly- shh- and will be there shortly after HELLBOY II opens and will be getting a LOT of frequent flyer miles in the next few months-
Peter_Jackson: Hi Greg - F2 is referring to Film 2
wetahost: 11 - Guillermo del Toro is an accomplished director. I just wondered whether ok not, he will bring more prostetics, animatronics and physical effects to the film, as he does with such films as Hellboy and Pan`s Labyrinth (which are great films by the way)? Or will Weta Digital still have their work cut out for them with VFX?

Peter_Jackson: Here comes Q11
Guillermo_del_Toro: I plan to mix CGI and PHYSICAL in such a way that your eye wonders which is which- keep you mind busy but NEVER allowing for the weaknesses of either tool to take over. Yes, I have, by trial and error, learned that both tools need to be mixed and how much they must be mixed to succeed in creating environments and living creatures. WETA is the lead house, absolutely but we will expand the creature team and beef up the prosthetics team. Imagine a physical creature with a radio controlled muscle / facial system but with partial CGI replacement on the head or mouth, etc and you’ll start to get the idea…
Guillermo_del_Toro: And now for the question...
Vampireta: So how was your first meeting with each other?
Peter_Jackson: Hi Vampierta - The first time I remember meeting Guillermo was at Bob Shay`s hosue during a LOTR party. Obviously at that time we had no concept of what the future held!!
Guillermo_del_Toro: We finished a tray of shrimps together and agreed that NEW LINE should keep hiring round, bearded directors with funny accents...

Peter_Jackson: Q10 ....
wetahost: 10- Hi there, thanks for giving this opportunity. my question: will Alan Lee and John Howe be on board again? I really admire their work. good luck for this project and have a lot of fun.
Guillermo_del_Toro: As aI said, I had a marvelous lunch with John and Alan in London a few days ago and we all got very excited as we discussed my ideas on Smaug, Mirkwood, etc They are most definetly back!
Peter_Jackson: Impossible to imagine it without them!

Trotter_the_Ranger: What will be the title for the second movie?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Too early- but not "H2 Electric Boogaloo" that has been discarded.
Peter_Jackson: Hi Trots - the second movie doesn`t have a title yet and probably won`t until we write the script. As you will see we have the incredibly boring name Film Two which I assure you will not last for very long. Just bear with us.

tigerlily: Hello Beren, as no bugger is going to answer our questons we may as well talk to eachj other! I guess we should have submitted questions earlier on as it seems they are being answered!!!
Peter_Jackson: Hi Tiger Lily - the buggers in Wgtn and London are wading through 6000 Q as best we can. Every Q answered represents a number of similar questions.
Guillermo_del_Toro: As they say in Family feud: "Survey Says:"

Peter_Jackson: Q 9 ...
wetahost: 9 - Peter, perhaps you could clarify what your role will be in the production of these films: What exactly does an executive producer do? Will you follow that model or "forge your own path?" How will Guillermo`s role and your role be different? Do you plan on writing the script again with Fran and Phillippa?
Peter_Jackson: Truth is "Executive Producers" do a range of things on movies from a lot to virtually nothing! I see myself being one of a production team. My interest is helping Guillermo make the very best films he can. I love writing and I`m looking forward to that. Guillermo will be writing, along with Fran, Philippa and myself. As a director, I could never direct something I didn`t have a hand in writing, and we`re not expecting Guillermo to do that either. If the director is part of the writing, it means he was there when the discussions took place, story decisions were made ... he knows why things are the way they are, and what they need to achieve. Everything is in a script for a reason, and only by being part of a writing team (or writing it yourself), do you really understand the intention of every beat.
I see my role as being part of that writing team, which will create the blueprint, and then helping Guillermo construct the movie. I want Guillermo to make his movies, and I want to make sure we end up with a 5 movie series that`s as good as it can possibly be.

Merlkir: any ideas about the talking wargs? the wargs in hobbit are remarkably different from the "hyena" ones in the LOTR movies.
Guillermo_del_Toro: Absolutely: they will be different from the Hyena ones established in the Trilogy- they will be faithful to the creatures in the book and will be redesigned accordingly.

lordlinton: Loved the video diaries for King Kong, will you guys be doing something similar for the Hobbit?
Peter_Jackson: There is a lot of questions about production diaries for the internet - the truth is that Guillermo and I haven`t even discussed this topic yet, now do we have a real plan in place for the internet and DVD side of the film. You have to realise that although this was announced and is all round the world we are at the very beginning of the process just starting to think about the scripts. We are not trying to fob anyone off but we simply haven`t got that far in the process yet and it is a plan we will put into place during the course of 2009.

wetahost: 8 - I always thought creating Gollum would pose a great artisic challenge to the artists whose job it would be to adapt the Lord of the Rings. With the Hobbit I believe Smaug will pose one of the great challenges. Now we have all seen dragons in movies. But for the Hobbit I personally am excepting nothing less than unbelievable . Were will you go for inspiration? What styles will the art dirction look at? Personally I can see a lot being done with the setting from Pan`s Labyrinth. Thank you and good luck to you all.
Guillermo_del_Toro: This is a big one-- Allow me to quote form my random responses at Onering.net…
I am a big Dragon fan. I`ve said it before- And I was fortunate enough to be born a Dragon in the Chinese Horocope...
And although its always impossible to agree on the "greatest" of anything, I bring forth these two as the main film contenders for that title: Eyvind Earle / Disney`s Maleficent dragon ( a triumph of elegance of color and design) and Vermitrax Pejorative from Dragonslayer.
In my opinion, every other design has borrowed heavily from these two. I plan to create something new and groundbreaking.
Smaug should not be "the Dragon in the Hobbit movie" as if it was just "another" creature in a Bestiary. Smaug should be "The DRAGON" for all movies past and present. The shadow he cast and the greed he comes to embody- the "need to own" casts its long shadow and creates a thematic / dramatic continuity of sorts that articulates the story throughout-
In that respect, Smaug the CHARACTER is as important, if not more important, than the design. The character will emerge form the writing- and in that the Magnificent arrogance, intelligence, sophistication and greed of Smaug shine through-
In fact, Thorin`s greed is a thematic extension of this and Bilbo`s "Letting go" and his noble switching of sides when the dwarves prove to be in the wrong is its conceptual counterpart (that is a hard one to get through, Bilbo`s heroism is a quiet, moral one) and the thematic thread reaches its climax in the Bilbo / Thorin death bed scene.
Anyway, back to Smaug: One of the main mistakes with talking dragons is to shape the mouth like a snub Simian one in order to achieve a dubious lip-synch. .. A point which eluded me particularly in Eragon, since their link is a psychic one.
To me, Smaug is the perfect example of a great creature defined by its look and design, yes, but also, very importantly, by his movement and -One little hint- its environment - Think about it... the way he is scaled, moves and is lit, limited or enhanced by his location, weather conditions, light conditions, time of the year, etc. That`s all I can say without spoilers but, if you keep this curious little summary you`ll realize several years form now that those things I had in my mind ever since doodling the character as a kid had solidified waaay before starting the shoot of the film.
A big tool is also how and when he is fully revealed. I could give you specifics- beat-by-beat in fact (I`m geeking out to do it), but...
I will say no more in order to save you from ruthless spoilerage (we have a few years to go, you now...?) and increased anxiety.
Let me, however, say that this is actually one of the points I feel most enthusiastic about.
As to his voice- well, each reader has a Smaug voice in his / her head, just like you always do when "hearing" a great character in a book.
I have mine... and it will be revealed in time...

