Breaking: 'The Hobbit' Gets Its Greenlight!
Sharon Waxman · October 15, 2010
Peter Jackson

"The Hobbit" has been greenlit and will start production in February, an individual close to the production has told TheWrap.

As TheWrap reported previously, Peter Jackson has agreed to direct the film in addition to producing and writing the two-part project.

In the agreement completed this week, Jackson's deal was finalized and MGM and Warner Brothers agreed to give the project its long-awaited greenlight.

The greenlight means that millions of global fans for the revered J.R.R. Tolkien property can look forward to a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings," which was one of the most successful movie franchises in movie history.

Photo Slideshow: Faces of 'The Hobbit' Movie - From Bilbo to Gandalf >>

Jackson was already on board to write and produce "The Hobbit." But because of financial turmoil at MGM, which owns half of the franchise together with Warners' New Line Cinema, the project became one of the most torturous in Hollywood history.

Sets have already been built in New Zealand, and actors - including Sir Ian McKellan - have been on hold for months.

Martin Freeman has been rumored to play Bilbo Baggins.

With the logjam finally broken, production will begin in February.

Read More: 'Dr. Who' Says He's in Talks for 'Hobbit' >>

However, the individual said that labor issues related to the production have still not been resolved, and negotiations will continue with the Screen Actors Guild. The union flap involves whether the production would use Screen Actors Guild members or not.

About $30 million has already been spent on the project, the first part of which is scheduled to hit theaters Dec. 19, 2012.

But Warner Brothers was wary about moving ahead at the risk that an agreement with MGM may not hold up over time.

At MGM, the decision about greenlighting "The Hobbit," a $400 million, back-to-back production of two films, has been hanging between CEO Stephen Cooper, owners-in-waiting Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum of Spyglass Productions and the creditors committee at MGM.

Read More: Why Martin Freeman Would Be a Poor Bilbo in 'The Hobbit' >>

Spyglass has signed a letter of intent to give the production company 4-5 percent ownership of MGM in exchange for taking over the company's management. That deal would entail a prepackaged bankruptcy, under the supervision of the judge and with the accord of the studio's debtors and investors.

But just this week, takeover king Carl Icahn threw his weight behind an alternate plan, to have Lionsgate merge with MGM instead. Icahn owns 30% of Lionsgate, and about 10% of MGM's debt.

So that outcome remains in flux, with a vote pending by MGM debtholder on October 22.

Sada malo o glumcima. Potvrđeno je da Ian McKellen reprizira ulogu, takođe Hugo Weaving i Andy Serkis, a evo i patuljaka: 


Torin - Richard Armitage
http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/3900000/Guy-Season-3-Promo-Picture-richard-armitage-3971753-500-750.jpg

Fili - Rob Kazinsky
http://www2.pictures.fp.zimbio.com/National+Television+Awards+London+2+ElGcf81sTd3l.jpg

Kili - Aidan Turner
http://www.gemmacartwright.com/wp-content/uploads/b00j06sz_512_288.jpg

Dwalin - Graham McTavish
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Technology/Pix/pictures/2008/06/19/GrahamMcTavish460x276.jpg

Dori - Mark Hadlow
http://www.arklesentertainment.com/media/waimate/mark_hadlow.jpg

Gloin - Peter Hambleton
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2555/4068837051_39efec3ba5.jpg

Oin - John Callen

Bombur - Stephen Hunter

evo i velikog Bilba 
http://www.arbuturian.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/freeman4.jpeg

Martin Freeman 


Nije još objavljeno ko će biti Bifor, Bofor i Balin.

Jedno pak ne razumem. Zasto su se toliko neckali oko ovog filma, kad je Jacksonov gospodar odvalio na blagajnama?

To se i ja pitam. Izgleda da su prava na korištenje knjige bila problem. MGM, zatim, nije imao dovoljno keša, trt-mrt, ali evo, snimanje počinje u februaru. 

I opet ce da odelje blagajne.

Interesantno. Ovo ce biti dobro 

Bili u teskoj finansijskoj situaciji pa se izvukli. Takodje je i novi Dzejms Bond bio odlozen zbog toga

ih, Godoa neće neki ni dočekati

Naravno, samo se pitam koliko daleko će sada Jackson otići sa svojom interpretacijom Tolkina da bi ispunio taj cilj? Naći ce on neki način da ubaci neki ženski lik radi efekta sapunice da bi, kao što je to govorio za LOTR i preuveličanu ulogu Aruene, "približio film ženskoj publici". 

E sada ce da ga docekamo al na kukuljevdan