Fresh Hobbit news straight from New Zealand: For a while it looked like New Line Cinemas and Peter Jackson were unable to iron out their differences and that the filming of The Hobbit would be entrusted into someone else’s hands. But today Jackson and and Hollywood studios New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios announced that they had resolved their legal dispute. Jackson and partner Fran Walsh will serve as executive producers on not one but two (?) Hobbit movies.

Pre-production will begin as soon as possible and both will be shot simultaneously, tentatively in 2009. The Hobbit is likely to be released in 2010 and the sequel in 2011.

Jackson sued New Line in 2005 for unpaid profits, estimated to be about US$100 million, from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which became a stumbling block to his being involved in The Hobbit.

Jackson and New Line said in the announcement that they had settled all legal action. “I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line,” Jackson said. “We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle-earth.”

A decision still has to be made on who will direct the films, who will be cast and where they will be filmed.

This is great news. Jackson did such a great job with the Lord of the Rings movies that I was really not happy with the idea of someone else taking over for The Hobbit. I am intrigued by the mention of two Hobbit films in the announcement. I assume that means they will film the book in two parts. So, Tolkien fans, what do you think?

Update: According to this press release at TheOneRing.net, it looks like the second movie will be a sequel to the Hobbit rather than just the second half of the book.

Quick facts:

• The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien, was published in 1937, and tells the story of Bilbo Baggins before the events of The Lord of the Rings. It relates how Bilbo met the wizard Gandalf, fought Smaug the dragon, and found the One Ring.
• The Lord of the Rings trilogy has made about US$3 billion at the box office and another US$1 billion in DVD sales. Between them, the films won 17 Oscars.

HT: Instapundit

Last week we brought you The Golden Compass vs. Narnia. This week it’s The Golden Compass vs. Alvin and the Chipmunks.

The Golden Compass, dropped to the number three position at the box office during its second weekend ($9 million), coming in well behind Will Smith’s I Am Legend ($77 million) and the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie ($44 million). Alvin and the Chipmunks actually did better in its opening weekend than The Golden Compass did in its first two weeks combined.

Here are the weekend figures for December 14-16, 2007:

I Am Legend (opening weekend)

• Production budget: N/A
• Opening Weekend: $77,211,321
• 3606 theaters, $21,411 average

Alvin and the Chipmunks (opening weekend)

• Production budget: $60 million
• Opening Weekend: $44,307,417
• 3,475 theaters, $12,750 average

The Golden Compass (second weekend)

• Production budget: $180 million
• Second Weekend: $8,825,549
• 3,528 theaters, $2,501 average
• See Golden Compass opening weekend figures here.

Related posts:

• The Golden Compass vs. Narnia Box Office Results
• The Golden Compass Christian Response Roundup

The movie, The Golden Compass, premiered this weekend amid much controversy, most of it over the theological content of the books on which the film is based. Philip Pullman, the author of the books, is an avowed atheist who has been quoted as saying, “My books are about killing God.”

I have not seen the movie or read the books, but I have read quite a bit about them in recent weeks. Here are some articles written from a Christian perspective that I found helpful in understanding the issues involved.

Articles about The Golden Compass:

• Albert Mohler – A Briefing for Concerned Christians
• Jeffrey Overstreet – Questions I’ve been asked, answers I’ve given
• Larry Shallenberger – Golden Compass FAQ
• Paul Edwards – Demagnetizing The Golden Compass
• Marcus Goodyear – Gold Plated Compass Can’t Find North

Movie reviews of The Golden Compass:

• Jeffrey Overstreet
• Peter Chattaway
• Steven D. Greydanus

See related posts:

• The Golden Compass vs. Narnia Box Office Results
• The Golden Compass vs. Alvin and the Chipmunks
• The Prince Caspian Movie Trailer

The movie, The Golden Compass, opened this weekend with disappointing results at the box office (although it was still the number one film at the box office for the weekend). The film, which had a production budget of $180 million, only pulled in an estimated $26 million over the weekend. Compare this to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which opened during the same weekend time frame back in December 2005, also with a production budget of $180 million.

The Golden Compass

• Production budget: $180 million
• Opening Weekend: $25,783,232
• 3,528 theaters, $7,308 average

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

• Production budget: $180 million
• Opening Weekend: $65,556,312
• 3,616 theaters, $18,129 average

Note: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe eventually went on to gross $744,783,957 worldwide.

Click here for more Narnia and Caspian related posts.
Click here for Narnia sermon series.

