We’re now less than eleven months away from Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-earth with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of his two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s original novel, followed by The Hobbit: There And Back Again next December.

We’ve seen and heard some fantastic things from the new film already, most recently including Evangeline Lilly updating us on her character, Tauriel, created especially for the film. She spoke to Yahoo Movies about her preparations for the role, with thanks to ComicBookMovie for the heads up, and in the same report, Yahoo have put out a great new picture of Martin Freeman as Bilbo, almost lost amongst the dwarves.

“The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.”

We recently saw a much darker image of Freeman this month with his faithful sword, Sting, and this new image looks similar to the first images we saw from the film, still in The Shire. Alongside Freeman, we can look forward to seeing many new and familiar faces, including Andy Serkis, Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee.

The Hobbit will be released in 3D with An Unexpected Journey kicking things off on 14^th December this year, followed by There and Back Again on 13^th December next year. Until then, here’s the new image, which you can click to enlarge. And in case you missed it at the end of last year, you can watch the wonderful first trailer right here, as well as everything else The Hobbit-related here. If you’d like to read more about Lilly’s preparations for the role, click through over here. Enjoy.

*Advanced Plot Spoiler Warning: As you can probably guess from the title, things are going to get a little spoiler-y in a few lines, so if you’re wanting to fly fairly blind with The Hobbit, then look away now!*

We first got word way back in June last year that Evangeline Lilly had been cast in Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-earth in The Hobbit. When the announcement came, Jackson told us that Lilly would be playing a character created especially for the film, which is expected to develop the novel in its adaptation, spanning over two parts:

“Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character—the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Her name means ‘daughter of Mirkwood’ and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! (No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas.)”

Whilst doing an interview with EW for the release of Real Steel on DVD/Blu-Ray this week in the States (we’ll be getting it on 20th February here), Lilly spoke more about her character, revealing some really interesting details:

“EW: Speaking of small and little, I’d be remiss not to bring up The Hobbit. You’re playing a new character named Tauriel, who’s a Mirkwood elf, and that would lead me to believe that she is a warrior of some kind. Did you have to learn archery and swordplay?

Lilly: Yes, she is a warrior. She’s actually the head of the Elven guard. She’s the big shot in the army. So she knows how to wield any weapon, but the primary weapons that she uses are a bow and arrow and two daggers. And she’s lethal and deadly. You definitely wouldn’t want to be caught in a dark alley next to Tauriel.

EW: So then Tauriel must be involved with the dwarves being captured…

Lilly: I think basically what you’re asking is if she’s in the film very much. She’s not in the first film very much. She comes into the first film near the end, and has a very small part to play. Her role in the second film is much more involved. Although, I have to say, when I first read the scripts and took the job, she had a lot less going on in the second film. I think the role is becoming a bit more demanding than I had expected it to be. There’s a lot more for me to do now, which is a lot of fun, but it’s a little more pressure.”

Definitely interesting, especially the fact that she’ll be really involved in the second film in particular. Best known for her work on TV’s Lost, Real Steel last year, and that little-known Oscar winner, The Hurt Locker, Lilly is a fantastic actress, and I’m really looking forward to seeing her in this role, not least because it’s been entirely created for the film.

Time for a bit of 100% good old-fashioned guess-work: It’s looking as though she’ll be playing the female lead in the second film, which makes me wonder if her role will also be a romantic interest. Jackson clearly stated that she’s not a romantic connection to Legolas, but I’d quietly place a small wager (which I would adamantly deny if proven wrong when the films are released) on her being involved somehow with Luke Evans’ character, Bard the Grim, also known as Bard the Bowman.

His character is being likened to that of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, and when the announcement of his involvement came (at the same time as Lilly’s), it was said that he’d be playing a larger role in the second film. So, I could be adding two and two to make five, but it sounds as though there could be a similar relationship to Aragon and Arwen in Tauriel and Bard. Either way, we’ll have to wait until at least December this year, if not December next year with the second part, to find out if I’m right.

Along with Lilly and Evans, the fantastic cast includes both new and familiar faces in the forms of Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee.

The first part, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will be with us on 14th December this year, followed by the second, The Hobbit: There And Back Again, on 13th December next year. If you’ve missed any of our coverage of the films so far, you can catch up on it all right here. I’d particularly recommend the rather brilliant first trailer that Jackson treated us to for Christmas last month.

For a little over half a year, we’ve been treated to some brilliant things from Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-earth in bringing Tolkien’s The Hobbit to life, all of which you can catch up on right here. Just before Christmas, we were given an excellent new look at the film when the first trailer hit the web, and it was pretty brilliant. Fans of the original The Lord of the Rings will not be disappointed.

We’ve now got a great new image from the film to share with you, courtesy of Hero Complex via Collider, and it shows Martin Freeman as the young Bilbo Baggins looking pretty rough around the edges and somewhat world-weary, with one hand clasped around his sword, Sting.

As you’re no doubt already aware, The Hobbit will be released in two parts and in 3D, first with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and then The Hobbit: There And Back Again. The cast that Jackson has lined up is rather fantastic too, with many familiar faces as well as plenty of new ones joining the cast. Alongside Freeman, we can look forward to seeing Andy Serkis, Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee.

“The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.”

(*Potential plot spoiler coming up; this is your warning!*) It’s been a long time since I read The Hobbit, so alas I can’t quite place the new image in the plot of the film myself. Freeman looks rather cobwebby though, so with a bit of help from Wikipedia…

“Great Spiders:

The Hobbit describes a colony of sapient and over-sized spiders in the northern parts of Mirkwood at the end of the Third Age. The Elves of Thranduil’s realm tried unsuccessfully to exterminate them. During the events of the book, Thorin’s company was captured by spiders and enmeshed in webs; however, Bilbo Baggins managed to free them with the aid of his sword Sting and his magic ring.”

