Topic: Peter Jackson's Hobbit

[wissenlander]

Going through school I remember only the gifted/talented classes reading the Hobbit. 

[GamesPoet]

The Tolkien estate will sell the rights if and when they are offered enough money.

Regarding a 40K or WFB movie, again I agree with Patsy02.

Thank goodness I had a 5th grade teacher that read us "The Hobbit" on Friday afternoons.  That summer I bought the LOTR trilogy from the gift store at the church camp I attended.  They sold lots of different titles for kids to read, and I read those three books three times over before the end of the summer.

[zifnab0]

Making a film about Warhammer is impossible because of its expansive nature. It's possible to make a good film set in the 40k or Fantasy universe, and about as hard as making a good superhero film.

The difference between 40k/Fantasy and superhero films is that the GW settings don't have a lot of identifiable and defining characters, the conflicts are simply on a much wider scale.  In a conflict between entire races on an interplanetary scale personalities get swallowed up.

There are a lot of dramatic movies set in WWII, but none that really cover the war (aside from documentaries, which can be very good).

[Finlay]

Additionally, because of the relatively small fanbase, a Warhammer based film would have to stand on its own merits - it'd have to be an actually decent sci-fi or fantasy film.

agree 100%, and want to add, if it has to be a good film in its own right, then why shackle yourself to the geektastic image of GW, which is as likely to turn people off as turn people on.

There’s nothing in the fluff to base a film off, in which case you need to bring someone in to write a great story using the fluff as background… at which point why even bother.

I was read the hobbit at school when I was 10. I think my parents had already read it to me. Story every night ftw. Fricking can’t wait to read the hobbit to Ted.

[GamesPoet]

 

Of course there are things to base films off of in the 40K fluff.

Perhaps my eyes have deceived me.  I'll blame it on getting old.

[BAWTRM]

Sure there are. But enough to have a movie stand on its own?

Take the Inquisitor Eisenhorn books for instance. Nice set of core characters, still involved in epic conflict, perfect right?

But not really, I think. You need to know the background of the Inquisition and therefore the empire of man. And people will wonder what's so bad at this undefinable 'chaos' stuff (which is rather like a monster that's never shown). Daemons, ok, we can understand those but what do these have to do with this 'chaos'.....

It will work for the fans, but not for the ones that don't know the universe I think.

[phillyt]

Way too much back story and if it was live action it would cost you so much money you would never recoup the costs unless you butchered the style and homogenized it into a generic sci fi setting.

[Finlay]

Of course there are things to base films off of in the 40K fluff.

Perhaps my eyes have deceived me.  I'll blame it on getting old.

like what?

If it was so obvious and easy, they'd have done it already.

[phillyt]

A lot of what they might base a 40k film on would be viewed as a rip off of other concepts.

Christ, people still claim 40k ripped off Starcraft....

[GamesPoet]

Underestimating the power of hollywood isn't wise.  If there's enough interest and money, something can be made.

In the meantime, we can look forward to "The Hobbit", all three of the planned movies covering the whole story, and probably more.

[Wolfgang aus Wien]

Not a single member of my class knew what the Hobbit is.  They only knew LOTR because of the movies.

This is, sadly, probably very common.
I don't know anyone (outside the relatively small circle of gamers, SCA members and fantasy fans) who has actually read LotR, but everyone has seen the movies. Some of them found them 'gay'. And coming across someone who has even heard of The Hobbit (the book) or The Silmarillion is like finding a mermaid in your bathtub.
In the same vein, most people think of Notre Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) as a 'horror' movie........and have, of course, never read the novel......which is VERY good.

The only way you'll ever see a Warhammer or 40K movie that isn't a limited release direct-to-DVD special mail order only type thing is if WalMart starts selling the games and minis and Disney gets in on the action.

[t12161991]

Really? Practically everyone I know, nerd or not, has read the Hobbit and at least thought about reading LotR.

[phillyt]

Keep in mind, my students are 10 and 11.  Some schools here in Maine actually use the Hobbit in 9th grade as a class reading book.

[Finlay]

Really? Practically everyone I know, nerd or not, has read the Hobbit and at least thought about reading LotR.

Yeh, me too. Although I'm sure the friends of two rich middle class white boys are not representative of the whole population


phillyt, what age is 9th grade?