See related posts:

• The Golden Compass vs. Alvin and the Chipmunks
• The Golden Compass Christian Response Roundup
• The Prince Caspian Movie Trailer

Here is the first full official trailer for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian movie. This just looks so good. Enjoy! (Note: If you have not read the book, there are some spoilers in the trailer, but nothing too serious.)

(Video length: 2:31)

Don’t forget – the Prince Caspian movie is only away!

Click here for more Narnia and Caspian related posts.
Click here for Narnia sermon series.

According to an AP report, William Shatner will not appear as Kirk in the new Star Trek movie, even though Leonard Nimoy will reprise his role as Spock. Granted, Kirk’s death at the end of the 1994 film “Star Trek: Generations” complicates matters, but with science fiction there’s always a way.

The new film is directed by J.J. Abrams, who is the executive producer for the TV series “Lost” and also directed “Mission: Impossible III.”

Abrams’ “Trek” film, whose plot is being kept under wraps by distributor Paramount, recounts an early adventure for the crew of the starship Enterprise, with Chris Pines as the young Kirk and Zachary Quinto as the young Spock.

The cast includes Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy, Simon Pegg as engineer Scott, John Cho as helmsman Sulu, Zoe Saldana as communications officer Uhura and Anton Yelchin as navigator Chekov, roles respectively originated by DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig.

The film is due in theaters in December 2008.

HT: Alan R. Bevere

Sorry, Star Wars fans – this one was just too much fun to pass up. And it’s
in widescreen, too!

Darth Vader Feels Blue (Video length: 1:45)

So, is this another example of George Lucas still fine-tuning various scenes from his movies?

Related posts:

• Star Wars Pumpkins
• Yoda Promotes Small Groups
• Tim Keller and Darth Vader
• Jedi Squirrels
• George Lucas Syndrome

HT: Neatorama via Provocative Church

Here are some Christian endorsements for the new Ten Commandments movie opening Friday, October 19, 2007:

• “A dazzling animated epic for the family” (The Dove Foundation)
• “A great story … a great Moses … great reasons families should see The Ten Commandments” (American Family Association, Rev. Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman)
• “A wonderful movie for families” (MovieGuide, Dr. Ted Baehr)
• “The Ten Commandments film is both delightful and powerful. It is one of those rare films that every child and adult should see.” (Mission America Coalition, Paul Cedar, Chairman)
• “What usually comes out of Hollywood is not worth commenting about, but every now and then there is a cause to celebrate … I commend Promenade Pictures for their work in helping bring The Ten Commandments to the heart and soul of the nation.” (Ten Commandments Commission, Dr. Ron Wexler, President/CEO)

Christian Slater, who plays Moses in the film, will appear on Thursday, October 18 on Fox & Friends and Hannity & Colmes. (So, does an endorsement by Christian Slater also count as a “Christian” endorsement? 🙂 )

Source: PR Newswire

Related posts:

• The Ten Commandments Movie Trailer
• More on the New Ten Commandments Movie

CBN has posted an informative article on the new Ten Commandments Movie with lots of input from Cindy Bond, the producer of the film. Here are some excerpts from the article.

Promenade Pictures chose the Ten Commandments as their first offering because it is one of the most famous and epic stories in the Bible. It is different from The Prince of Egypt because it tells the whole story from Moses as a baby to when the Hebrews go into the Promised Land.

The Ten Commandments is not dark and heavy; it is a kid-friendly movie and more scripturally accurate and unique. It has big production values. Some of the celebrity voices they have are Christian Slater (Moses), Alfred Molina (Ramses), Elliott Gould (God), and Ben Kingsley (Narrator).

The Moses that is portrayed in The Ten Commandments is an ordinary man – relatable – relevant today. This story shows how God can use you, how He loves you, and how God can set you free from bondages. It’s a story of humility and our humanity, and it’s a pride buster. God talked to Moses because he was the humblest man on earth. The Bible is used as the foundation for the film. Moms love this version of The Ten Commandments. It’s 88 minutes and it moves . . .

Cindy wants to spark interest and introduce Bible stories to the younger generation who may not have heard the stories and renew interest in those who do know the stories. She wants to energize people to pick up the Bible and reread the story – these are true hero journeys . . .

Promenade Pictures is now working on Noah’s Ark: The New Beginning and David and Goliath – 12 movies in all – and wants to make more in The Epic Stories of the Bible series, beyond twelve. Promenade Pictures has put their company in God’s hands and are making high quality, entertaining movies with good seed . . . They are a live action and animation company. Some other movies in the works are “Gideon’s Gift” based on Karen Kingsbury novel and also a movie about Salvation Army founder William Booth.

