the latest news on the hobbit front

[rivendellrose]

Professor Corey Olsen (AKA The Tolkien Professor) talks about the big Hobbit Movie casting spoiler that came out today, and why he's pretty okay with it, here at the LA Times website.

And in my continuing effort to reverse opinions from "oh god this thing is cursed" to "OH GOD THIS IS HAPPENING!" every single time some piece of news is released (seriously, the movie itself will be nothing to the roller-coaster of Serious Feelings I have had regarding the production, if the history up to now is any indication...), I am officially psyched about this most recent development.

Why am I okay with a totally made-up character created just for the movie?

1. Any adaptation is that - an adaptation. By necessity of medium and pure fact of life, it is not going to be the book, nor is it going to be the book as I pictured it in my head at any point over the last 22 years. I'm okay with that.

2. Unless the writers made something up out of whole cloth (or the realization that, per the great Sir Terry Pratchett, some dwarves who appear to be men are, in fact, women regardless of the beards - and come on, you know you always sort of suspected it of Fili and Kili in the animated movie!), we were going to have an entire 2 part movie with not a single female character with an actual line. Now, I know, there's talk of Galadriel showing up for the whole sub-plot with the White Council (...not the Grey Council, because that would be a whole different movie, and excuse me, my fandoms are colliding again) taking out Sauron the Necromancer, but remember - that wasn't in the book either. Also, as much as I love her, 5 minutes of Cate Blanchett does not actually make up for 2 whole movies otherwise lacking in a single female character other than a few pieces of human scenery at the beginning and end and possibly in Rivendell.

3. There is, per this statement from PJ, no truth to the rumor of her being a romantic interest for Legolas. This is important in that that would be too much, and also in that anyone who has read the books knows damned well that Legolas spends the rest of his life post-Fellowship tooling around Middle Earth with Gimli and then bringing him along to Valinor with him. If he had an awesome wood-elf girlfriend or wife or something, I would be sad to think of her being abandoned by him, so I am firmly against any such silliness. Besides, The Hobbit does not need to be made into Legolas' love story.

4. Seriously, just click that link up above, and the one that I opened the post with, and tell me that girl doesn't look infinitely more like an awesome elf chick than Liv Tyler and the pouty lips of doom. She's hot. And hot in a "totally looks like she could be a bad-ass warrior elf chick" way, which pleases me immensely. ♥ Petty, yes. Shallow, yes. But you know, I'm allowed to have a few petty little joys from time to time, and if this gets me the beautiful, tough-minded warrior wood-elf chick of my dreams, I am so willing to go with whatever they have planned. ♥

Edited to add: Apparently she was in Lost. I only saw one episode of that, so I totally didn't recognize her or remember her name. Nothing else to say, just thought I'd throw that out there as an "oh, that's what else she's been in, then."

So yeah, I'm stickin' it out to see what's coming.

Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of Smaug, though? I know I'm still on geek-probation for not watching Sherlock, but I'm not totally sure about this. He seems too young, just from pictures. Is his voice strong enough? What do people think?

Comments

[penmage.livejournal.com]

Go on youtube, and watch a video of Benedict Cumberbatch talking, and you will see, he is perfect. I too was not entirely on board, and then I watched one episode of Sherlock, and now I am the captain of that ship.

I am also somewhat delighted that Martin Freeman is playing Bilbo, so the Sherlock costars will be hanging out some more.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yay, that makes me feel better. I shall indeed check it out.

And oh, I have been delighted from day one about Martin Freeman - the minute his name came up I felt like nobody else could possibly play Bilbo. ♥ But him hanging with his costar will be awesome, yes!

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Sherlock as Smaug is going to be bloody brilliant.

And I never thought I could watch anyone but Ian Holm as Bilbo (and he's way too old to play the part in The Hobbit, so I thought the movie was doomed), but Martin Freeman is going to be a terrific Bilbo. I am so relieved.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I was dubious about not having Holm as well, right up until the minute Martin Freeman was mentioned. I've loved him ever since Love Actually, and the instant his name came up he became the perfect Bilbo in my mind. So happy!

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

I'm still a little sad about it not being Leonard Nimoy but at least it's someone else I also enjoy...

As long as Legolas/Gimli is maintained...

Also, just because we're getting all this awesome femaleness doesn't excuse them from making a movie about Luthien...she NEEDS a movie!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yup, I heard the Leonard Nimoy rumor as well, and have been very sad that it wasn't true. If that isn't a voice that could charm the wallet off a banker, I don't know what is. ♥

Ha, a Luthien movie would rock! They totally should do that next!

[toastedtea.livejournal.com]

Echoing the Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman love. Also? Why haven't you seen Sherlock yet? Seiously, dude, it's awesome, and this is from a die-hard Holmesian, who was ready to spit nails when I initially heard someone was making a modern-day Holmes series.

As for Evangeline Lily as the "bad-ass warrior elf chick" ... um. I'll wait until I see her in the role. I used to watch LOST and, well, let's just say she was ... not my favorite actress. :/

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Why haven't you seen Sherlock yet?

I think it came up while we were in the middle of BSG, and I was Not To Be Swayed from finishing that immediately. And by the time we did finish it... I forgot. *headdesk* I think I still have the first few episodes floating around here someplace, I'll see if I can't turn 'em up. We're in need of something to watch at the moment, anyway.

