New Line to Film "The Hobbit" Plus an Original Story Set in Middle Earth

According to recent news reports, Guillermo Del Toro - the acclaimed director of Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy - is set to direct two separate prequels to the much loved Lords of the Rings trilogy. The first film will be an adaptation of The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien's prequel to Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins and how he came to find the one ring of power that later takes center stage in Lord of the Rings. The second film, rather than being a continuation of The Hobbit, will contain a completely new story: one not written by Tolkien. The original story will take place in Middle Earth during the 60 years that elapse between the end of The Hobbit and the beginning of the Lord of the Rings. The movies will be filmed concurrently in New Zealand and are slated for release in 2010 and 2011.

The question du jour is how will Tolkien fans react to filmmakers creating an entirely new story? Tolkien fan sites seem generally devoid of adverse reactions as of yet. The Lord of the Rings films were widely loved, and Guillermo Del Toro has proved his story-telling medal in his critically acclaimed film Pan's Labyrinth. Without any specific information about the plot or characters of the original Hobbit sequel, fans have little to complain about.

Once the film is released, despite how popular it may be, some fans will inevitably feel that since Middle Earth is so uniquely Tolkien's that the new film is nothing more than glorified fan fiction. On the other hand, some fans may be crazed with excitement at the prospect of a new, never before told story about Middle Earth. If the wide success of recently released Tolkien book Children of Hurin, posthumously published by J.R.R Tolkien's son, is any indicator of the public's desire for more Tolkien, then fans are more likely to be excited rather than hesitant about an original film set in Middle Earth.

As long as New Line avoids the trap that so many studios fall in when making sequels or prequels to big blockbuster hits - namely, releasing a film that is only half done and churned out solely for profit - then most fans will probably approve of the movie. The Lord of Rings were lovingly crafted, quality films. As long as Guillermo Del Toro and New Line stay within the same vein as the Lord of the Rings films, chances are that both The Hobbit and the original story will be well received by fans.

Sources

BBC News, Sir Ian McKellan Back as Gandalf, April 30, 2008.

New York Times Bestseller List, Hardcover Fiction, May 6, 2007.