Apart from the fact that Peter Jackson has a few film projects lined up already — such as The Lovely Bones, which he plans to shoot next year — he may have a new reason not to hop on board MGM’s adaptation of The Hobbit: he has another dragon movie on his plate. The Hollywood Reporter, via Reuters, reports:
Peter Jackson is eyeing his next fantasy series.
The filmmaker has optioned “Temeraire,” a historical fantasy series by first-time novelist Naomi Novik, as he puts the pieces together for his career post-“King Kong.”
The “Temeraire” saga reimagines the world of the Napoleonic Wars with the addition of an air force of dragons and valiant aviators. It centers on British naval Capt. Will Laurence, who captures a French ship, where he discovers an unhatched dragon egg in the hold — a gift from the Emperor of China intended for Napoleon. When the egg hatches, he is forced to give up his naval career to become captain of the dragon he names Temeraire.
“‘Temeraire’ is a terrific meld of two genres that I particularly love — fantasy and historical epic,” Jackson said. “I can’t wait to see Napoleonic battles fought with a squadron of dragons. That’s what I go to the movies for.” . . .
Then again, who knows, maybe Jackson just loves dragons so much that he’d be willing to tackle multiple dragon projects.
Not, mind you, that I would necessarily want Jackson to direct The Hobbit in the first place. I’d be happy if all the sets, props, and actors from The Lord of the Rings came back for the prequel. But The Hobbit is a different kind of story, and any film based on it would have to reflect a different sensibility. (I like some of the points Jeffrey Overstreet recently made, on this point.)
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