Del Toro leaves 'The Hobbit' film

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Guillermo del Toro will no longer direct the two movies based on JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit, reports said. Speaking exclusively to fan site The One Ring, Del Toro said it was with "great regret" that he would be "taking leave" of the films. "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," he said.
However, del Toro added that he will continue to co-write the screenplays. The project - which has already been delayed for several years - is expected to last longer than originally expected. Executive producer Peter Jackson reportedly said Del Toro could not commit to living in New Zealand for that long.
The movie is yet to be officially greenlit by MGM due to the film studio's ongoing financial troubles, which have also delayed work indefinitely on the next James Bond film. In 2008, when it was announced del Toro would direct, he described the job as "an absolute dream come true".
The Hobbit was due to be split into two films, both prequels to Jackson's Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy - to be released in 2012 and 2013. The trilogy's film adaptations, released between 2001 and 2003, made an estimated $6bn (?3.26bn) worldwide in ticket, DVD and merchandise sales and won 16 Academy Awards.

original article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10204138.stm

Over the last four years, there has scarcely been another project in Hollywood that has been more highly anticipated -- and has weathered more back-room corporate wrangling -- than "The Hobbit." So when filmmaker Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth," "Hellboy") announced he was dropping out of directing the two films planned for J.R.R. Tolkien's literary preamble to "The Lord of the Rings," the news served as both a shock to fans and yet another possible casualty in the sad ongoing saga of MGM Studios.

As Del Toro and "The Hobbit" producer Peter Jackson explained to"LOTR" fansite TheOneRing.net, the two "Hobbit" films are still slated for release in December 2012 and December 2013. And Del Toro is still collaborating on the screenplay with Jackson and his LOTR co-screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. But why did Del Toro walk away from one of the most highly coveted director's chairs in modern cinema? And who could possibly step in to replace him?

The answer to the first question may in part be found in the debt-soaked balance sheets at MGM, which co-owns the rights to a feature film version of "The Hobbit" with New Line Cinema, the studio that made the "LOTR" trilogy. Late last year, MGM officially went up for sale with a reported $3.7 billion in debt, a process that has dragged on for months and thrown the prospect of future projects at the venerable studio into question -- including, for example, another James Bond film.

Just last Friday, Del Toro told the press in a conference call promoting "Splice" (which he is exec producing) that the uncertainty surrounding MGM's future means that "The Hobbit" has no official greenlight and cannot move forward. "We have been caught in a very tangled negotiation," Del Toro said. "Now I have been on the project for nearly two years. We have designed all the creatures, the sets, the wardrobe, animatics and planned action sequences and we are very, very prepared for when it is finally triggered. We don't know anything until the MGM situation is resolved."

A source close to the production tells EW that MGM's impending sale has had absolutely no impact on the status of "The Hobbit," and stresses that December 2010 has always been the target production start date and is not expected to change with Del Toro's replacement.

When Del Toro signed on to direct "The Hobbit" two years ago, he moved to New Zealand to work with Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens, knowing full well what signing on to direct two giant movies back-to-back would mean. "It's about a half-a-decade of commitment," he told EW in April 2008. "A huge endeavor." Two years later, the production still is not underway, MGM's financial future is in limbo, and several other of Del Toro's commitments as a director and producer are hanging in the balance -- including possible films of "Frankenstein" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Del Toro apparently felt that the endeavor back into Middle Earth would have to proceed without him at the helm. Jackson's manager Ken Kamins tells EW via e-mail that he approached Jackson on Saturday with his thinking and decision.

So who could take Del Toro's place? Not Jackson. "As for Peter directing," writes Kamins from New Zealand, "that's not something he can consider at this time as he has other commitments to other projects. But make no mistake, Peter and Fran's commitment to the franchise is total and will do everything necessary to protect the films and the investment made by New Line, Warner Bros. and MGM." (Studio reps have not responded to requests for comment.)

