‘The Hobbit: There And Back Again' Co-Creator Philippa Boyens‘Shocked’ By Audience Reaction To Part 2 Cliffhanger ; Producer Praises Richard Armitage’s Performance
"The Hobbit: There and Back Again" co-creator Philippa Boyens expressed surprise by the reaction of the audience in huge cliffhanger at the end of part 2. The writer also praised the acting of Richard Armitage in the last and concluding film.
When Frodo Baggins watched helplessly as the dragon Smaug prepares to destroy Laketown, the scene cut to black. But Philippa Boyens said it was a deliberate decision to end "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" right there.
She told Empire in its April issue that the ending "felt so natural that I got a shock when the audience got a shock! If you can imagine what transpires next and what's coming, it's quite a huge chunk of storytelling," she said.
When asked to comment on the acting of Richard Armitage (who plays Thorin Oakenshield), Philippa Boyens only has this to say:
"Richard Armitage is extraordinary, as Thorin descends into madness," she said
During the same interview, she joked that "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" will not push through.
"I can legitimately say right now that the third film doesn't exist. (Director) Pete's cutting it," series producer and co-writer Philippa Boyens said in an interview on the March 27 issue of Empire magazine.
Before fans of "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" should react violently, the producer was only kidding. What actually happened was that they already had a rough assembly, so to speak, of the shape of the film and the performances.
"I am excited, because one of the storylines I care a lot about is the Thorin one," she added.
"The Hobbit: There and Back Again" will reportedly be released on December 17, 2014.
In an interview with Empire in December last year, Richard Armitage revealed that he's anxious and excited about the filming of "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" particularly about the "Battle of the Five Armies," where men, dwarves, orcs, elves and eagles collide.
"I'm predicting about ten weeks for the shoot because it's an extensive battle and each character is going to have their 'hero' moment on the battlefield," he said.
