The Hobbit Trilogy - How Does It Break Down?

[Gordian Knot]

I have been pondering this and pondering this, and thus far have not been able to find any info whatsoever on the topic.

The topic of where are the breaks in the movie that correspond to the book. We know that the names of the three films are:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
The Hobbit: There and back Again.

How does this break down according to the book? One guess I have is as follows:
Warning there are a few mild spoilers, so if you have never read the Hobbit.....

The first film will end with Bilbo and the gang escaping the Goblin tunnels with the finale being our intrepid group trapped in the pine trees that are burning around them.

The second film might end with Bilbo rescuing the dwarfs from the Elves of Mirkwood, the whole floating barrel thing.

The final film ending with the battle of five armies and Bilbo's return to the Shire.
______________________________________________________________________

The most glaring flaw in this arrangement is the second film being called The Desolation of Smaug. In my arrangement, the group wouldn't get to the Desolation of Smaug until the very end of film 2. Which is kinda misleading a title.

My second query is where did they split the 2 part film when they decided to make it 3? This was announced only a few months ago, in August I believe. For there to be a December release I have to believe Part 1 has got to be complete for all intents and purposes. There just isn't time for much additional material to be filmed, special effects completed, post edited, scored, etc, etc.

If this is true, then the first film will remain mostly the first half of the book. With the second and third films each being 50% of what was originally Movie 2.

This puts the additional material heavily into the second two films. Which begs the question where was the split between Part 1 and Part 2 of the 2 film version. My guess would be Part 1 would end as the Dwarfs are about to enter Mirkwood.

Would enjoy hearing other opinions about how this will break down.

Would be ECSTATIC if anyone has heard any info or even rumors as to where in the story each film begins and ends.

 

[Robjwhite]

Uhh from what I hear it's something like (Beware of spoilers):

An Unexpected Journey: Details the events up until the escape from the goblin tunnels leaving them hiding in the trees from the wargs, shortly before the eagles show up.

The Desolation of Smaug: Wraps up the events from the book with the killing of Smaug, the death of Thorin and the end of the adventure with Bilbo returning home.

There and Back Again: Will deal with events set between the Hobbit and the FOTR, using Tolkien's other collected works and the appendices at the end of the ROTK. Gollum escaping and his journey to Mordor, Gandalf's searching for the ring, Sauron being driven out of Mirkwood and his returning to Barad-Dur, etc.

How hard did you look for info on the topic? This is from the film's wikipedia page.

'On 30 July 2012, Jackson confirmed plans to make a third film, turning his adaptation of The Hobbit into a trilogy.According to Jackson, the third film would make extensive use of the appendices that Tolkien wrote to expand the story of Middle-Earth (published in the back of The Return of the King). Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen have already been contacted about appearing in a third film.The first and second films were shot back to back in New Zealand and are currently in post-production; principal photography began on 21 March 2011 and ended on 6 July 2012. While the third film will largely make use of footage originally shot for the first and second films, it will require additional filming as well.'

 

[Gordian Knot]

I guess I didn't look hard enough!

What Jackson is saying does cause me some concern. Sounds like he is basing the entire third film on nothing but appendix notes. There is, to my knowledge, no actual writing by the author on the period between the two books.

Jackson will be in essence creating his own Tolkien novel for this third film. This seems to be stretching credulity to the breaking point! Additionally I do not see how any of the filmed Hobbit material can be used in the third film as the book ends with Bilbo back home in the Shire.

 

[Robjwhite]

Apparently the original script ended right at the beginning of FOTR, so who knows? I'm a bit nervous too to be honest. Jackson only has the rights to the Hobbit and the LOTR so can't draw on any of the other books, so this is going to be solely appendices. Is Viggo Mortensen part of the cast as Aragorn?

Edit - I guess maybe we're going to see this?


In the partial tale of Aragorn and Arwen included in Appendix A, Tolkien tells of the slaying of Aragorn’s grandfather by hill-trolls, his father’s murder by orcs, and describes his meeting with Arwen and early courtship of her. So the filmmakers have license to integrate Mortensen and Liv Tyler, who played Arwen in “LOTR," and they could perhaps do it through a tale told by Gandalf.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

There and Back Again: Will deal with events set between the Hobbit and the FOTR ... Sauron being driven out of Mirkwood and his returning to Barad-Dur

Since this occurs at the same time as the events of the The Hobbit (when Gandalf disappears from the story and leaves Bilbo and the Dwarves to fend for themselves) it would be odd if they put it into a film dealing with events afterward.* It would also rob the first two movies of material that would legitimately provide the extra length. What could they add to that part of the story to make the movies long enough?

