Guillermo del Toro leaves The Hobbit, Peter Jackson looking for replacement

Brad Sturdivant May 30th, 2010

Although I originally wasn’t excited about the prospect of bringing J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ to the big screen, I was becoming more and more excited about the project as details started to emerge. I liked that Peter Jackson was producing but not directing and I loved the idea of Guillermo del Toro directing the films. Earlier in the week, it was confirmed that the films were experiencing serious delays and that the projects haven’t even been greenlit yet. But today the films take another hit as Guillermo del Toro has left the project as director. In his statement, he says he will continue to write the scripts, but Peter Jackson is stuck with the daunting task of finding a suitable replacement. His official statement:

“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. 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 wish 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.”

So, now the obvious question is; who should replace del Toro as director of THE HOBBIT?

Source: TheOneRing.net

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