Director Quits ‘Hobbit’ – Could Jackson Return?
Negativity has been the theme of the film version of J.R.R.’s “The Hobbit” for months. The film has caused such delays, actors from the movie are starting to speak out.
Now news has come out that Guillermo del Toro, the director, said Monday that production delays have forced him to quit the planned film, a two-part prequel to filmmaker Peter Jackson’s blockbuster trilogy “Lord of the Rings.”
According to Yahoo! News, del Toro announced his decision to a “Lord of the Rings” fan website: “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,” he said, noting the film still hadn’t been given the green light by MGM, the struggling Hollywood studio.”
The film is planned to be released in two parts in 2012 and 2013 by MGM, and it appears these delays have hindered del Toro’s patience and his prospects to pursue other projects. Although this, without a doubt, may have been the greatest opportunity he may ever come across I’m sure it becomes quite frustrating having to deal with the business side of film making.
Now that del Toro has made an exit, it seems there are some rumors swirling that may put a former Academy Award-winning director at the helm of this project. Here, according to the New York Times Arts Beat Blog is the update on the director search: As the producers of “The Hobbit” undertake the very gloomy business of seeking a new director for the film adaptation of that J. R. R. Tolkien fantasy novel, they may have a potential replacement candidate in their midst who already knows a thing or two about translating Tolkien’s texts to the big screen: Peter Jackson, an executive producer and screenwriter on “The Hobbit.” In an interview with The Dominion Post of New Zealand, Mr. Jackson, the Academy Award-winning director of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, said that if necessary he would step in as director of “The Hobbit,” pending his commitments to other films.”
What do you think of the prospects of Jackson’s directorial return to this movie franchise? I personally believe this could be a huge risk. He finished on top with “LOR: The Return of the King,” and I worry whether people will expect even more in “The Hobbit” movies if he takes over the reins once again. On the other hand, he could improve his legacy if he turns these films into masterpieces. Obviously, I’m sure Jackson will take all of this into consideration before taking any more steps.
If you were Jackson, what would you do? Drop me your comments or tweet me your opinions: @rlytle.
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