Spider-man and Evil Dead director Sam Raimi is expected to helm the upcoming Peter Jackson-produced Hobbit films, after making his return to horror with Drag Me to Hell (more on that later). But what if Raimi and New Line can’t ink a deal? Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro is said to be in consideration for the upcoming JRR Tolkien adaptation and sequel.
“I’ve heard some rumblings, but nothing official. I don’t want to think about it because it’s such an eventuality,” Guillermo del Toro told EW. “It’s the only Tolkien book I read. I tried my best to read the Lord of the Rings, the trilogy. I could not. I could not. They were very dense. And then one day, I bought The Hobbit. I read it and I loved it. So it would be a privilege. But listen, I wish I knew.”
Anyone who has seen del Toro’s Labyrinth has an idea of what Guillermo is capable of. Apparently Guillermo met with Jackson last year, and has been dying to work with the filmmaker and his New Zealand-based WETA workshop.
”I met Peter and Fran when we were trying to do Halo. I think what they’re doing in New Zealand is amazing. What they’re doing, in terms of the way they approach filmmaking — the way I see it is, it’s Hollywood the way God intended it. Because it’s a filmmaker’s dream and a filmmaker’s facility. So it’s heaven. The question is: Will I go to heaven? I have no idea.”
Children of Men director Alfonso Cuaron is also a name being thrown around Hollywood. But as of right now no one is officially signed on to the films, which will be shot back to back. The first film will be an adaptation of The Hobbit, while the second film will serve as a prequel which bridges the gap between The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, using Tolkien’s lengthy appendices as source material.
Raimi’s announcement might seem like very odd timing, but truth is that the directing gig will be in post production before pre-production on The Hobbit films begins. Jackson and his life/creative partner Fran Walsh have yet to start on the screenplays (and won’t officially be able to until the strike ends), but New Line is hoping to enter into pre-production by 2009 for a 2010 and 2011 release. Jackson, who is currently shooting The Lovely Bones, will be unavailable until February 2008.
Drag Me to Hell is a supernatural thriller he wrote with his brother Ivan, about an unwitting recipient of a supernatural curse. Producer Rob Tapert describes the movie as “a wild ride with all the chills and spills that ‘Evil Dead’ delivered, without relying on the excessive violence of that film.”
December 20th, 2007 at 5:21 am
WHY isn’t jackson doing it again? so wrong.
del toro’s great tho, i’d hope he’d jump on narnia for silver chair or the last battle, those books are twisted.
December 20th, 2007 at 5:55 am
Guillermo del Toro YES!!
Sam Raimi NOOOO!!!
Jackson to produce…………YAY!! (would prefer him to direct but you cant win them all)
December 20th, 2007 at 6:11 am
We’ve seen what Raimi can do with $150 million (i.e. barf), but giving del toro that kind of loot? Jesus. That would be AWESOME.
Just imagining del toro’s take = so dark and a little creepier than Jackson’s, less glossy than Raimi’s, = please let this happen!!! Especially since Burton is doing Alice and not del toro.
December 20th, 2007 at 6:58 am
Nope. Jackson will still direct. They want the continued hype to keep building as he finishes “The Lovely Bones”. We shall see won’t we?
December 20th, 2007 at 7:32 am
For the love of all things holy please please please do not let Sam Raimi direct the Hobbit. del Toro and Cuaron are much better choices.
December 20th, 2007 at 7:43 am
Del Toro? Del Toro? No! Please, God, no!
Did any of you actually watch Pan’s Labyrinth?
If del Toro does The Hobbit, it’s gonna be a snuff film with little people in it.
December 20th, 2007 at 8:31 am
Woohoo!
December 20th, 2007 at 8:38 am
cuaron would be my choice. children of men is brilliant and while some complain that harry potter 3 is nothing like the book, it’s still a cracking good movie. boring it was not.
it would be amazing to see a 4 min. sequence in the hobbit like cuaron did in CoM. that would be mind blowing.
December 20th, 2007 at 8:57 am
Del Toro and Jackson could star as well. That’s all I’m sayin’. Look at the guy! That’s a mexican hobbit if I ever saw one. LOL!