That sounds about right to me. Essentially, expect this scene to be pretty awesome. (Small aside: I really like Richard Armitage for the role of Thorin. I think he’s going to be great in it.)

An Unexpected Journey will be with us in just under a year on 14th December, followed a year later by There And Back Again on 13th December, 2013. Without further ado, here’s the great new image of Freeman as Bilbo. As usual, click to enlarge and take in all the tiny details.

It’s been a long time since we threw our collective voices into the podcasting arena but the Mouth Off Podcast is back with a revised format, some very special guests and an excellent film to get us back on track as we talk about Martin Scorsese’s forthcoming 3D extravanganza Hugo.

We are joined by Cassam Looch from Movie Vortex, Simon Thompson from 5USA’s Inside Hollywood and Matthew Turner from View London  to discuss the merits of Scorsese’s foray into the third dimension and if the film, billed as a family friendly adventure, is as enchanting as we had hoped.

You can read my review of the film here and if you do then you’ll see where I’m coming from but there’s a good amount of discussion on the film’s successes and failures to be had; such a divisive film deserves to be delved into and delve we do.

We hope to do as many of these as possible in the future so if you listen and you like do let us know and we’ll tame this podcasting beast once and for all.

Listen below or subscribe in iTunes here.

 HeyUGuys Mouth Off Drop-In: Hugo by heyuguysblog

Hugo is an intriguing premise for a film, with Martin Scorsese’s love for the showmen and pioneers of early cinema aligning perfectly with one of the integral elements of Brian Selznick’s book The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Add to this the fact that this is a Martin Scorsese film ostensibly aimed at children and his first film shot in 3D and we have a project which we’ve had our eye on for some time and one which arrives with high expectations.

It arrives in cinemas on the 2nd of December and there are thrilling elements to this often charming adventure story, with a fine cast and a wonderfully evocative visual design, but there’s more beneath this impressive surface to bring to light.

There are spoilers here, but scroll down to the final paragraph for my final word which won’t spoil the plot details for you.

Asa Butterfield is Hugo Cabret, an orphan whose life lies within the walls of a Parisian train station as he hurries himself through the building winding the clocks and trying desperately to scavenge enough spare mechanical parts to complete the building of an automaton he was renovating with his father before his tragic death. Hugo’s belief is that when completed the mechanical man will go through the motions dictated by his clockwork mechanics and convey a message from beyond the grave. Struggling to survive without his father and determined to find some escape from this existence Hugo watches the station come to life every day and spies a toy shop, whose workshop may yield the essential parts his needs to complete his project and conjure the spirit of his father one last time.

Ben Kingsley is a triumphant presence as the cantankerous Toy shop owner Papa Georges whose identity is revealed to be the legendary, and now forgotten, cinematic master Georges Méliès and Kingsley teases out every nuance of the anger and sadness of the loss of his former life, his reason to be. Scorsese clearly revels in the chance to show his two young stars pouring over the newly discovered works of Méliès and there’s a real, and unexpected, treat for fans of the director towards the end of the film. For this is his story, and Hugo’s discovery which forms this initial part of the film fades quickly into the background and never engages us again, though there is some incredibly overt metaphors brought to life in his disturbed dreams and some jarring and unsubtle moments of dialogue which betray any trust for the audience to make connections and feel the narrative and emotional echoes on a visceral level.

Chloe Moretz continues to impress and she is given the best lines early on in the film, with a literate and precocious quality to her which means that she, thanks to her unwavering ability to breathe a fresh and charming air into her characters, is the one who draws us in to Hugo’s mystery as well as revealing the true identity of her Godfather, Papa Georges. Sacha Baron Cohen’s Station Inspector is a wildly uneven character only made bearable by the actor’s talent for grounding the more cartoonish and slapstick moments with a trace of pathos and he works very well as Hugo’s nemesis, the man who snatches vagrant children and sends them off to the orphanage. Note must be made here of Kevin Eldon’s far too brief cameo which was pitch perfect and far more effective than some of the other, more prominent members of the supporting cast who circle the film without ever being given the chance to engage the audience.

Howard Shore’s rich and jaunty score is given prominence in the first ten minutes of the film which introduces us to Hugo, the station and the clockwork labyrinth which constitutes his world in the walls of the Parisian station and yet there’s very little held back; it, like the emotional message of the entire film, is writ large and loud. What does work is the production design which renders Paris and the central station beautifully though a little anonymously but there are a few breathtaking sweeps across the snow covered cityscapes – though I could easily do without the crossfade of the mechanics of a watch overlaid onto the streets of Paris (which is a great image and works perfectly as just that – there was no need for the metaphor to be explained). Much of the film was made at Pinewood and something of the legendary studio’s history plays in well with the themes of the film and it has a sumptuous quality without ever looking ostentatious or like ‘Tourist Paris’.

The film has been hailed many, many times as Scorsese’s love letter to cinema, and there’s no doubt his genuine affection for the evolution of the artform and the feelings the most potent directors can conjure but Hugo lacks the vital component which inspires us. Despite a glorious opening scene the narrative runs wayward in the vital first half an hour and the story of Hugo’s discovery of the automaton’s purpose is drained of the emotional impact it needs to engage us in the ongoing adventure of the story and when the story finds its feet (or slots nicely into the rails to use an appropriate image) it’s a bumpy road rather than a smooth voyage of discovery.

The 3D worked very well in most parts, and was among the most impressive I’ve seen for a long time. Seeing the city of Paris miles below from the vantage we are given through the clock tower windows induced the requisite vertigo and awe in equal measure and there were moments, particularly during the scenes in Hugo’s ‘lair’ behind the walls which made great use of 3D to convey the space very well indeed. Rather surprisingly the 3D was among the more subtle of the elements in play here.