manuthevif: Guillermo, Will Peter be directing Hellboy 3 at some point?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Offers have been made but he remains elusive- we will be in talks soon.

swjedi18: Will be seeing The While Council in The Hobbit?
Peter_Jackson: Hi swjedi18 - To early to say before the scripts are written but it is definitely an idea we are discussing.
Guillermo_del_Toro: There`s a very good chance if the "gaps" are filled in some form in either narrative. Too early...

Peter_Jackson: Now for Q7
wetahost: 7 - how important is it to you to create overall consistency between Peter`s LOTR films and Guillermo`s? in terms of the actors, look and feel, scenery, score, fx -- is your aim to have them stand on their own or sync up with the trilogy?
Guillermo_del_Toro: I believe that it’s a little bit of both- the world must feel like the same world. The aspect ratio, music, essential established costume and production design trademarks but I would love to bring a lot of new flavours to the table. THE HOBBIT is, in essence, an overture to a massive Symphonic work so main themes are reprised but new modulations and new colors are introduced, thematically and texturally.
Peter_Jackson: I love Guillermo`s symphonic allusion. The "overture" can have a different flavour, a different texture, yet be a carefully crafted introduction to what`s to follow. Film Two is perfect to dramatise the shift in Middle-earth that propells us into the dark days of LOTR. If LOTR is World War One, then the Hobbit is like an Edwardian adventure tale, set in the days before world notices the looming storm clouds.

Junaid: Is The Hobbit harder or easier than LOTR to adapt as a script?
Peter_Jackson: Hi Junaid - Both are equally difficult to be completely honest. The Hobbit has its own unique problems, different to those of LOTR.
Guillermo_del_Toro: Not easy- I tell you that-

eter_Jackson: Here comes Q6 ...
wetahost: 6 - Will Weta be releasing figures for this film like it did with Kong and Narnia?
Guillermo_del_Toro: I would hope so!! I want them all!!

Galdor_Felagund: How does Christopher Tolkien feel about the two new films?
Peter_Jackson: Hi Galdor - Christopher Tolkien did not wish to be involved in the LOTR movies and I would assuem his feelings are the same with these two films. I totally respect him for that since he is looking after the legacy of his father`s books and does not wish to be involved in someone else`s interpretation of those stories.

Peter_Jackson: Here comes Q5
wetahost: 5 - Having recently reread the Hobbit with my children, it strikes me that the Hobbit contains a fairly linear story that doesn`t necessarily follow the "three act" formula typical of movies. What do you see as the biggest challenge adapting the story to the big screen?
Guillermo_del_Toro: There are so many- I am all for trying to preserve every idiosyncrasy the novel has- the very things that seem “unfilmable” and that – in my mind- will make it thrilling as a film. The novel is much, much more inventive and dislocated in its narrative (Bilbo being hit by a rock during the Battle) than you may think at first. I think that you can treat a classic like a museum piece –stuffed and mounted- or you can make it a living, breathing narrative that is unfolding right then and there.
Peter_Jackson: Structure is important in film, but as Guillermo says, there`s often structure to be found in the most unlikely of places! It`s quite possible to build a structured story and retain idiosyncrasy. It`s going to be part of the joy of writing this.

Lukas-Eldarion: Will you do another chat later on in the process?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Gladly- gladly- Im in!!
Peter_Jackson: Hi Lukas - we would love to this has been a lot of fun. Let us just get the last of the official questions out because we are working down to the most popular ones in the final few

Peter_Jackson: Now for Q4
wetahost: 4 - Will Gollum play a role in the second film? If not, any plans to find a different role for Andy Serkis? Because, and I think most will agree with me, everything is better with more Serkis.
Guillermo_del_Toro: Yes! As all of you know, Gollum has a rather fascinating arch to go through and his alliance to Shelob or his period of imprisonment in Thranduil`s, etc but it is early still- so early in fact that to reveal more would tie our hands and be counterproductive.
Guillermo_del_Toro: There can never be "too much Andy"

Peter_Jackson: Now for Q 3
wetahost: 3 - Hello from New Orleans! What production challenges do you feel will be different for The Hobbit and the sequel compared to the experience of making The LOTR?
Peter_Jackson: Yikes! Every film is a challenge. I always say that making a movie is like film school - you`re always learning. But unlike most schools, you never get done with it. You never learn everything. Over time, you get to anticipate problems a little better - but new ones hit you. You get to figure out solutions, but there are always extreme problems you could never guess.
One of the things I`m going to enjoy in this experience, is that I`ll be better placed to help anticipate the problems and fix them. When you`re directing, you`re right at the coal face, always exhausted, often emotional - and I`ll enjoy being a couple of steps back from that and simply helping where I can. Having done it 3 times as director, there`s a lot I know that can help smooth the way for Guillermo.

