Peter Jackson and a New Fantasy Series

[Parker]

So looks like the big PJ got the rights to another fantasy series, and it's none other than . . . Naomi Novik's Temeraire--the series that takes Master and Commander and adds dragons.  He bought the rights personally, meaning they're not attached to a particular studio right now.  And he says he's interested in possibly directing them, not just producing them.  But it's still up in the air.

Read all about it in an interview with him here:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30014

[Nessa]

Cool.

And I have reviewed the books for TWG, but yet SE hasn't posted the first two yet...

But...ew...they're doing The Lovely Bones, a book which I really didn't like. At all. (Is it the book I'm thinking about? The one by Alice Sebold?)

[Parker]

That's the one.  I read it a few months ago, and enjoyed it quite a bit, actually.  I'm interested to see what Jackson does with it.

[Nessa]

***Warning Spoilers***

It's the big lame-o climax, which really didn't make any sense. I mean, she has the chance to come back to a body, and what does she choose to do? When she could have helped her dysfunctioning family? She totally goes selfish. It just grates. And then they never find her body. Drives me crazy.

[Sigyn]

Eek!  I love Naomi Novik>  This is so great to hear.

[Spriggan]

Actually right now he's supposed to be working on the Hobbit, MGM has it as a 2008 release date (they co-own the Hobbit rights with New Line).

[Fellfrosch]

Is he actually working on The Hobbit? I can't shake the feeling that's a bad idea.

[Spriggan]

RT had a mention of the hobbit was slated for 2008 and that everyone assumes PJ is working on it in some manner.

[Parker]

AICN did an extensive interview with PJ, only part of which is posted yet.  In it, he said he hadn't been approached by anyone yet to do the Hobbit, so that seems to be an internet rumor with little substance, although he did indicate that he'd be interested in it.  This thing with Novik's books is what he seemed to be most interested in, though--he wanted to start the interview with it.

Oh--and he most certainly is working on The Lovely Bones as his current project.

[Spriggan]

Eh, appears Jackson has only optioned the rights for these books so who knows when they'll get maid especially if he's got the chance to do the Hobbit.  And he probably will since the reason MGM is doing it and not New Line is because of Jackson's feuid with NLC so MGM is the distributer so Jackson doesn't have to work with NLC.  Again he's not attached to it but they're actively trying to get him.  MGM also wants to do it as a two part series.

[Parker]

A two part series?  Where would they split it?  I guess LOTR is just one long book, split three ways, but still, I'm not sure if I'm too fond of that idea . . .

[Spriggan]

I figure they'd end the first one right after the tea party since that's like half the book anyway.

[Shrain]

Speaking of Peter Jackson, I could almost swear that he's got a cameo in Lost. No, really. There's this bearded, lab-coat wearing dude that looks eerily like Jackson in the  "Orientation" video for the Pearl Station of the Dharma Initiative. I'm telling you, it's weirdly like him....

[Fellfrosch]

The possibility of splitting The Hobbit into two parts only makes me more fearful that it's a terrible idea. Why can't they just leave well enough alone and move on to new things?

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Because TWO Hobbit movies will make TWICE as much as only ONE. duh.