Kamins says execs from New Line and Warner Bros. will be meeting with him, Jackson and Walsh this week to hammer out who will take on the job of directing "The Hobbit." And until the announcement is made, why not partake in some wild speculation? I'm personally intrigued by the idea of Del Toro's old buddy Alfonso Cuar?n taking the reigns; between "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and "Children of Men," he certainly knows how to pull off sweeping spectacle with deep feeling. But who do you think should take the reigns of "The Hobbit?" Sam Mendes? Tim Burton? Michel Gondry? Someone else? Or do you think Del Toro can never be replaced?

original article: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ...n=Feed:+rss/cnn_topstories+(RSS:+Top+Stories)

Here's what Guillermo del Toro told me four years ago, in an interview at Cannes after the premiere of "Pan's Labyrinth": "I don't like little guys and dragons, hairy feet, hobbits -- I've never been into that at all. I don't like sword and sorcery, I hate all that stuff."

Yes, consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, but maybe del Toro should have stuck with that view all along. Two years after rearranging his family life and career and putting about a dozen other films on hold to move to New Zealand and direct a two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" for Peter Jackson, del Toro has now officially quit the project. Or semi-officially but not quite totally quit the project; he's still listed as a co-writer, along with Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and whoever else is hanging around the production offices in Wellington.

As Steven Zeitchik explains in the Los Angeles Times, this is more a matter of Wall Street fallout and the uncertain future of MGM (which holds the rights to "The Hobbit") than "creative differences." Despite vigorous denials from all concerned, the tormented and tortuous effort to film Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" prequel is clearly in jeopardy of collapsing altogether -- as other MGM films, including the next James Bond feature, already have. The current incarnation of the long-troubled MGM is buried under almost $4 billion in corporate debt and is for sale, presumably at a bargain-basement price. Until that situation is resolved, there will be no start date for "The Hobbit," which was supposed to begin shooting later this year, during the Southern Hemisphere summer.

I was skeptical about this whole "Hobbit" thing from the beginning; I think it was a cul-de-sac in del Toro's career path, and he's better off developing his own projects. Personally, I'd much rather see his grotesque fairy-tale vision applied to such proposed ideas as new adaptations of "Frankenstein" or "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" or Roald Dahl's "The Witches." I'd gladly give up the "Hobbit" movie forever, in fact, if it meant getting to see del Toro's hypothetical versions of H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness," or Marvel Comics' "Doctor Strange." (You can't accuse the guy of lacking ideas, ambition or a work ethic.)

But let's play along with the Internets, people. Presuming MGM, Warner Bros. and Peter Jackson are telling the truth about the current situation, they're going to hire a new "Hobbit" director forthwith. It has to be somebody who seems capable of handling epic fantasy, obviously -- but also somebody who doesn't mind being the second choice (if not third or fourth choice) and who doesn't have much to lose in taking on a project with a 50 percent probability of total implosion and a 100 percent probability of relentless scrutiny from blogging Elves, Dwarves and Goblins. Let's review the leading candidates. Chime in, please!

Peter Jackson -- Could the "Lord of the Rings" director be "pulling a Leno," in the Twitter-phrase of indieWIRE's Eric Kohn? Signals vary. Jackson's manager told Entertainment Weekly that directing "The Hobbit" is "not something he can consider at this time as he has other commitments to other projects," which comes under the heading of a non-denial. Over the weekend Jackson told the Dominion Post, a New Zealand newspaper, that taking the reins himself was not out of the question: "If that's what I have to do to protect Warner Bros.' investment, then obviously that's one angle which I'll explore."

What all this means in English: Jackson sees himself as a grandiose, Lucas-scale producer these days, and is busy developing two "Tintin" films, with Steven Spielberg directing the first one. (Wake me when that franchise has come and gone, please.) He'd really rather not get his hands dirty on this one, but if the investors insist, he'll direct at least one of the "Hobbit" movies. Fanboys around the globe, needless to say, would explode like the TV commentators in David Cronenberg's "Scanners."

Alfonso Cuar?n -- Let's see: He made the best of the Harry Potter movies along with a terrific adult-oriented sci-fi film ("Children of Men"), he's a friend, compatriot and occasional producing partner of del Toro's and he's got the proven creativity and flexibility to work within the Hollywood production system and outside it. He's pretty much the perfect choice, but given the cursed nature of the "Hobbit" project, that means it probably won't happen.

