Christopher Lee Would Return As Saruman For The Hobbit
He may be 86 years old but he still has six movies on the way and could be adding another one (or two). Christopher Lee spoke to Empire about Saruman returning for The Hobbit prequels. Although Saruman doesnt appear in the book, there is the second film which Del Toro and Jackson will be writing to bridge the gap between The Hobbit and the first Lord of the Rings movie.
“I’ve read the books time and again,” said the 86-year-old. “Originally Saruman The White and the rest of the wizards, or the Istari as they call them, were immortal. There were five of them, two of them never appear, I know their names but they never appear, and the only three that are mentioned are Saruman The White, Gandalf The Grey and Radagast The Brown who you never see – so basically it’s two wizards.
“They lived for thousands of years and they were sent to the earth and they are virtually immortal. When it all started, Saruman was the noblest, the finest, the bravest, the most dependable and reliable of them all, he was number one. But somewhere, somehow, and it was never actually explained, he turns and it’s probably the Palantír (the wizard’s crystal ball thingy) that makes Saruman realise that if Sauron can do this, why can’t I do it and Saruman wants to become The Lord Of The Rings himself.”
“I’d be interested in seeing how that transition from good to evil occurred and, yes, of course I would return to the role if I was asked.”
You can tell Lee has read the trilogy every year for the past five decades can’t you?
I suppose it would be quite cool to see Saruman’s decent into darkness. What do you think?
The Wire’s final season comes to DVD
Right on the heels of The Wire ’s brilliant series finale, HBO and Warner Home Video have announced the release of the fifth and final season on DVD. According to TV Shows on DVD, the set will be released on August 12th. Set to cost $59.99 (you know it’ll be cheaper at Amazon), the four disc compilation will also include the two mini-docs that accompanied this season: Odyssey and The Last Word. As with past Wire DVD sets, there will also be a handful of audio commentaries.
That’s really all there is to it. Past DVD sets for this show have always been lacking in the bonus features department, but I have to say that I’m surprised there’s no mention of the superb prequels that were made before this season premiered. Also missing? The announcement of any sort of “complete” DVD set. Despite the fact that I own seasons 1 through 4 already, I’d still be willing to buy a complete series set with the hope that it would include at least a few additional extras.
It should also be noted that the box art shown at right is only temporary. However, it seems to correspond with the promotional art for season five, so I’d be surprised if it actually changed at all.
Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis in Talks for The Hobbit
Guillermo del Toro will enter pre-production on the two-film big screen adaptation of The Hobbit after Hellboy II: The Golden Army hits theaters in July. Variety reports that Warner Bros has already had “preliminary contact” with three actors from Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy about reprising their roles for the upcoming prequels:
- Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn)
- Ian McKellen (Gandalf)
- Andy Serkis (Gollum).
Guillermo promises that he is doing everything in his power to bring all the original team back.
“We will all be involved in the script in some fashion but the exact definition is about a week away,” del Toro told the trades. “I am all for keeping the actors who originated the parts, as much as availability and their willingness will allow.”
Basically, del Toro knows he needs to please the fans, first and foremost. It should be noted that on May 24th, WETA will be hosting a one-hour live online chat with Jackson and del Toro to answer the 20 most asked fan questions/concerns. Smart move.
Previously
Serkis lists The Hobbit on his upcoming production calendar on his official website and last month McKellen confirmed to Empire Magazine that he will return.
“Yes, it’s true. I spoke to Guillermo in the very room that Peter Jackson offered me the part, and he confirmed that I would be reprising the role. Obviously, it’s not a part that you turn down; I loved playing Gandalf.”
No word on Ian Holm who played an older Bilbo Baggins in Fellowship, will likely be recast as he is getting too old (76) to play the part.
Reviews of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Hit the Net
“Must escape.”
Last month, we posted about an alleged, albeit totes sketchy, early first review of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull which called it “the best of the Indy sequels.” Well, the film recently screened and reviews are beginning to trickle in. Umm, they are not positive at all. Update: a new one is positive, summarized here at the end. AICN received three today, one heavy on the “it sucks” and spoilers, the other basically saying, “Yeah, that first guy who said the movie sucks? I see where he’s coming from.” The latest says it’s a worthy addition and brings a smile. Here are some lowlights from the second review…
- it doesn’t totally suck, the sequel is just “unnecessary”
- everything about the film is “bloated” and Spielberg/Lucas try way too hard.
- it doesn’t feel like Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford may as well be Harvey Keitel or Booger
- too much unnecessary, analytical dialogue a la the prequels
- Cate Blanchett’s is the “least interesting” of the franchise’s villains
- it’s a weak retread, but the reviewer didn’t “hate it”
But the first review out and out rips it…here’s a spoiler-free recap, spoilers
- “this is the Indiana Movie that you were dreading”
- compares it to…Allen Quatermain…, the Indy knockoff, ouch
- perilous moments lack tension (this is a recurring criticism thus far)
- sets switch jarringly from outdoors to indoors. “jungle looks like plastic.”
- LaBeouf is “horrible,” a crybaby, and receives too much sappy “adulation” from Indy
- Ford has “a few lines that work and a million that don’t” and never seems in danger, duress
- end point: fanboys’ charges of “child hood memory molestation” against Lucas will explode once again
UPDATE: Now a third review has popped up. Surprise, it’s positive…
- Crystal Skull is the 3rd best in the franchise, can’t top Raiders (duh)
- best chase scene of all the movies
- Shia was “just fine,” acting is “good across the board”
- snake scene is way too slapstick (recurring criticism)
- ending leaves something to be desired, but PLEASE not a fifth film
- Ranks it third after Raiders and Temple of Doom, and before Last Crusade (Peter says WTF, but that’s my original trilogy order as well :P).
- “Spielberg magic” is present
- “people will be mixed.”
- “Pretty. Damn. Good.”
Peter and I are in a disagreement as far as expectations go. While I don’t expect Crystal Skull to be as perfect as Raiders, if the film is tonally and structurally off as to be the Rocky V of the series, I will be pissed. If I glance at the four Indy movies in a DVD box-set later on and want to habitually shed it down to three, I will be pissed. Peter says he expects the film to be the Live Free or Die Hard of the franchise, but to me, that would be a travesty (proportionally speaking, of course).
After all of the time spent working to perfect the film’s script (after Darabont was left in the cold), the years of early hype, and the fact that Spielberg/Lucas are tinkering with one of the great franchises of all time, why set your standards low? I’m not sure what has happened on the Internet as of late as far as geek movie culture, but the “well it was pretty good and that’s fine” reigns supreme. I’d like to be able to think of one American popcorn franchise that consistently got it right and ended on a high note (not a “good if you’re an ’80s baby” way), and more and more, we’re seeing great records tarnished.
Alright, for you sickos out there, spoilers…
SPOILERS
- no Abner Ravenwood
- the warehouse is Area 51
- the Ark is shown therein, but it’s not central to the plot
- an alien corpse resulting from a crash in Roswell that possesses magnetic powers seen as the ultimate weapon of the future is central
- the alien’s skeleton is “actually crystalline”
- Mutt Williams is Indy’s son, Indy dotes on him a lot