Peter_Jackson: And we will now do 2
wetahost: 2 - Hello Mr. Jackson and Mr. Del Toro! Thank you very much for this time. My question is one that I think you will hear alot of from many of us...from what material will you pulling the second movie from? I know it`ll be great with you two on board, but I am mighty curious. I am a huge fan of both of you and I look foward to more Tolkien films!
Guillermo_del_Toro: The idea is to find a compelling way to join THE HOBBIT and FELLOWSHIP and enhance the 5 films both visually an in their Cosmology. There’s omissions and material enough in the available, licensed material to attempt this. The agreement is, however, that the second film must be relevant and emotionally strong enough to be brought to life but that we must try and contain the HOBBIT in a single film.
Peter_Jackson: I`m really looking forward to developing Film Two. It gives us a freedom that we haven`t really had on our Tolkien journey. Some of you may well say that`s a good thing of course! The Hobbit is interesting in how Tolkien created a feeling of dangerous events unfolding, which preoccupy Gandalf. There`s an awful lot of incident that happens during that 60 year gap. At this stage, we`re not imagining a film that literally covers 60 years, like a bio-pic or documentary. We would figure out what happens during that 60 years, and choose one short section of time to drop in and dramatise for the screen. I`m really interested in how it effects The Hobbit - do we show what happens to Gandalg during his trips away? We`ll see. We may well have seeds for Film Two that we`ll subtly sow during The Hobbit.

Peter_Jackson: Lets do a few more random questions before the final grand question.
wetahost: Hi Guys my question comes in two parts. Firstly will we notice a significant shift in visual style from LOTR to the Hobbit due to Guillermo`s unique asthetic? And if so will there be a complete re-imagining in the design of places seen in both books (ie Bag End and Rivendell) due to this differing style?
Guillermo_del_Toro: GDT The basic designs, the preestablished designs will be only “updated” insofar as the epoch difference. Half a century more or less which in Middle Earth terms is not that much but- think about how much our world has changed from – say 2001 to now… The new settings and designs should blend in enough not to feel like a completely different world but yes, the movies are bound to have some distinctive stylistic imprint.

wetahost: Gentlemen, a two part question. 1st, shooting on film or HD? 2nd, scope or flat?
Guillermo_del_Toro: I normally use 1:85 but I thoroughly plan to respect Peter’s choice of format used in the Trilogy (2:35:1) but it is my intention, for now, to shoot this on film, not HD.

wetahost: How will the new Gollum differ from the Gollum of the LOTR trilogy, if at all?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Once again, only in the passage of time (he’s half a century “younger”) but it will be Andy and the established design will be our Template

wetahost: Will the Mirkwood Elves be different from the Rivendell Elves of the LOTR trilogy?
Guillermo_del_Toro: That is definetly my intention but I cannot reveal anymore at the moment.

wetahost: Considering that you`re stretching The Hobbit into 2 movies can we assume that Beorn will be featured and will not be given the Tom Bombadil treatment?
Guillermo_del_Toro: I may be in the minority, but I absolutely LOVE Beorn and I intend to feature him in the films. BTW I also like TB quite a bit…

wetahost: I would love to know how you are going to deal with goblins in the movie. Will they look like the smaller orcs in the LOTR movies or are you going to make a completely new design?Also will everything look like it did in the LOTR movies or will you be redesigning it to fit your vision?
Guillermo_del_Toro: This is an area in which I hope we can expand and enhance a LOT from the established designs in the Trilogy. I plan to come up with a very strong, new treatment for the Goblins. I also think the Wargs should be readdressed for their role in The HOBBIT.

wetahost: One thing I love about watching movies from different film makers is seeing their own visions put on screen. But since these HOBBIT movies are being made to tie in with the LOTR series, does this mean Mr. Del Toro`s wonderfully imaginitive vision will be limited to follow the rules set up by Mr. Jackson?
Guillermo_del_Toro: It is my privilege to roam through roads previously traced but I definetly intend to take you to new and exciting places that the Trilogy did not explore. Nevertheless it is our intention that, once done, the 5 films will play like a symphonic work that seamlessly transports you through this world.

wetahost: Hi there,i`m Beren from Romania and i`d like to ask Mr. GDT if he plans to use(as PJ did) extensive matte paintings and "big-atures" to portray the vast panoramas and cities of Middle-earth or the more simpler CG effects?Thanks and cheers.
Guillermo_del_Toro: Peter and I both love “old school” techniques. I adore physical miniatures and try to use them as much as I can and have a bit of a fetish about that. Matte Paintings and “Big-atures” will definetly be in these.

wetahost: Question for Guillermo, assuming they are all returning to write the screenplay, will you be writing alongside Peter, Philippa and Fran also?
Guillermo_del_Toro: I intend to. Their input in the literary creation of the screenplay is a must. I depend on them and expect to spend many delightful months wandering through Middle Earth.
Peter_Jackson: Writing a screen play with a group of collaborators is like the Lennon McCartney collaboration .... sometimes one or two people do more than others on certain parts of the process and vice versa, it all comes out in the wash and we share equal credit in what everyone has done, with 4 of us we will be able to divide the work up in interesting ways and everyone will be able to help craft these films.
wetahost: I`d comment on the awesomeness of director choice, but I`m sure that gets old. Concerning The Hobbit and the numerous Dwarves, I was wondering if all of them are going to find their way into the film. In Lord of the Rings, you had 9 in the Fellowship, but you had three movies to flesh them out. In the Hobbit, you have 13 Dwarves and one film to throw them all in. I`m definitely hoping to see all 13 make their way in, but what are you doing about this?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Tolkien wrote 13 dwarves and I intend to use 13 dwarves. I am, in fact, thrilled to keep them all and have them be distinguishable and affecting as characters. Much of the drama and emotion in the last third of the book and film will come from them.

wetahost: Guiilermo, I have always thought of you as a visionary director, and I love your work- could you please tell me what was the deciding factor that made you agree to direct The Hobbit?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Of all of Tolkien literary work I was only familiar with THE HOBBIT. I purchased it at age 11 and it struck a chord with me but, back then, I failed to connect with the Trilogy and the Silmarillion (Which now I find delectable) eluded me. I found them –unlike the HOBBIT- to be “too dense” for my young mind. I dreamt of Mirkwood and Smaug for ages (in fact, a Smaug-like dragon was scripted as part of the “fairy tale” Ophelia narrates to her brother in PANS LABYRINTH and was sculpted but was cut for budget reasons) but when I saw Peter undertake the Trilogy I thought thet the HOBBIT would never come to be for me. The proposition of spending half a decade crafting these films received- as Peter will atest- a 5 second “YES” from me. To people in my industry I’m usually a guy that tries to generate his own projects and I remain very elusive when people try and attach me to big projects. For decades I have passed on films of enormous scope but this is a fantastic privilege and I immediately said “Yes”.

