Sci-Fi Storm

And I’m not talking about Ricky Gervais’ borderline insult jokes…not that it is any surprise, since genre-wise there were precious few nominations, with Inception and Alice In Wonderland coming up empty (and it was though that Johnny Depp would have gotten Best Actor for either Alice or The Tourist). But at least related show Big Bang Theory got something with Jim Parsons getting Best Actor, Comedy/Musical – but lost out overall to Glee. Toy Story 3 picked up Best Animated Feature.

Figured I’d address the swirling rumors that have picked up again about David Tennant being cast in The Hobbit – although rumored for months, David Tennant has not yet been confirmed to appear in The Hobbit despite all the recent casting announcements, but more recently the rumors have been more specific – with Tennant taking the role of the king of the Silvan Elves, Thranduil. Tennant may have scheduling issues due to the recent announcement that he and his Doctor Who companion Catherine Tate would star together on stage in London in Much Ado About Nothing, plus his wedding plus rumors of being an expectant father…if you believe The Sun (I’ll wait for another source…)

Also still to be confirmed is Orlando Bloom, rumored to be reprising his role as Legolas. While not specifically appearing by name in the book, there is some logic to his appearance as Legolas was the son of Thranduil and lived among the Silvan elves of Mirkwood, who Bilbo encounters on his journey.

Ian McKellan updated his blog about what kept him from committing to The Hobbit. “All I had to decide was what to do with the time that is given me.” After setting his schedule to be in the area, delays just kept cropping up. Plus, “I kept wondering was Gandalf what I most wanted to do, more than a new play for instance or indeed a new part? Sequels aren’t necessarily as rewarding to act in as their originals. Could I let Gandalf go? Would anyone else care if I did? Elsewhere, does anyone care that Michael Gambon was not the first to play Dumbledore?” In the end, it wasn’t the money that was the deciding point, but dates. “Gandalf is needed on set over the next 18 months but with sizeable breaks when I can work on other projects. My worry that I could not easily escape from Middle Earth was lifted. I am happy to say I start filming in Wellington on February 21 2011.”

Well, that didn’t take long…now THR is reporting that Ian McKellan has signed on to return as Gandalf in The Hobbit films. Although long expected, no word had been received until just now, which left some scratching their heads…at this point, any other signings will be just bonus cameos…

It looks like another of the long-rumored Lord Of The Rings actors has closed the deal on reprising their role in The Hobbit. Deadline reports that Andy Serkis (Gollum) has closed his deal to appear in the films, although confirmation is still pending. I will point out, however that despite rampant reports, Ian McKellan has NOT been confirmed yet (Update: yes he has, finally), nor has Christopher Lee or Ian Holm – although all three are expected. There were recent rumblings of Orlando Bloom returning to play Legolas, but I haven’t heard more on that front.

Speaking of returning characters, TheOneRing.net reports that Frodo will be seen in the opening scenes, likely as part of a narrative where Frodo is reading Bilbo’s “There And Back Again” story, which is pretty much what most expected.

There were lots of articles that took speculation and reports that Elijah Wood and Orlando Bloom were in talks to reprise their respective Lord Of The Rings role in The Hobbit as fact that they were returning, but I did apparently miss this report that Wood’s reps have confirmed the actor is confirmed “to star”:
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It’s been a while since we heard news, but things are again moving forward for The Hobbit, with Warner Bros. taking over world wide theatrical and video distribution of both parts, while MGM retains international television licensing. In the process, it is reported that WB will foot the bill for the production – which is estimated in the $500 million range.

This is hopefully the last hurdle as MGM escapes bankruptcy and the long-dwelling epic production can get moving. Hopefully we’ll hear some final casting announcements (Ian McKellan still isn’t confirmed, and I’m hearing rumors of others returning although how I’m not sure) and production start can be firmly scheduled for the Spring.

Little is known about the plot and no studio has been approached yet, but Neill Blomkamp’s next sci-fi film, Elysium, has some star power. Jodie Foster has just committed to join the film, with Matt Damon and Sharlto Copley (who starred in Blomcamp’s District 9) already attached.

Just found out that Anne Francis, who starred alongside Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon and Robby The Robot in the classic Forbidden Planet, passed away Sunday at the age of 80 from complications due to pancreatic cancer, according to the Los Angeles Times.

I finally got to see Tron: Legacy. There have been a lot of polarized reviews of the movie (it’s currently a 49% on the Tomatometer), and I have often heard about its lack of a plot – there was a plot, but there were plenty of flaws as well. But that doesn’t make it an unenjoyable experience.
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