Film Adaptation of The Hobbit - A

We, the undersigned, request that New Line Cinema complete the fine work it has begun, and release a film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" after the release of the third film installment of the Lord of the Rings series, "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in December 2003.

We believe the following facts contribute to the importance of this project.

1. The first two film installments of the trilogy, "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" in 2001, and "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" in 2002, have been two of the top-grossing box office hits of all time. The third installment, "The Return of the King", is widely considered by Tolkien fans as the best of the three volumes, and will no doubt garner equal or greater success at the box office.

2. After the release of the film adaptation "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in December 2003, fans will feel a sense of disappointment that there is no fourth installment to anxiously await, as they have become accustomed to after the one-year seperations between each of the three Lord of the Rings installments. Announcing the development of a film adaptation of "The Hobbit" will renew that hype, prolong the overwhelming fan loyalty, and keep the series fresh in the minds and pocketbooks of fans worldwide. Whereas building the hype again for an adaptation of "The Hobbit" would take time and advertising, announcing the planned release now would allow the phenomenon to continue unabated, and allow New Line to ride the wave of public interest until release.

3. Several of the sets and props necessary for the filming of a film adaptation of "The Hobbit" are already constructed. Doing this project now will enable the studio to re-use these sets, without needing to re-create them, saving the time of painstakingly re-creating them to match their appearance in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the expense of re-constructing them. These sets include the Shire exterior, Bilbo's home at Bag End, and the elven city of Rivendell. The setting of the goblin-caves in which Bilbo's riddle-game with Gollum took place, while likely a digital creation, also still exists. Various props include Glamdring (Gandalf's sword), Gandalf's staff, Sting, Bilbo's coat of mithril, the statues of the trolls that planned to eat the Company, and of course, the One Ring.

4. The same argument about re-using props and sets also, and perhaps more pressingly so, can be applied to actors. It is imperative for the smooth matching of an adaptation of "The Hobbit" to match the original trilogy. To do this, it is of the utmost importance to maintain cast continuity. The two most principal characters of "The Hobbit", Bilbo and Gandalf, have already been cast to perfection in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Both of these actors, Ian Holm (Bilbo) and Sir Ian McClellan (Gandalf) are of advancing age, and though they appear quite vigorous at present, there is always a concern. Consider the difficulty Warner Brothers has had in casting a replacement for the late Richard Harris as Professor Albus Dumbledore in the third installment of the film adaptations of the "Harry Potter" series by J. K. Rowling. Other returning characters which have been cast are Elrond and the voice actor for Gollum. Legolas might even have a brief appearance in the scene involving the capture of the Company by the elves of Mirkwood, and John Rhys-Davies may in some way be able to aid in the creation of Gloin, the father of his character in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

5. We acknowledge that although most of the fans of the film adaptations of the Lord of the Rings have read and enjoyed the works of Tolkien in their print form, there is a sizable percentage of viewers who have never read "The Hobbit" and would desire to view it as well. The back story of "The Hobbit" is alluded to very briefly, with exception of the actual finding of the One Ring, in the film adaptations of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. These fans would likely desire to discover the rich beginnings of the Lord of the Rings saga.

We, the undersigned, thereby request that New Line Cinema strike while the iron is hot, and complete the wonderful work that it has begun. To quote the advertising campaign for "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace", another overwhelmingly successful prequel, 'Every saga has a beginning'. We are hopeful that New Line will agree, and open that fantastic window into Middle-Earth once more.