Back When THE HOBBIT Prequel Was Originally 2 Films, Where Was It Going To End?

Back When THE HOBBIT Prequel Was Originally 2 Films, Where Was It Going To End?

Originally, The Lord of the Rings prequel movie series was scheduled to be two films, not three. So where was the first move going to end? Director Peter Jackson provides the answer.

News
By MarkJulian - Dec 15, 2013 10:12 AM EST
Filed Under: Fantasy
Source: Moviefone

Speaking on Entertainment Weekly's XM Radio Show, director Peter Jackson discussed where the first film was going to end back when The Hobbit prequel series was still just two films. Naturally, that initial film would have covered all of the events in An Unexpected Journey and a bit of what occurred in The Desolation of Smaug. According to Jackson, "The split was going to occur where Bard appears on the river bank as a silhouetted figure with a bow, so the whole barrel sequence was going to be the climax." Jackson added that ending there bothered him because that left a lot of material to get through in the second film. For those that saw the first film and the sequel, would you have preferred the prequel series remained just two films or are you glad it was split into three installments?

Peter Jackson's cameo's in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Apparently, Jackson also cameos in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as a dwarf during the flashback sequence depicting Smaug's attack.

PeterJacksoncameos_The Fellowship of The Ring
PeterJacksoncameos_TheReturn of the King
PeterJacksoncameos_TheTwo Towers


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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous forest of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood-elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all - a creature more terrifying than any other; one which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself - the Dragon Smaug.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. The international ensemble cast is led by Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. The film also stars (in alphabetical order) John Bell, Manu Bennett, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Lawrence Makoare, Sylvester McCoy, Graham McTavish, Dean O'Gorman, Mikael Persbrandt, and Aidan Turner.
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ForceOfLegend
ForceOfLegend - 12/15/2013, 10:18 AM
Awesome movie!I'm glad it's now the films!
Gmoney84
Gmoney84 - 12/15/2013, 10:18 AM
They've had to add a lot to make it to 3 films but I can appreciate why Pete chose to do so.
ForceOfLegend
ForceOfLegend - 12/15/2013, 10:18 AM
The = three
ForceOfLegend
ForceOfLegend - 12/15/2013, 10:19 AM
Yeah.they did add a lot. I'm glad they added the whole Gandalf subplot.
Ironman3023
Ironman3023 - 12/15/2013, 10:20 AM
I think it's better that there ended up being three. I really liked the first one but I haven't had the chance to go see the second on yet.
Kyos
Kyos - 12/15/2013, 10:22 AM
Two movies for sure.
Facade
Facade - 12/15/2013, 10:26 AM
It might have felt crammed @two films.
superbatspiderman
superbatspiderman - 12/15/2013, 10:27 AM
I actually kind of like them being three films because I love the universe of Middle Earth so much I want to spend as much time in it as possible.
0bstreperous
0bstreperous - 12/15/2013, 10:32 AM
My step- grandmother s twin sister makes $49hr turning tricks!

Just what ever happened t o them discriminating against black hobbits?

Fantasy is a pretty rascist genre
Grayson7954
Grayson7954 - 12/15/2013, 10:57 AM
2 films, the pacing in these movies is ridiculous, as a structure for a film, two films plus the added gandalf material would have been perfect. Now sequences are really being stretched unbearably long. The smaug sequence, took wayyyyyy too long. and the first film? almost 45 min to start the adventure? UGH
SpideyQuad
SpideyQuad - 12/15/2013, 10:59 AM
Says you Greyson, I'm perfectly fine with the way it's turning out
pesmerga44
pesmerga44 - 12/15/2013, 11:11 AM
Should have been two films probably won't see the rest but the first movie's pacing was terrible and I am amazed at how bloated that film was but in actuality nothing happened. Unfortunately all these films are doing is "Hey remember the Lord of the Rings you loved those movies right? Well these movies are the prequels SEE LORD OF THE RINGS LOOK THERE IS A REFERENCE TO LORD OF THE RINGS!" The Hobbit has a completely different tone to Lord of the Rings but Jackson is just trying to copy Lord of the Rings.

I was fine with two films because there was enough going on in the Hobbit to make it two films but three is pushing it beyond it's limits and Jackson needs to pull so much shit out of his ass to make three movies.
Geotheleo
Geotheleo - 12/15/2013, 11:12 AM
It's like a tribute to fans, people genuinely love the material, the longer they can stay in this world he created, the better.
BlackPhillip
BlackPhillip - 12/15/2013, 11:14 AM
"Fantasy is a pretty rascist genre"

Not really! The places where fantasy comes from usually don't have black people living there. The Nordic mythology has no black characters since blacks didn't exist in the Scandinavian lands back then. Tolkien's Middle Earth (Midgard) was influenced by Nordic mythology.
MrCBM56
MrCBM56 - 12/15/2013, 11:15 AM
I'm glad it was 3!

DrDoom

Agreed!
Super12
Super12 - 12/15/2013, 11:18 AM
I think three films was a great decision! There is plenty of room to flesh out the characters more than what the Hobbit tells, really the story is pretty brief but leaves a lot of room for growth. Plus getting to see the backstory and Gandalf's sidestory from the Appendices are awesome for us Tolkien fans!