Thanks to a number of sledgehammered metaphors and emotions so aggressively conveyed it was as if a director’s commentary was used instead of a script and there was very little discovery to be had here. I remember discovering Méliès as a kid watching documentaries on Star Wars and the evolution of special effects and then later on from Terry Gilliam’s own long forgotten TV series The Last Machine and I was enthralled by the invention and the wit of the early masters. I would have liked to have seen that illumination and discovery present in Hugo and I believe that was the original spark of the project from both Brian Selznick and then Scorsese himself.

It’s a handsome film with Chloe Moretz’s charming performance standing out along with Ben Kingsley’s savage and vulnerable man recapturing the spirit of his life but ultimately the heart of the film is more mechanical than magical.

**½~~ (2.5/5)

Martin Scorsese’s next film, Hugo, is just a couple of weeks away from its highly anticipated release now, and if you’ve missed out on our coverage of the film so far, you can catch up on it all right here.

Based on the novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, the film has been penned by the brilliant John Logan, with whom Scorsese has previously worked on The Aviator, earning both its writer and director an Academy Award nomination.

We’ve now got a new clip to share with you, courtesy of Yahoo Movies, entitled, ‘Big Machine’, as well as five great new international character posters from the film, via IMP Awards.

“Synopsis: Adapted from the Caldecott-winning Brian Selznick​ novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret​,” Hugo is the story of a resourceful boy who lives in a train station and teams up with a spirited young girl to solve a mystery that is based in his past and affects both of their futures.”

The film stars Asa Butterfield as the eponymous Hugo, with a terrific supporting cast that includes Chloë Grace Moretz, Sir Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christopher Lee, Emily Mortimer, Ray Winstone, and Helen McCrory.

Hugo will be with us in just under two weeks, coming out on 2^nd December, and it’s expected to do fantastically. Early reviews have been singing its praises, so I’m naturally more than a little excited that it’s only a short time until it hits the big screen. Without further ado, here’s the new clip from the film, followed by the five character posters. As usual with the latter, click to enlarge.

And if you’re reading this before midday on Wednesday 23rd November, then you can click here to enter our competition to win a pair of tickets to the Royal Film Performance of Hugo in London on 28th November. Good luck!

A new clip and over 50 images of Martin Scorsese’s first 3D film, Hugo, have been released this week.

The images consist mainly of stills from leads Chloe Grace Moretz and Hugo himself, Asa Butterfield, but also some of the characters we are yet to see from the trailers, including Sacha Baron Cohen, Richard Griffiths, and Emily Mortimer as well. There is also an image of Scorsese directing and one of him on-camera in a cameo. These pictures bring a whole new understanding to the film, highlight the magical ‘30s Paris, some wonderful costumes, and a general care to details that Scorsese puts into his films.

Based on Brian Selznick‘s award-winning best-seller, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Hugo is a young orphan boy, living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station in the 1930s. The story follows him on a magical adventure involving his late father and an automaton to unlock a secret that will transform his life and reveal a place he can call home.

The film also stars Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, and Michael Stuhlbarg, and is set to be released in UK cinemas on 2nd December and next week (23rd November) in the US.

Here’s the new clip, courtesy of CinemaBlend:

And here are some of the images, and you cansee the entire gallery here:

To celebrate the release of Martin Scorsese’s HUGO, in cinemas December 2nd we have a pair of tickets to the Royal Film Performance™ to give away. The event is black tie and will be  taking place on Monday 28th November in Central London.

We’re truly excited about Martin Scorsese’s first foray into the third dimension and the trailers we’ve seen so far have looked spectacular.

Here’s a little more about the film and look below for your chance to win.

Throughout his extraordinary career, Academy Award-wining director Martin Scorsese has brought his unique vision and dazzling gifts to life in a series of unforgettable films. The legendary storyteller invites you to join him on a thrilling journey to a magical world with his first-ever 3D film, based on the award-winning New York Times best-seller, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret.”

HUGO is the astonishing adventure of a wily and resourceful orphan boy whose quest to unlock a secret left to him by his father will transform Hugo and all those around him.

The film’s amazing all-star cast includes Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer with Jude Law.

All you need to do is answer the following simple question in the form below,

Who wrote the book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, on which the film is based?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Competition specific T&Cs follow:

•    Closing date is Wednesday 23rd November at midday.
•    This competition is not open to employees of, or writers for HeyUGuys, Entertainment Film Distributors, their agents or anyone else associated with this promotion.
•    The competition is open to UK residents.  If the winner is under 18 years of age they must take a parent or guardian as their guest.
•    Normal film certificate restrictions apply.
•    The first prize is 2 tickets (1 pair) to the Royal Film Performance™ on the evening of Monday 28th November 2011 in central London.
•    The event is black tie.
•    Travel and any accommodation is the responsibility of the winner.
•    The first prize winner will be notified by phone on Wednesday 23rd November to check their availability and if they cannot attend or be reached within 24 hours another name will be drawn. We will make all reasonable efforts to notify the winner. If the winner cannot be contacted within this time we reserve the right to draw an alternative winner.
•    The promoter reserves the right to substitute the prize for one of greater or equal value. The decision of the promoter in all matters is final and binding.
•    The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence shall be entered into. Entertainment Film Distributors (EFD) cannot be held responsible if the event is cancelled or details changed due to unforeseen circumstances which are beyond their control. In this event the winner will receive tickets to another EFD premiere happening in 2011/12 which will be specified by EFD.
•    Tickets are non-transferable.
•    All prizes are subject to availability.
•    Details are accurate at time of publication.

www.entertainmentfilms.co.uk

MOTION PICTURE © 2011 GK FILMS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

We got the third video diary for Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-earth back in July, and now he’s given us the fourth instalment through his Facebook page, because he’s pretty awesome like that.

