From Deadline:
Here’s a glimmer of hope for those die-hard fans of The Lord of the Rings (like me) who hope that Peter Jackson will realize the best director for The Hobbit is the one he sees in the mirror each morning. My sources say that nobody has been offered the helming job — yet. Instead, Warner Bros and MGM brass are doing all they can to sell Jackson on the seemingly obvious notion that he should complete the franchise he started with three LOTR films that grossed $2.9 billion worldwide. Particularly since he co-wrote the scripts for the two Hobbit movies and already is producing and can shoot both in his backyard. One of the rumored reasons that prompted one-time director Guillermo del Toro’s recent exit, I hear, was the prospect of transplanting his family to New Zealand, where Jackson has his visual effects factory and is so comfortable shooting. Warner Bros and MGM braintrust will keep pursuing him until Jackson gives a definitive no.
Obviously it’s still just rumour and speculation, but it’s a rumour that just won’t go away. Jackson might be busy with Tintin, but how many zeroes will it take for him to helm The Hobbit in full writer/producer/director capacity? Though, Jackson already has a stake in the profits of the movie (along with the Tolkien estate, Saul Zaentz, and Harvey Weinstein, among others), so the question may be more of heart than cash. Still, with the project sitting there waiting for a director, it seems obvious for Jackson to take the helm, especially with MGM and Warner Bros poking and prodding him.
Other than Jackson, rumoured names include David Yates, David Dobkin, and Brett Ratner. My fingers remain firmly crossed for Jackson.
Just some food for thought.
* sprays tea over keyboard *
You missed the bit where MGM/New Line seemed to subtly threaten Peter Jackson by saying if he won’t do it, they might get Brett Ratner (ruiner of the X-MEN movies through the inadequate third film) to do it instead:
“Other filmmakers are interested in replacing del Toro. Sources tell me David Yates, David Dobkin, and the ubiquitous Brett Ratner are among them.”
I’ve been saying this all along. I like Del Toro, but, let’s face it, this isn’t King Kong. This is rooted so deeply into the world he helped create and direct, and the man knows how to work with source material like nobody else. How many film adaptations of books are there that manage to do something quite as beautiful as LOTR? Add to the fact that the vast majority of adaptations are based on material that is nowhere near the same complexity of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. That alone puts Jackson at the top of my list of best directors. I think he is a genius…
So, if they’re pressing him to do this, then it’s a smart plan.