For the most part, any argument for fewer movies in Middle-earth is invalid. :)

My only issue is when we expand to have room for all the material and yet they still cut out parts of the book and put in the unnecessary filler. Some of its ok, but in DOS there's way too much
NightBoyWonder
NightBoyWonder - 12/15/2013, 11:21 AM
The Smauf scene was too long? The hell... It wasn't enough!
DanMcNice
DanMcNice - 12/15/2013, 11:21 AM
ONE movie!!! There was no need for more..
TheRaven20
TheRaven20 - 12/15/2013, 11:28 AM
2 movies would have sufficed. 1 hour and 30 minutes of the Desolation of Smaug was completely made up. And I don't count the Gandalf in Dol Godlur parts as made up since that is simply expanded upon.

The inlcusion of Tauriel, Battle with Samug in the mountain, Orcs showing up at Laketown, Fili being poisoned, etc was all made up and with the exception of smaug's battle didn't add anything to the story at all. And the Smaug battle should have just been cut and instead it should have ended with the desolation of laketown. Would have been a perfect ending.
CapFan79
CapFan79 - 12/15/2013, 11:35 AM
If they hadn't added SO much 2 films was fine. I love the LOTR extended editions and like The Hobbit AUS just as much but this film was overlong with made up subplots and action that detracted from the plot!

They short changed Beorn but had surprisingly too much Legolas, added a political subplot with the master of lake town that was a time waster and added an unnecessary action scene with the dragon and dwarves. Then ended in a horrible spot. I usually defend PJ and the films length but there was just too much made up to create filler.

I didn't hate it at all but I was disappointed. Could have either been 30 min shorter or use the time for stuff actually in the book.
CapFan79
CapFan79 - 12/15/2013, 11:43 AM
@TheRaven I agree! Why add action in the mountain and skip the destruction of Lake Town as an ending? They set up Bard but he doesn't get to shoot the arrow?

I fear now the 3rd film will just be all action with Lake Town and the battle of five armies.
ruadh
ruadh - 12/15/2013, 11:47 AM
I enjoyed the first one very much, and watch it every time I catch it on HBO. Can't wait to see the second. I'm also one of those weirdos who will only watch the extended version of LOTR, so...I obviously like wallow in Middle Earth. Three films, yes!
JoJo1982
JoJo1982 - 12/15/2013, 11:57 AM
@flexx

Smh lol

Umm buddy the movie was 2 hrs and 40 minutes if you include the credits
Interestein
Interestein - 12/15/2013, 12:01 PM
Seeing it New Years day, as I did with An Unexpected Journey. Can't wait!
JoJo1982
JoJo1982 - 12/15/2013, 12:15 PM
Lol apologizes, thought U was talking about the runtime
supermarioworldE
supermarioworldE - 12/15/2013, 1:20 PM
Even two films was pushing it. Three is overkill.
Supes17
Supes17 - 12/15/2013, 1:32 PM
Loved the Desolation of Smaug. The movie was [frick]ing awesome.
Bdaviet
Bdaviet - 12/15/2013, 2:25 PM
It needs three movies, they are each a bit long so far, the story deserves it!
relentless1
relentless1 - 12/15/2013, 2:33 PM
i really think the hobbit should have been two movies, a lot of the time spent in part 2 seemed to drag on
CapFan79
CapFan79 - 12/15/2013, 3:26 PM
The Dwarf foundry scene reminded me of the droid foundry scene in SW Episode II, which was an action scene Lucas added at the last minute. It wasn't explained what they were trying to do during all that action.

I felt it took away from the dread the dwarves had of Smaug. If they were gonna fight Smaug, why the burglar? In the book they were terrified of him. Bilbo could've taken the arkenstone, pusses of Smaug and he could've flown to Laketown and saved about 20 min!
CapFan79
CapFan79 - 12/15/2013, 3:27 PM
*pissed off Smaug
DukeAcureds
DukeAcureds - 12/15/2013, 3:31 PM
It should have been fvcking ONE film!!!
This guy really needs a real editor and producer to reign his over-indulgent ass in! I'll bet Del Too wanted it to be one movie. It's one book! It is structured as one piece! I mean, I'm glad we got everything we wanted in LOTR, but none of those films stand on their own, not even as a trilogy does it stand up. Books are books and movies are movies and as a fan I'm glad that we got a faithful and adherant adaptation of LOTR, for the most part. But you're not really gonna get a decent stand-alone film out of LOTR.
But that's the best thing about The Hobbit is that it is one piece. This was the opportunity to give us a complete stand-alone piece that didn't have to feel as if it needed to adapt every little detail and focused more on giving us just a good, classic film, this time. Now, we do not have one.
So there.
Anyway, fvck it, y'know what's behind door number 15?





And his Middle-Earth elves, bitchfvckers!!
KingEmperor
KingEmperor - 12/15/2013, 3:36 PM
Peter Jackson also cameos in Desolation Of Smaug. He was the same guy eating the carrot on Bree. Apparently, his character doesn't age.
Ranger14
Ranger14 - 12/15/2013, 3:55 PM
I am all for three films. They can do justice to the Battle of Five Armies like they did the Battle of Helms Deep in Two Towers.
NorseGod
NorseGod - 12/15/2013, 4:12 PM
Peter Jackson in An Unexpected Journey
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