Image Credit: Don Arnold/WireImage.comLet’s face it, Guillermo del Toro was a perfect choice to direct The Hobbit. Boundlessly creative and visually distinctive, del Toro would have been able to give the Lord of the Rings prequel a different tone from the epic triptych, while remaining true to its spirit. But it was just not to be. He left the project two years into a five-year sentence, and the best thing for us to do was to move on and not cry over spilt mead. And now, news that producer Peter Jackson is in negotiations to return to Middle Earth and direct the two-part film himself makes me think there’s no reason to cry after all.
When they say that he’s “in talks,” I can really only picture Jackson alone in a conference room, occasionally switching chairs, an argument brewing between his director-self and producer-self over remuneration and percentage of profits. Personally, I hope the two of them come to an agreement soon, because it would absolutely be a mutually beneficial arrangement. Producer Jackson gets one of the best fantasy directors around, one not only with an intimate knowledge of the LOTR universe but also of this particular production, and Director Jackson gets a chance to return to his Academy Award-sweeping roots after the hiccup that was The Lovely Bones. Everybody wins.
Including the audience. With Jackson replacing del Toro, and not some unknown interloper, we at least have a sense of what to expect. There’s no slinking fear that the final product might end up something like this. The real question is how much of del Toro’s two years of design and pre-production work Jackson will incorporate into his Hobbit, should he take the job. It would be fascinating to see a melding of these two different styles of fantasy film-making: Del Toro’s bulbous, inventive menagerie inhabiting Jackson’s epic, sweeping vistas.
What do you think, PopWatchers? Excited at the prospect of Jackson retaking the reins? Is there anyone out there who actually thinks that this isn’t great news?
I REALLY hope that Jackson directs and produces The Hobbit films. It is just as it absolutely should be. He mastered the LotR films, and he would do the same for their prequel. Also… “hiccup that was The Lovely Bones”…? Did you see The Lovely Bones? That movie have been no LotR, but it certainly was brilliantly crafted and put together. I for one thought it was excellent.
“may have been” not just “have been”
He needs to go back to being fat though. Fat Peter made the LoTR trilogy while thin Peter made King Kong and The Lovely Bones. And, he actually had lost weight during the final production of RotK which despite having won the Oscar was largely considered to not have been as good on the whole as the first 2. Let’s face it though, the Oscar really was for all three, not just RotK.
Lol! Strangely, you’re right.
Speak for yourself. RotK was the best of the LotR movies and deserved that Oscar.
Yeah, agree with Joel. Not sure what you were watching but ROTK was definately the best LOTR movie.
I’ll third that! RotK was the best of the 3!
he should direct! if not, then get the guy who directed harry potter & prisoner of azkaban. i forget his name tho
NERD ALERT
ugh…Azkaban was my least favorite out of all the movies…trying to add all the comedy bits that really weren’t necessary. Everything about Aunt Marge…that insanely stupid animal candy the kids ate…the fact that Harry was using magic out of school…and the fact that the only transitions that it seemed that he knew how to do were the fade in/fade out. That movie wasn’t good until they used the Time Turner.
Azkaban was by far the best Potter film. The only one until the previous film that had any real feelings.
@skip
probably from an artistic point…but for all his accomplishments with the film, there were plenty of, at least to me, negatives. Along with what bamalam said above…it seems that Alfonzo took a lot for granted. He changed the entire landscape from the previous films to start, then there were plenty of things that just seemed unnecessary…the shrunken head…Harry slamming into the back of the bus…twice…the Whomping Willow and the changing of the seasons…the Housekeeping lady at the Inn…that one kid getting struck by lightning at the Quidditch match. All unnecessary. I think he should have stuck around with the actual story from the book instead of adding these “details”.
But see you’re looking at it from the perspective of the book. I’m looking at it as someone who never read the book, so I’m enjoying it as a movie fan. You’re right that the changing of the landscape was odd, however that is now the landscape used in the films (or at least some of them, I don’t know if it’s all of them now). The only thing that bothered me was that stupid head. To me, Azkaban is one of the two Potter films that feels like a real experience and not just a childrens movie (or an intended adult movie done poorly, I’m looking at you Goblet of Fire).
@Cheese
Alfonso Cuaron did a magnificent job with POA. He took a book that was largely filler in the series and made something memorable. And if he deviated from the text a little, it was only for style and charm. News Flash: Peter Jackson was rather unfaithful to LOTR: The Two Towers, and that was still a mega hit.
PoA is the second best film in the series, right after HBP. And I’m a huge fan of the books and I have to say, I MAY have enjoyed the film more than the book. People give the shrunken heads and his transitions too much crap. They were awesome. The only bad thing about PoA was the design of werewolf Lupin. Didn’t really look like a werewolf.