Bill Condon -- Well, the director of "Dreamgirls" and "Gods and Monsters" has long been an odd duck in Hollywood, beloved but somewhat misused. And he was recently hired to direct the 2011 "Twilight" film, "Breaking Dawn," which was pretty weird. That franchise could certainly use an injection of glamour, tragedy and theatricality -- and personally, I'd love to see what Condon would do with "The Hobbit." Won't happen.

Catherine Hardwicke -- Speaking of "Twilight," Hardwicke made the first film in that series much more attractive and ambitious than it might have been, and was rewarded by being fired and replaced by Chris Weitz, which is what Hollywood producers do when they run out of actual ideas (and/or it's raining in Malibu and they can't play tennis). She's got adaptations of "Red Riding Hood" and "Hamlet" in development, which both sound kind of cool, but it's not like she wouldn't bail on that to do "The Hobbit." An outstanding option.

Zack Snyder -- There was a lot of fanboy hate directed at Snyder's screen version of Alan Moore's graphic novel "Watchmen," but you can color me Philistine on this one -- I thought it had terrific darkness and style, and solved some problems with plot and tone in the source material. (I am not arguing it's "better" than the comic, only different, and successful in its own terms. Given the outpouring of rage that would follow, Jackson et al. won't pick Snyder, but he'd be a solid choice.

Chris Columbus -- Yeah, he's a hack. He's also a moneymaker. Director of the first two Potter films and the recent mediocre knockoff "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," Columbus would make the investors sigh with relief, and would allow Jackson and del Toro to check out, physically and spiritually. Movies on this scale are more about making the safe financial play than making the right artistic choice, and you just know this is being talked about. I could write the same entry about Chris Weitz, with different details, so I'm sorry to say we might as well throw his name out there too.

Sam Mendes -- I'm not sure why the English-born director of "American Beauty" and "Revolutionary Road" keeps turning up on the rumor mill; his poetic and rather ponderous aesthetic seems totally wrong for "The Hobbit," but evidently somebody believes he's in the running. It may simply be that MGM hired Mendes to direct the 23rd Bond film, which now appears to be on permanent hold, so he's definitely available. Supposedly Mendes is working on an adaptation of George Eliot's "Middlemarch" right now -- and while I admire that novel and like some of Mendes' films, I suspect I'd rather spend two hours at a Tea Party meeting.

Sam Raimi -- I get all my inside-Hollywood news from indieWIRE blogger Anne Thompson, but I'm going to part company with her here: The director of three "Spider-Man" films and "Drag Me to Hell" is all wrong for the "Hobbit" franchise. No question Raimi is talented and has proven himself with big budgets, but at this point he's become a splashy, frantic, action-oriented filmmaker who's all show and no tell. Given that he was apparently interested before del Toro took the gig, and has no near-term directing jobs locked down after the collapse of Spidey 4, he clearly remains a plausible choice, whether I like it or not.

Julie Taymor -- A legendary creator of stage spectacles whose forays into film have been indifferently received (I haven't seen her upcoming adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest"), Taymor's a strong personality who remains untested with Hollywood-level budgets. She'd be a brave, adventurous choice, exactly the kind of thing Peter Jackson might pursue in a different economy. Not in this one.

Neill Blomkamp -- File under "duh": Blomkamp is the young South African effects wizard and Jackson prot?g? who made "District 9" on a relatively low budget, released it in the late-summer movie swamp -- and wound up with a major worldwide hit and a best-picture nomination. He'd be the obvious choice, if the whole thing were really up to Peter Jackson. It isn't, and Jackson might have to convince investors he'd direct the film over Blomkamp's shoulder. I have no idea how well Blomkamp knows Tolkien, or whether he's even interested, but the blend of action, humor and drama in "District 9" was promising.

