whoopdido

Ha ha. Redemption 10 years later.

Jay G.

I think they intended the Clu model to look as realistic as possible. Remember that they used the same CGI model for the young Kevin Flynn, both in the real world and on the Grid.

From an interview with the director:
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment...on_legacy.html

Supermallet

I didn't buy Clu or young Flynn for one single second. Terrible idea.

Josh-da-man

There's certainly an implication that not a lot of time passed between Gandalf leaving and returning in the movie. It looks like he rushed off to Minas Tirith, hit the library, learned about the ring, and then sped back to the Shire. The only indication that any great amount of time had passed is when the Hobbits find Bilbo in Rivendell.

I'd say it was a wise on Jackson's part to ignore the seventeen year gap because it gives the movie a sense of immediacy, and it would also be a strange thing to explain away in the first act of a movie.

whoopdido

Regarding Bilbo's age, one could also assume that without the long life power of the ring, he aged rapidly to catch up, so to speak, to what his true age should be had he never found the ring in the first place.

I mean I knew that much more tie had past than what was depicted in the movie but it didn't register with me when I saw old Bilbo. I just thought of it as Bilbo just got old really quick because he didn't have the ring anymore.

By the way, it's been awhile since I read the books...what were Sauron and the Nazgul doing during that 17 year period?

Supermallet

Planking.

Bandoman

owling

costanza

I was going to say, your mama, but it looks like you guys have it covered.

RoboDad

If you want to apply that logic, then Gollum should never lave lived long enough to be a factor in LOTR, since he was already hundreds of years old at the time of The Hobbit. When he lost the ring, he should have simply withered and died.

Philzilla

I think Tolkien explained this. Gollum maintained his vitality because of his desire to regain possession of the ring, Bilbo willingly gave it away.

Hiro11

Sauron was a busy little bee:
1. Rebuilding Barad Dur after being kicked the fuck out of Dol Guldur.
2. Looking for and eventually capturing Gollum.
3. Breeding Orcs, "fell beasts" and the like.
4. Negotiating with the Dwarves in the Lonely Mountain.
5. Slowly entrapping Saruman and Denethor
6. Taking over Ithilien and the Brown Lands while encircling Lothlorien and Fangorn, consolidating their hold on Minas Morgul.
7. Sending out scouts all over the world looking for the Ring, even to the borders of the Shire (Bree and Hollin were crawling with spies and encircling Rivendell).
8. Harrassing Minas Tirith and attacking (but eventually losing) Osgilith
9. Recruiting the Harad, the Corsairs and others.
10. Consolidating their hold on Khazad Dum and eventually kicking Balin the fuck out.

RoboDad

True, but the discussion hasn't been about what Tolkien wrote (since there is no question about the timeline, when looking at what Tolkien wrote) but rather what was "interpreted" in the films.

People want to find ways to rationalize changing the timeline to allow Viggo Mortensen to appear in The Hobbit as an adult, rather than having Aragorn be the 10-year-old boy he should be. If people are going to try to make such (IMO silly) rationalizations by saying "well, the films didn't show a 17 year gap, so we can ignore it), then the same rule should apply consistently, should it not?

RoboDad

For someone like Sauron, that's just one summer's to-do list.

Josh-da-man

If we lose the seventeen year gap, then Aragorn would be about thirty at the time of "The Hobbit" (film). I'm not enough of a Tolkien scholar to know how Numenoreans age, but I'd wager that he would probably be the equivalent of a non-Numenorean teenager or twenty year-old.

I don't really think there was any intent on Jackson's part to have the seventeen year gap in FOTR. None of the Hobbits appear seventeen years older than they did at Bilbo's birthday party; Merry, Pip, and Sam all look and act like they did at the party when we meet them after Gandalf returns so I think there's intent on Jackson's part to not include it.

I also don't remember if they ever explicitly mention anything about how long ago it was that Bilbo had his adventure with Gandalf and the Dwarves, so they could also play with the timeline there.

At any rate, if Jackson wants to include a young Aragorn in a cameo, he'll do it and find justification within his retelling of the story to do so. It wouldn't be the first time he massaged the story.

I doubt Viggo Mortensen would portray the young Aragorn whether he's ten or thirty unless they do some digital de-aging on him. They'll probably go with a younger actor if he is to appear. If Viggo does make an appearance, it might be in one of the alleged "bookend" scenes that Ian Holm and Elijah Wood will be appearing in.

HN

sounds like a real hands-on type of guy; wonder if he was a dick about it.

RocShemp

He took away the Orcs' 401K. I'd call that a dick move.

RoboDad

And I think that would be a lot more palatable to many fans.

Osiris3657

I'm looking forward to seeing these, except I fear there will be alot of clapping and cheering during the films

Osiris3657

The latest Production Diary

<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/t47TXEi0No0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Well I don't think there's any doubt about it now, PJ is fat again. I guess working on Tolkien material is awfully stressful for him and he combats it by stuffing his face.

musick

can't miss second breakfast

Fist of Doom

to Peter Jackson saying they'll incorporate some of the songs into the films. The dwarves look great in that clip.

Osiris3657

and don't forget elevensies, luncheon, and afternoon tea

HN

"Who is that odd little fellow?"

bunkaroo

I got a few folks at my office who follow that mean plan to the letter.

Jay G.

I found it interesting that PJ says "check the gate" after shooting a scene in the production diary. I guess old habits die hard.