Guillermo del Toro Quits The Hobbit

[WarBlade]

Sad days...

Guillermo Del Toro announced today that he is no longer directing the two movies based on J.R.R Tolkien’s “The Hobbit”, but will continue to co-write the screenplays. Out of respect to the legions of loyal Tolkien fans, both Guillermo and Peter Jackson wanted to break the news to The One Ring first. They are both committed to protecting The Hobbit and will do everything in their power to ensure the films are everything that the fans want them to be. “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”.
The Hobbit is planned as two motion pictures, co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM. They are scheduled for release in Dec 2012 and Dec 2013.

[Hawkmoon]

Yeah. Bummer.

Wonder who is going to replace him. I'm just hoping it's not Michael Bay!!

[WarBlade]

I doubt Bay would go for it. He'd have to work for Peter Jackson, and probably relocate to New Zealand for several years. Given his tendency to stick with his American crew, jet in get the job done, and jet out, I'd say...

Well thankfully Bay is probably not going to happen.

I've been pondering Sam Raimi myself. He and Rob Tapert with the Pacific Renaissance branch of Renaissance Pictures did a number with the whole Hercules and Xena phenomenon down this way (although that was more Tapert's thing). Thinking back on the Evil Dead franchise he would appear to have a similar background sensibility to Jackson and Del Toro...

Who knows? All the big names have contracts upon contracts, and film projects up to their ears, so it could be anyone filling the director's chair.

But it's all up in the air. MGM's financial woes have The Hobbit and James Bond going nowhere at moment.

[KingOfPain]

I sometimes under appreciate a director's contribution to a good movie, until I see a really bad movie. Just saw Robin Hood, boy, can there be a more meaningless going nowhere boring movie!?

[WarBlade]

Yes. I have to watch the damned things all too often.

If fact, try Amelia. The Amelia Earhart biopic. That goes nowhere except around in circles as you piece together the puzzle mosaic of random flashbacks.

Failing that, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is good for facial bruising as your body takes over and bashes your head repeatedly against the seat in front.