Script Of The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey
Niklas Terki
The first Hobbit movie came out when I moved to Los Angeles, and I felt like Bilbo's journey mirrored mine. These are my comfort movies, I can put them on and be swept to a faraway place full of adventure.
We chatted with Sowden about his indie film and how he was able to shoot it using a Blackmagic Production 4K in an indie, but creative, documentary style, plus explored a bit more about how Comic-Con is more than just big-name superheroes.
Joshua Sowden: This project began in 2019 with Guy Birtwhistle. Due to the pandemic, he reworked the script to focus solely on a single character's perspective. In the meantime, I filmed my first feature, Extramundane, as a solo filmmaker. By 2021, Guy and the script were ready, and having done solo filming during Extramundane, we were set to go. Guy's story naturally lent itself to solo filmmaking, which was a beautiful fit.
Joshua Sowden: Guy Birtwhistle, a talented actor and producer, had his first sci-fi feature Alistair 1918 screen at Comic-Con in 2016. Our goal was always to submit Our Man in L.A. to Comic-Con, given its unparalleled platform and networking opportunities. The film's indie vibe and exploration of high sci-fi concepts made it a perfect fit for the festival's film showcase.
Joshua Sowden: I aimed to capture the film in a documentary style, reflecting the protagonist's perspective in this version of L.A. I embraced imperfections like slow focus pulls and harsh lighting to enhance realism and grittiness. This approach required flexibility and forgiveness, except for the final scene in the NASA Bunker, which demanded precision to contrast with the rest of the film.
Joshua Sowden: I predominantly used the Blackmagic Production 4K camera due to its affordability and ability to deliver the desired gritty image. I rigged it for versatility between handheld and tripod setups, allowing quick adjustments during filming. We relied on lav mics and a Rode NTG-2 shotgun for sound.
I would have the Rode mic usually in shotgun form and run the recorder into a fanny pack so that I could run sound and roll camera myself. We often utilized natural light supplemented by occasional bounce and artificial lighting. You will see the occasional DJI drone shots and go pro when the Blackmagic was not an option.
Joshua Sowden: Upon reading Guy's script, I envisioned an indie version of Michael Mann's Miami Vice meets District 9 (without the aliens).' I aimed for a gritty, hot portrayal of L.A., adjusting color tones and employing the camera to achieve a realistic, documentary-like feel.
The story is set in Middle-earth sixty years before the main events of The Lord of the Rings and portions of the film are adapted from the appendices to Tolkien's The Return of the King.[7] An Unexpected Journey tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to accompany thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. The ensemble cast also includes Ken Stott, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, James Nesbitt, Elijah Wood, and Andy Serkis. It features Sylvester McCoy, Barry Humphries, and Manu Bennett.
An Unexpected Journey premiered in Wellington on 28 November 2012, then released on 12 December in New Zealand and on 14 December in the United States, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was almost nine years after the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.[8] The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $1.017 billion at the box office, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2012. The film received numerous accolades; at the 85th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Visual Effects.[9]
Long before Bilbo's involvement, the Dwarf king Thrr brought an era of prosperity for his kin under the Lonely Mountain until the arrival of the dragon Smaug. Smaug destroyed the nearby town of Dale, drove the Dwarves out of their mountain and took their hoard of gold. Thrr's grandson, Thorin, sees King Thranduil and his Wood-elves on a nearby hillside, and is dismayed when they leave rather than aid his people, resulting in Thorin's everlasting hatred of Elves.
In the Shire, 50-year-old Bilbo is tricked by the wizard Gandalf the Grey into hosting a dinner for Thorin and his company of Dwarves: Balin, Dwalin, Fli, Kli, Dori, Nori, Ori, in, Glin, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur. Gandalf's aim is to recruit Bilbo as the company's "burglar" to aid them in their quest to enter the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo is unwilling to accept at first, but has a change of heart after the company leaves without him the next day, racing to join them. Travelling onward, the company is captured by three Trolls. Bilbo stalls the Trolls from eating them until dawn, and Gandalf exposes the trolls to sunlight, turning them to stone. The company locates the Trolls' cave and finds treasure and Elven blades. Thorin and Gandalf each take an Elf-made blade, Orcrist and Glamdring, respectively; Gandalf gives an Elven dagger to Bilbo.