In case you’ve missed them, you can catch up on all the earlier video diaries from The Hobbit and everything else surrounding the project right here.

This latest production video predominantly looks at the 3D filming aspect of the project, and it’s really interesting, with Jackson and the filming crew giving us a very insightful view of how they’re making this film.

According to the video, they’ve got 48 Red Epic cameras, each with its own individual name, which is pretty ridiculously awesome. Each of those cameras has a price tag of no less than $10,000, so if they were all retail price (naturally, they’re not going to be), that’s half a million dollars just on those cameras right there! And they visually show us how much their cameras just utterly out-do our 1080 TV screens and monitors, just to make us feel good about ourselves.

Ain’t It Cool News have also been visiting the set of the film, and have got some great photos of Bilbo and Jackson in Bag End, and if you want to read their report of the set visit, then you can go ahead and click over here.

As I’m sure you’re already aware, the two-parter has a pretty fantastic cast, including Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee.

At the end of the video, Jackson tells us that they’re about to move on to shooting on location, and that the next video he brings us will be from wherever they’re shooting in a few months’ time – so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for that, because it will undoubtedly be filled with amazing landscapes.

The Hobbit will be coming to us in two parts. The first, An Unexpected Journey, will be hitting cinemas at the end of next year on 14th December; and the second, There And Back Again, will be back a year later on 13th December, 2013. As you can imagine, it’s going to be awesome. Without further ado, here’s the brilliant new production video diary, followed by a few photos from the set, which you can click to enlarge. And if you want to see the video in glorious HD, then you can head over to Jackson’s Facebook page here.

]]> http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/11/04/must-watch-elijah-wood-martin-freeman-fighting-dwarves-and-3d-in-the-hobbit-production-video-diary-%e2%80%93-part-4/feed/ 0 http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/10/25/another-new-poster-for-martin-scorseses-hugo-looks-like-a-christmas-carol/ http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/10/25/another-new-poster-for-martin-scorseses-hugo-looks-like-a-christmas-carol/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:00:06 +0000 David Sztypuljak http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/?p=112503

Here’s another new poster for Martin Scorsese’s new movie, Hugo. I do like this poster but it has to be said that it looks just like the Robert Zemeckis movies, The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol but it’s quite possible the same designer was responsible for all three.

I’ve just done a bit of research and it would actually that BLT & Associates were responsible for creating both the Christmas Carol and Hugo posters while The Cimarron Group were responsible for The Polar Express poster. I guess it’s the trademark of a company to create similar looking posters but when I look at this new Hugo poster, I really do just see the Christmas Carol marketing campaign. Check out all three posters below and see what you think.

Hugo stars Chloe Moretz​, Jude Law​, Richard Griffiths​, Ben Kingsley​, Christopher Lee​, Sacha Baron Cohen​, Emily Mortimer​, Helen McCrory, Ray Winstone​ and should be with us 2nd December this year.

Synopsis: Adapted from the Caldecott-winning Brian Selznick​ novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” Hugo is the story of a resourceful boy who lives in a train station and teams up with a spirited young girl to solve a mystery that is based in his past and affects both of their futures.

Source: IMPA

Entertainment Films have sent us this new 90 second UK trailer for Martin Scorsese’s new movie, Hugo which is set for release 2nd December 2011. I’ve called it a trailer but it’s more of a featurette with Scorsese giving information on what the story is about throughout it but it’s a really nice way in which they’ve done it. Scroll down to have a watch and I’ll get the HD version up here as soon as I can get it uploaded.

The movie stars Chloe Moretz​, Jude Law​, Richard Griffiths​, Ben Kingsley​, Christopher Lee​, Sacha Baron Cohen​, Emily Mortimer​, Helen McCrory, Ray Winstone​ and should be with us 2nd December this year.

Synopsis: Throughout his extraordinary career, Academy Award-wining director Martin Scorsese has brought his unique vision and dazzling gifts to life in a series of unforgettable films. The legendary storyteller invites you to join him on a thrilling journey to a magical world with his first-ever 3-D film, based on Brian Selznick’s award-winning, imaginative New York Times best-seller, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret.”

HUGO is the astonishing adventure of a wily and resourceful orphan boy whose quest to unlock a secret left to him by his father will transform Hugo and all those around him.

You can catch the rest of our Hugo coverage here.

In the past couple of weeks, we’ve had a few great pictures and a featurette for Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated next feature film, Hugo.

The film is set to be a slightly different affair to his last two films, The Departed and last year’s Shutter Island, with more of a family adventure film feel expected in Hugo.

A new international poster for the film has arisen over at FilmoFilia, giving us a look at Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) as the young lead, Hugo Cabret.

“Based on the best-selling children’s historical fiction book by author Brian Selznick, Hugo tells the story of an orphan boy Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. With the help of an eccentric girl, he searches for the answer to a mystery linking the father he recently lost, the ill-tempered toy shop owner living below him and a heart shaped lock, seemingly without a key.”

The film, written by the awesome John Logan (The Last Samurai, Gladiator), has an absolutely terrific cast alongside Butterfield, including Chloë Grace Mortez (Kick-Ass), Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes), Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings), Emily Mortimer (Shutter Island), Sacha Baron Cohen (Brüno), Sir Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island), and Ray Winstone (The Departed).

A rough translation of the French text on the poster, via Google Translate, reads, ‘Unravel the mystery on 14^th December,’ or (roughly) literally, ‘Discover the key to the mystery on 14^th December,’ which fits in with the imagery of the key we’ve seen on the first official poster that came out back in the summer alongside the trailer.

Luckily for us, we’ll be getting this a little earlier than France, with a UK release date scheduled for 2^nd December, just a month and a half away. Without further ado, here’s the brand new poster to enjoy with a beautiful shot of wintertime Paris behind the young Hugo Cabret. As usual, click to enlarge.

