SDCC 2012: Elijah Woods Talks The Hobbit

Today Elijah Wood spoke with I Am Rogue about his reprisal of Frodo for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. He was there to promote his TV series Wilfred and I would not be surprised if he pops up for tomorrows The Hobbit Panel. In the video (below) he spoke working with Peter Jackson again and how it was a no pressure role is small, and hinted that he might actually appear in both movies when he indicated he bookends the series. The actor also stopped by the Weta booth with Andy Serkis and Richard Taylor (visual effects guru). Those pictures can be found at The One Ring.

Elijah Wood on Filming The Hobbit

In an interview with Collider, Elijah Wood comments on his month long return to New Zealand to film his scenes for The Hobbit. He spoke about the sense of family since many of the crew members worked on the Lord of the Rings, working in 3D, and how he enjoyed the trailer. No specific filming details were revealed but he clearly enjoyed returning to Hobbiton. The full interview can be found here.

You guys all commemorated your experience on The Lord of the Rings by getting tattoos. Did you do anything to commemorate your experience on The Hobbit, or was it just too short?
WOOD: It was too short. My involvement is so small. It was a gift to go back and return. I was in Hobbiton again, for the first time in 11 years. I turned 19 in Hobbiton. I’m 30 now. That put a lot of things into perspective. It was beautiful. It was just beautiful to go back. I only worked a small amount when I was there. I was there for a month, and the majority of my time was just going to set every day and meeting a lot of the new cast members, catching up with old friends, and being in Wellington again. It feels like home, and those people feel like extended family to me. It was such a treat to go back. It was awesome!

The Hobbit Production Video #5

As promised by Peter Jackson, here is a Christmas gift for fans with The Hobbit Production Video #5 posted on his Facebook page. This edition explores the logistics of on location shooting as production moves all over New Zealand to film scenes. The is no minor task as for all intents this become a moving town as need to move all the cast and crew, make sure food and lodging is available, everything that is needed as far as props, costume, and makeup, and so much more. It is an immense undertaking but as the video shows as they arrive at Hobbiton, it is worth it.
Video #1 | Video #2 | Video #3 | Video #4

The Hobbit Trailer with Tintin

Andy Serkis previously confirmed that the teaser trailer for the two Hobbit films will come this Christmas. In an interview to promote Happy Feet Two, Elijah Wood told Digital Spy, "I have not seen it. I have spoken to people about the trailer; I have a sense of what's going to be in it. I think it's going to be in front of Tintin when it's released in the States." TinTin is set for release in the States on December 21st. This isn't exactly a surprise considering Peter Jackson is executive producer of the film along with Steven Spielberg and has made an effort to promote the film. Chances are the teaser gets its online release a few days before then. (via TOR)

Elijah Wood Talks 3D, The Hobbit, and Bloopers

In an interview with Den of Geek Elijah Wood talked about the planned 3D conversion of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, working on The Hobbit, and supporting a Rings blooper reel. The full interview can be found here, relevant snippets below.

“I think it would be cool to see. There’s talk of releasing a dimensionalised trilogy eventually. I’m okay with doing post-process 3D, as long as someone takes the time. What I’m upset about is when a movie doesn’t have the budget and the time to devote to it and they’re not fine-tuning the detail of that, because it can look really bad and cheap. But I know that they wouldn’t dimensionalise it unless it was a super meticulous process.

Elijah Wood with Sting on Colbert Report

Tuesday Elijah Wood appeared on The Colbert Report to promote Happy Feet 2 coming out this Friday. While there he very briefly spoke about The Hobbit films and took a moment to cross swords with Colbert, both of them using their Sting prop swords from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Stephen Colbert is a huge fan of the films, often referencing them on his show. The result being given the sword by Peter Jackson and was able to visit the set and learn things he isn't allowed to talk about but wants to. As for Wood, he reported he has just returned from filming at New Zealand and may back down later.

AICN's The Hobbit Set Report Part 1

Quint, of Ain't It Cool News, reminds us of why we should hate him or at least confuse intense jealousy for hate. He has been given a rare opportunity to not just report from a movie set, but to spend two months reporting from the sets of The Hobbit films. He will get to see first-hand what all the rest of us experience as brief glimpses in behind the scenes extra features. Did I mention he got to play a Hobbit extra? Yep, feeling the hate/jealousy.

The first report, which is just his first day on set, comes from Hobbiton. He reports from the first day the newly restored set started filming for the first time in 10 years. It begins with Frodo Baggins. Below is highlights (spoiler warning). The full report is worth reading, as includes a lot of little details and introduces you to some of the crew of the film. That can be found here.

Highlights:
- First scene shot is Frodo (Elijah Wood) getting the mail at Bag End. Later filmed placing a "No Admittance Except on Party Business", which is likely when the party of held for Bilbo Baggins in the opening of Fellowship.
- Ian Holm will reprise his role but through the magic of editing as his scenes where shot in London with Martin Freeman standing in on the Hobbiton set.
- The scene is Frodo wondering if Gandalf will show up with Bilbo saying he will to show off his "whiz-poppers."
- I guess this or something after leads old Bilbo to reminisce about when he was waiting on Gandalf as things transition to 60 years earlier as young Bilbo is smoking as Gandalf arrives to kick off his first adventure.
- Production intrusions went from the livestock not cooperating (runaway cow), to paparazzi showing up in loud plains and copters to takes pictures, ruining shots.

Wood Looking Forward to "Family Reunion"

Elijah Wood spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the plans to reprise the role of Frodo Baggins for The Hobbit. He spoke about looking forward to the filming his role in the Fall and how good the script is.

