Martin Freeman in The Hobbit
Director Peter Jackson responded to criticism surrounding The Hobbit after early footage was shown to exhibitors at Cinemacon in Las Vegas this week.
Ten minutes of film footage from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was screened at Cinemacon in Las Vegas where the Lord of the Rings prequel was met with mixed reaction.
As revealed by Hollywood Reporter, much of the controversy surrounding the reaction to The Hobbit was that the footage looked outdated at 48 frames per second, double the frame rate from the standard 24 that Jackson chose to film The Hobbit under.
As it turned out, Peter Jackson wasn’t surprised by the reaction to The Hobbit footage.
“A lot of the critical response I was reading was people saying it’s different,” Jackson told THR during a phone call. “Well, yes, it certainly is. But I think, ultimately, it is different in a positive way, especially for 3D, especially for epic films and films that are trying to immerse the viewer in the experience of a story.”
When speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Jackson was quick to explain the use of the new technology he’s using to film The Hobbit. “This technology is going to keep evolving,” said Jackson to EW. “At first it’s unusual because you’ve never seen a movie like this before. It’s literally a new experience, but you know, that doesn’t last the entire experience of the film–not by any stretch.”
Interestingly, although not exactly the same, critics took issue with early footage of Avatar and things turned out.
How do you think The Hobbit will turn out?