However, Cuaron’s a better director than both of them put together.
December 20th, 2007 at 9:18 am
Sam Raimi lost it in my book with Spiderman 3. As opposed delivering a the climatic and satisfying close to the series, it was hands down terrible.
Del Toro is great, and works well with fantasy realms.
December 20th, 2007 at 11:30 am
raimi’s legacy cannot be ruined because of SM3. Yes it blew, but he has given us SO much in the past. Do I want him to do the hobbit - no, but he is a great director. Cuaron or del toro would b great, but I just don’t understand why Jackson isn’t doing it. Not using jackson is a guarantee that the hobbit cannot reach full potential. Anyone but peter at the helm will ALWAYS leave us wondering what could have been.
December 20th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
I will probably get raked over the coals for this. But something like The Hobbit is too grand and huge in scope for someone like Raimi. Even with Jackson producing it. Even though i’d want Jackson directing it.
Raimi’s movies have a claustrophobic b-movie quality to them. Even his spider-man films feel like big budget b-movies. Raimi is good for what he does. But he;s not right at all for The Hobbit.
Del Toro has great taste and flair for fantasy. He would be awesome for this. If not him, maybe Cauron. It’s a bummew New Line fucked this whoel thing up. Jackson is still the only one i’d want to do this film.
December 20th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
Regardless of who gets into the directors chair i think Matthew MacFadyen would be a great choice for Bilbo. If anyone saw Death at a Funeral i think his demeanor in that would be pretty spot on for a great Bilbo performance.
December 23rd, 2007 at 12:05 pm
del toro YES IF JACKSON IS IMPOSSIBLE. jackson would be the best he isthe origanail
December 23rd, 2007 at 12:09 pm
same as j.v.h and a.c.h.
December 23rd, 2007 at 12:17 pm
SAME AS MY TWO BROTHERS AND MY DAD!
December 23rd, 2007 at 6:28 pm
YES IF JACKSON IS IMPOSSIBLE!
December 25th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
JAMES EARL JONES WOULD Make the best smoag
December 25th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
JAMES EARL JONES WOULD MAKE THE BEST SMOAG!!!!!!
December 26th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
I think carrol ballord from the granny awarad winning film fly away home should direct!
December 26th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
I think carrol ballard from fly away home is from alot more gany award winning film lets go eith her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 26th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
I think carrol ballard from fly away home is from alot more gany award winning film lets go eith her! OH AND I NOW FOR SURE SHE WAS IN FLY AWAY HOME!
December 27th, 2007 at 5:31 am
I THINK CARROL BALLORD WOULD BEST! OH AND SHE IS DIRECTER IN FLY AWAY HOME!
December 27th, 2007 at 5:32 am
I THINK CARROL BALLORD WOULD BE BEST!
December 27th, 2007 at 8:39 am
PETER NO NO NO CARROL BALLORD YES YES YES
December 29th, 2007 at 6:15 am
Peter Jackson should be the only one to make and direct the Hobbit for his craftsmanship and for continuity but if he can’t then the best next director is right in front of him now! Yes, Steven Spielberg who he is currently collaborating on Tin-Tin. Amazing team, wouldn’t it be!
January 3rd, 2008 at 1:56 pm
PJ ONLY
January 3rd, 2008 at 6:47 pm
i would like to see del toro direct the hobbit.I think it would be good to see a slighly different style for the film with different actors. with peter jackson producing, it would still keep it in touch with the lord of the rings feel…Del toros fantasy in pans labyrinth is fantastic….
January 3rd, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Well it might be hard for him to do “The Hobbit” if he is doing the next Harry Potter…
January 17th, 2008 at 12:13 am
Pan ’s Laberinth sucked big time !!!!
Jakson RULES
February 20th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Jackson does rule, but you can’t deny the good quality of pan’s laberynth!!!
anyways, it would be a fairly nice experience if Del Toro actually made “The hobbit”.
:DDDDDD yey
April 29th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Umm, why wasn’t Del Toro the first choice? Even though he hasn’t read the book, I feel as though this is right up his ally. Raimi? Whose idea was that? That person should be fired.