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Dominic Monaghan Ready to Return for The Hobbit Movies?

by Brandon Lee Tenney
January 19, 2009
Source: MTV

"Canon be damned!" That's what I imagined coming forth from Dominic Monaghan's mouth as he spoke with MTV about the upcoming Hobbit films while doing some publicity for I Sell the Dead premiering at the Slamdance Film Festival. Monaghan spoke unfiltered about some possible, and altogether confusing, cast returns to the land of Tolkien. The creative team behind The Hobbit, mostly alumni from Lord of the Rings, are interested in bringing back our favorite halfling foursome to reprise their original roles. Monaghan, who played the Merry Brandybuck, said that he's eager to return to Middle Earth.

It's as of yet unknown if Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, and Billy Boyd are just as eager to don their furry feet again as Frodo, Samwise, and Pippin, respectively. Most discerning Tolkien-ites are probably already erupting lava like a miniature Mount Doom. Yes, I know. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pip are nowhere to be found in The Hobbit. In fact, they're as yet not even born during Bilbo's adventures. So it appears that this may be one of the first clues as to what the second Hobbit film might contain. As we covered last year, The Hobbit will be shooting for a whopping 370 days and will be split into two films. The second film is generally considered to be the bridge between The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, and with the possibility of including much of the original cast (Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis), it appears the link may be much stronger than we'd all previously thought. However, Guillermo del Toro has been silent concerning any concrete details about the bridge film, especially so in this Sundance interview with MTV.

So, what have we learned? Unfortunately, not a whole lot that we didn't already know. First, Monaghan is excited to return as Merry, a return that may or may not happen alongside his hobbit friends, Frodo, Sam, and Pippin. Second, the second installment of The Hobbit sounds like it will be a far closer bridge to Lord of the Rings. And third, Guillermo del Toro enjoys "the dinners" most while at Sundance (via this video). Which of these three am I least excited to learn? The first two. Although I do have the greatest confidence in Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Guillermo del Toro, I can't help but think cynically about the possible attempt to wedge in a film that has no other purpose than to link the series together.

I don't need to see Elijah Wood as Frodo or Sean Astin as Samwise to be excited about Middle Earth yet again. I don't need and don't want a film returning to a world so perfectly crafted if that film is only going to destroy the canon of the timeline. (Ah-hem, Indiana Jones, Star Wars) The impact of Frodo's journey is due most centrally to the fact that his quest is his first, a movement from innocence to the very brink of evil. Don't sully that. Please don't. Are you excited for the possible return of our beloved hobbit foursome? Any theories as to what this secretive bridge film will contain? Can del Toro do any wrong?

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http://movies.iconocritic.com/ peloquin

I'm scared and excited...I really hope they don't fuck this up; I love GDT and Middle Earth too much for that.
Jason

Indications I get from all I've heard and read, is that the 2nd film is mostly detailing Gandalf and Aragorn hunting for Gollum and The Ring. Possibly the Witch King in Dol Guldur, or the Necromancer in Mirkwood. I would gather if the Hobbits made a return it wouldn't be more than a cameo or a small appearance in the final half hour or so of Film 2. Then again....I could be miles off. Who knows?
Darren

I guess i'm not familiar with the story line of middle earth between The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. So to make a bridge from those two films seems to be in Guillermos habit of late of putting way too much into a film. What he did with Hellboy was amazing, what he did with Hellboy two was crram enough creativity and story line from two films into one. I hope he makes The Hobbit into two films from JRR's book and not add his own story to the second film. Just my opinion.
bltzie

Del Toro can do lots of wrong! Haven't you guys seen Hellboy2?
Shige

Oh please dont. The more I hear about the possible changes to the book the more disappointed I get. None of those four was even born during The Hobbit events and if they start to add some plot lines that were just briefly mentioned in The fellowship it wont be The Hobbit.
http://wieza.org rpg

LOTR already destroyed the canon. So why botter know?
dan

if he's going to change the books...........he shouldn't be allowed to do the movies.
Scott McHenry

I really hope they just stick to the dang book!
darthwhitey

oh man, that sounds terrible...but i'm gonna give the creative team (Jackson, Del Toro, Walsh) the benefit of the doubt one of the great things about the first trilogy was the fact that they didn't use really big Hollywood names but now, we all know those four "hobbitses" so well, i think it might be bad to take another adventure with them?
http://omega3vitamins.net/ Omega3Vitamins

Terrific! he always can do it good.
DinoChow

Peter Jackson crafted the three greatest films of all time. I have total and complete faith in him, even if my purist alarm is going off.
Tim "Cloverfield"

Peter, Fran and Del Toro WILL NOT screw this up. Agree Dino!
Mike/ObiWop

Anything is possible. Just because PJ and GDT have great track records doesn't mean they can't completely screw something up. If I am going to see the Hobbit then I don't want characters in there that weren't in the book. I'll keep my hopes up that it winds up being as good as the LOTR trilogy. Even that wasn't perfect but was still awesome.
Quanah

I tend to think Jason (#2), is pretty close to what I'm feeling based on what I've read as well. We'll see though...
Jason

What the hell are some of you reading? Where does it say he's changing THE HOBBIT? He's not. The 2nd movie is NOT based on the The Hobbit. It's a bridge movie between The Hobbit and Fellowship. Stories or a plotline taken from the Appendices that link the series together. (ie. how Gollum got the Ring and Gandalf/Aragorn pursuing him before Sauron can find him) Furthermore, Dominic says he'd LIKE to be in the 2dn film. Nowhere does it say GDT has inked them to a deal. Christ, they haven't even finished writing the script for The Hobbit yet. Settle the fuck down, people.
zetsu

i fucking love the lord of the rings trilogy,i don't really know to much about the hobbit book but with original trilogy cast members,peter jackson and the brilliant del toro on board it sounds very promising,as long as it's got gandalf,aragon and gollum in it i be happy.
Jackson

Hopefully the first movie will be "The Hobbit" through and through. And, personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a movie about the Necromancer and Sauron's rise to power in Mirkwood. My only concern for "The Hobbit" is that it lacks elfs. And when you do get elfs, they're the bad guys. Putting the dwarfs in prison and fighting at the Battle of Five Armies. One thing Orlando Bloom taught me: movies are better with studly elf protagonists.