The new Hobbit Film

[LordLucan]

First I learn Stephen Fry shall be playing the Maste rof Laketown, then I hear Benedict Cumberpatch will have a role in this film too. This is gettign better and better. Hopefully Benedict will be doing the voice of smaug. Does anyone remember the recent Stephen Hawking documentary, which was narrated by Benedict? His voice in that is brilliant. he was also rather good in Sherlock last year. I reckon he'd make a marvellous smaug. ince I have not heard who is doing smaug's voice yet, I have hope.

Anyone else have any thoughts on the new hobbit film series?

[Raziel4707]

As long as it isn't John Hurt...

I can see Cumberbatch doing that well. He has a very rich voice, not ridiculously deep but just enough of an earthy tone to it... Definitely agree with you there. Stephen Fry I'm quite pleased about also, though every time I imagine him acting, Lord Melchett's voice leaps, unbidden, into my mind...

[Pipitán]

I can't wait. Martin Freeman should be brilliant, as long as they don't mess up the cut point between the two films (I'd much prefer one 3 hour film than two 2 hour ones, but ah well), it should be fantastic.

[Xisor]

Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown, let's not forget!

It's shaping up to be a riot of a film (duo), I just hope it is also good! (I find it difficult to imagine folks would let it get less good though. Shame they had to trample across Kiwi workers' rights, but oh well.)

[Pipitán]

I'm also, bizarrely I suppose, very much looking forward to the extual Special Editions DVDs that come out in a few years, almost as much as I am the actual films. The LotR ones were just so awesome in terms of extras (18 wonderful hours of documentaries!), and I expect the Hobbit will do the same sort of thing.

[Green River]

Oh, that was Cumberbatch was it? The documentary that started off being narrated by Stephen Hawking himself, and then switched to something more melodious just as his voice started to grate - didn't quite know how to take that at the time. Still, great graphics, and good news!

[Firefox]

I'm very much looking forward to it. I'm glad Peter Jackson is back at the helm, though I can't help but lament the loss of the darkly beautiful masterpiece Del Toro would have given us.

[Pyroriffic]

I absolutely love Benedict Cumberbatch's voice. Very mellifluous.

[LordLucan]

Oh, that was Cumberbatch was it? The documentary that started off being narrated by Stephen Hawking himself, and then switched to something more melodious just as his voice started to grate - didn't quite know how to take that at the time. Still, great graphics, and good news!

Yep, that's the one. To be fair, I reckon hawkings asked Cumberpatch to narrate for him. And who wouldn't like they voice to sound taht cool?

[Colonel Mustard]

I'll admit I'm looking forward to this a great deal, especially since I heard that Stephen Fry's narrating this. His voice is, if I may be frank, like liquid butter being poured on dark chocolate, and anything with him in is automatically improved, even if already good, for example, Blackadder or LittleBig Planet (great game). Also I reckon Cumberbatch would do a good Smaug, actually; his voice seems the sort I can imagine a dragon having, especially a big bugger like Smaug is going to be.

I'm very much looking forward to it. I'm glad Peter Jackson is back at the helm, though I can't help but lament the loss of the darkly beautiful masterpiece Del Toro would have given us.

You know what we should really lament? His rejected proposal to do an adaptation of the Mountains of Madness. That would have been superb with Guillermo (is that how you spell it? I think so) at the helm.

[Pipitán]

You know what we should really lament? His rejected proposal to do an adaptation of the Mountains of Madness. That would have been superb with Guillermo (is that how you spell it? I think so) at the helm.

Oh god, that was so disappointing. The worst thing was the way the studio kept wavering, rather than just saying no straight away and putting us out of our misery. At one point it was even supposedly greenlit, with James Cameron producing and providing the effects and money. But alas, it was ultimately not to be. One day. One day...

On the other hand, I've seen some rumours (admittedly a while ago) suggesting that after Jackson finishes the Hobbit and Tintin, his next project will be an adaptation of the fantasy series Mortal Engines...

*salivates*

[LordLucan]

I'll admit I'm looking forward to this a great deal, especially since I heard that Stephen Fry's narrating this.

He's narrating as well as playing the Master of Laketown? Awesome! I would have thought though Ian Holm would narrate it, because, you know, he was Bilbo too.

[Colonel Mustard]

Oh, I meant to say acting in it, not narrating. Sorry to get your hopes up, LL.

Though him narrating it as well would be quite cool.

Pip: One day they shall rise...

I also heard rumours of Jackson getting behind a Mortal Engines adaptation, one which I wholeheartedly approve of; he seems the sort of director who could pull off the massive scale cyper/steampunk sci-fi feudal fantasy that is Mortal Engines rather well.

[Athelassan]

It'd be nice if Ian Holm put in an appearance as Bilbo at some point to retain a degree of continuity.

I'm not sure about Stephen Fry, though. I've never really had him pegged as a serious actor, and I've begun to find him nearly insufferably smug in the last couple of years.

Ath

[Squiggle]

On the other hand, I've seen some rumours (admittedly a while ago) suggesting that after Jackson finishes the Hobbit and Tintin, his next project will be an adaptation of the fantasy series Mortal Engines...

*salivates*

That would be awesome

[Firefox]

I never read Mortal Engines, but a quick look at the synopsis on wikipedia tells me that it's an awful lot like Inverted World by Christopher Priest. Looks to be heavily inspired by it, at the least.

[Pipitán]

I never read Mortal Engines, but a quick look at the synopsis on wikipedia tells me that it's an awful lot like Inverted World by Christopher Priest. Looks to be heavily inspired by it, at the least.

Although I haven't read Inverted World, a quick look at the synopsis on wikipedia tells me that the only substantial similarity is the traction city idea, and the Mortal Engines series is so much more than that one conceit (and I think it is a conceit that two writers could easily have come up with independently, but we don't really have any way of knowing either way). Mortal Engines is not just about one traction city, but an entire world of them, going around literally eating each other and engaging in apocalyptic wars...

Anyhow, I would heartily recommend the series.

[Xisor]

I never read Mortal Engines, but a quick look at the synopsis on wikipedia tells me that it's an awful lot like Inverted World by Christopher Priest. Looks to be heavily inspired by it, at the least.

Although I haven't read Inverted World, a quick look at the synopsis on wikipedia tells me that the only substantial similarity is the traction city idea, and the Mortal Engines series is so much more than that one conceit (and I think it is a conceit that two writers could easily have come up with independently, but we don't really have any way of knowing either way). Mortal Engines is not just about one traction city, but an entire world of them, going around literally eating each other and engaging in apocalyptic wars...

Anyhow, I would heartily recommend the series.

Sounds very Medusa, to me! (Medusa has roving tech-barbarian cities, right?) Also Ambulon on Scintilla. Nothing says 40k better than walking city!

(Upside of 40k is, I think, the only thing we don't have proper ripoffs of are Jedi. As in proper Jedi-like knights. Even the Templar Calixis aren't quite up to scratch.)

[Mossy Toes]

Xisor: well, in the first Mortal Engines book, MEDUSA...






(spoiler)

Spoiler: is the super-weapon that the traction city of London recovers, soo...

[LordLucan]

Xisor: 40K has used actual traction cities for the war world of Zaythe, from the Rogue Trader rulebook. Mobile hive cities with their own engineer cults, all at war with one another across a barren world.

Also, Mortal Engines is a brilliant, brilliant setting. Pip, MEDUSA is a spoiler for that book incidentally.