If you were one of the lucky ones who took a chance on the secret screening at this year’s New York Film Festival then you can feel pretty pleased with yourselves as it was revealed yesterday that a ‘work-in-progress’ print of Martin Scorsese’s 3D adaptation of Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret, or Hugo to his mulitplex friends, would be that secret film.

To say I’m jealous would be a terrifying understateent, as I’ve followed the production with great enthusiasm since it was announced that Scorsese would be taking on the project,  a beautiful story wrapped up in a love of the magic of cinema, and everything I’ve seen so far has done nothing to dampen my spirits.

Today we see a new featurette from the film with Scorsese himself talking us through his take on the tale with some new footage spliced in there too. Also a couple of new pics have emerged which show off the wonderful production design.

A Thanksgiving release for a 3D kids film from Scorsese will be a new experience for director and audiences alike but if there’s as much magic in this film as in the lost world of silent cinema it celebrates then we’re in for something special.

Pics from Empire,

Video from The Playlist

I’m still a little miffed that it was decided to excise ‘The Invention of’ and then ‘Cabret’ from the title of Brian Selznick’s wonderful novel to leave us with the rather dull title of ‘Hugo’, yet I’m still very much looking forward to Martin Scorsese’s first dalliance with the third dimension as he tells the story of the titular orphan discovering the truth and legacy of the old toymaker whose shop sits in the Paris railway station in whose walls he lives.

There’s a cracking cast for this film with Asa Butterfield and Chloe Moretz leading  Jude Law, Richard Griffiths, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, Helen McCrory and Ray Winstone in this 3D extravaganza which takes in everything from automatons to the magic of the silent cinema.

The only trailer we’ve seen was a lot of fun and given the period setting every new glimpse we get of the film is riddled with detail and essential for those looking forward to this one.

So, here are two images from the fine people at The Playlist which show off the toy shop of Uncle George (whose true identity cineastes will know) with Ben Kingsley looking appropriately severe and there’s also a look at Jude Law as Hugo’s Father building a robot which becomes very important to the whole shebang.

It’s a magical story, one which Scorsese has hopefully translated perfectly to the big screen. The 2nd of December is the date to mark in your diaries.

We got our first photos from the set of Tim Burton’s next film, Dark Shadows, last month and they gave us a brief glimpse at Johnny Depp’s return to the gothic world of Burton’s mind as Barnabas Collins, an eighteenth century man-turned-vampire dug up in 1972.

The first official photos from the film have now surfaced over at Empire, and they give us an interesting look not just at Depp’s character, who in fact looks rather different from the set photos, but also show us the rest of the cast looking fantastic in their costumes too.

The film, based on the 1960s TV series of the same name, revolves around Depp’s character, Barnabas:

“In 1752, the Collins family sails from Liverpool, England to North America. The son, Barnabas, grows up to be a wealthy playboy in Collinsport, Maine and is the master of Collinwood Manor. He breaks the heart of a witch, Angelique Bouchard, who turns him into a vampire and buries him alive. In 1972, Barnabas is freed and returns to find his manor in ruin. It is occupied by dysfunctional descendants and other residents, all of whom have secrets.”

The script for Dark Shadows is written by Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, both of which are being adapted for the big screen. Grahame-Smith has said of the film’s setting in 1972,

“Tim and Johnny took a long time explaining exactly why it had to be 1972. 1969 was too early and 1973 was too late. 1972 is right at the time when the hippie movement and all its peace and love is dying out and being replaced by this  me-me-me generation in the ’70s who are all about showing their wealth and having everything.”

Definitely interesting stuff. Along with Depp, the terrific cast includes Eva Green, Christopher Lee, Jackie Earle Haley, Chloë Grace Moretz, Johnny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, a cameo from Alice Cooper, and of course, frequent collaborator of Burton and Depp’s, and Burton’s partner in real life, Helena Bonham Carter.

These fantastic new photos give us a look at the majority of this cast, and show Depp in the first photo looking a little different to how we first saw him in the set photos. His hair is looking particularly excellent in this, and with Depp having a way of bringing such different characters to life, I’m always eager to see what his next performance is going to be like. Dark Shadows is due to come out on 11^th May next year in the States, and we can hopefully look forward to a similar release date here in the UK. Without further ado, here are the new official photos to enjoy. As usual, click to enlarge.

Reviewing this box set when it is out in stores and in all probability snapped up by eager Star Wars fans seems a little unnecessary. The promise of a shiny high def transfer and the long awaited deleted scenes from the Original Trilogy conspire to tempt you to part with your cash once more, to enjoy the long time ago all over again.

But there’s a problem. A wave of negative reaction to some of the changes made by Lucas for this box set became clear a few weeks prior to the release as rumours of some important scenes ruined by needless additions and more handy work by the CG Replacement Bureau. Then video clips were uploaded to confirm the changes and boycotts were threatened and those unhappy with the Special Editions and 2004 DVD ‘improvements’ found new voice and dusted off their VHS copies and chided those who had their pre-orders booked.

So, who’s right? Are the changes too much for those who loved the originals, or is the HD transfer and wealth of extras enough to make the purchase worthwhile? As with many things, both are right, from a certain point of view.

We’ve already looked back over the films this past week in our Video Vault series, so if you’re looking to find out more about Episodes I to VI then click here to read them; there is an assumption that you’re not going in totally blind here. If you’ve never seen the films at all and can spare the cash then this box set is an instant recommendation – just make sure you watch them in the order they were made, don’t be tempted to start your journey to the dark side and out again with The Phantom Menace.

The more pertinent question is perhaps asked of those who already own the DVD set (and probably the VHS copies as well): Do I need to buy this set too?