wetahost: My question is, when Del Toro has acknowledged his disdain for Hobbits and "sword and sandals" fantasy, how can he do justice to the movie? Why can`t Peter direct it himself after The Lovely Bones? He can direct these 2 movies and then direct the 3rd Tintin movie.
Peter_Jackson: Writing a screen play with a group of collaborators is like the Lennon McCartney collaboration .... sometimes one or two people do more than others on certain parts of the process and vice versa, it all comes out in the wash and we share equal credit in what everyone has done, with 4 of us we will be able to divide the work up in interesting ways and everyone will be able to help craft these films.

wetahost: I`d comment on the awesomeness of director choice, but I`m sure that gets old. Concerning The Hobbit and the numerous Dwarves, I was wondering if all of them are going to find their way into the film. In Lord of the Rings, you had 9 in the Fellowship, but you had three movies to flesh them out. In the Hobbit, you have 13 Dwarves and one film to throw them all in. I`m definitely hoping to see all 13 make their way in, but what are you doing about this?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Tolkien wrote 13 dwarves and I intend to use 13 dwarves. I am, in fact, thrilled to keep them all and have them be distinguishable and affecting as characters. Much of the drama and emotion in the last third of the book and film will come from them.

wetahost: Guiilermo, I have always thought of you as a visionary director, and I love your work- could you please tell me what was the deciding factor that made you agree to direct The Hobbit?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Of all of Tolkien literary work I was only familiar with THE HOBBIT. I purchased it at age 11 and it struck a chord with me but, back then, I failed to connect with the Trilogy and the Silmarillion (Which now I find delectable) eluded me. I found them –unlike the HOBBIT- to be “too dense” for my young mind. I dreamt of Mirkwood and Smaug for ages (in fact, a Smaug-like dragon was scripted as part of the “fairy tale” Ophelia narrates to her brother in PANS LABYRINTH and was sculpted but was cut for budget reasons) but when I saw Peter undertake the Trilogy I thought thet the HOBBIT would never come to be for me. The proposition of spending half a decade crafting these films received- as Peter will atest- a 5 second “YES” from me. To people in my industry I’m usually a guy that tries to generate his own projects and I remain very elusive when people try and attach me to big projects. For decades I have passed on films of enormous scope but this is a fantastic privilege and I immediately said “Yes”.

wetahost: My question is, when Del Toro has acknowledged his disdain for Hobbits and "sword and sandals" fantasy, how can he do justice to the movie? Why can`t Peter direct it himself after The Lovely Bones? He can direct these 2 movies and then direct the 3rd Tintin movie.
Guillermo_del_Toro: Okay- If by “Sword and Sandal” you mean “Sword and Sorcery” I stand by the general lines of my statement in 2006. But allow me to reproduce the following paragraph from ONERING.net and expand it-
Since the age of 4 I became an avid reader and collector of books; manuscripts, pamphlets, first editions, small press or worn-down paperbacks... they all find a home at my library which has grown so cumbersome and obtrusive that I had to move to a separate home from the family one...
For many decades my main area of interest has been horror fiction: Algernon Blackwood, Arthur Machen, MR James, LeFanu, etc and classic Fairy tales and literature about the engines of Myth: unabridged Grimm, Andersen, Wilde, Bettelheim, Tatar, etc
Now and then I indulge in Science Fiction (not hardware oriented but more humanistic things) and thus I count Bradbury, Ellison, Sturgeon and Matheson amongst my favorites.
My area of interest gets much narrower when we deal with another genre... the genre that is shelved under Fantasy.
As a youngster I read Moorcock, Clark Ashton Smith, Lord Dunsany, Lloyd Alexander, Fritz Leiber, Marcel Schwob, RE Howard and a few others.
Nevertheless I was never propelled into an aleatory addiction to sub-genres like Sword & Sorcery or indiscriminate fantasies about magical this or that- Like any other genre or subgenre there`s a great abundance that makes it hard to discern when a new "trilogy" or "chronicle" comes from as genuine a place as Tolkien`s or derives from genuine fervor -religious or otherwise- like C.S. Lewis` did. But here I am 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.
As if he grasped an existing universe outside our Platonic cave, Tolkien channels an entire world, weaving expertly from myth and lore. The oustanding virtue is that all this scholarly erudition doesn`t reduce his tales to mere Taxidermy. He achieves an Alchemy all of his own: he writes new life in the freshly sculpted clay of his creatures.
I have, through the years become familiar with the very roots of Tolkien`s myths and the roots of Fafhrd or Elric or Hyperborea and many a time I have relished the intricate ways in which demonic wolves, shape-shifter and spindly-limbed pale warriors can be woven into those many tales that become, at the end, the single tale, the single saga- that of what is immortal in us all.
In creating Pan`s Labyrinth I drank deep of the most rigid form of Fairy Lore and tried to contextualize the main recurrent motifs in an instinctive rhyme between the world of fantasy and the delusions of War and Politics (the grown man`s way of playing make-believe) and in re-reading THE HOBBIT just recently I was quite moved by discovering, through Bilbo`s eyes the illusory nature of possession, the sins of hoarding and the banality of war- whether in the Western Front or at a Valley in Middle Earth. Lonely is the mountain indeed.
When that statement was made- at different times during PANS LABYRINTH’s promotion, many a time I made the distinctive call to say that althought I had not read Tolkien outside THE HOBBIT I had been fascinated by the Trilogy films. A statement that I already had the chance to make in 2005 when PJ, Fran and I met about HALO.
So, no, generally I am NOT a “Sword and Sorcery” guy or a “Fantasy” guy- By the same token, I`m not a sci-fi guy but I would make a film based on Ellison in a second- or on Sturgeon or Bradbury or Matheson. I`m not into Barbarians with swords but i would kill to tackle Fafhrd and Grey Mouse... and so on and so forth... I`m a believer but not a Dogmatic.
Allow me to put a final, finer point to our discussion. The aesthetics of HELLBOY II are completely Pop and color-saturated, much more comic book / modern than I would ever use in THE HOBBIT but- I spend two years creating a world of Fairies, Elves, Trolls, etc
Two Years. A career / creative decision that precedes any inkling of THE HOBBIT. I wrote the script years before I met with PJ or Fran. In other words I dedicated the last 6 years of my career (between PL and HBII) to create Fantastical world inhabited by Fairies, Fauns, Ogres, Trolls, Elves, etc
In that respect- I guess I am a Fantasy guy when the particular world appeals to me. Back in the Jurassic Period (1992 / 1993) when CRONOS won the Critic’s Week at Cannes I was referred to as an “art house guy”- I followed that with a giant cockroach movie that proved successful enough to spawn two sequels and allow me to co-finance THE DEVILS BACKBONE which send me back to being an “art house guy”. Then I did BLADE II and people thought of me as an “Action guy”- PJ went through a similar mercurial career with HEAVENLY CREATURES, BAD TASTE, DEAD ALIVE, etc I squirm away from a tag and I hope I can avoid being just a “Fantasy guy” after PL, HBII and H…
I do the tales I love (regardless of what shelf Barnes & Noble classifies the book under) and I love the HOBBIT.
I love it enough to give it half a decade of my life and move half a world away to do it.

