July 18, 2004

Responses to Responses
Bob Praz

Everett, I’m afraid I must disappoint you: I found the article thanks to a post on TORn about it. I’m afraid I don’t actually know the site (nor do I check many websites for news or articles anyhow). I agree with you on the rest, however: someone will inevitably try to do a re-make, but I would be very sceptical on the quality of it. Also, knowing Hollywood, the director might end up making a re-make of the LOTR movies with little more than updated stars and special effects, instead of another fresh interpretation of the books. That would be frustrating indeed.

However, Bruce’s idea actually sounds cool, and I bet PJ would be up to doing it. Even in the DVD commentaries he hints at this idea (for one example, he said that if ever he could go back and update the special effects he would change the shots of Gollum in FOTR, because it’s not the same Gollum as in TTT). I suppose there will likely by a 20th, 25th, or 50th anniversary Special Edition (much like Lucas did with Star Wars), where PJ will go back and change a few things that have always bothered him in the movies. If he did, I hope he would also reconsider adding in the sequence of Gandalf and the Balrog fighting up the Endless Stair, because apparently it was abandoned almost purely for budget reasons, even though a lot of awesome artwork and such was done for it.

P.S.: What’s this about yet another new version of Star Wars? I thought it WAS the Special Edition that was being released on DVD. Guess I’ll have to check that out...
P.P.S.: By the way, I know PJ was interviewed for the DVD, because he’s also in the trailer for it.
P.P.P.S.: Now that I think of it, here’s a useless side-question for those willing to answer: who’s a better director, Peter Jackson or George Lucas?