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http://www.kristinthompson.net/blog/?p=225
Mark Ordesky probably will oversee The Hobbit project
In my March 2 entry, I wrote about developments in the move to fold New Line Cinema into Warner Bros. There I mentioned the fact that Mark Ordesky, producer of The Lord of the Rings, had not figured in stories about who would leave the company (apart from co-presidents Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne). I suggested, “one would think that he’s a logical candidate to produce The Hobbit and its sequel.”
Now Variety’s Anne Thompson has written another long piece about the end of New Line as we know it. She gives a good history of the company and how it long defied Hollywood convention, being something of a maverick among the studios. She describes how New Line never fit comfortably into its parent company, Time Warner.
Most significantly for fans, however, she mentions Ordesky: “Mark Ordesky, the New Line exec who worked closely with Jackson’s camp on ‘LOTR’ and developed ‘The Golden Compass’ and the upcoming ‘Inkheart,’ is expected to continue to supervise ‘The Hobbit,’ possibly with ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ director Guillermo del Toro on board to direct.”
This doesn’t suggest that the deal with Del Toro is done yet, but I think it’s very good news that despite all the recent upheavals, Ordesky will apparently survive the coming downsizing and remain in charge of The Hobbit. After all, why tamper with success? Ordesky probably has the best chance of anyone to see that the two upcoming films are made in the same spirit as the trilogy was and that in the end the whole series will fit together in a unified way.
Also, it seems that despite New Line being integrated into Warner's, the New Line logo might be appearing at the beginning of The Hobbit and its sequel. From Kristin's latest entry:
In discussing all this, Dawtry remarks of New Line, “With the mini-major being downsized into Warner as a genre label, big-budget fantasy family blockbusters—‘The Hobbit’ aside—may not be a natural fit with its new mandate.”
This tends to confirm what previous coverage has hinted: that New Line will be allowed to make The Hobbit itself (in a co-production with MGM) rather than turning the project over to Warner Bros. This, coupled with Anne Thompson’s recent remarks that Mark Ordesky will likely supervise The Hobbit and its untitled companion film, suggests that fans may have less to worry about than they thought. Time Warner and Warner Bros. may recognize that it’s best not to tamper with success. Keeping the circumstances for this new project as close to those of the LOTR trilogy as possible offers the best chance for lightning to strike twice.
Mark Ordesky probably will oversee The Hobbit project
In my March 2 entry, I wrote about developments in the move to fold New Line Cinema into Warner Bros. There I mentioned the fact that Mark Ordesky, producer of The Lord of the Rings, had not figured in stories about who would leave the company (apart from co-presidents Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne). I suggested, “one would think that he’s a logical candidate to produce The Hobbit and its sequel.”
Now Variety’s Anne Thompson has written another long piece about the end of New Line as we know it. She gives a good history of the company and how it long defied Hollywood convention, being something of a maverick among the studios. She describes how New Line never fit comfortably into its parent company, Time Warner.
Most significantly for fans, however, she mentions Ordesky: “Mark Ordesky, the New Line exec who worked closely with Jackson’s camp on ‘LOTR’ and developed ‘The Golden Compass’ and the upcoming ‘Inkheart,’ is expected to continue to supervise ‘The Hobbit,’ possibly with ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ director Guillermo del Toro on board to direct.”
This doesn’t suggest that the deal with Del Toro is done yet, but I think it’s very good news that despite all the recent upheavals, Ordesky will apparently survive the coming downsizing and remain in charge of The Hobbit. After all, why tamper with success? Ordesky probably has the best chance of anyone to see that the two upcoming films are made in the same spirit as the trilogy was and that in the end the whole series will fit together in a unified way.
Also, it seems that despite New Line being integrated into Warner's, the New Line logo might be appearing at the beginning of The Hobbit and its sequel. From Kristin's latest entry:
In discussing all this, Dawtry remarks of New Line, “With the mini-major being downsized into Warner as a genre label, big-budget fantasy family blockbusters—‘The Hobbit’ aside—may not be a natural fit with its new mandate.”
This tends to confirm what previous coverage has hinted: that New Line will be allowed to make The Hobbit itself (in a co-production with MGM) rather than turning the project over to Warner Bros. This, coupled with Anne Thompson’s recent remarks that Mark Ordesky will likely supervise The Hobbit and its untitled companion film, suggests that fans may have less to worry about than they thought. Time Warner and Warner Bros. may recognize that it’s best not to tamper with success. Keeping the circumstances for this new project as close to those of the LOTR trilogy as possible offers the best chance for lightning to strike twice.
