It’s no secret that after delivering another trilogy in the realm of Middle-Earth, Peter Jackson is ready to bring things down a notch with his next project. While this doesn’t bode well for fans looking forward to a TINTIN sequel, Peter Jackson did have some interesting things to say regarding the state of Hollywood blockbusters as well as how much of Guillermo del Toro‘s draft of THE HOBBIT screenplays made it to the final film, and his two cents regarding the possibility of a Middle-Earth theme park down the road.
Peter Jackson on Guillermo del Toro’s surviving input:
Back when Guillermo was involved there were two drafts, because it was going to be two movies. And since then they have gone through multiple revisions by Philippa, Fran [Walsh], and myself. So it’s hard, because sometimes you’re revising dialogue but the fundamental idea Guillermo cooked up with us, and sometimes it wasn’t. So it’s all very hard to break it down. But certainly multiple drafts have happened since but we plotted out the major movements. His fingerprints are in there for sure. It’s more than just that first draft, it’s just that things branched off of the plotting and the machinations of the plot. It’s possible that not a single line of dialogue of his survived but there are characters and things. That’s why it’s hard to define.
Regarding his next project:
I’m absolutely happy to make smaller films. It’s what I want to do. Fran and I, and obviously with Philippa, we made HEAVENLY CREATURES as a chronicle of New Zealand. We’re New Zealanders. HEAVENLY CREATURES was the last time we made a movie about our own culture. So we want to go back and make some New Zealand stories. I don’t really like the Hollywood blockbuster bandwagon that exists right now. The industry and the advent of all the technology, has kind of lost its way. It’s become very franchise driven and superhero driven. I’ve never read a comic book in my life so I’m immediately at a disadvantage and I have no interest in that. So now it’s time for us to step back. We’re heading towards something of that scale.
On whether or not a Middle-Earth theme park is a possibility:
I’m not a lawyer for Warner Bros but as far as I know, the Tolkien estate would dispute that. If Universal said they wanted to do a theme park, I think they’d be fighting a big Tolkien estate lawsuit for a while. Now who would win, I don’t know, but the Tolkien estate would claim that they have the rights to that.
While comments about technology ruining Hollywood seem a little hypocritical given some complaints regarding an overuse of CGI in THE HOBBIT films, it looks like Peter Jackson is a little over the big blockbusters at the moment. After all, the man has been busting his ass on a job he wasn’t expected to tackle in the first place, and in 3 films instead of 2 to boot. I actually agree with most people’s criticisms so I think a smaller film or two might be just what the doctor ordered. For the love of all that is New Zealand, could we keep it under two hours this time? However, if Universal Studios does somehow get the rights to creating a small piece of Middle-Earth, consider myself moved in. That is, until Disney gets on that Star Wars theme park.
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES is now in theaters.