Should 'The Hobbit' Include Saruman?
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom, Remakes and Sequels
Once Guillermo del Toro signed on for The Hobbit, all the rest of the buzz began. It sounded great when the filmmaker said he wanted to bring The Lord of the Rings cast back, and when word came that some of them had begun talks. But what about the folks who were in the Rings, but not The Hobbit? Like, say, Christopher Lee's Saruman?Empire talked with the 86-year-old actor recently, and he said: "I'd be interested in seeing how that transition from good to evil occurred and, yes, of course I would return to the role if I was asked." Well, he said a little more than that. See, Lee is a pretty big fan of the books and says that he's read them many times. He discussed the intricacies of the wizards, and how "When it all started, Saruman was the noblest, the finest, the bravest, the most dependable and reliable of them all, he was number one. But somewhere, somehow..."
This all brings up an interesting point: Adding characters to other works can be questionable, especially prequels they aren't mentioned in, but what if the character has a back story/mystery that is perfect for the big screen? Is it okay for filmmakers to explore this territory, or should works be adapted only with the characters between the covers?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-04-2008 @ 1:07PM
Matt said...
i don't particularly want to see saruman in hobbit 1, but he could play an interesting role in hobbit 2. it would be funny for peter jackson to show up george lucas in both: (i) a completely animated character; and (2) how to tell the story of an established villian's fall from grace (not to mention general storytelling, use of special effects, dialogue, etc...)
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6-04-2008 @ 1:22PM
ranger72 said...
I agree. He would be just fine in the mysterious Hobbit 2 movie, but leave the first one be. I am interested to see if the second movie can stand up to the rest, or if they will just run it into the ground.
6-04-2008 @ 1:25PM
Astin said...
Considering they're going to do a second movie that doesn't exist in the book, adding a character seems minor.
I can only imagine they'll be exploring the rise of Sauron as the Necromancer in the 2nd movie. This would allow Saruman to be present, as Gandalf persuaded the White Council to attack Sauron. This occurs during Gandalf's absence in The Hobbit.
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6-04-2008 @ 1:35PM
Dan said...
In the Hobbit, Gandalf leaves the adventurers to go fight the "Necromancer" (who was secretly Sauron). He teams up with other wizards who are presumably Radagast the Brown and ***Saruman the White***. This is a very logistal reason to explore events that Gandalf describes in the text verbally but happen "off camera". There is plenty of room in the cannon to explore this story in the new movie. It may help the film explain why Gandalf spends most of the book AWOL and help improve the connection between the Hobbit and LOTR for casual viewers.
If Saruman is in the film for this reason, it won't be the worst sin Peter Jackson committed against the Middle Earth cannon.
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6-04-2008 @ 1:44PM
ranger72 said...
That would be interesting, if they explored that aspect of the story. That is something that has always interested me, but has never really been fleshed out. I for one would welcome it.
6-04-2008 @ 4:13PM
Quito said...
Saruman may not play a role in the Hobbit, but like many have said he does play a pretty significant role in events that run parallel to the Hobbit and inbetween the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. If GDT and PJ plan on exploring the White Council, which they have hinted at, then there will be plenty for the white wizard to do. In the Hobbit - probably not. After the Hobbit in "F2" - absolutely!
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6-04-2008 @ 6:55PM
treqie said...
If they make them in time. The man is 86 years old.. how many years can he have left :P
6-09-2008 @ 3:19AM
Johan said...
86 years is no age for one of the Istari! :D
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