Well, darn. Guillermo del Toro is no longer directing the two-film adaptation of The Hobbit. After the repeated delays due to MGM’s financial situation (see: bankrupt) and the lack of a buyer for a studio, the films have had trouble finding a start date. The first part is still scheduled to debut in December 2012 but, as of now, it has no director.
Del Toro’s statement (made to TheOneRing.net, which I thought was a nice touch):
“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.”
Well said Mr. Del Toro. It’s a shame that we’ll never see his vision of Middle Earth but he is staying on as writer and will have a heavy hand in the visual look of the movies. With Peter Jackson still an executive producer and writer, these films aren’t in trouble of being handed off to, say, Brett Ratner. At the same time, who will be able to capture the ideas that Del Toro and Jackson have created? Is there any director that has the same sensibilities as them? Or will the film take a turn in a slightly different direction?
2012 is still a long way away but for a franchise of this size, time is of the essence. I’m both sad and relieved that Del Toro will no longer be directing The Hobbit. It’s too bad because,well, he’s a great director and him heading these movies would have been amazing. At the same time, the man has got so much to offer (including that damned H.P. Lovecraft adaptation that fans like I are dying for!) that we’re bound to get something great regardless of what comes next. It wasn’t really fair to have him living in New Zealand with the constant delays. Also, it’s not like he’s leaving the pictures, just no longer directing them. These films will still feel like Lord of the Rings films, you can count on that. Let’s just hope MGM gets their stuff figured out so we can move forward with these suckers. I mean, come on! This is money in the bank, potential MGM buyers!
So who should direct The Hobbit? I’ve heard several names being thrown around, from the obvious (Neill Blomkamp) to the bizarre (Michel Gondry). I don’t know if I have a top choice yet, though I do feel that Alfonso Cuaron would easily retain the spirit of the previous LOTR films. The search is most certainly on now but perhaps Jackson and Del Toro have a name up their sleeves that they are keeping to themselves. Surely they wouldn’t announce Guillermo’s departure if they didn’t have a plan set in place, right? I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot of buzz and rumors about the new director starting…oh, right now.
Here’s another question floating around the web: will Peter Jackson return as director, just like King Aragorn returning to his rightful throne in Gondor?
Was that too geeky?
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