The HD transfer is most obvious in Episodes IV to VI, and what I found strange were the additions for the 1997 Special Editions and how they showed their age. The advancement of computer technology is so rapid and is  noticeable when some of the visual effects which impressed in the late nineties now look very out of place. The additions to Mos Eisley are not as polished as the 1977 footage, with some very messy compositing of the newer elements over the old and some problems with the focus in certain shots. It surprised me as the original footage looks incredibly sharp for the most part, occasionally there is a very muddy shot in between the crystal clear original footage which itself isn’t completely free from problems.

Looking on the positive side there are moments when I saw things I had never seen before, and I’ve watched these films a lot. In truth I’ve never seen the sparks that fly off the colliding lightsabers in the duel between Vader and Kenobi. At first it looks a little like CGI sweat and it may have always been in there but this was new to me. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s new scream to scare off the Sandpeople is a strange addition to those of us who have known the original but isn’t a huge offence overall. It was a genuine thrill to see the detail and the dirt of the first film in particular, not least in contrast to the clinical green-screenery of the prequels; the forests on the moon of Endor look lush and verdant and the ice planet of Hoth is so sharp you could shave a Wookie with it. The occasional transfer quirks aside this is the most beautiful version of the films we’ve seen and when I first saw the discs at the Big Screen event I was sold.

The additions will irk some, and infuriate others. I’m sure a lot of people may not even notice the newly CGI Yoda in The Phantom Menace or question Vader’s new, and controversial, cry of ‘Noooooooo.’ just before he saves Luke from the Emperor’s final attack, but you’ll know which applies to you. In all honesty the films remain some of the most exciting science fiction films we have and they have never looked better. I’d question the need to buy this new set if you already have the DVDs and aren’t too fussed about the HD, but as we’ll see there is a reason to keep your old copies around even if you do.

The menu system on the main discs are simple and won’t blow your mind but they are a vast improvement over those found on the three discs of extras which invite you to select a film, then a location (Tattooine, Hoth, Bespin etc) and then to select a category (interviews, deleted scenes etc) and then a further click to play them. It’s not fun to navigate this menu every time you want to see a particular special feature. The interviews to introduce each film’s extras are short and drawn from cast and crew and are a nice addition. The deleted scenes are a lot of fun, with the early scenes of Luke and Biggs on Tattooine being the most substantial. The scene with Han and a female companion in the Cantina is here, as is an extended scene in the land speeder with Luke and C3PO searching for R2D2 and while most of these have been seen before on various multimedia releases it’s good to have them all in one place.

What I alluded to earlier about keeping the DVDs handy is one of the more puzzling elements of this collection as the deleted scenes for the Prequel Trilogy do not include those found on the DVD releases. This is a strange omission and a real shame, nice though it is to see a brief cameo by Dominic West as a Naboo guard pushing over a defeated Battle Droid there were some substantial scenes excised from the original cut that would have fitted alongside the new scenes perfectly. Maybe there’s a definitive box set coming our way – maybe when the 3D version are put out…

When I was a kid the only way you could have Star Wars in your own home was as part of the documentaries made and televised at the time of release of the Original Trilogy films. These are included on the final disc of extras and proved a highlight for me as I was hit by a wave of nostalgia. Also included, and perhaps the most intriguing extra, on the disc was The Masters – a discussion of the making of The Empire Strikes Back with the late Irvin Kershner proving a wonderful guide through the difficult second movie.

So in the end I was won over by the new transfer and the decent, if limited, set of extras. If you have the DVDs and are annoyed at the constant tinkering by Lucas then be warned – this won’t light your saber. If you’re a fan and want to see Star Wars in the best way possible then the choice is clear. The galaxy far, far away has never looked better.

And so it had come to this. Wearily yet with the obligatory expectation and excitement inherent in any new Star Wars film we walked into the cinema for the final chapter of the  saga to find out if the years of hope, which previously had given way to disappointment, would be worth it. I sat in the cinema with my parents for the first time in years, and my two best friends and we all had the same look on our faces, one which we couldn’t quite hide.  The one that said ‘I have a bad feeling about this…’

Flashing back a couple of decades and you’ll find the three of us gathered around the TV watching the credits roll on the new video of Episode IV: A New Hope. When the final name had scrolled upwards and the tape stopped it took us exactly three seconds to hit the rewind button and start it all over again. It was the defining film of our childhood and though we had no idea how big an impact it was having we knew, with a blissful unquestioning certainty, that here we had something truly special.

The world that flashed before our eyes was exciting, alien, morally uncomplicated and unabashedly heroic. Subsequent episodes in the original trilogy expanded the world and we became more entrenched in it, and at the final moments of Return of the Jedi, Ewok singsong aside, we were done and happy to be so.

Back to the cinema in 2005, with the recent double whammy of Prequel disappointment still smarting we watched the lights go down and hoped that our faith had not been misplaced.

It didn’t start well.

An enormous space battle opened the film, the likes of which we have never seen with hundreds of ships zipping to and fro avoiding mile wide laser blasts and swarms of fighters peppering the skyies above Coruscant with laser fire. It looked amazing, but had one fatal flaw. Despite the technical excellence here I had no idea who is fighting who, or why they are carving large chunks out of each other. During the rescue of the kidnapped Palpatine Count Dooku is dispatched by Anakin in perhaps the most uninspired way possible – the Dark Lord may as well have tripped on his robes and fallen down a flight of stairs. It was a shaky start and one which suggested that Lucas was keen to tie up loose ends in the most perfunctory way possible. But this was meant to be the end, with Anakin’s downfall leading to the thrilling final duel between Master and Apprentice which would lead to the rebirth of this petulant kid from Tattooine as the most feared warrior in the galaxy.