In no way is the movie of PoA better than the book. That was the book that cemented JKR as a brilliant writer. And showed her skill and the intriacte way she tied up the whole series. The reveal of Scabbers as PP still gives me chills, as do the Dementors of course. I still remember reading Sirius’ name in POA and then immediately going back to PS and reading it in an entirely different context. It was just brilliant.
Alfonso Cuaron (sp?) directed HP POA and Children of Men.
Alfonso Cuaron. He also directed The Little Princess in 1995. If you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out. He’d make an excellent choice and was always in my Top 3 along with Del Toro and Jackson. Good call!
thanks darclyte! i probably saw the little princess when i was little. maybe i’ll watch it again! haven’t really seen any of del toro’s films, but maybe i have and just not realized who directed it lol
Alfonso Cuarón directed HP & the Prisoner of Azkaban. He also directed A Little Princess, a film I particularly love. Cuarón’s a wonderful director; and del Toro is a wonderful director – but – Peter Jackson OWNS the LOTRs (as well as The Hobbit); with his vision, sensibility, sets, costumes, actors, he’s brilliant. I’m so excited he may/will be directing the Hobbit. I hope, I hope, hope!
I with del Toro had stayed, because it would have made the Hobbit movies a bit different, but Jackson knows where it’s at, so I do hope that if anyone’s going to take over, it’s him.
None of this really matters at the moment because of the whole MGM mess. The movie will never “officially” go into production until the financial fiasco at MGM is figured out. Part of me thinks that this movie wont happen for another 5-20 years, because wasn’t the whole reason Jackson wasn’t going to direct is because he had a full plate for the next 5 years?
Sorry that was 5-10 years. Typo.
I still want Jackson to get Disney to let him direct the Prydain Chronicles. What they did to the animated Black Cauldron was a disgrace and he would be true to all five books.
ohhhhh, my brain just went to a happy, happy place thinking about that. I absolutely adore those books.
Oh that would be brilliant!
great news,as it should be,as it should have always been , tolkien literary work = peter jackson cinematographic epic work, nobody else should be involved minus jackson helpers aka wife and friend producer lol
It’s a good match. As long as he doesn’t overwork himself, he should go for it.
PJ directing the Hobbit does not mean success. It has been a bit of time since his doing LoTR so he is going to have to get into the Middle Earth mentality. Also, he really made a mess of the King Kong remake so we know that he is not immune to bombing out. Another thing is how much of the project will have to be made over to conform to PJ’s vision and how much more money is MGM willing to spend. Right now MGM is not on solid ground so spending too much more could become a real problem is the movie doesn’t blow them out a the box office. Over time icluding DVD sales, marketing and overseas revenues MGM will recover it’s costs as long as the production doesn’t blow the budget out into space.
I see a lot of people slaming King Kong claiming it was a poor film, but it’s at 83% positive on Rotten Tomatoes. I think people are mistaking their distaste with actual critical distaste.
He’s been co-writing the screenplays and producing The Hobbit for the past two years. I’m pretty sure that translates to him being in the “Middle Earth mentality”.
Yeah, what is with all the “King Kong was a bomb” stuff? I personally didn’t like it because I get scared really easily, but I thought overall it was a good film – which is why it was a critical and financial success.
And honestly, I don’t think PJ’s ever been out of the LOTR mentality. They say he’s like a hobbit himself, which is why it;s so effortless for him to tackle Tolkien.
If PJ takes over directing the Hobbits then I swear we will all hear the heavens rejoice
OK, so The Hobbit getting made depends on MGM getting out of its financial woes… sounds like it’s time for a Simplistic Idea Too Obvious To Work™: find a healthy studio (Disney?) with lots of money and some foresight, and let them make an offer to MGM to buy out their rights to the material. If they take the offer, MGM gets a much-needed infusion, and we get The Hobbit. If they turn it down, because the bean-counters tell them they’d make far more from the movie itself than the rights alone are worth, then simple logic would suggest to them that they actually go ahead and MAKE the damn thing already. Put up or shut up.
I’m sure there are reasons why this won’t work. I’d like to hear what they are.
Screw that I’m crying, whyyyyyyyyy Del Toro whyyyyyyyy did you have to leave whyyyyyy?
KING KONG was a major hiccup, IMO.
Pete as director – it’s just what we’ve wanted from the start. Can’t wait to return to Middle Earth!!
“Now we’re Tolkien!” ……. really???
Haaa I thought it was so bad it was funny.
I think Peter directing is better as it will give the Hobbit continuity with the LOTR trilogy…