Peter_Jackson: Having directed the LOTR Trilogy, I really felt that I put my heart and soul into dramatising this world and story, only a few years ago. The idea of going back in and essentially competing against my own movies, seemed to be an unsatsifying way to spend the next 5 years. However, I love Tolkien and care deeply about the movies we made. I couldn`t bear the idea of somebody else making them without our involvement. Being a writer and producer is the perfect way for me to work here. Guillermo has the ultimate responsibility of directing, and for him it`s easier to make these movies feel different, simply because he`s not me, and he therefore has an original vision, with new ideas to offer.
Believe me, I thought long and hard about this, and what we`re doing here will result in better movies, I promise you. And that`s all that counts!
Peter_Jackson: OK we are almost done here folks and we have our last Q which was the most popular Q from the 1000s of people who sent Qs in advance.

wetahost: 1 - Which of the actors from LOTR will be back to reprise their roles in The Hobbit and its companion film?
Guillermo_del_Toro: Obviously, at this stage, the second film is still being figured out- so the actors that have been approached may or not have appeared in the HOBBIT as a literary work but still may appear in the second film as it “blends” into the Trilogy and expands. Therefore what can be said is: Unequivocally, every single actor that originated a role in the Trilogy will be asked to participate and reprise it. If Health, availability or willigness become obstacles – and only in that case recasting would be considered.
Peter_Jackson: Like Guillermo says, apart from extreme circumstances, we would never recast a character who appeared in the LOTR trilogy. You can read The Hobbit and pretty much see which characters play a part. The unknown facter is Film Two, which we are still developing. If we wished to write one of the LOTR characters into the narrative of Film Two, we would only do that with that actors blessing, and willingess to take part. Otherwise we`d take the writing in another direction.


Guillermo_del_Toro: Time is up-
But I can proudly say that only a FEW asked "How can I be an extra?" so my heart swell withy pride with the many questions that you were kind enough to submit- More chats and wandering in the message boards await us- See you soon...
Peter_Jackson: So that is it for us for this morning or this evening, or middle of the night wherever you are. We are sorry that is all we could get through but we did try to have each of the Qs represent similar things that many of you have asked. So hopefully it gives you a little bit of info. As I said the truth is there are a lot of unanswered Qs for us as well at this stage of the process. We will know a lot more once the scripts are written which is the next job that we will be doing and it will take most of the rest of this year I imagine. Hope this has been helpful and thank you for all the incredible support now and in years gone by. Best wishes, Peter J.
Guillermo_del_Toro: May the hair on your toes, etc-
Peter_Jackson: The transcript of this chat will be available here on the Weta site in a few hours time. Everyone here at Weta is looking foward to continuing this relationship with you throughout the hobbit experience and there are a lot of fun surprises to come over the next 4 years.
Guillermo_del_Toro: Viva WETA and the many "toys" they make! And may Cthulhu give me more shelves to put them on...

---

Bueno, eso es todo. De todos modos, copiaremos la transcripción "oficial" que se publicará en la página de Weta dentro de unas horas. Bien, ¿qué os ha parecido? ¿Alguien se anima a traducirlo para aquellos que no sepan inglés?

Variety publica una entrevista con Guillermo Del Toro, director de las futuras adaptaciones de ‘El Hobbit’. Mezclado con las declaraciones del mexicano, la revista apunta una serie de datos que tal vez deberían de considerarse como rumores, pero que resultan extremadamente interesantes. Y es que la preproducción de los films está a punto de comenzar. Fran Walsh y Philippa Boyens escribirán el guión bajo la dirección de Peter Jackson y GDT. El cómo se organizarán se decidirá en los próximos días, aunque todos participarán de alguna manera. Por otro lado, se comenta que ya han contactado con Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Andy Serkis (Gollum), y con... Viggo Mortensen, para retomar sus papeles en las precuelas.

Finalmente, el blog The Frodo Franchise recoge cómo Jerry Sloan, un directivo de la MGM, ha realizado en Cannes dos interesantes declaraciones sobre las películas. La primera, es que confirma que las dos partes se estrenarán respectivamente en las navidades de 2011 y 2012. Además, comentó que tras haber hablado cuatro horas con Peter Jackson y Fran Walsh, le ha quedado claro que ya saben cómo plasmarán la trama, y que ya conocían cada secuencia.

Como anuncian numerosos medios on-line, el productor de las películas que se basarán en ‘El Hobbit’, Peter Jackson, y el director, Guillermo Del Toro, tienen planteado realizar una sesión de chat con los internautas el sábado 24 de mayo de 2008.

El evento, que han denominado como ‘Una fiesta inesperada’, se podrá seguir a las 22h00 hora local de Madrid (21h00 GMT), y durará 60 minutos. Para registrarse, es necesario acudir a la web de Weta. Las normas son las siguientes: Los usuarios registrados podrán enviar una sola pregunta de antemano. PJ y Del Toro seleccionarán las 20 preguntas más frecuentes, que contestarán ambos durante la sesión. Adicionalmente, también participarán de manera informal en el chat, respondiendo a los comentarios y dudas en ese mismo momento.