The company worked really hard under the radar to build a slate of projects. CEO Frank Yablans didn’t want any press releases until they had a good slate of projects. It took them three years to do The Ten Commandments, and they are halfway through production on Noah’s Ark, which is slated to release early 2009 . . .

Cindy was saved when she was seven at a Billy Graham Crusade. She was raised in a Christian home by her grandparents. In college, she majored in business and drama . . .

Cindy says Hollywood is a challenging place to be – it challenges your values because it is very carnal and worldly. There were many times when she was offered projects that went against her values, but she would pass on them. She has loved the Lord since she was a young child and has tried to follow His will in order to make the right choices for her life.

The Ten Commandments opens in theaters this Friday, October 19. I would love to take my kids to see this film and support it. Unfortunately, it is playing in limited release. I called some local theaters here in Massachusetts this afternoon and none of them have it scheduled for Friday. If it is playing in your area and you get to see it, please report back here with your comments!

Related posts:

• Click here for the movie trailer.
• Some Christian Endorsements of the New Ten Commandments Movie
• The Ten Commandments by Promenade Pictures opens October 19, 2007 on 700 screens in cities where faith-based movies do best. Click here for listings of where the movie is showing. If it is not showing in your area, call your local theater managers and ask them to show it.

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

Rose and I went to see the remake of 3:10 to Yuma over the weekend after viewing the original 1957 version earlier in the week. The verdict? Although we enjoyed the remake, we both liked the original version better.

The remake is good. It is fast-paced with plenty of action. Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are both excellent in their characters. I was surprised how closely the remake followed the original, right down to the dialogue in some parts. But the most important place where the remake differed was in the two main characters and their motivations.

In the original film Glenn Ford played the outlaw Ben Wade, and Van Heflin played the rancher Dan Evans. Glenn Ford’s outlaw is a dangerous man who kills when he feels necessary but also seems to have a code of honor. For example, when he kills a man who tries to stop him from robbing a stagecoach, he is concerned that the man is buried in his hometown. His gang also seems to have some honor as far as outlaws go. In contrast, Russell Crowe’s outlaw is much meaner and so is his gang. They have little to no honor and kill ruthlessly.

Similarly, in the original film Van Heflin’s rancher is a man of integrity. At first he takes the job of escorting Wade to the train because he needs the money for his family, but as the story progresses, he continues with the job simply because he feels it is the right thing to do. He is a man of quiet strength and principle, and Wade helps him in the end out of respect. In contrast, Christian Bale’s rancher is much weaker. He keeps going not so much because it is the right thing to do, but because he wants to prove to his son that he is a hero. Wade continually outdoes him and seems more motivated to help him at the end out of pity than respect. (Although, I believe Wade does have genuine respect for him at the end of the film.)

So, although we enjoyed both versions, we liked the characterization of the first film better and felt it did a better job of playing the two characters off against each other. Did anybody else see either or both of the films? What did you think?

Note to parents: The 2007 movie contains graphic violence and strong language. The 1957 version should be fine for children 10 and up.

Update: Click here for new post with more information on the movie.
              Click here to read some Christian endorsements of the movie.

Wow, I didn’t even know about this movie. It is coming out in theaters on Friday, October 19, 2007. The trailer looks excellent. You can find more information about the film at Epic Stories of the Bible, as well as take The Ten Commandments Challenge. (HT: Goodword Editing)

This is the first of twelve animated Epic Stories of the Bible planned by Promenade Pictures with “Noah’s Ark – The New Beginning” in pre-production and scheduled for release in 2008. (Click here to view the trailer.)

(more…)

Media Access for the Next Generation:
    1. Introduction
    2. Immediate Access
    3. Localized Storage
    4. Subscription Services

This series is in response to a comment made by Kathryn on the 5/31 post Buying Music the Old Way. In that post I shared about rummaging through old record stores and even traveling into Canada to track down certain music when I was in college. Kathryn commented:

What does the next generation have that can compare to that? The only thing I really have to look for are sales. I do most of my shopping online now because it’s so much easier. I’ve never had that quest for music experience. This posting makes me question: What will my kids take for granted that takes me time now?

I have some thoughts on how things will be different for the next generation as far as media access, and I would like to spend some time this week reflecting on that. Tomorrow’s post will pick up on the one major difference that will drive the rest – immediate access to the internet at all times and in all places.

Action points:

• Do you have an idea on this topic? Share it in the comments!
• Did you enjoy this post? Subscribe to this blog by email or feed reader.

Links to other posts in the series:   Part 1,   Part 2,   Part 3,   Part 4