Guillermo del Toro is New Zealand Bound
Apr 24th, 2008 | By Rick | Category: News & Comment
After literally years of intrigue, then months of speculation, it’s finally official: Guillermo del Toro will direct the two Hobbit pictures for New-Line MGM. As reported by Dave McNary in Variety,
The widely expected announcement — which had been rumored for several weeks — came Thursday afternoon jointly from exec producers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, New Line president Toby Emmerich, and Mary Parent, newly named chief of MGM’s Worldwide Motion Picture Group.
For three years, the project was stalled by nasty wrangling between Lord of the Rings co-writer and director Peter Jackson and New Line over contested payments to Jackson’s Wingnut productions. Then, in late December of last year, it was announced that Jackson and New Line had buried the hatchet and agreed to a two-film deal, with Jackson and wife Fran Walsh exec-producing. A month after that, del Toro emerged as the front-runner in the director-search, culminating in today’s announcement.
Finally, the news that hobbit-heads everywhere have been waiting for. But we won’t be able to see it for a while — the production of the two Hobbit films will be every bit as grueling as the one for LOTR. Says McNary:
“Del Toro’s moving to New Zealand for the next four years to work with Jackson and his Wingnut and Weta production teams. He’ll direct the two films back to back, with the sequel dealing with the 60-year period between “The Hobbit” and “The Fellowship of the Ring,” the first of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.”
Note that the films will deal with material not covered explicitly by The Hobbit or LOTR. Since Tolkien’s death in 1973, various children and grand-children have been collecting his “non-canonic” writings, such as The Silmarillion, The Histories of Middle Earth and the recent The Children of Húrin. Could the material be from one of these sources? McNary continues:
The studios didn’t give a start date on production and don’t yet have a script. Though no screenplay deal’s been set, it’s expected that the “LOTR” scripting team of Jackson, Walsh and Philippa Boyens will collaborate with Del Toro.
With Del Toro blocking out four years for the project, it’s likely that the studios are aiming at starting shooting next year and releasing the films in late 2011 and 2012.
As might be expected, over at TheOneRing.net they’re ecstatic. There’s even some guy named “Guillermo” who’s been posting on their board, who signs his name “GDT.” The folks at TORN seemed convinced that he’s the real deal, but I don’t know . . . haven’t I heard that people actually pretend to be other people on this here Inter-web thingy?
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This is great news!! I’m a big Del Toro fan and think he’ll do a fantastic job with these stories, whatever they end up being.
I’m a big fan of his too. Pan’s Labyrinth was my favorite flick of 2006.
I think he’ll do great, as long as he doesn’t get caught up in the expectations too much. Jackson was able to fly under the radar to a certain extent. del Toro won’t have quite that much luxury.
Wonder what the lengthy negotiations were all about? Balance of power with Jackson/Walsh and company?
I think this is going to be pretty solid. As I’ve read elsewhere, PJ seems to have lost weight but remained hobbit-like. Looks like it.
Still looks like a Hobbit, all right … hope he behaves like one and lets del Toro put his own stamp on the material. I actually think he’s a better director.
There’s no contest that Del Toro is a better director. The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth are both masterpieces in my book — the stories are constructed so well. His commentary tracks prove that he doesn’t take a story lightly, either. I can’t wait to see the finished films.