This was something Lucas almost got right. This scene here…

with Palpatine seducing Anakin to moral spasms that would lead to his fall to the dark side is a curious one. Ian McDiarmid is great fun, elongated the bizarre tale of Darth Plagueis and his death-defying forcery to suitably operatic heights while the-boy-who-would-be-Vader barely comprehending its not so subtle agenda. Once revealed as a Dark Lord of the Sith by Samuel L. Jackson and his fellow Jedi they are quickly dispatched by Palpatine and with the various battles raging on many different worlds Anakin stumbles into accepting his fate as a servant of evil, all because he has some dream about Padme dying in childbirth.

Then this happened.

A scene we really, didn’t need to see. He’s a bastard – we get it. That little kid can’t act for toffee but when he shudders as Darth KidKiller ignites his lightsaber it gets me every time. Even so this was a strange moment and an unnecessary one. I don’t buy it at all. If you want to serve evil to save the life of your pregnant wife why does it makes sense to kill children, surely destroying their Jedi teachers is enough. This is an ugly side effect of not having a solid foundation on which to base the downfall of Anakin.

Moving on, this then happened.

Then this.

And then this.

And finally this.

And we were back on the Tantive IV with the Jedi all but wiped out and Luke and Leia born and hidden from the newly besuited Vader. Bizarrely the entire visual landscape changes to evoke the original Star Wars film with bad hairstyles and Imperial officers in their grey outfits and silly hats. It seemed as if Lucas had slotted everything into place by taking a pair of scissors to the pieces of the puzzle and while the story was brought full circle it falls short of providing a logical and believable narrative. Anakin’s turn to the dark side was incredibly confused and made him out to be a bit of an idiot. All this promise lost in a haze of CGI and dreary political mechanics. But there was one moment that got me.

Having gone through the convoluted final duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin we have a legless Skywalker sliding into the lava and Ewan McGregor says the line:

“You were my brother Anakin. I loved you.”

That line saved the scene for me. It almost saved the whole damn prequel trilogy and it still gives me chills when I hear it. So much emotion in such a few words – emotion that is otherwise completely absent from the three films. I’m not ashamed to admit that there was a tear welling in my eye when I heard that for the first time. It is a line that strikes directly at the hearts of the young boys who sat watched the original trilogy, whose imaginations were afire with the mysterious Clone Wars and the days before the Empire. After nearly six hours of clinical plotting and bloodless emotional journeys we have a moment of passion and it is like a bolt of lightning in an otherwise pitch black night. Sadly that feeling was eclipsed by the moment Vader yelled ‘Noooooooooo’ and then a few minutes later we were done, it was over.

It’s hard to say where it went wrong, there are so many potential culprits but I have the feeling that if Lucas had a few more people challenging his ideas then we might have a more satisfying trilogy. It remains a difficult film to like, and as an accolade ‘Best of the Prequels’ is akin to ‘the mildest dose of Plague’, but it marked the end of an era, one which began in a long time ago and captured and informed our imaginations for years.

As I found myself sitting down to watch Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones for the first time in years, a familiar feeling washed over me.

I grew up with Star Wars you see; Return of the Jedi was one of the very first films I saw at the cinema and it still holds a special place in my heart (I kid you not, I will defend the Ewoks to my dying day). But that feeling I mentioned was that same one I had back in 2002 when I settled down to watch Episode II in the cinema, and the only way I can describe it is something approaching fear.

And that, as we all know, ultimately leads to the Dark Side.

I’m sure you know what I mean; for my generation, the generation who grew up with the original trilogy, the prequels didn’t exactly start off too well. Wait, I’m being kind there; I hated The Phantom Menace. I distinctly remember sitting in the cinema watching everything I loved about Star Wars crash and burn in a big CGI explosion. That being the case, I approached Episode II with extreme trepidation. But then, as now, I needn’t have worried because for the most part I loved it. OK, it’s by no means a perfect film, but where Attack of the Clones succeeded over its predecessor was in its ability to make that galaxy far, far away seem spectacular once more.

Picking up the story ten years after the events of The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones finds the galaxy in increasing turmoil. A separatist movement led by the former Jedi Count Dooku (Christopher Lee, bringing some much-needed gravitas to proceedings) threatens a rebellion, and with the Jedi stretched thin the Republic are forced to consider forming an army to assist them. Of course, as we learnt with The Phantom Menace Star Wars doesn’t really do all that political nonsense terribly well so it’s just as well Attack of the Clones doesn’t dwell on it too long and instead throws not one but two assassination attempts in the direction of former queen, now senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), which in turn leads to a rather long but quite exhilarating action sequence as Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) chase the would-be killer through the bustling skies of Coruscant.

Our two heroes subsequently go their separate ways for much of the film; Obi-Wan disappears off to the planet Kamino to track down the killer of the would-be assassin, while the all grown-up yet rather scarily temperamental Anakin is assigned the task of secretly ferrying Padmé back to Naboo. Once there our horny young Jedi quickly makes his feelings known and begins wooing the beautiful senator, willfully defying the rules of the Jedi order in the process.

After that nothing quite goes to plan for our heroes; Obi-Wan discovers that a clone army has been secretly created for the Republic on Kamino before he ends up a hostage of Count Dooku on the planet Geonosis. Anakin and Padmé, meanwhile, stop-off on Tatooine where the young Jedi goes off in search of his mother and butchers some Tusken Raiders, before reconvening with Obi-Wan on Geonosis where their execution at Dooku’s hands is only thwarted by the arrival of the Jedi and their new army of clones.