La convocatoria completa puede leerse en Wired, donde destacamos cómo PJ cede ‘el bastón de mando’ al director mexicano, insistiendo en que Del Toro tendrá mucho que decir en la elaboración de las películas.

Enrique Dueñas nos ha enviado un guión cinematográfico de La Caída de Gondolin, para nuestro deleite y para que le deis vuestra opinión. Como podréis comprobar, se trata de un texto con el formato de los guiones de cine, y el contenido veréis que está orientado a realizar una película para un público general (no sólo para los más acérrimos fans de la obra de J.R.R. Tolkien). La historia original de La Caída de Gondolin fue escrita por Tolkien en una etapa muy primigenia de su creación, y nunca fue revisada a fondo (salvo cuando Christopher Tolkien la reescribió para que encajara coherentemente en El Silmarillion). Eso deja bastante libertad a los distintos aficionados que se han decidido a narrar esta historia de mil y una formas. Enrique os estará muy agradecido de que escribáis en el foro y le digáis vuestra opinión al respecto, comentarios, críticas, etc. ¡Que lo disfrutéis!

Rhapsody nos envía un poster promocional creado por un fan para la película de El Hobbit, en la que podemos ver la silueta del Dragón Smaug. Es bastante llamativo y espectacular. La encontró en DeFog Blog y está firmada por "gundrosen". La tenemos disponible también para todos vosotros en la sección de multimedia. ¿Qué os parece?

A raíz de las últimas declaraciones de Guillermo Del Toro, en las que afirmaba que "estamos seguros de que tendremos nuevamente a Andy, Ian, Howard Shore y John Howe", todo el mundo ha buscado la confirmación oficial por parte de los implicados para asegurarse de que esto es cierto. Y la verdad es que no se están haciendo mucho de rogar, puesto que tanto Andy Serkis como Sir Ian McKellen han confirmado ya que han hablado con Peter Jackson y Del Toro y que, efectivamente, interpretarán sus personajes (Gollum y Gandalf, respectivamente) en las películas de hobbit'>El Hobbit. Mientras McKellen lo ha dicho en Empire, Andy Serkis ha escogido su propia web oficial para anunciar explícitamente que en su plan de trabajo, después de Tintín, está(n) la(s) película(s) de El Hobbit. Esto empieza bien, ¿verdad?

Guillermo del Toro habla de las cosas que más inquietan a los fans de “hobbit'>El Hobbit” y del posible reparto

 

 

Cuando Guillermo del Toro fue anunciado oficialmente como director de “El Hobbit” y una segunda película de transición la semana pasada, se transformó en “El día que se paralizó la Tierra Media”* para todo fan de JRR Tolkien.

 

(N de la T: referencia al film clásico de ciencia ficción “El día que se paralizó la Tierra” de 1951)

 

¿Cómo serán los primeros pasos del visionario director de “El laberinto de Pan” y “Hellboy” al mundo de hobbits y enanos, acertijos y Rivendel, la Batalla de los 5 ejércitos y el gran dragón Smaug? Y quizás lo más importante ¿de qué se va a tratar la segunda película?

 

Por su parte Guillermo del Toro está más que feliz de contar que es lo que tiene en sus bolsillos  (y debajo de la manga también) revelando a Noticias MTV su visión para el segundo film, sus opiniones sobre la fantasía heroica (y como ha cambiado), el reparto soñado, el estilo de “El Hobbit”, sus escenas favoritas y mucho más.

 

 

MTV: Peter Jackson creó un vocabulario muy definido en cuanto a la apariencia de la Tierra Media ¿cómo lo harás tuyo? ¿tendrás que “traicionarte” en algo?

 

 

GDT: No pretendemos hacer una réplica exacta. “El Hobbit” se da a un poco más de medio siglo antes de El Señor de los Anillos. La narración de “El Hobbit” atraviesa áreas de la Tierra Media a las que Peter aludió pero también muchas a las que no. Hay muchas criaturas que no se vieron. Mi deseo es crear gran parte de ellas, que son nuevas.

 

Por otra parte estoy muy cómodo viviendo entre las paredes del mundo que él creó durante la segunda mitad de la segunda película. Es un mundo que, visualmente, amo en su totalidad. Cuando llegas a un film con tantos precedentes tienes que hacerlo con mucha humildad y entusiasmo. No importa como, pero de todas formas terminas poniendo tu sello en el film. Todo se siente muy bien para mí. No estoy preocupado por “traicionarme” a mi mismo.

 

 

MTV: Sólo dos años atrás fuiste citado diciendo “nunca me atrajo la fantasía heroica”.

 

 

GDT: Es cierto, nunca lo fui. Siempre gravité entorno al terror. No se porque nunca me cautivó la fantasía. La redescubrí a través de mi amor por la dirección de cine. Es algo que surgió más bien débil y se hizo sólido en mí. Ahora puedo empatizar con una parte del género fantástico sin tener que meterme en un mundo de hombres musculosos con espadas gigantes. “El Hobbit” ocupa un lugar particular en la fantasía que es irremplazable. No me importa que citen lo que dije en el pasado, no me quita el sueño. No me estoy postulando para presidente. ¡Sólo soy un director de cine! Sólo estoy intentando hacer la película que quiero.

 

 

MTV: ¿Cómo ves el período de transición del segundo film en el contexto del  “legendario*”?

 

*Legendario: obras que Tolkien escribió y que aparecen compiladas en “Las Cartas de JRR Tolkien” de Humphrey Carpenter.

 

GDT: Ese período es una transición de los años dorados hasta el ascenso de Sauron. Es esencialmente el comienzo de la guerra civil y las rebeliones. Es un tiempo muy interesante.

 

 

 

MTV: Entonces ¿cuánto de ese film estará basado en los escritos de Tolkien?

 

GDT: Vamos a empezar con “El Hobbit” en el proceso de escritura. Veremos si podremos contenerla totalmente en una sola película, lo que creo que es perfectamente posible. Empezaremos de ahí. Sólo bosquejamos lo que queremos para el segundo film, pero hasta el momento sólo son planes e ideas.

 

 

 

MTV: ¿Ya sabes cuáles serán tus protagonistas? ¿quizás Gollum? ¿o Aragorn? ¿Gandalf?

 

 

GDT: Se trata más de intentar reconciliar los hechos de la primera película con  un punto de vista ligeramente diferente. Se podrán ver eventos que no fueron mostrados en el primer film (como la llegada del Nigromante al Bosque Negro). Es decir, nos acercaremos a ellos de forma indirecta.

