The Hobbit Movie Release Date: Out Friday, Hobbit 3D Makes People Sick
Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey — the first installment of The Hobbit trilogy (and prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary The Lord of the Rings) will be finally premiering this Friday December 14.
And Jackson himself sat with The Telegraph to defend the much-anticipated yet controversial new trilogy (which release has been plagued with complaints from PETA for alleged animal mistreatment, and even a lawsuit from J.R.R. Tolkien's estate regarding the rights over Hobbit-related merchandising).
Oscar-winning Jackson addressed head on the film's 3D version format, which 48 frames-per-second (FPS) has been debated among critics, fans and foes as it has reportedly made some viewers sick during screenings in New Zealand.
"Four years ago I shot a six or seven minute King Kong ride for Universal Studios' tram ride in California. The reason we used the high frame rate was that we didn't want people to think it's a movie. You want that sense of reality, which you get from a high frame rate, of looking in to the real world. At the time, I thought it would be so cool to make a feature film with this process," responded Jackson when asked by Reuters what did inspire him to use a higher FPS.
But when told that "not everyone has embraced 'The Hobbit's' 48 FPS, Jackson confessed to have heard speculation about it "during the last year and a half."
"I've been waiting for this moment when people can actually see it for themselves. Cinephiles and serious film critics who regard 24 FPS as sacred are very negative and absolutely hate it. Anybody I've spoken to under the age of 20 thinks it's fantastic. I haven't heard a single negative thing from the young people, and these are the kids that are watching films on their iPads. These are the people I want to get back in the cinema," said the 51-year-old director.
Watch the trailer:
