No One's Heaving At 'The Hobbit' According To Warner Bros.

Frank DiGiacomo

5 years ago

The Hobbit doesn't make you heave, according to Warner Bros. The studio behind the first film in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings prequel trilogy is batting down reports that the the high-frame rate of the picture caused nausea and dizziness for some fans who saw early screenings of the picture in New Zealand.

Here's the statement that the studio released on the matter:

“We have been screening the full-length HFR 3D presentation of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY extensively and feedback has been extremely positive, with none of thousands who have seen the film projected in this format expressing any of the issues described by two anonymous sources in media reports. We share the filmmakers’ belief that by offering filmgoers the additional choice of HFR 3D, alongside traditional viewing formats, they have an opportunity to be part of a groundbreaking advancement in the moviegoing experience and we look forward to having audiences everywhere share in this new way of storytelling.”

Warner is reacting to reports by the New Zealand Herald and ABC News that some moviegoers found the film's frame-rate hard to stomach. The Down Under publication cited "some viewers" who said the "filming technique made them nauseous and dizzy, with some even complaining of migraines."

ABC News quoted a Hobbit fan who tweeted: "You have to hold your stomach down and let your eyes pop at first to adjust."

Jackson's decision to shoot the movie at 48 frames-per-second — twice the rate of most films — has also prompted complaints that high-definition result requires the moviegoer to process too much visual information.

The New Zealander does have one Hollywood heavyweight in his corner. James Cameron predicted that Jackson's decision to shoot The Hobbit at 48 frames per second would do for high-definition filmmaking what his Avatar did for 3D movies.

"We charged out ahead on 3D with Avatar, now Peter's doing it with The Hobbit. It takes that kind of bold move to make change."