Darren Aronofsky -- From now until the end of time, whenever some big directing job comes open, the one-time indie god of "Requiem for a Dream" and "Pi" will be mentioned. (Wasn't he once going to make a Superman movie?) That doesn't mean it'll ever happen. Maybe the relatively uncomplicated success of "The Wrestler" has changed Aronofsky's reputation as an impresario of doomed projects, but he's still the wrong guy for this movie, or any other that involves a high probability of failure.

Who else do you want to see take this on? Would the Coen brothers cast William H. Macy as Bilbo Baggins, John Goodman as Gandalf and John Malkovich as the great dragon Smaug? Would Michael Haneke stage the whole thing as an enigmatic journey in which the hobbits are plagued by unexplained acts of brutality, and the spiders of Mirkwood triumph in the end? Will Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez turn Bilbo and pals into a posse of shotgun-packin' hobos? Will Andrew Bujalski transform the whole story into a series of indirect but angst-ridden conversations between Bilbo and Gollum, set in city parks, chain stores and coffee shops?

original article: http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/film_salon/2010/06/01/who_will_direct_hobbit/index.html

i honestly thought that Del Toro was perfect to direct the Hobbit films since his films have a great fantasy feel about them (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy 1 & 2). with both the James Bond and the Hobbit films now put on hold i really wish someone in MGM would get their act together and sort things out.
although i do say this, the director of Twilight should not be allowed anywhere near this franchise. its bad enough they were reporting that Robert Pattinson was 'linked' to the bond role. the only other director off the top of my head who i think would be capable of pulling this off is 'maybe' Tim Burton.
MGM needs to sort their shit out now, otherwise their lack of effort could end two of the greatest film franchises ever.
 
If MGM stops making movies, they won't have more money issues? I understand that you can't pay for something when you don't have money, but they seem to be banking on old properties(DVD sales etc.) to float them until they get sold. But they also seem to be sinking fast with no real buyers taking interest.
 
I forgot Guillermo was directing. I originally thought "Wait...Benicio Del Toro was going to be in 'The Hobbit?'"
 
I forgot Guillermo was directing. I originally thought "Wait...Benicio Del Toro was going to be in 'The Hobbit?'"

actually thats partly my own fault there, i did consider putting his full name in the title but i thought 'nah, they'll know who Del Toro is and he's directing the film'
best laid plans and so on...
 
I forgot Guillermo was directing. I originally thought "Wait...Benicio Del Toro was going to be in 'The Hobbit?'"

I kinda think that would be a truly awesome movie with Benicio. Bilbo is now dashing and a martial arts master that didn't so much find the ring, but instead beat the crap out of Gollom and take the ring. Its a slight change on the narrative.

I was looking forward to Guillermo's movie. I was wondering when the monster would show up with eyes on his hands. I think he always uses one of those. That guy would get really pissed if you shook his hand with a trick buzzer on your hand.
 
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Good, now Guillermo can get to work on the next Hellboy

DO IT NOW!!!!
 
I kinda think that would be a truly awesome movie with Benicio. Bilbo is now dashing and a martial arts master that didn't so much find the ring, but instead beat the crap out of Gollom and take the ring. Its a slight change on the narrative.

I was looking forward to Guillermo's movie. I was wondering when the monster would show up with eyes on his hands. I think he always uses one of those. That guy would get really pissed if you shook his hand with a trick buzzer on your hand.

There weren't any like that in The Devil's Backbone, so he doesn't necessarily do it all the time.

In the OP, what's with that coked out list of potential directors? Of the lot, the majority have a style completely inappropriate for the material apart from Cuaron and Jackson (obviously). Some are also really bad (Zack "I can't film at a normal speed" Snyder).
 
if Alfonso Cuar?n directed it would be awesome, Prisoner of Azkaban is still my favorite Harry Potter film and he directed Children of Men so thats another +10k internet points.
 
Noooo! If he had approached the Hobbit in the same was as El Laberinto Del Fauno, it would have been an epic movie. :(
 
This makes me very happy, now he won't be busy for years and years working on a project I'll never give a fuck about, he can use that time to make something I'll actually want to see.
 
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