“It’s a rare opportunity to revisit a specific time in my life,” Wood told The Hollywood Reporter. “It feels like I’m going back to a giant family reunion in a way; a lot of the same creative team are involved and a number of the cast are coming back.”

“I read the first script and it’s incredible,” Wood noted. “It definitely expounds upon the book; there are already characters that are cast that are not in the book, so that indicates that it goes slightly outside the boundaries in the structure of the original novel.”

“For a while I was excited just at the notion of going back and seeing everybody and playing the character again,” Wood said. “Then sitting down and reading it I became really genuinely excited about the films they were making. I think they’re going to be amazing.”

Elijah Explains Frodo Reprisal on Fallon

The Lord of the Rings' Elijah Wood appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on 6/22/11 to promote his new TV series Wilfred. While there he explained what his return to the role of Frodo is for in The Hobbit along with being pleased with improvement in "foot" technology for the costume.

Wood Reveals Details His Role in The Hobbit

In an interview with On The Red Carpet, Elijah Wood provided more details on his and Iam Holm's roles in The Hobbit. As expected, he will serve as a narrator of sorts to the audience as he "reads" from Bilbo's book about his adventures.

"...it's actually a flashforward in time. Frodo is not alive around the time period of 'The Hobbit.' It's about 60 years before Frodo's birth, I think. So ultimately, myself and Ian Holm, who played Bilbo in 'The Lord of the Rings,' will have some scenes together that will precede the 'Hobbit' time."

"Bilbo actually wrote 'The Hobbit' in a book called 'There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale,' so I think there might be something to do with that book that he's writing," he said. "It's very much keeping the integrity. Frodo does not exist within the context of the time period of 'The Hobbit.'"

"I'm actually heading down in October," Wood said. "I'm really excited. I love New Zealand so it's always a pleasure to revisit New Zealand. It still very much feels like a home, a second home for me. And the opportunity to come back and work with largely the same crew and creative team and a number of the same actors is really exciting. It feels like a giant family reunion, in a way."

Wood Excited About Hobbit Role

MTV has posted a brief interview with Elijah Wood were he talks about how excited he is about reprising the role of Frodo Baggins for The Hobbit films that begin production in about a month.

"It's a gift to be able to go back to New Zealand," Wood said. "I mean, it's largely the same crew and the same creative team. It's seven years since we finished on the last film, and it's an opportunity to go back and have a reunion with everyone."

"You know, it's a very small piece, and I think that's the most appropriate," he said of his part in the films. "Obviously Frodo's not alive within the context of the 'Hobbit' piece."

Elijah Wood on Reprising Frodo

Elijah Wood recently commented to IGN.com about the news that he would reprise the role of Frodo Baggins for The Hobbit. The current theory is his role will be to sorta of bridge the Lord of the Rings trilogy with The Hobbit films by opening the films with him telling the story of "There and Back Again" (as seen at the end of "Return of the King").

"No, we thought we were finished and the character doesn't even exist in [the book of] The Hobbit, so it was not even a pipe dream to imagine the possibility would be there for me to reprise the role of Frodo. But they've come up with something that I think is kind of interesting and I think very fitting that doesn't necessarily infringe upon the integrity of the original novel. It's great. I'm really excited."

"Those films marked a huge, massive experience in my life," Wood continued. "It's been 11 years, basically, since I went to New Zealand, so it'll be a beautiful reunion and I'm just excited to go back and see everybody again."

As for how much screen time we should look for Wood to have in the two Hobbit films, the actor said, "I think it'll be relatively minimal. That's my impression. I actually haven't read anything yet. I haven't read a script. I have almost as much information as you guys have!"

Wood told me he'll be going to New Zealand sometime in February to begin work on The Hobbit.

Wood & Serkis Casting Becomes Official

The previous reports of Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis reprising their roles of Frodo and Gollum has become official with a press relese from Warner Bros. (via One Ring)

ELIJAH WOOD AND ANDY SERKIS TO JOIN THE CAST OF PETER JACKSON’S “THE HOBBIT”

Los Angeles, CA—January 10, 2011—Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis are set to join the cast of Peter Jackson’s highly anticipated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic “The Hobbit.” The films, which are scheduled to commence principal photography in February 2011, mark Jackson’s return to Middle-earth following his Oscar-winning “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. The announcement was made jointly today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. and Steve Cooper, co-Chief Executive Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

Jackson, who directed all three “Lord of the Rings” films, will helm the two films back-to-back, telling the story of “The Hobbit” in two parts from a screenplay by Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro.

Elijah Wood (“The Lord of The Rings” trilogy, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) will be returning to play Frodo Baggins the young cousin of Bilbo Baggins and Andy Serkis (“The Lord of The Rings” trilogy, “King Kong”) will be returning to play the character Gollum.

Elijah Wood Joining The Hobbit?

TheOneRing.net is reporting that they have confirmed recent rumors that Elijah Wood will reprise his role of Frodo Baggins for at least the first The Hobbit film. The film makes use of the ending of The Lord of the Rings when Frodo completes the "Red Book of Westmarch" that contains the story of The Hobbit and the trilogy.

The fictional book, and either the telling from it or the reading of it, will establish Frodo in the films experiencing Bilbo’s story. Viewers to learn the tale of ‘The Hobbit’ with a familiar Frodo getting the tale as well.

The fictional book, and either the telling from it or the reading of it, will establish Frodo in the films experiencing Bilbo’s story. Viewers to learn the tale of ‘The Hobbit’ with a familiar Frodo getting the tale as well.

Frodo’s return makes it possible that Sean Astin could appear as Sam and other Hobbits such as Merry or Pippin can not be ruled out. TORn’s information indicates however, that Frodo and the young Bilbo are the primary Hobbit connections between the film series.