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After the King Returns, Will a 'Hobbit' Follow?

Motion Pictures
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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc
New Line Cinema
United Artists
Latham, Steve
Mckinley, Jesse
Lord of the Rings, the (Movies)
Hobbit, the (Book)
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Tolkien, J R R

After the King Returns, Will a 'Hobbit' Follow?
After the King Returns, Will a Hobbit Follow?

By JESSE McKINLEY
Mckinley, Jesse

Lord of the Rings fans are fooled by fake Web site, designed by college student Steve Latham, that looks like real trailer for forthcoming movie version of The Hobbit, book that introduces many of characters in 'Rings' series; film is unlikely to be made in near future because New Line Cinema holds production rights, but MGM/United Artists has distribution rights, and speedy agreement between two seems unlikely; photo (M)

A "Lord of the Rings" prequel is on the horizon, but many dragons lie in wait along the way.

FOR fans of ''The Lord of the Rings,'' Peter Jackson's blockbuster three-part adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy epic, it looks like just what they've been longing to see: a trailer for a forthcoming movie version of ''The Hobbit,'' the book that introduces many of the characters in the ''Rings'' series.
The illusion is almost perfect. The trailer, posted on the Internet, starts with the logo for New Line Cinema, the movie's producer, and includes images of wistful elves, misty mountains, flaming lakes and, of course, Gollum and Bilbo Baggins doing battle over that all-powerful ring. The shots are intense and evocative; the score is swelling and dramatic; and the stars, Ian Holm (Bilbo), Andy Serkis (Gollum) and Ian McKellen (the friendly wizard Gandalf), are all in view and all in focus. The trailer even includes a release date: Dec. 19, 2006.
The problem is that it's a fake. The trailer (at www.lathamfilms.com/hobbit--teaser--steve--latham.mpg) is no more than a clever compilation of shots from the first film in the series, ''The Fellowship of the Ring,'' and the 1981 dragon movie ''Dragonslayer.'' It was cobbled together last year by Steve Latham, a 26-year-old senior at the University of Oklahoma majoring in film and video studies.
Worse yet for fans, who have been teased by recent indications that Mr. Jackson would indeed like to make ''The Hobbit,'' not only is there no real trailer; there may not be one for a long, long time. Indeed, even as ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,'' the third and final chapter in the series, heads for what could be a big night at the Oscars on Feb. 29, ''The Hobbit'' faces enough logistical hurdles to make an orc cringe. (Translation: really tough logistical hurdles.)
The first problem is scheduling. Mr. Jackson, who declined to be interviewed for this article, is currently at work on a remake of ''King Kong,'' which won't begin shooting (in New Zealand) before early next year, for release in late 2005. In other words, count him out until 2006.
Then there's the convoluted issue of rights. ''The Hobbit,'' which was published in 1937, tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, a small, hairy-footed, well, hobbit, who finds the One Ring, does battle with an evil dragon named Smaug and bags a load of gold with a group of dwarfs. The film rights were sold in 1969 to United Artists, which is now a division of MGM. Those rights were subsequently acquired by the Saul Zaentz Company, which in turn sold an option to New Line in the 1990's.
The snag is that while New Line now holds the production rights to ''The Hobbit,'' the distribution rights were retained by MGM/United Artists.
''In the simplest of terms, New Line can make the movie, but they can't distribute it to theaters,'' said Eric Kops, a spokesman for MGM.
A spokeswoman for New Line had no comment on ''The Hobbit.''
If there seem to be roadblocks in the way of a ''Hobbit'' movie, there are also forces in its favor -- especially the one that tends to make things happen in Hollywood, money. Big, big money. As of Feb. 8, ''The Return of the King'' had grossed $578 million worldwide; the three movies combined have taken in more than $2.3 billion since 2001, when ''The Fellowship'' was released.
For fans of the films, the waiting is the hardest part. Several Web sites, including www.thehobbit-movie.com, have been set up to track any and all news of a possible deal. In December, Mr. Jackson gave these hopes additional fuel by saying he'd be interested in doing ''The Hobbit.''
''It would be strange for somebody else to do it,'' Mr. Jackson told The Associated Press. ''And I also think, to do justice to 'The Hobbit,' it would be great to bring some of the same actors back.''
Sir Ian seemed to confirm that plans were afoot in early January, when he said in an interview with British television that he'd like to play Gandalf again.
But both he and Mr. Jackson also mentioned the rights issue, amid growing rumors of resistance to further film efforts on the part of the Tolkien estate. The buzz grew so intense that the estate felt obliged to release a statement denying that it was trying to obstruct the making of ''The Hobbit.'' (Christopher Tolkien, the famously press-shy son of the author, declined to comment.)
''The Hobbit'' already exists apart from the book. Adaptations include a 1966 version made for BBC radio and a 1977 cartoon for American television. But these earlier versions -- not to mention the three extant film ''Rings'' -- seem to have done little to sate the appetite of Tolkien fans like Mr. Latham.
''I think it would be pretty cool if they could do it,'' said Mr. Latham, who currently works in a furniture store in Norman, Okla. But he says he's totally willing to direct ''The Hobbit'' if Mr. Jackson isn't available: ''I mean, I think Peter Jackson and New Line still have all the costumes and sets, and you could use a bunch of the actors.''
He paused and added, ''And I think it would make a boatload of money too.''
OSCAR FILMS