The Hobbit Latest Controversy

The Hobbit or There and Back Again is a fantasy novel written by JRR Tolkien. The book has a fairy tale story involving adventurers, beasts and has a mythological appeal. First published in 1937, the book won wide acclaim. The book although distinct in itself, is often marketed as the prequel to Tolkiens monumental novel The Lord of the Rings.

The Hobbit is one of Tolkiens most accessible and popular books. The story is set in a time between the Dawn of Faerie and the Dominion of Men- product of Tolkiens imagination. The tale is bout a reluctant guy named Bilbo Baggins who leaves his rural and laid back life at his village and sets upon a journey along with the thirteen dwarves and wizard Gandalf to discover deeper and darker territories full of adventure and dangers. He encounters many hurdles in his way, in order to reach and win his share of Smaug, the Dragons stock. During this journey Bilbo develops a new level of maturity, wisdom, competence and knowledge and sheds off his lazy relaxed image.

Recently the movie adaptation of this novel has come under controversy. The two quarreling parties are director Peter Jackson and Bob Shaye from New Line Cinema group. Jackson directed the Lord of The Rings trilogy for New Line Cinema house which was a blockbuster hit. The movies earned $3 billion at the box office and won 17 Oscars. Jacksons track record makes him a natural choice for directing The Hobbit

But the partnership between Jackson and New Line soured after the 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring, when Jackson claimed that he was deprived of his right share of the revenues generated by the film and that he was underpaid by millions. As New Lines lawyers and accountants prepared to blunt him on documents, Shaye and Jackson engaged themselves in a bitter war over internet which surfaced badly in last November , when Shaye told Jackson he was looking for other directors for The Hobbit

Jackson responded to Shayes arrogance on The Hobbit with attitude and posted on the net explicitly asking if it meant serious. While some tried to mediate and finish the quarrel, it really took long for the two to reconcile as Shaye argued that Jackson is asking for too much even after being paid over a quarter of a billion dollars.

New Lines performance at the box office during the last two Jackson-less years has not been so good. Their latest attempt The Golden Compass failed at bringing back the Rings saga and underperformed at the box office. This has even intensified the studios need for a Rings like blockbuster hit. The Hobbit comes with a great promise in this regard.

Last known, the two have reconciled their differences and Peter Jackson will direct The Hobbit. The principal photography on The Hobbit has been tentatively set to start in 2009, and the aim is to release the movie by 2010. A sequel to this is also on the plan- a film that would link the conclusion of with the start of The Fellowship of the Rings But wait, who knows when will they start fighting again? Wikipedia