XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: Troels@ThisIsFake.invalid   
      
   In message    
   Sandman  spoke these staves:   
   >   
   > In article ,   
   >  Steuard Jensen  wrote:   
   >>   
   >> Does anyone have a clear idea of how Jackson is splitting /The   
   >> Hobbit/ into two films?   
   >   
   > No, of course not. Well, not anyone outside the movie crew :)   
      
   -)   
      
   > My guess is:   
   >   
   > Part 1:   
   >     Unexpected party   
   >     Trolls   
   >     Rivendell   
   >     Goblins/Gollum   
   >     White council   
   >     Wolves/eagles   
   >   
   > Part 2:   
   >     Elven king   
   >     The Village   
   >     Dol Goldur   
   >     Smaug   
   >   
   > I expect the Smaug part to be greatly expanded upon. I expect   
   > Beorn to be dropped.   
      
   I thought that I had heard some rumours about Beorn being cast, but I   
   couldn't remember the specifics, so I went and checked at IMDB.co.uk,   
   and they have a Mikael Persbrandt (a Swede, actually) cast as Beorn.   
   I don't think we should attach too much importance to the fact that   
   he is mentioned in the credits for the first film, since, as you say,   
   nobody really knows where they will make the cut, but I think a lot   
   of Swedes would be very disappointed if he was cut ;)   
      
   My best guess is that the cut with respect to the Quest of Erebor   
   will be made during the stay in Lake Town (I wonder if they'll use   
   Lake Town or Esgaroth?) -- this is a fairly natural break at   
   approximately half-way through the book (that chapter, 'A Warm   
   Welcome' is number 10 out of the 19 chapters in the book).   
      
   It is my understanding that the general expectation is that we'll see   
   the White Council meet and cast out Sauron from Dol Guldur. In terms   
   of the timeline of the book, this is happening while Bilbo and the   
   Dwarves are going through Mirkwood, being held captive by the Elves,   
   resting in Lake Town and trying to find how to get through the door.   
   /If/ they use the same interlace technique as in the LotR films (and   
   assuming they will use the same synchronization), I would certainly   
   expect the council itself being in the first film, but I am less sure   
   of the battle at Dol Guldur: if this is included in the first film,   
   it will probably be the climax of this film (interlace with 'Barrels   
   out of Bound'), which would then end with Gandalf hastening back   
   north and Bilbo and the Dwarves being cheered in Lake Town. On the   
   other hand, the climax could also be the fight against the spiders   
   (the fighting climax) and the escape from the Elves (a release of   
   tension), in which case the second film might open with the fight at   
   Dol Guldur.   
      
   Other scenarios can surely be deviced, but at this point the one that   
   seems to me least unlikely is that the first film will end with   
   Gandalf riding back north after helping to cast out Sauron from Dol   
   Guldur, and with Thorin's company being cheered in Lake Town. This   
   scenario also anticipates an expansion of both the Smaug parts and   
   the Battle of Five Armies to balance out the addition of the White   
   Council / Dol Guldur bits to the first film.   
      
   --   
   Troels Forchhammer    
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