General Hobbit Movie Info (AVOID IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS)

[yovargas]

Clearly PJ wanted the movie to be about Bilbo and other stuff. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that in principle - it's a ginormous super-epic, there's plenty of room for multiple stories and themes. It's just that in this case the other stuff was pretty boring, IMO.

[Elentári]

Has Bolg been shelved till TABA in favour of increasing Azog's prominence? Will Conan's role now be a CGI creation?

Shagrat on TORn has this to say:

I noticed this interesting post on Bridge Direct's Facebook, dated 27th September:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 6" scale Bolg you saw at Toy Fair will not be available this Fall. The Bridge develops and plan many months ahead of time, all while trying to stay true to the source material. However, during the creative process of filmmaking, characters may change and so our toy program adapts accordingly to reflect the final vision of the film.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Sounds like he's either not in this one or they've drastically changed him (CGI?), which would be a tremendous shame. I'd be really surprised if they only put him in film 3, so I'm going for the latter regrettably.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

If they have removed the rumoured "torturer of Dol Guldur" aspect, I won't be disappointed.

Now if they could just get ride of Azog. Not too much hope of that. But maybe the fact that the same view of him is featured in both trailers is a sign that his role will be limited.

How's that for wishful thinking?

[Elentári]

I'll join you in that wish! I wasn't that keen on the Bolg design, particularly, but I'd prefer an actor's physical presence rather than another CGI creation.

[Passdagas the Brown]

Clearly PJ wanted the movie to be about Bilbo and other stuff. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that in principle - it's a ginormous super-epic, there's plenty of room for multiple stories and themes. It's just that in this case the other stuff was pretty boring, IMO.

That's an important point. In Season 1 of Game of Thrones, the writers did a great job of keeping the Stark family center stage, while making sure all the other plot lines that didn't include the Starks were interesting. To the point that you actually want to jump around to different stories.

In AUJ, you just wish they would stay with Bilbo because the other stuff is so mind-numbingly uninteresting.

And then when they do go back to Bilbo, you are forced to sit through almost an hour of mindless running and falling and fighting with CGI hordes...

[sinister71]

Clearly PJ wanted the movie to be about Bilbo and other stuff. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that in principle - it's a ginormous super-epic, there's plenty of room for multiple stories and themes. It's just that in this case the other stuff was pretty boring, IMO.

The sad part is he makes the world of middle earth feel smaller by linking everything bad in it to one physical being... Sauron. Like there is only one source of evil in middle earth. While he might have been influential in the past resulting in multiple sources of evil at this point in middle earth. I don't think he was as physically responsible as Jackson is making him out to be as the sole source of evil in this time. So far the other stuff Jackson has shown like Azog, is horribly cliche and too video gamish looking for the tastes of many LOTR fans. Radagast IMO is borderline Jar jar Binks regardless of the few small parts I did like of him. And the White Council was horrible for me, the script, the interaction between characters, Cate Blanchet's horrible unmovable wardrobe, the constant name dropping of middle earth names and places which made no sense in the scene.

For me its almost as if they read a brief (very Brief) synopsis of the Hobbit story and said ok lets roll. what we don't know we'll make up along the way. As long as the great evil of Sauron and his ring is at the center of the story. Everyone will love it.

[Passdagas the Brown]

Especially about how linking all this material to the main story makes Middle Earth seem smaller, rather than larger (and therefore, less epic, I would say...).

George Lucas is also guilty of shrinking his universe with the prequels. PJ should have avoided that pitfall...

[Elentári]

Rumours and speculation are rife on TORn regarding an article in the September issue of "New Idea" magazine in Australia...

The TORn member says:

In it there was an interview with Conan stevens (Bolg) and Manu Bennet (Azog) who are both aussie actors. They went on to explain some spoilery information. Bolg and azog have a lot of screentime together in the next two installments. Apparently their relationship will develop throughout the films. they mention as quoted " conan stevens- "though they are orcs, these two share a common enemy and motivation in slaying the line of durin. Bolg can be some what of a rebel to his fathers order (laughs) i dont want to know what kind of a spanking an orc dad would give his boy!" then another part of the interview where manu comes in he mentions this, which got me really excited!
Manu Bennet- "One thing that tolkien described orcs as is truly evil. Azog is an evil orc, but one could say there is some exception of ill fortune and tragedy in him, particularly when you see the motivation for him to hate thorin. It all revolves around a certain orc woman close to Azog, but I cant say too much. It might be film three stuff."

