Comic-Con 2009 News Desk, Day 3! (10:30 pm EST, Last Update)

All the latest major and fun convention announcements, up to the minute!

by RT Staff | Saturday, Jul. 25 2009

Welcome to RT's Comic-Con 2009 news page! Every day, we'll create and update a page as breaking news and items of note hit the Internet. Check out yesterday's full news page, and then read Jen's very detailed impressions. Now, here's day three's notables and quotables so far:

QUOTES, ROBERT RODRIGUEZ: Speaking to Jen, the director of Sin City and the forthcoming Shorts discussed how he takes inspiration for his family films from his children. "It's as close as you get to going back in a time machine and interviewing yourself at that age, of what you find entertaining," he said. (10:30 pm)

CLIP, SOLOMON KANE: Scenes from Michael J. Bassett's adaption of Robert E. Howard's famed warrior screened; several posters for the the sword-and-sorcery flick were also unveiled. James Purefoy stars in the movie, which doesn't have a release date yet. (10:22 pm)

NEWS, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: On the panel for Mike Judge's Extract, Jason Bateman said the Arrested Development movie is still on the table. Bateman said while plans are concrete, there is a strong likelihood the film will take shape within the next year. (7:00 pm)

NEWS, FOUNDATION: In an interview to promote the forthcoming 2012, Roland Emmerich said scribe Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan, The Patriot) is adapting Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy for the screen. Earlier this year, Columbia announced Emmerich would be directing the film. (6:15 pm)

NEWS, THE HOBBIT: At the panel for District 9 Friday, Peter Jackson told the crowd he's about three or four weeks away from finishing a draft of The Hobbit script. Though he'll be turning it in to Warner Bros., the project hasn't been greenlit yet, so Jackson has no actors attached to the movie. However, he said it would be made as a two-part film. (5:40 pm)

Jared King

The Hobbit film would be great, but splitting it into two films is the exact opposite of a good idea. That's known as a bad idea.

Jul 25 - 04:41 PM

Chris Kalmin

Ledawg, I think the Hobbit book is going to be made into one movie itself, with the happenings between the Hobbit and LOTR being the second film. At least this is what I have heard/read in the past.

Jul 25 - 05:04 PM

Big Brother

Now that would be a good idea. Don't know about the Children of Hurin idea. Would hate to see Tolkien get overused. The reason LOTR's was successful was because it was popular enough to warrant the ridiculous amounts of money to make it great. Ditto The Hobbit. I'm not sure Children of Hurin has that same place in most peoples hearts yet. Who know's though, if they advertise it to make sure main stream audiences know it's Tolkien sort of a "From the author of LOTR's and The Hobbit", assuming the Hobbit is as good as we expect, it could work.

Jul 25 - 05:45 PM

Peter Kelsey

That was the original plan I think but I'm pretty sure I read a quote from del Toro saying that they have decided to split the Hobbit story into 2 films and pad it out with the Necromancer storyline (and probably other parallel stuff not included in The Hobbit itself). What Jackson said at Comic Con seemed to support that as well.
Anyway, I disagree that the 2 film thing is a bad idea. I'm all for the extra running time for a number of reasons:
1: They will be able to take their time rather than rush through the many events of the book.
2: They will be able to leave cool side stuff in that they would have otherwise had to cut out (hopefully like Beorn).
3: They will be able to make the slaying of Smaug and the Battle of Five armies freaking epic.
4: The aforementioned Necromancer storyline.

Jul 28 - 02:05 AM

Logan Alexander

They need to adapt The Children of Hurin, by Tolkien

Jul 25 - 05:09 PM

Chris Kalmin

Yeah I thought The Children of Hurin was a great book. I would love to see it made into a movie. But of course, it would need to be done right.

Jul 25 - 07:24 PM

John Noto

Emmerich directing Asimov = more I, Robot-type garbage that disregards the intelligence of the source in order to focus on SFX. At least they got a decent screenwriter.

IMO The Hobbit has far too much material for one movie, even at three hours. Would love to see as many JRR works adapted as possible as long as PJ is involved in a big way.

Jul 25 - 06:28 PM