As mentioned previously, Guillermo Del Toro pulled out as the Director of the Hobbit. So, the question is, who should be the new director? io9 had a few suggestions, what do you think? Neil Blomkamp? The Wachowskis? Or maybe Sam Riami? Checkout the article here.
Personally I would have LOVED Guillermo, but alas… second choice for me has to be Neil Blomkamp! Just imagine the awesome SMAUG he can create!
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There’s been a crap load of controversy surrounding the 2 Hobbit movies that’s currently in the making, or should be in the making already. If not property rights issues, then it’s director issues. Yes… the one director (apart from Peter Jackson of course) who would do this movie Justice…Guillermo del Toro quit. Official statements claim it’s due to the delays and other commitments, but I’m not so sure. In the end, we are going to have to settle for a new director. Let’s hope that the release dates remain 2012 and 2013 for The Hobbit.
Here’s the release:
“In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming “The Hobbit,” I am faced with the hardest decision of my life”, says Guillermo. “After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures. I remain grateful to Peter, Fran and Philippa Boyens, New Line and Warner Brothers and to all my crew in New Zealand. I’ve been privileged to work in one of the greatest countries on earth with some of the best people ever in our craft and my life will be forever changed. The blessings have been plenty, but the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. Both as a co-writer and as a director, I wlsh the production nothing but the very best of luck and I will be first in line to see the finished product. I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director”.
“We feel very sad to see Guillermo leave the Hobbit, but he has kept us fully in the loop and we understand how the protracted development time on these two films, due to reasons beyond anyone’s control – has compromised his commitment to other long term projects”, says Executive Producer Peter Jackson. “The bottom line is that Guillermo just didn’t feel he could commit six years to living in New Zealand, exclusively making these films, when his original commitment was for three years. Guillermo is one of the most remarkable creative spirits I’ve ever encountered and it has been a complete joy working with him. Guillermo’s strong vision is engrained into the scripts and designs of these two films, which are extremely fortunate to be blessed with his creative DNA”.
“Guillermo is co-writing the Hobbit screenplays with Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh and myself, and happily our writing partnership will continue for several more months, until the scripts are fine tuned and polished” says Jackson. “New Line and Warner Bros will sit down with us this week, to ensure a smooth and uneventful transition, as we secure a new director for the Hobbit. We do not anticipate any delay or disruption to ongoing pre-production work”.
The Hobbit is planned as two motion pictures, co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM. They are scheduled for release in Dec 2012 and Dec 2013.
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Can you believe it? It was just the other day when we heard that Peter Jackson will be making ‘The Hobbit’ movie (prelude to the Lord Of The Rings). Back then it felt AGES until we can start to speculate on who will be the cast, when, where, etc. Here is what we know so far:
- Casting is happening as you are reading this
- Shooting will begin April/May 2010, so I think we can expect release mid/end 2011.
- Only role confirmed so far is that of Gandalf, which of course belongs to Sir Ian Mckellen
- The first thing ever written by J.R.R.Tolkien on Lord of the Rings, Elves, Dwarves and Men was a sentence “In the ground there was a hole, and in it lived a Hobbit”
- Wh0000000p!!!! OMW I can’t wait to see SMAUG!!!!!
Sketch by John Howe, one of my favorite Tolkien artists. At last, a worthy movie to look forward to! Read more Here and Here.