[Feanor Fire Heart]

I remember some classes read it back in 7th grade.  Unfortunately I as not one of those classes.  The school had 2 types of classes.  A level and enrichment.  A level classes were typically those where things went at a normal pace and enrichment classes were for those who needed a challenge.  To put it simply: A level-average joe, Enrichment- those who probably are going to go to college with an academic scholarship.

I was in A level until high school.

[phillyt]

9th grade is 14 to 15 years old.

[oak_prince]

This is, sadly, probably very common.
I don't know anyone (outside the relatively small circle of gamers, SCA members and fantasy fans) who has actually read LotR, but everyone has seen the movies. Some of them found them 'gay'.

I guess I can see it. An all-male group travelling together on a quest to destroy a magic ring. Rings are, of course, enduring symbols of heterosexual unions. The eye of Sauron bears more than a little resemblance to a fiery vagina. Most of the women in the series are very distant and mysterious - almost ethereal. Whereas the male characters are completely obsessed with each other, whether overtly(Sam with Frodo) or more subtly(Aragorn and Boromir).

[Mathi Alfblut]

The 40K fluff and background is rich and deep. It beats many of the Sci-fi worlds out there. Plus, the best of the Black Library writing has been done in the 40K verse. I am looking at you Dan Abnett. Gaunts Ghosts have several openings to be the base for a good story.

I also believe you could make a good movie around the conflict with the Tau, and humans who have gone over to Tau getting in the way for a counter-attack like the Damocles crusade. The thing is, the world is THERE! What would be needed would be a story written based on it where the author is given more free reign than in Space Marine. It is understandable that GW wants to push for the Space Marines but basing the story around ordinary humans, civilians, rebels and Imperial Guard, including Tau and the Eldars would make for a way more interesting setting.

It can be done and done well. It should not include tyranids cause it would make it too much of a Starship troopers rip-off, which the nids are anyway. And the orks are a tad to... dual in their violent comical nature to work in a first movie. So it would be best to have the story set in the Eastern fringes.

[GamesPoet]

This is, sadly, probably very common.
I don't know anyone (outside the relatively small circle of gamers, SCA members and fantasy fans) who has actually read LotR, but everyone has seen the movies. Some of them found them 'gay'.

I guess I can see it. An all-male group travelling together on a quest to destroy a magic ring. Rings are, of course, enduring symbols of heterosexual unions. The eye of Sauron bears more than a little resemblance to a fiery vagina. Most of the women in the series are very distant and mysterious - almost ethereal. Whereas the male characters are completely obsessed with each other, whether overtly(Sam with Frodo) or more subtly(Aragorn and Boromir).

Somebody is reading a bit too much into it, if this is how its being seen.  As an example, Aragorn is quite attracted to the ladies on the periphery of the main tale.  And at its heart, its an adventure story, good versus evil, etc.

Yep, if someone is seeing those kinds of concepts as what this is about, then they're missing the rest, and are perhaps hung up on something in their own life that is a waste of time, too.  Besides, I've seen lots of folks claim something is "gay" just to be derogatory towards it, and so I'm not convinced that such folks calling it "gay" is even something they really meant.

[Fidelis von Sigmaringen]

What is the Latin for ring again? 

[GamesPoet]

Anellus, if thats what you're refering to, but what does that got to do with "The Hobbit" and LOTRs?

[Fidelis von Sigmaringen]

Anulus is just the diminutive. 

[t12161991]

Keep in mind, my students are 10 and 11.  Some schools here in Maine actually use the Hobbit in 9th grade as a class reading book.

Referring to Wolfgang's post. Though I read it in school in 8th grade, which is about the same (I had of course, read it far before then on my own).

[Finlay]

9th grade is 14 to 15 years old.

wow, I thought New England was meant to have the best schooling in the world?





gamespoet just got trolled by oakprince, despite oakprince putting a troll face in his post.

[GamesPoet]

Anulus is just the diminutive. 

Thats a different Latin version, and my understanding is the one that you've picked refers to something more along the lines of "badge", not "ring", and instead more along the lines of "anulus equestris", meaning "a badge of knighthood".  Not that the Fellowship of the Ring couldn't be considered a group of knights, I suppose that might be possible.