Another TORn sib also confirmed the article being in that issue, though no scans have been posted as yet.

So...it sounds like Thorin may have killed Azog's woman/Bolg's mother, at Azanulbizar, perhaps...

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Another TORn sib also confirmed the article being in that issue, though no scans have been posted as yet.

Hmmm, I don't see anyone else in that thread confirming that the article was in that issue, just someone who says that his mother reads that magazine. What am I missing?

[Passdagas the Brown]

If that thing about Azog's woman is true, then PB and J will have finally earned a definitive spot in the worst screenwriters guild.

But something tells me this is either a fake report, or that Manu Bennett is just using a made up backstory to flesh out his acting performance. I very much doubt we will be seeing "Love Orctually" in the halls of Moria.

Now I am thrilled that Bolg's design has been altered. He may have made a convincing zombie Thundercat, but not a Gundabad Orc! And if they take their time - as it seemed they did in Azanulbuzar - and don't ruin it with crazy stunts or too many other CGI orcs, a CGI Bolg is to me preferable to a guy in prosthetics. But it's all about the execution, and I hope PJ avoids the Goblintown curse this time .

[Passdagas the Brown]

Only one bit of that report rings true, but that may be because PJ has already noted that "fathers and sons" will be a key theme in DoS.

That's the Azog-Bolg relationship. My guess is that PJ wanted a fresh design for Bolg to both show his family resemblance to Azog, and to make him look like a younger version of him.

Beware of teeny-bopper Bolg. He's got terrible angst and some very rank acne.

[Elentári]

Another TORn sib also confirmed the article being in that issue, though no scans have been posted as yet.

Hmmm, I don't see anyone else in that thread confirming that the article was in that issue, just someone who says that his mother reads that magazine. What am I missing?

Boldog, who says his mum reads it, asked which issue, to which he then replied

Wow!
Bang on the money, there it is in a september issue. interesting read it will be. Thanks for this Again lungorthin!
pity it couldnt be in a more popular movie magazine though.....

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Ah, okay, I'm seem to have missed that. Can't say that I am especially enamored of the idea of giving Azog and Bolg a sympathetic reason for hating Thorin, but I will as always reserve judgment until I see how it plays out (if it plays out). I can't say that I think it is outside the universe of possibilities for these screenwriters, however.

[Passdagas the Brown]

I think that would be a straw too many. Manu Bennett is likely either using that rationale to guide his acting (and enhance the complexity of his anger), or he's simply joking. Having your arm cut off, and your army defeated, is reason enough to desire revenge. Even I don't think PB and J could be this ridiculous.

[Dave_LF]

If the report is real, he isn't joking (unless it's a joke of the deliberately spread false information to wind people up type). He said "when you see his motivation to hate Thorin," mentioned that it involved an orc woman, and then said it might not feature until film 3.

ETA: Here's what was quoted:

Manu Bennet- "One thing that tolkien described orcs as is truly evil. Azog is an evil orc, but one could say there is some exception of ill fortune and tragedy in him, particularly when you see the motivation for him to hate thorin. It all revolves around a certain orc woman close to Azog, but I cant say too much. It might be film three stuff."

[Passdagas the Brown]

This is just unbelievable. I refuse to accept it.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I wouldn't get too bent out of shape about it.

[Passdagas the Brown]

I can't, because I don't believe it.

[sinister71]

well from watching the latest Vlog looks like Bolg is gonna be completely CGI.. Who didn't see this one coming? Now rumors of Bolg's mother getting killed by Thorin. Talk about poor script writing choices. A scenario completely made up when simply having Bolg mad about his fathers death would have solved it all and been something Tolkien actually wrote.... Sounds like Jackson wrote himself into a corner by changing things and now has to make up more stuff to have it make any sense what so ever even if it represents bad screen writing but this is all opinion of course some people like made up fantasy set in another creator's story

[Voronwë the Faithful]

The magazine in which this has been reported in appears to be a trashy gossip rag. Look at it's website, it contains headlines such as: "Charlie Sheen's twins to be tested for drug exposure"; "Most controversial celebrity love triangles"; and "Joaquin Phoenix is dating a 19-year-old DJ".

http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/new-idea/

That doesn't mean it isn't true, but it doesn't give me a lot of confidence in its veracity.