Peter Jackson to direct "The Hobbit"

[esoobaC .T bocaJ]

Here's another Hobbit thread

Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy) is now in talks to direct the back-to-back installment of the upcoming "The Hobbit" films, which are being co-financed by New Line and MGM.

For New Line, making "Hobbit" had become a priority in the wake of its billion-dollar success of the Oscar-winning "The Lord of the Rings" movies, which were co-written and directed by Peter Jackson. Jackson wanted to adapt "Hobbit," but when he got into a dispute with the studio over profit participation, the project went into limbo; neither New Line nor MGM wanted to risk alienating fans of the trilogy by making an adaptation that didn't have Jackson's involvement.

The December resolution of the Jackson suit, facilitated by MGM CEO Harry Sloan, paved the way for "Hobbit" to get back on the road to the screen. However, because of other commitments that included "The Lovely Bones" and "Tintin," Jackson could not take on writing and directing roles, opting instead to become an executive producer with approval over creative elements of the pair of films.

Because of the strike, no writer has been hired to adapt Tolkien's children's classic, though that process will be fast-tracked once it's resolved. Del Toro and Jackson will oversee "Hobbit's" writing.

Principal photography for the films, which will be shot simultaneously, is tentatively set for 2009. The production budget is estimated at $150 million per film. The release of the first film is slated for 2010 and the second in 2011.

"Hobbit," which Tolkien initially wrote for his children, was published in the U.K. in 1937 to wide acclaim. It centered on Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who joins a group of dwarves and the wizard Gandalf on a quest to find the treasure of a dragon named Smaug. Tolkien went on to write "The Lord of the Rings" 17 years later.

[gammer]

Very cool.
Good to see the ball rolling.

[mrbasehart]

I'd just like to say:

I CALLED IT!

I wouldn't mind seeing someone like Guillermo del Toro take the helm.

Well, sort of. 

I think he's a perfect choice for this sort of movie.  Now I really wanna see these films.

[Petey Wheatstraw]

GREAT CHOICE!!!



Pan's Labyrinth was a great, great movie. I have not seen Hellboy, but Pan's Labyrinth is an excellent film. This should be good.

The "approval over creative elements of the pair of films" part worries me. Let's hope del Toro can overpower Peter Jackson and keep him from mucking up another Tolkien adaptation - again.

[SmilinJackRoss]

Hellboy is total garbage.  I can't say I'm excited about Del Toro directing, but I haven't seen Pan's yet, so I'll withold judgement. 

[Petey Wheatstraw]

I can't say I'm excited about Del Toro directing, but I haven't seen Pan's yet, so I'll withold judgement.

96% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

SEE IT. It's a great film.

[jewishcarpenter]

I heard Peter Jackson is going to be busy with a remake of the Seventh Seal anyways.

[SmilinJackRoss]

SEE IT. It's a great film.

I've always meant to, it's been floating near the top of my netflix queue since it came out on DVD, but something else always seems to trump it.  I'll have to bump it up to the top.

[skenderberg]

Hellboy is total garbage.  I can't say I'm excited about Del Toro directing, but I haven't seen Pan's yet, so I'll withold judgement. 

I liked Hellboy.  It's about as good as a movie about an orphaned devil boy brought up to fight the forces of evil can be.

Pan's Labyrinth can't be compared to Hellboy at all.  Hellboy is a cheesy comic book film.  Pan's Labyrinth is a whimsical fairy tale, a gruesome horror flick, and a gripping war drama all rolled seamlessly together.  If he makes The Hobbit half as good as Pan's Labyrinth, it will still be an excellent film.

[sarcasm_made_Easy]

seriously i have no idea how to read this.  Pans labrynth is just too damn dark.  Hobbit is the least dark book out of all of jrr stuff.  In fact its pretty light hearted in fact.  so this is could be interesting. 

[Petey Wheatstraw]

I heard Peter Jackson is going to be busy with a remake of the Seventh Seal anyways.

And then Eraserhead. Citizen Kane. Casablanca. The Maltese Falcon, again.

[doggans]

I think Pan's Labyrinth is a bit overrated--I have some issues with some parts of the story and the characterization (seriously, there was no reason for her to take the damn fruit other than the fact that he said "don't take the fruit"), but all my issues are minor, and it is one of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen.

I have complete faith that del Toro will do The Hobbit justice. I'm really excited now.

[skenderberg]

I think Pan's Labyrinth is a bit overrated--I have some issues with some parts of the story and the characterization (seriously, there was no reason for her to take the damn fruit other than the fact that he said "don't take the fruit"), but all my issues are minor, and it is one of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen.

I have complete faith that del Toro will do The Hobbit justice. I'm really excited now.

I wondered about the fruit thing too.  It didn't make any sense in the context of the story.  The rest of the movie was good enough that it didn't really bother me, though.

[GregMcduck]

Now, as the one person in the world who did not like Pan's Labyrinth at all, I'm not all that excited, but as long as I can keep my animated Hobbit, I don't care.

[acoletterose]

I think Pan's Labyrinth is a bit overrated--I have some issues with some parts of the story and the characterization (seriously, there was no reason for her to take the damn fruit other than the fact that he said "don't take the fruit"), but all my issues are minor, and it is one of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen.
I have complete faith that del Toro will do The Hobbit justice. I'm really excited now.

I wondered about the fruit thing too.  It didn't make any sense in the context of the story.  The rest of the movie was good enough that it didn't really bother me, though.

There're actually several myths about heroes/heroines going into the lair of evil monsters and being tempted into eating fruit. The problem is, it's magic food and it's very tempting. There's the myth of Persephone where she eats the pomegranates and can't leave Hades because of it (although they end up making a deal and she can leave for six months). There are others but that's the one that springs to mind at the moment.

I liked Pan's Labyrinth. I think it had just the right amount of depressing material. I hate movies where everyone's happy at the end.