It’s going to take more than a new sound job to shape up what’s increasingly looking like an alarming film adaptation of ‘The Hobbit’. Fans are already dubious as to director Peter Jackson’s decision to expand the film into three separate movies, even though the book itself is a fraction of the size of its three-part sequel The Lord Of The Rings.

Something else to worry about is the high amount of emphasis Jackson seems to be putting on the technological side of the films rather than, y’know, bigging up the quality of the script or the acting. Hmmm. The latest development he’s got his megaphone out for is Dolby’s new sound format Atmos, which he will be mixing ‘The Hobbit’ in for a select few showings.

“I strive to make movies that allow the audience to participate in the events onscreen, rather than just watch them unfold. Wonderful technology is now available to support this goal: high frame rates, 3D, and now the stunning Dolby Atmos system,” Jackson said in a statement. “Dolby has always been at the cutting edge of providing cinema audiences with the ultimate sound experience, and they have now surpassed themselves. Dolby Atmos provides the completely immersive sound experience that filmmakers like myself have long dreamed about.” You might not be able to polish a turd, but at least you’ll be able to hear the vain efforts to do so in crystalline sound.