Peter Jackson in talks to direct The Hobbit?

We said it here: Peter Jackson will direct the upcoming Hobbit films. And it looks like we were right: Jackson is reportedly in talks to direct the two films for the MGM/New Line backed project, which has been plagued by troubles over the last twelve months, including losing original director Guillermo Del Toro due to scheduling problems.

If Jackson does sign on the dotted line to direct, we think it’s a perfect outcome for both fans, the films, and the studios. Everybody wants Jackson to direct The Hobbit, and now it looks like we might just get our way.

MGM Studios, which are currently having all kinds of financial difficulty, own 50% of the rights to The Hobbit films, with New Line making up the other half. With MGM unable to raise enough cash to fund the project at the minute, negotiations are under way to somehow salvage the studio. An auction earlier this year failed to raise enough interest from other film studios to buy the legendary lion outright. At the minute, with no funding, the Hobbit films may be headed for bankruptcy court alongside the MGM-co-owned James Bond franchise, which would spell the end of the project for the foreseeable future. Whichever way this plays out, here at fernbyfilms.com, we hope like heck that things turn out okay.

Go on, you know you want to....

Unsurprisingly non-committal, Peter Jackson has today hinted that were it required, he would step in and direct the planned two Hobbit films. Problem is, he currently has contracts with other studios to direct other films which may hinder this process. Yesterday’s news that Guillermo Del Toro was stepping down as director of the planned films has internet buzz and fan reaction going (as you’d expect) all kinds of bananas, but I think wise heads may prevail and eventually, everybody’s favourite Middle Earth Director will return to the world of Tolkien in a facet outside of mere “producer”. There’s too much money riding on this franchise for things not to work themselves out, problems with MGM aside. Check out this article on local NZ website for all the details.

Jackson and his team are currently in Hollywood chatting with the studio about who in the heck they can approach to take on this massive project, and word is expected sooner rather than later as to the result. We will, of course, keep you informed.

Guillermo Del Toro - Gone from The Hobbit... but not forgotten...

In a major bit of news today, word out of New Zealand is that Guillermo Del Toro, the acclaimed director the Hellboy franchise, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devils Backbone and Mimic, is leaving The Hobbit project after a year or so of development. This is a major blow to Tolkien fans, and leaves the project in something resembling a debacle. With the story initially broken over at theonering.net, we felt it pertinent to add it here for you all to read as well… and we’ll update our Hobbit page accordingly, very soon. Below, we’ve reprinted the statement published on TORN this morning.

“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”.

Consider me disappointed, as I’d love to have seen Del Toro’s work on The Hobbit come to fruition. Knowing he’ll remain on board until a new director is found, to continue the writing and pre-production process, is good to know, as it will ensure a small amount of continuity going forward. But it’s disappointing nonetheless. Now I guess we’ll just have to wait to find out who’s up for the job! If I was a betting man, I’d be hedging for Mr P Jackson to assume the reins to see this thing done properly.

Rest assured, we’ll keep you updated is more news comes to hand.

Late Edit: here’s a link to the EW article expanding a little more on the situation…