Source: Peter Jackson Facebook | Posted By: Dan Geer

One of the most incredible aspects of both The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit films are the musical scores composed by Howard Shore. These films would definitely lack the emotional impact they currently have if the films didn’t have that musical foundation to stand upon. The various themes Shore has created have stood the test of time, and he’s still working hard at creating new themes that are hopefully just as memorable.

In Peter Jackson’s latest production video, we get to take a look behind the scenes of orchestrating new music for Middle Earth, including themes for the characters Tauriel and Smaug. Hit the jump to watch!

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Written By: Dan Geer

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first installment of Peter Jackson’s epic Middle-Earth Trilogy, was a film that took its time in getting to the point. By taking its cues primarily from J.R.R. Tolkien’s 300+ page novel, and referencing The Lord of the Rings appendices and other various notes from the well-renowned author that tie in with The Hobbit, Jackson managed to stretch out the first third of the story into a nearly three-hour film.

While many found that this approach enriched various aspects of the story that weren’t described in elaborate detail in the book (or glossed over entirely), others found the film to be quite tedious to sit through, snobbishly proclaiming that Jackson is taking a tightly-written young adult novel and turning it into a over-bloated cash cow over the course of three long films. Of course, many of those criticisms stemmed from the fact that many had no idea that this trilogy is based on more than just The Hobbit, and/or don’t understand the fine tuning that needs to be done when translating a book to film. Nevertheless, for better or for worse, A Unexpected Journey indeed had a slower pace.

So those who were nodding off during the first film for this very reason may be happy to know that The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug gets a move on with the story quite quickly, tossing us right into the action by picking up right where the first film left off, with Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and his company of dwarves on the run from Azog the Defiler and his goon-squad of orcs as they make their way toward The Lonely Mountain in hopes of fulfilling their quest to reclaim their dwarven homeland of Erebor and the treasures held captive within by the dragon Smaug.

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Source: Deadline | Posted By: Dan Geer

When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in a multibillion-dollar deal last year, the company not only gained the rights to produce new Star Wars films, but new Indiana Jones films as well. Now, Deadline has learned that Walt Disney Pictures and Paramount Pictures have struck a deal that finally solidifies Disney’s ability to distribute any future films in the Indiana Jones franchise. Read on for more!

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Source: Peter Jackson Facebook | Posted By: Dan Geer

Director Peter Jackson’s latest Production Video for The Hobbit Trilogy has made its way online, taking us deeper into putting the finishing touches on certain scenes through pick ups and re-recording sessions, while also featuring brief interviews with various artists responsible for rendering special effects, including those produced for the big confrontation between Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). The video captures some of the momentum behind trying to finish a huge film like this before its deadline, and, as is tradition with these blogs, also treats us to some of the fun behind the scenes with the cast and crew. When the video becomes available, it will be posted here. In the meantime, you can find it over at Peter Jackson’s Facebook page.

Update: You can now watch the video below!

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