10 Things You Didn't Know About The Hobbit Trilogy
10. Jackson Wanted To Make The Hobbit First
The first seed for what would become a sprawling saga was planted when Tolkien, an Oxford professor at the time, was marking exam papers and jotted down the words In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit on a blank page in one of the answer booklets. From such humble beginnings sprang The Hobbit, which was published in 1937 to great critical and financial success, and its popularity prompted calls for a sequel that morphed into the three-volume The Lord Of The Rings. Peter Jacksons initial plans for developing Tolkiens works for the big screen were much more conventional than what ultimately transpired. In 1995, the director was enjoying an elevated profile thanks to the surprising success of his New Zealand-based drama Heavenly Creatures and opened discussions with Miramax Films regarding the adaptation of Tolkiens works. Jacksons original proposal was to make The Hobbit as the first part of a trilogy, with The Lord Of The Rings novels condensed into a two-part sequel should the film prove successful. Needless to say, these plans didnt come to fruition as rights issues and financial concerns prevented Miramax from backing Jacksons original vision. Of course, before long the New Zealander would see his hopes of realising his vision Middle-earth resurrected, but he wasnt the first director to achieve the feat.
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