Hyping a new movie can be a pretty long and involved process, especially when that movie doesn't even have a distributor yet. Directors and stars often spend months gladhanding prospective buyers while doing media interviews and personal appearances to build buzz. But as Peter Jackon's abrupt departure from Sundance over the weekend proves, sometimes other things just have to take priority.
Things like filming "The Hobbit."
Yes, talk about your frequent flier miles: After spending just one day at this year's Sundance Film Festival in Utah, Jackson turned right around and hopped a plane back to New Zealand -- and "back to "The Hobbit." On the day I arrive, I'm going back into the cutting room."
This comes courtesy of a new interview with Jackson from The Hollywood Reporter. And even that interview was a short one, because while Jackson was certainly happy to discuss his reason for appearing in Sundance in the first place -- he was on hand to promote the documentary "West of Memphis," which he co-produced alongside wife Fran Walsh -- his heart was clearly still back on Middle Earth. The reason Jackson is so eager to return? The final moments of his long, long "Hobbit" journey.
"About 100 days of shooting," Jackson revealed when asked how much work was left to do. "Which will take us through to July, and then the first movie comes out in December."
Check out the whole interview -- and learn for yourself why Jackson's trip to Sundance can truly be subtitled "There and Back Again:"