What impressed me most about Attack of the Clones back in 2002, and what continued to impress me on this most recent viewing, is the scope of the film; from Coruscant to Naboo, Kamino, Tatooine and on to Geonosis, Clones just feels more epic than its predecessor, more in keeping with the adventurous, action-packed nature of the original trilogy. And for a franchise that thrives on action, Attack of the Clones has it in spades; the assassination attempt on Padmé’s life in the very first scene comes as an unexpected shock, while the fight between Obi-Wan and Jango Fett on the rainswept landing platform of the Kamino cloning facility is a well choreographed and thrilling duel.

The climactic battle on Geonosis, meanwhile, must surely rank as one of Star Wars’ most spectacular action sequences, as the mission to rescue Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padmé sees the fighting spill out across the planet’s surface as they race to stop Count Dooku. And let’s not forget, of course, that Attack of the Clones gives us our first, some would say remarkable glimpse of the diminutive Yoda wielding a lightsaber in anger.

While improving immeasurably on its predecessor, Attack of the Clones is by no means perfect; the dialogue is clunky throughout and the acting for the most part is woeful. Lucas’s dependence on CGI for everything from characters to locations also lends the film a strangely cartoony look that lacks the realistic feel of the original trilogy or, indeed, the somewhat more gritty look of Episode III, which just goes to show how much technology had advanced in the three years between films.

Still, aside from the battle sequences there are a number of other praiseworthy elements. While Anakin comes across as a petulant child for much of the film, it comes as a genuine shock when we realise that he intends to slay the sand people who captured his mother; it’s a defining point on his path to the Dark Side, and that the extent of his vengeance is only revealed in his confession to Padmé only heightens the shocking brutality of his actions. Elsewhere Lucas wisely reduced the much reviled Jar Jar Binks to something more like a cameo appearance, albeit one that plays a major role as the character is directly responsible for granting Chancellor Palpatine the emergency powers that are so pivotal to his plans to seize control of the Republic.

So, as the second film of the prequel trilogy is it as good as The Empire Strikes Back, the middle film in the original trilogy? No, let’s not be silly. But as a stepping stone from the mediocrity of The Phantom Menace to the brilliant Revenge of the Sith, Attack of the Clones is an enjoyable romp and served as much-needed proof that Lucas was successfully steering his franchise back in the general direction of pleasing its audience – and what more could we ask of a Star Wars film than that?

It’s an unusal beauty parade but the latest image to wing its way from Bag End is the perfect way to complement the many seperate images we’ve seen of the dwarves from Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit films.

With the third of Jackson’s video blogs from the set pushing all the right buttons the momentum for this film is building slowly and while The Hobbit won’t have a presence over in San Diego this weekend there should be a teaser trailer not too far in our future.

Rope of Silicon had this image and list the cast as follows:

JED BROPHY as Nori, DEAN O’GORMAN as Fili, MARK HADLOW as Dori, JAMES NESBITT as Bofur, PETER HAMBLETON as Gloin, GRAHAM McTAVISH as Dwalin, RICHARD ARMITAGE as Thorin Oakenshield (center), KEN STOTT as Balin, JOHN CALLEN as Oin, STEPHEN HUNTER as Bombur, WILLIAM KIRCHER as Bifur, ADAM BROWN as Ori and AIDAN TURNER as Kili.

Here’s the image, get clicking to have it get all big.

After giving us a second look at the production of The Hobbit less than two weeks ago, Peter Jackson’s now released the third instalment of the video diary from the two-part film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There And Back Again.

Just like the first two, Jackson has released this third video via his own Facebook page. He apologises that The Hobbit won’t be coming to this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego this weekend, but says that it’s more than likely they’ll be there this time next year.

He explained his decision by saying,

“New Line and Warner Bros were very happy to support a presentation, but I declined, simply because I felt it was too early. There’s so much more of the films still to shoot. I just wanted to get that out there, because I’ve seen various references to the possibility of something Hobbity at Comic Con. Hate to disappoint anyone. But something tells me we will be there in force next year.”

And as a sort of consolation, we’ve got the third production video diary to enjoy. It’s made up of footage taken from the first of the three blocks of shooting being done for this film, and it opens and closes with Peter Jackson wandering around Pinewood Studios here in the UK, which suggests that filming in the second and/or third blocks could well be done here in our own backyard.

Through the course of the video, we get to see some great footage of Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis as Bilbo and Gollum on set in a cave. We also get to see Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, and Sir Ian McKellen in costume as the brilliant Elrond, Galadriel, and Gandalf. Brilliant stuff. And be sure to watch until the end to get a great last line from Christopher Lee.

We’ve been getting so many photos lately of all of the dwarves, we now get to see them all in and out of costume, talking about their favourite memories from the first shooting block. And there’s a really nice moment near the end, talking to Richard Armitage, who plays Thorin Oakenshield, leader of the Company of Dwarves, and he tells us that one of his favourite moments so far was when they were all lined up together wearing their gear, taking it all in. As he says in the video, it’s spine-tingling material watching it happen, being taken back to Middle-earth.

At just under a quarter of an hour, these video diaries might seem like they’re quite long, but you lose yourself in them as soon as they start, and this one’s definitely a must-watch for fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. One of the highlights for me has got to be the dwarf Bombur’s ridiculous air guitar/drum rendition of one of Tolkien’s songs from the novel. We also get a nice shot of John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli in The Lord of the Rings, visiting the set – just visiting – whilst the Company of Dwarves are sitting round the table in Bag End.

Jackson writes on his Facebook page,

“I’ve been on the go since wrapping the first shooting block, but I’m about to settle down and get into the much delayed 20 Questions. I’ve a few half-written and will get those done very, very soon! I promise!”

So we can expect more updates to come from him in the near future, and you can be sure we’ll keep you up to date on that and everything else when it comes. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is due out on 14^th December, 2012, and The Hobbit: There And Back Again is due out a year later on 13^th December, 2013, with both films being released in 3D. And without further ado, here is the latest video diary. If you’d like to watch it in beautiful HD, then you can do so here.