Movieline

Peter Jackson: Everyone Just Chill Out About 48 FPS Hobbit

Peter Jackson is currently experiencing the direct opposite of the CinemaCon Oscar Hype phenomenon explored here last week, with his Hobbit — shot at the adventurous rate of 48 frames per second — drawing more than a few skeptics out of the geek woodwork. This calls for damage control.

“Nobody is going to stop,” Jackson told EW late Friday, days after his 10-minute Hobbit preview was dismantled by the CinemaCon press corps. “This technology is going to keep evolving." That wasn't all, and oddly or not, Jackson's admonitions didn't sound so different from those of CinemaCon darling Ang Lee, who would really rather you just wait and see the entire movie before leaping to conclusions:

"At first it’s unusual because you’ve never seen a movie like this before. It’s literally a new experience, but you know, that doesn’t last the entire experience of the film–not by any stretch, [just] 10 minutes or so,” Jackson tells EW. “That’s a different experience than if you see a fast-cutting montage at a technical presentation.”

So what does he say to people who just decide they don’t like the glossy new look of the format he’s using?

“I can’t say anything,” Jackson acknowledges. “Just like I can’t say anything to someone who doesn’t like fish. You can’t explain why fish tastes great and why they should enjoy it.” [...]

When it debuts Dec. 14., The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be the first major performance for 48-frames, while this week’s showcase was just an audition. Jackson says those who remain unconvinced should wait to see more before closing their minds completely. “There can only ever be a real reaction, a truthful reaction, when people actually have a chance to see a complete narrative on a particular film,” he said.

Now watch it sweep the Oscars. I'm just saying.

[EW]

Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter.
Follow Movieline on Twitter.