'On 30 July 2012, Jackson confirmed plans to make a third film, turning his adaptation of The Hobbit into a trilogy.According to Jackson, the third film would make extensive use of the appendices that Tolkien wrote to expand the story of Middle-Earth (published in the back of The Return of the King)

This is still very vague, since the appendices cover tens of thousands of years of history. We know that the White Council vs the Necromancer will be included, but it would be nice if we had some sort of official word on what else will be in.


*This might not stop them from doing it, of course.

 

[Gumboot]

The events recounted in the appendices will appear in all three films. They won't strictly be a straight adaptation of "The Hobbit", but rather two parallel stories; one being the adventures of the Dwarf party and the other being the activities of the White Council and the reemergence of Sauron.

My understanding is that the first film will end with the dwarves escaping from the wood elves and floating down towards Long Lake. The second film will finish with Smaug's attack on Esgaroth, and defeat.

The third film will be dominated by the Battle of the Five Armies and (presumably) the White Council's attack on the necromancer in Mirkwood.

 

[HareBrain]

My understanding is that the first film will end with the dwarves escaping from the wood elves and floating down towards Long Lake. The second film will finish with Smaug's attack on Esgaroth, and defeat.

Surely not? That would make the second film only five chapters (10-14).

 

[Gordian Knot]

I'm fairly sure that the end of the first film will be the group's escape from the Goblin caves and the following hot spot our heroes find themselves immediately after.

That leaves all of the story from Beorn, thru Mirkwood and the escape from the forest elves thru the defeat of Smaug for the second movie. More than enough material there for a full movie, methinks.

 

[Gumboot]

Surely not? That would make the second film only five chapters (10-14).

If they end it after the rescue by the eagles the first film will only be six chapters, and six chapters that have far less room for expansion.

I imagine the second and third films will feature much more of the appendices than the first, and from Jackson's past history we can expect the battle sequences to be heavily expanded. Smaug's attack on Esgaroth is a single chapter in the books. I expect that sequence will expand to cover as much as half of one of the films.

It's just a guess, but in my opinion ending the first film as they float down towards the Long Lake is the most obvious dramatic end point.

 

[Galacticdefender]

Could they perhaps end it as they enter Mirkwood? That might be a bit too far along though. I haven't read the book in a while.

 

[Oct125]

I was surprised to hear it would be a trilogy. LOTR, after all, was a genuine trilogy but no so The Hobbit. I wonder how much of that is for commercial reasons. It sounds like they could have at least fit it all in with 2 films.

 

[Grimward]

I was surprised to hear it would be a trilogy. LOTR, after all, was a genuine trilogy but no so The Hobbit. I wonder how much of that is for commercial reasons. It sounds like they could have at least fit it all in with 2 films.

For more on that, Oct, if you haven't already, take a look at the other prominent thread on this subject. Oh, and welcome to the Chrons, btw.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

It won't be long now before we know where the first film ends. My husband and I already have our tickets for Dec. 14. Anyone else?

 

[Gordian Knot]

I'll bet ya all the cheese on the Moon that the first film ends either with:

Bilbo and company in the trees after escaping the Goblin tunnels,
OR
How they are rescued and escape.

 

[JORDAN.F.P.SMITH]

I'm not sure how it will end, part 1 I mean. If you look at the trailers they give snipits of the story far past the company in the trees. Unless this is a ploy that Jackson is using to his advantage?

I know I will love the films anyway he makes them, but the characters won't be the same as they are in my head.

 

[JORDAN.F.P.SMITH]

I'm fairly sure that the end of the first film will be the group's escape from the Goblin caves and the following hot spot our heroes find themselves immediately after.

That leaves all of the story from Beorn, thru Mirkwood and the escape from the forest elves thru the defeat of Smaug for the second movie. More than enough material there for a full movie, methinks.

I don't see how there is enough story.
I just can't see how it will be split, the LOTR has defined spaces. The Hobbit is very different in storytelling, and for some reason I don't think there is enough for three films, each with three acts, that have to grip people all the way through like LOTR did. Jackson has his work cut out for him I think.

 

[Mary Hoffman]

Just read this online: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/dec/06/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-peter-jackson

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

So one of the critics says it's the first six chapters. Where does that leave us?

 

[Gordian Knot]

In the Lair of the Lord of the Eagles!!!!