I was really looking forward to a Peter Jackson Hobbit, but I think if I had to pick a second, Guillermo del Toro would be a good choice. Let’s just hope del Toro doesn’t insist on telling the tale in native Middle-earth with subtitles.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Guillermo del Toro is directing “The Hobbit” and its sequel, New Line Cinema announced Thursday. The 43-year-old filmmaker will move to New Zealand for four years to make the films back-to-back with executive producer Peter Jackson.
Del Toro wrote and directed “Pan’s Labyrinth,” which earned six Oscar nominations in 2006 and won three awards. He is also the director of the upcoming sequel “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” whose monsters bear the unmistakeable surreal vision of the Mexican-born filmmaker.
“I am indeed blessed to become a part of the filmmaking community that Peter, Fran and their extraordinary team of collaborators have created in New Zealand,” del Toro said in a statement. “Contributing to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ legacy is an absolute dream come true.”
Jackson and Walsh called del Toro “a cinematic magician who has never lost his childlike sense of wonder.”
“We have long admired Guillermo’s work and cannot think of a more inspired filmmaker to take the journey back to Middle-Earth,” they said in a statement.
Jackson co-wrote, co-produced and directed the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which won 17 Oscar and 30 nominations.
Word is The Hobbit will be a two picture deal. Don’t worry we aren’t going to get the Hobbit II: Electric Boogaloo (or at least I hope we don’t), the second film will take place during the 60 years between the Hobbit and the Fellowship of the Rings. I’m not an expert on Tolkien, so I’m not aware of any work written that takes place during this period, however the Silmarillion (the prequel) was supposedly translated by Bilbo while he hung out in Rivendell following the events of The Hobbit.