Is Peter Jackson running scared from the media? Instead of showcasing his new 3D technology at Comic-Con, the director has opted to screen new scenes of The Hobbit in the usual 2D mode at 24 frames per seconds.

In an interview with the LA Times, Jackson revealed fans at Comic-Con would see only the 2D version as opposed to the "3D at 48 frames per second" the movie is being shot in.

He said quite candidly it was because of the mainstream press' propensity to run with the few negative comments released by bloggers who saw the first previews at CinemaCon in April and complained about the hyper-realism of the sets.

Jackson debuted 48 fps scenes to assembled journalists, and the reactions were mixed.

"The footage I saw looked terrible... completely non-cinematic," wrote Devin Faraci at Badass Digest.

In the LA Times interview, Jackson said his decision was about minimising that risk.

"I think it's more about protecting the downside, rather than helping the film in any significant way," Jackson said.

"There is a huge audience waiting to see The Hobbit, and any positive press from Comic-Con will truthfully have little impact on that.

"However, as we saw at CinemaCon earlier this year, with our 48 frames per second presentation, negative bloggers are the ones the mainstream press runs with and quotes from."

Shooting in 48 fps is twice the standard frame rate that has been used to make movies since the 1930s; The Hobbit will be the first major studio film to be shot using 48 fps technology and cinemas around the country are busy with installing the technology necessary to screen the films at the end of the year.

Jackson said he wanted the attention to stay "firmly with the content and not the technical stuff."

The Hobbit panel will take place tomorrow afternoon (local time) at San Diego's Comic-Con.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first of two Hobbit films directed by Jackson. It will premiere in Wellington on November 28 and hits theaters on December 14.

- © Fairfax NZ News