"The Hobbit" Gets A Director: Guillermo del Toro

LOS ANGELES — Guillermo del Toro is directing "The Hobbit" and its sequel, New Line Cinema announced Thursday. The 43-year-old filmmaker will move to New Zealand for four years to make the films back-to-back with executive producer Peter Jackson.

Del Toro wrote and directed "Pan's Labyrinth," which earned six Oscar nominations in 2006 and won three awards. He is also the director of the upcoming sequel "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," whose monsters bear the unmistakeable surreal vision of the Mexican-born filmmaker.

"I am indeed blessed to become a part of the filmmaking community that Peter, Fran and their extraordinary team of collaborators have created in New Zealand," del Toro said in a statement. "Contributing to the 'Lord of the Rings' legacy is an absolute dream come true."

Jackson and Walsh called del Toro "a cinematic magician who has never lost his childlike sense of wonder."

"We have long admired Guillermo's work and cannot think of a more inspired filmmaker to take the journey back to Middle-Earth," they said in a statement.

Jackson co-wrote, co-produced and directed the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which won 17 Oscar and 30 nominations.

___

Please note that this version DELETES INCORRECT reference to second movie spanning time between "Hobbit" and "Rings"; New Line now says movies are based on book only.

Comments

[onceler]

01:25 AM on 04/27/2008

this is very exciting. the best choice I could imagine for the job. mmm.

[mamacat]

05:38 AM on 04/26/2008

Should be a cinematic masterpiece. One complaint: work faster!

[bugsbonzai]

04:14 PM on 04/25/2008

Why do the directors who direct hobbits always look like big furry hobbits themselves?

[lowry99]

10:41 AM on 04/25/2008

this is old news.

[MKJeeves]

09:35 AM on 04/25/2008

Just hope they use this theme song:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/9uotf

[Nativson]

09:15 AM on 04/25/2008

Ian McKellen as Gandalf, most definitely. Bilbo was a relatively young man in The Hobbit, they would need a much younger actor.
Yeah, the two movies is their money maker. I just hope they don't draw it out too much.

[SaskiaStars]

08:54 AM on 04/25/2008

Can't wait!!!

[PieInTheSky]

03:04 AM on 04/25/2008

Cooooooooooooooooool !!!!!! Now bring back Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Ian Holmes and Bilbo Baggins.

[Rockwell]

07:34 AM on 04/25/2008

Del Toro - Awesome
McKellan - Defininitely!!
Holmes - love him but he's much too old for this part. Bilbo was young in The Hobbit. This needs a new player with the Holmes excentric touch.

[stsparky]

12:45 AM on 04/25/2008

I'd love it if he finishes "The Return of the King" as per the book.

[magneato]

08:58 AM on 04/28/2008

Nice thought, but they killed Saruman off in the extended ROTK.