Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy divides fans. While many were thrilled that Jackson and collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens returned to Middle Earth to film this adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien’s book, more than a few fans felt the movies didn’t live up to what had come before. Indeed, following up the Lord of the Rings trilogy would never be easy. Those films are regarded as modern classics, with the third movie, The Return of the King, even winning Best Picture and Director Academy Awards. How do you follow up a classic?
Indeed, there was never really supposed to be a Hobbit trilogy, with Guillermo del Toro initially attached to turn Tolkien’s tome into a 2-movie tale. Eventually, del Toro had to depart the project due to ongoing delays and Jackson, to the delight of fans, stepped in as a director, expanding the project’s scope to three films. While many wondered how Tolkien’s slim novel would provide enough material for three movies, Jackson said they would be taking material from the appendices Tolkien published with Return of the King. Jackson also would be shooting the films in 3D using the then-novel HFR (High Frame Rate) technical, which meant the first film, An Unexpected Journey, would be the first feature to be shown in 48 FPS.
In the end, the films were all successful, but they played to diminishing returns. The film movie made over a billion dollars worldwide, and the follow-ups, The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies, would gross almost as much – but not more. While some fans loved the movies, others found them padded out, with each movie running close to three hours (the extended editions are even longer) and the 48fps technique getting very mixed reviews.
In this episode of What You Need to Know About This Franchise, we dig into the making of The Hobbit Trilogy. We explore whether or not the series stands on its own and whether Jackson potentially returning to make new Lord of the Rings movies is something to be excited about. This episode is written, narrated and edited by Kier Gomes, and produced by Tyler Nichols.
Let us know what you think of The Hobbit Trilogy in the comments!