 

 

MTV: ¿Ves a “El Hobbit” como una historia para niños?

 

GDT: La veo en forma general. Pertenece a ese estante de la biblioteca. Pero lo que más me afecta y me parece un milagro de ella es que también refleja la transición de la inocencia a la pérdida de la misma. Es la narración acerca de una hermosamente despreocupada criatura que aprende sobre guerra y violencia. La película se vuelve oscura a medida que progresa. No esperen que haga “La Historia Sin Fin”. Siento que mi “zona confortable” está en perfecta conjunción con este film, de otro modo no lo hubiese hecho.

 

 

 

MTV: ¿Ian Holm volverá a ser Bilbo?

 

GDT: Holm es ciertamente el parangón al que aspiramos. Estará involucrado de alguna forma. Estoy seguro. Pero a su edad … es muy prematuro decir algo en este momento. Estamos recién en las primeras etapas. Es muy pronto para hacer compromisos de ese tipo. Preferimos dejar que guión y que la forma en que los personajes cobran vida nos guíen en el casting. Tengo mucha gente en mente. Nada más de lo que diga será usado en mi contra en una corte de justicia. (Risas).

 

 

MTV: ¿De todas formas, Andy Serkis e Ian Mckellen están involucrados, no es cierto?

 

 

GDT: Estamos seguros de que tendremos nuevamente a Andy, Ian, Howard Shore y John Howe. Voy a complementar el equipo de diseñadores con otras opciones. Gente proveniente del mundo del comic, no en el estilo superhéroe, sino más oscuro, del tipo europeo. Vamos a mejorar el equipo de artistas que conceptualizaron la trilogía para crear este precoz tiempo dorado y la forma en que empieza su decadencia.

 

 

MTV: ¿Hay alguna escena de “El Hobbit” que estés mas ansioso por traer a la vida?

 

GDT: La escena más hermosa en el libro, creo, es (el capítulo) “Acertijos en la Oscuridad”. Realmente la amo, tanto desde un punto de vista literal como atmosférico. Mi esperanza es que cuando “El Hobbit” se vuelva tenebrosa sea REALMENTE tenebrosa. Peter es un maestro de lo macabro, pero creo que estos momentos de miedo tendrán un tono distinto de la trilogía original.

 

Pero de lo que he estado más ansioso es de las arañas en el Bosque Negro. Smaug es uno de mis personajes favoritos de la literatura. Es una criatura tan bella como simbólica, totémica en lo que representa y el poder que tiene. Mi criatura favorita en toda la fantasía iba a ser el dragón a partir de ese libro.

 

 

MTV: ¿Tienes idea de cómo quieres que Smaug aparezca?

 

GDT: Bueno, sí, pero ¿por qué arruinarlo? Tengo idea. Una de las primeras cosas que hablé con Peter fue esa y sobre la apariencia de las arañas, como se mueven. Esos son los sabores que no disfrutarán hasta que el plato esté servido.

 

 

 

MTV: Estás pisando un suelo muy sagrado ¿Tienes un mensaje para tranquilizar a los fans?

 

 

GDT: Si vas lo suficientemente profundo vas a encontrar gente que odia cualquier representación de Tolkien. Odian cualquier Tolkien que no es Tolkien. La gente a la que le va a gustar, le va a gustar porque vengo de un lugar genuino. Y a la gente que no le guste, lo va a hacer porque vengo de un lugar genuino. No existen dos formas de hacerlo. Tienes que seguir tus instintos. Mi mensaje es simple: si piensas que Peter no hizo un trabajo fabuloso, es probable que pienses que yo tampoco lo hice. En cambio si piensas que sí fue fabuloso, daré lo mejor para hacerte sentir orgulloso de mí.

 

¿Cómo empezó todo este proceso?

 

GDT: Conocí a Peter (Jackson) hace tiempo cuando estábamos planeando hacer “Halo” juntos, me encantó todo lo que tenían armado en Nueva Zelanda, yo lo llamo “Holywood tal como Dios lo pensó”. Nueva Zelanda tiene todas las ventajas técnicas para hacer una película y además estás filmando en un paraíso de, tanto libertad artística como compromiso general.

 

Cuando “Halo” no se dio, Peter y yo nos mantuvimos en contacto regularmente y en el último invierno empecé a recibir señales de que El Hobbit podría darse de esta manera, principalmente de parte de los estudios. Lo primero que dije fue que sólo estaría interesado si Peter estaba involucrado y los problemas (con la demanda de New Line) se resolvían. Cuando ese tema fue resuelto recibí un llamado de Peter y hablamos. Empecé desde ahí, fue mi regalo de Navidad.

 

Los fans no pueden dejar de hablar acerca de la segunda película. ¿Puedes decirme cuáles son tus planes al respecto?

 

GDT: Viajé a Nueva Zelanda hace poco tiempo y una de las principales razones para ir fue sentarme a hablar sobre el segundo film. El Hobbit, el libro, es una historia qque puede ser contenida perfectamente por una sola película, por lo tanto para la segunda nos sentamos y la trabajamos. Cuando hicimos esto nos alegramos mucho porque este segundo film no es un “rellenador” de espacios, es una parte integral de la historia, de esos 50 años perdido en la narración. Habrán ciertas cosas que veremos de la primera película  pero desde un punto de vista diferente, se sentirá como un volumen entre los 5 volúmenes de la historia completa. No se sentirá como un puente, estuve escuchando que la llamaban un “película puente”, no lo es, es un capítulo integral de la narración y creo que estamos todos en la misma página.

 

Te estarás mudando a Nueva Zelanda por 4 años ¿es eso correcto?

 

GDT: Aproximadamente, con toda mi familia, pero las primeras etapas de diseño y de I&D (investigación y desarrollo) conmigo yendo y viniendo de Los Ángeles a Nueva Zelanda. ¡Voy a ir mucho más pronto de lo que a mi familia le gustaría!

 

Estaremos haciendo, oficialmente, mucha preproducción de El Hobbit este verano, hay tanto para hacer, es increíble. Sólo la reforestación de La Comarca, replantar todos esosárboles y plantas tomará meses y vamos a ser tan exactos como sea posible.

