Guillermo Del Toro (here directing Picturehouse' Pan's Labyrinth) is set to direct The Hobbit.
This isn't exactly breaking news (sorry I was a little slow to catch this one) but... The upcoming film version of The Hobbit has stirred a lot of buzz and debate as rumors have been circulating about exactly who would be involved. Since Peter Jackson did such a kick ass job bringing J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings to the screen, fans were hoping that the New Zealand director would take on The Hobbit , the novel that precedes the storyline of the LOTR Trilogy . But negotiations, scheduling issues, and what not made it seem like Jackson would not be at the helm. A few days ago that was confirmed. But the good news is that Mexico's Guillermo Del Toro (director of Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth ) has been signed on with Jackson producing. So the idea of Jackson and Del Toro collaborating should make fans happy. If anyone doubts Del Toro's ability to tackle this fantasy classic, just check out any of his films: Cronos, Mimic, The Devil's Backbone, Blade II, Hellboy or Pan's Labyrinth. Del Toro definitely has a flair for the fantastical and for finding the humanity in any story -- even if it involves bizarre monsters and creatures. The only down side of this is that Del Toro will aparently be moving to New Zealand where it will take four years to make two films back-to-back. The first film is slated to be a straight adaptation of The Hobbit . But the second is reported to be " an entirely original film, set between the end of The Hobbit and the beginning of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. " That means Del Toro will be focused on Hobbits for the next four years. Not terrible news, but I always liked the way Del Toro alternated between big productions and small personal works ( Cronos, The Devil's Backbone ). So this means we're unlikely to see a personal film from Del Toro for a few years. Oh well. But here's looking forward to what the fertile imaginations of Del Toro and Jackson can come up with. This is a creative marriage made in heaven... or at the very least in the Shire. I can't wait.
