The latest issue of
Total Film features a set visit to Peter Jackson's highly anticipated
Lord Of The Rings prequel
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which hits theaters next month and is the first installment of another Middle-earth trilogy. In the issue, the magazine speaks with Jackson and cast members such as Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis and Ian McKellen. The magazine also published some excerpts online from their interviews with Jackson and Freeman.
"He really wants to be left alone, to put his feet up in front of a fire," says Jackson when asked about
The Hobbit protagonist Bilbo Baggins (Freeman).
"And then suddenly he’s dragged off on an adventure. So there’s a lot of comedic opportunities. But you want to feel the truth of those moments. You don’t want them to be played just for laughs. When he’s holding the sword and faced with a troll, you want the sense of danger, and Martin’s brilliant at juggling the tone, that ability to have one foot in the dramatic world and one in the comedic world."
Back when
The Hobbit was originally intended to be released as two films instead of three, Freeman said that he didn't feel a lot of pressure playing the hero of such a highly anticipated film series. Now, with plans for a trilogy now underway, does he feel different? Not exactly.
"It’s not really daunting," he said.
"It is unexpected compared to where we were, but it’s the same thing of telling the story and doing your bit, whether it’s one or two or three films. There’s just, you know, more of it! But there are so many of us involved, it doesn’t really hang on anyone’s shoulders."
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is set to hit theaters December 14th;
The Desolation Of Smaug will arrive December 13th, 2013;
There And Back Again is scheduled to be released July 18th, 2014.
About The Author:
Christian, former CBM editor, movie watcher, music listener, comic nerd.
Follow on Twitter at @PaulRom95 for my current shenanigans.
Follow PaulRom on: