I’ve made no secret about the fact that I’m a huge fan of Tolkien’s work. I’ve also made no bones about my belief that the Lord of the Rings film trilogy are some of the most beautiful works of cinema in almost a century.
I had been following the history of The Hobbit films with more than a little trepidation; when the studio started to experience its problems and Del Toro signed off as director, I thought for sure that the history of these films would soon see its end in the same sort of production hell that swallowed the WETA live-action Neon Genesis: Evangelion movie.
When I heard that Peter Jackson had taken over directoral duties, I heaved a heavy sigh of relief. After all, this was the man responsible for directing the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and he held in his heart a strong reverence for the source material and a dedication to “do right” by the original stories. My trepidation waned.
And now, there’s an official trailer for the first of the two Hobbit movies. My trepidation has turned to impatient anxiety, because now I have to wait a year to watch the first in what looks to be a series as spectacularly presented as the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
But, don’t just take my word for it. Listen to Thorim sing “Far o’er the Misty Mountains cold, to dungeons deep and caverns old…” and get chills down your spine like I did.
I have a plan. We just need to create a time machine. I’ll get the flux capacitor, you get the rest?