MGM News (What to Know)

According to Varity, MGM Chief Exec Harry Sloan was in London for the world premiere of "Casino Royale," where he highlighted MGM's five core franchises - Bond, the Pink Panther, Thomas Crown, Rocky and the Hobbit.

Next year is likely to see MGM go into production with new installments the first three.
Steve Martin recently delivered a script for the latest "Pink Panther" and no one knows why.

The next "Thomas Crown", starring Pierce Brosnan, nice to know MGM holds Pierce's charm in high regards, is scheduled for March. While Daniel Craig, the new Bond boy, will be returning in the sequel to "Casino Royale." No shocker there.

"Rocky Balboa" will be the LAST installment in that franchise, no really?, Because Sylvester Stallone's title character will be too old to get back in the ring, like that ever stopped money from being made.

As for the real news, "The Hobbit," was confirmed that MGM was currently in advanced talks with Peter Jackson to make two films based on JRR Tolkein's "Prequel" to "The Lord of the Rings." The first would be a direct adaptation of "The Hobbit," & the second would be drawn from "footnotes & source material connecting 'The Hobbit' with 'Lord of the Rings."' Yet the interesting news leaked out through "The Lord of the Rings'" fansite TheOneRing.net had been that an official statement from Peter Jackson & Fran Walsh about The "Hobbit" had been released saying that the two had been passed over by New Line due to rights issues & possibly Wingnut Films' lawsuit against the studio regarding "The Fellowship of the Ring,", but due to returning rights & fan out cry it has been finally decided that "The Hobbit" & the mystery second "Lord of the Rings" prequel will be helmed by Jackson without question. Good news to hear, I'd say.

So while it appears the core franchises are no-brainers, except for "The Pink Panther" which is a cosmic joke to say the least, it was "Terminator 4" that went unmentioned, maybe giving a sad, but better off clue to its "No Arnie" future. Now we can get our collective butts angry enough at the lack of Arnie news to help that franchise out as you all did for Frodo & company. I doubt Jackson will ever make a better film then his trilogy of the Ring Saga, as I also doubt no one else should be allowed to do a Terminator chapter without Arnie.