12. Del Toro is well aware of the difficulties in adapting it.

Guillermo del Toro: “There are so many - I am all for trying to preserve every idiosyncrasy the novel has - the very things that seem “unfilmable” and that - in my mind- will make it thrilling as a film.

The novel is much, much more inventive and dislocated in its narrative (Bilbo being hit by a rock during the Battle) than you may think at first. I think that you can treat a classic like a museum piece - stuffed and mounted - or you can make it a living, breathing narrative that is unfolding right then and there.”

Peter Jackson: “Structure is important in film, but as Guillermo says, there's often structure to be found in the most unlikely of places! It's quite possible to build a structured story and retain idiosyncrasy. It's going to be part of the joy of writing this.”