I... did have a slightly dubious "oh, wait... I remember something about this..." reaction on seeing that she'd played Kate. I was hoping I was misremembering the chatter from way back then. Oy. Well, I can't say I'll be terribly surprised if she turns out less than fantastic, considering my oft-repeated opinions of Liv Tyler... sigh.

[toastedtea.livejournal.com]

This is my only other LoTR icon at the moment. I think it perfectly sums up my reaction to the news that Evangeline Lilly had been cast in The Hobbit. :P

And yes, you do need to see Sherlock. There are only three episodes, so you have no excuse. The first one is brilliant. The second is eh, but has lots of adorable Holmes/Watson character stuff, and the third is chewy good fun.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I have no angsty LotR icons, so I shall just go with the "Eowyn is awesome" theme.

At least if she sucks we can be fairly sure the part will be small? At least we hope so?

Okay, awesome! I shall look forward to it. If nothing else, Martin Freeman is always awesome, and what little I have seen of Cumberbatch indicates that he may well end up being of the physical type that is catnip to me. So that's always a nice bonus. ;)

[toastedtea.livejournal.com]

At least if she sucks we can be fairly sure the part will be small? At least we hope so?

::fingers toes eyes all crossed::

Or hell, maybe she'll surprise us and kick ass. It's been known to happen.

what little I have seen of Cumberbatch indicates that he may well end up being of the physical type that is catnip to me.

Me, too, honey. Me, too. And just wait until you hear his voice. purrrrrrrrrr

[katherineokelly.livejournal.com]

Never seen the actress before (and never watched Lost) but she's got visible shoulder muscles instead of just being a skinny waif. That's a positive mark in my book.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Hehehehe. I thought of the same thing. I'm crossing my fingers that she'll be good!

[ursula]

Shouldn't Lobelia get a line? ;)

I might be too much of a purist for this conversation...

[diea.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why there needs to be a female character with lines. I don't understand why they need to develop the elves.

I think I'm just too much of a purist. I don't understand why they can't just make the movie. At least I'm not half as emotionally invested in The Hobbit. He can't possibly ruin it as thoroughly as The Two Towers. Right?

I hope I won't have to walk out part-way through, because they cut out Beorn and the Eagles to make room for their fancy elf chick.

[bluerosefairy.livejournal.com]

Benedict is freaking perfect for Smaug. If you youtube anything with him, you'll see he sounds almost exactly like a younger Alan Rickman. I was really glad to see they'd cast him in such a cool role.

I'm sure you're aware of this, but I am contractually obligated to say that Martin Freeman is made of kittens.

Also, since you have finished BSG, your next project should be Sherlock, as it is only 3 episodes, and it is excellent. fonderofriddles and I were just discussing Holmes-purism and our surprising love of Sherlock the other day.

[velvet-midnight.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you're aware of this, but I am contractually obligated to say that Martin Freeman is made of kittens.

I love this fandom. :D

[aris-tgd.livejournal.com]

Okay, jeez, nobody's linked it yet: here is a tumblr post where Benedict Cumberbatch reads "Ode To A Nightengale", just listen. Dude is a baritone. He only LOOKS tiny and ginger.

[ariastar.livejournal.com]

there's talk of Galadriel showing up for the whole sub-plot with the White Council (...not the Grey Council, because that would be a whole different movie, and excuse me, my fandoms are colliding again)

...You have instilled in me a great desire to see Galadriel and Delenn hang out. This is not in any way a stretch to my mind, because, well, Minbari are kind of Elves anyway. Naturally they hang out.

Re: Benedict Cumberbatch, I am just going to echo everyone else and say that he will be a DELIGHT. Seriously, when I heard the news my reaction was, "Well, I thought my heart would be broken if it was anyone but Nimoy, but apparently Cumberbatch is my ONE EXCEPTION." He has a very dragony voice. :D

(Also, on the Cumberbatch note, I figure I will throw out the warning I give to anyone who hasn't seen Sherlock yet -- I love Sherlock, but do yourself a favor and don't watch the second episode. The first and third are both brilliant, but the second one is a mess of orientalism, bad plotting, and bewildering character choices. John does start dating a woman who also shows up in the third episode, but that is literally all you need to know, and my massive discomfort with the second episode dimmed my enjoyment of the other ones. Obviously if you are a completist you should ignore me, and overall the show is absolutely lovely, but fair warning.)

[aris-tgd.livejournal.com]

I was too busy to mention that, but yes--if you go into the second episode, it's not QUITE as racist as the story it was based on (Sign of the Four), but ONLY JUST. And, um, we should be better at these things a hundred years on.

Honestly, if you tune in and find yourself watching the "John and Sherlock are bewildering BFFs forever!" show you'll be happy, but if you think you're watching the "Clever crime drama!" show you will be yelling at your television a lot. A lot a lot. The "mystery" in the first episode alone is... I don't even. I seriously don't even. I've taken to believing that the whole thing is taking place in a universe where the entire Western Canon has been significantly altered because ACD never wrote the Holmes stories, and that's why nobody has ever read a mystery novel or seen The Princess Bride.