"We figured, why NOT take a simple, accessible kids' book and turn it into a three-part, nine-hour slog through Peter Jackson's psyche?" said a source close to the film. Indeed, the Hobbit film trilogy dumps the book's best asset—accessibility—right at Bilbo's door. While some have wondered whether making "multiple movies" each "so damn long" would turn off new potential fans to the The Lord of the Rings forever, Warner Bros. isn't worried.
"Do you even know how the movie industry works?" said a studio representative. "You're seriously asking me about creative decisions. Creativity. Wow. You really have no idea. This is about money. It's always about money."
Of course, money is just one of the many themes present in the film series' second entry, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. When Bilbo first...
End of part one. Tune in next year for the second part of Ben's 3-part Hobbit review! Although he only has enough content to warrant a single post, he figures he can "milk at least three articles out of it" because "that's how stupid people are." Happy Holidays from TheCroakingFrog!