 

Films como “El Laberinto del Fauno” usaron unos pocos sets en estudio para simular exteriores ¿harás lo mismo en El Hobbit o vas a usar los escenarios naturales de Nueva Zelanda como hizo Peter?

 

GDT: creo que la fotografía de pantalla verde es igual al CGI: una herramienta, no creo que deba abusarse de su utilización. Cosas como “El laberinto de Pan” y “El espinazo del diablo” dependen mucho de las locaciones, filmamos en una locación por más de la mitad del tiempo. De todos modos esas locaciones pueden ser mejoradas con tecnología, tanto física como digital. Lo que me gustaría evitar es la recreación de los ambientes naturales en CG, no me gusta. La película es esencialmente un viaje, creo que se necesitan usar locaciones naturales lo más posible.

 

¿Usarás WETA Digital para los efectos?

 

GDT: Si, los elementos esenciales para mantener la continuidad están en movimiento, en las últimas semanas estuve conversando con muchísima gente de los films anteriores, ya sea por correo electrónico, teléfono y en persona. Gente como Andy Serkis, Sir Ian Mckellen, Howard Shore, John Howe, Gino Acevedo, Richard Taylor ... y la semana que viene me reuno con Alan Lee. Hago esto para asegurarme que hagamos lo que hagamos, mantendremos la continuidad con los otros films, es un mundo un poco mas dorado que al principio, un entorno muy inocente.

 

Lo que trataré de hacer es mantener ciertos elementos en su lugar pero permitirle a la audiencia sentir una progresión de El Hobbit hasta El Retorno del Rey. Creo que El Hobbit es un volumen crucial en El Señor de los Anillos, es una narración que comienza en una forma dorada e inocente. Está impregnada de una Inglaterra atravesando la Primera Guerra Mundial, por lo que hay una pérdida de inocencia y un tono oscuro conforme el libro y el film progresan.

 

Haremos eso en el primer film, llevando a la audiencia desde un tiempo de pureza a una realidad oscura, creo que ese es el espíritu del libro. Todas estas personas, Alan Lee, John Howe, son fundamentales para delinear el progreso en las dos películas y permitir integrarte como espectador en un universo que ya ha sido establecido. Pero esto será una progresión, no se sentirá al principio del film que es el mismo momento (como en el comienzo de la “Comunidad”). 50 años en el tiempo de la comarca no es lo mismo que 50 años del tiempo humano, si piensas como el mundo ha cambiado en sólo siete u ocho años, puedes pensarlo como décadas de confusión a esos 50 años en la Tierra Media.

 

¿Ya has hecho el casting para algunos personajes?

 

GDT: Bueno, tuve la reunión más encantadora con Sir Ian y, con toda la burocracia de por medio, él está a bordo, al igual que Andy Serkis. Estaremos dándole continuamente reportes de los progresos a medida que ocurran. Nuestra intención es no perder ninguno de los elementos clave.

 

¿Qué diferenciará a tus films de los de Peter?

 

GDT: Lo único en lo que haré hincapié en éstas películas con relación a las anteriores serán animatronics en general y criaturas de animatronics mejoradas con CGI. Realmente queremos ser la vanguardia en lo que hace al arte de animatronics y dar un salto de diez años hacia el futuro con la tecnología que desarrollaremos para las criaturas en la película. Pretendemos hacer por los animatronics y los efectos especiales lo que las otras películas hicieron por la realidad virtual.

 

Otra cosa que la gente notará al principio del film será la paleta, será ligeramente diferente, el mundo será el mismo pero será un mundo mas “dorado”, un mundo más crédulo. Pero por nada nos alejaremos del canon, tomaremos las tres películas previas como un canon. Cuando formo parte de un mundo que amo, como en este caso, lo hago con mucho entusiasmo y trabajo duro, y sabemos que estamos recreando y creando un mundo que es importante para millones de personas y nos acercaremos a él tan apasionada y respetuosamente como merece serlo.

El anuncio oficial se ha hecho en Hollywood de mano del director de El Señor de los Anillos Peter Jackson - quien co-producirá El Hobbit -, la productora Fran Walsh y ejecutivos de New Line y MGM.

Jackson y Walsh han destacado que del Toro es un "narrador de historias genuino" de habilidades asombrosas.

"Guillermo es original, un mago de la cinemática que nunca ha perdido su sentido de la maravilla infantil. Entiende que lo fantástico debe estar anclado en la realidad y que todas las historias siempre son un reflejo de nosotros mismos", dijeron Jackson y Walsh.

"Hace tiempo que admiramos el trabajo de Guillermo y no podemos pensar en un cineasta más inspirado que él para llevarnos de vuelta a la Tierra Media. Estamos encantados de que El Hobbit recaiga en manos tan versátiles".

Del Toro se ha considerado a sí mismo "bendecido" por poder formar parte de la comunidad cineasta de Nueva Zelanda. El director mexicano se desplazará a Nueva Zelanda durante cuatro años para trabajar con los equipos de Wingnut Films y Weta.

Las dos películas se rodarán a la vez, pero según han anunciado, los estudios aún no han dado una fecha de comienzo del rodaje, y de momento no tienen aún un guión. Según Variety, es de esperar que lo realice el mismo equipo de guionistas que el guión de El Señor de los Anillos: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh y Philippa Boyens.

Fuente: stuff.co.nz y también tenéis más información en Variety.

Hola. Quería hablaros de un proyecto que se esta formando en Zaragoza. La recién formada "Joven Orquesta de Bandas Sonoras", en la que participan 70 jóvenes músicos, dará un concierto de presentación el Sábado 28 de junio en el instituto Miguel Servet (500 butacas), al módico precio de 5 euros.

Programa:

• Symphonic suite from "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the ring"
• Symphonic suite from "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"
• Symphonic suite from "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"

 

• Symphonic highlights from "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"
• Symphonic highlights from "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man`s Chest"
• Symphonic highlights from "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World`s End"

Evidentemente, no se tratará de un concierto de la calidad y el espectáculo de la Sinfonía de los Anillos, que mantiene aún de gira por todo el mundo a Howard Shore. Lo que ofreceremos seran las sinfonías y, aunque es una orquesta sinfónica de lo más contundente y grande que te puedes encontrar, la gran diferencia con los conciertos del maestro Shore es que esta joven orquesta no cuenta con la participación de un coro.