The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power wrapped up its first season just a few months ago, making now a great time to look back on one of the weaker entries into the Middle-earth saga. Turning J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic children’s novel into an epic film trilogy was never going to be an easy feat. Although it is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit is not an “epic” in the same sense, nor is it a particularly dense piece of literature. Ironically enough, a 1977 animated film managed to translate the story fairly accurately in less than 90 minutes. That’s a far cry from the nearly ten-hour epic that Peter Jackson delivered.
As detailed in the extensive behind-the-scenes footage on The Hobbit trilogy’s Blu-ray release, the production was beset with challenges from the very beginning. Guillermo del Toro was developing the project for two years, but delays ultimately forced him to abstain from directorial duties. Jackson was forced to return to Middle-earth without time to prepare and begin shooting before the films could be mapped out. On top of the rushed nature of the production, Jackson wasn’t able to use as many practical effects as he wanted. He was also forced to include a love triangle between Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Tauriel (Evangeline Lily), and the Dwarf Kili (Aidan Turner).
