The Hobbit's Troubled 75-Year Journey From Page to Screen (Movieline)

On Monday, somewhat incredibly, The Hobbit finally started filming. Amid the seemingly weekly reports of turmoil and lawsuits surrounding the two-part Hobbit film over the last few years, it’s easy to forget just how long this movie has been in production — and the minor miracle it is that not only is The Hobbit being filmed, but Peter Jackson is behind the camera. So let’s take a quick look back — a “Dummy’s Guide,” if you will — at the timeline associated with the long, torturous journey that finally got us to where we are today.

I, for one, am stoked that this film is underway and as much as I love Guillermo del Toro, I could never imagine this film without Peter Jackson behind the camera. The article is really just a timeline of all the steps along the way to making this film - including the much hated animated version of The Hobbit, the myriad studios involved, and then, the happy ending. Take a peek.

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Joel Silver, a Megaproducer in a Changed Hollywood (NY Times)

“There aren’t a lot of guys like me left,” Mr. Silver says during a break. “But I’m a war horse. I’ve been through it all. And you know something about war horses? Through the sleet, through the snow — they just keep going.”

I wonder if we'll ever return to the days of lots of producer deals. I hope so - not just because I want a bungalow office on the lot - but because I think a relationship between a studio and a filmmaker is actually beneficial to the industry. Think of it as a return to loyalty, something that often seems to be in short supply in Hollywood.
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Inception: Warner gambles on an unproven commodity (LA Times)

"Sustaining the movie by having a presence on television and online after the opening is going to be important," Kroll said. "We don't have the brand equity that usually drives a big summer opening, but we have a great cast and a fresh idea from a filmmaker with a track record of making incredible movies. If you can't make those elements work, it's a sad day."

Amen Brother! I'm rooting for this movie if for no other reason that it may show the studios that not every movie has to be a re-boot, re-make, or sequel. Fingers crossed.
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Christopher Nolan, the Man Behind the Dreamscape (NY Times)

Creating the film’s multiple valences of reality took seven months of principal photography in six cities — Tokyo; Carlington, England; Paris; Tangier, Morocco; Los Angeles; and Calgary, Alberta, at an estimated cost of $160 million.

For Mr. Nolan ... those statistics are humbling but necessary. “What I found is, it’s not possible to execute this concept in a small fashion,” he said. ...

“As soon as you’re talking about dreams,” he added, “the potential of the human mind is infinite. It has to feel like you could go absolutely anywhere by the end of the film. And it has to work on a massive scale.”

Looking forward to this one, that's for sure!
Read the full article here.