The company journeys into the Misty Mountains, where they find themselves amid a colossal battle between Stone Giants. They take refuge in a cave and are captured by Goblins, who take them to their leader, the Great Goblin. Bilbo becomes separated from the Dwarves and falls into a crevice where he encounters Gollum, who unknowingly drops a golden ring. Pocketing the ring, Bilbo finds himself confronted by Gollum. They play a riddle game, wagering that Bilbo will be shown the way out if he wins or eaten by Gollum if he loses. Bilbo wins via trickery, and Gollum notices his ring is lost and that Bilbo has it. Chased by the furious Gollum, Bilbo discovers that the ring grants him invisibility, but when he has a chance to kill Gollum, Bilbo spares his life out of pity and escapes.
Meanwhile, the Great Goblin reveals to the Dwarves that Azog, an Orc war-chief who killed Thrr and lost his forearm to Thorin in battle outside the Dwarven kingdom of Moria, has placed a bounty on Thorin's head. Gandalf arrives and leads the Dwarves in an escape, killing the Great Goblin. Bilbo exits the mountain and rejoins the company, keeping his newly obtained ring secret. The company is ambushed by Azog and his hunting party and takes refuge in trees. Thorin charges at Azog, who overpowers and severely injures him with his Warg. Bilbo saves Thorin from the Orcs and challenges Azog, just as the company is rescued by eagles summoned by Gandalf. They escape to the safety of the Carrock where Gandalf revives Thorin, who renounces his previous disdain for Bilbo.
The characters of Galadriel, Saruman, and Frodo Baggins appear in the novel The Lord of the Rings, but not in the novel The Hobbit. (Radagast was also dropped from the film version of Lord of the Rings, merely being mentioned in passing). Gandalf, Gollum, Bilbo Baggins, Elrond and the Necromancer appear in both novels, although the latter is referred to in Lord of the Rings as Sauron. Only Bilbo is portrayed by a different actor in the two sets of films, as the age difference affects his character more. The older Bilbo (Ian Holm) appears in the prologue section of this film.
Cameos in the film include director Peter Jackson and editor Jabez Olssen as Erebor Dwarf refugees running from the dragon Smaug in the opening prologue; picture double Hayden J. Weal as a dwarf carrying gems during Thranduil's visit in Erebor; James Nesbitt's then-wife Sonia Forbes-Adam as Belladonna Took, Bilbo's mother; Nesbitt's daughters Peggy and Mary as children of Dale; Luke Evans as Girion; and production designer Dan Hennah as the Old Took, Belladonna's father. Peter Jackson's daughter, Philippa Boyens's second son, and Andy Serkis' children appeared in the Old Took's party; and Jabez Olssen's wife and children, Weta Workshop founder Richard Taylor's children, and set decorator Ra Vincent's children can all be seen in the market scene. Writer for Ain'tItCoolNews.com, Eric Vespe, portrays Fredegar Chubb, the fish seller at the market. The appearances in the Old Took's party and the market scene are shown only in the extended edition.
Jackson had said that del Toro's sudden exit created problems as he felt he had a very little preparation time remaining before shooting had to begin, with unfinished scripts and without storyboards, which increased the difficulty to direct it. Jackson stated, "Because Guillermo del Toro had to leave and I jumped in and took over, we didn't wind the clock back a year and a half and give me a year and a half prep to design the movie, which was different to what he was doing. It was impossible, and as a result of it being impossible I just started shooting the movie with most of it not prepped at all. You're going on to a set and you're winging it, you've got these massively complicated scenes, no storyboards and you're making it up there and then on the spot."[25][26][27]
Jackson also said, "I spent most of The Hobbit feeling like I was not on top of it. Even from a script point of view, Fran [Walsh], Philippa [Boyens] and I hadn't got the entire scripts written to our satisfaction, so that was a very high pressure situation".[28][29][30] However, Jackson goes on to explain in the DVD/Blu-ray featurettes the various ways in which he and his crew overcame the obstacles encountered during filming. They found ways of making things work, even in a "very high pressure situation" in which he and his crew found themselves, especially the shooting of the Battle of the Five Armies which was shifted from 2012 to 2013 to be properly planned and shot.[31][32][33]
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey used a shooting and projection frame rate of 48 frames per second, becoming the first feature film with a wide release to do so.[34] The new projection rate was advertised as "High Frame Rate" to the general public. However, the majority of cinemas projected the film at the industry standard 24 fps after the film was converted.[35][36]
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