The old adage goes, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro are obviously fans of this old chestnut.
Del Toro ("Hellboy") and Jackson ("Lord of the Rings") are taking it upon themselves to write the scripts for the upcoming "Hobbit" films, which the pair are directing and producing, respectively.
Adapting the script from the J.R.R. Tolkien novel, Jackson re-teams with Frank Walsh and Philippa Boyens, with whom he co-wrote the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which he also directed.
With shooting scheduled to begin late in 2009, the pair decided that their familiarity with (and fondness for) Tolkien's world of "Middle Earth" would help the projects stay on schedule. The film's distributor, New Line is aiming to release the first film in 2011, with the sequel slated for 2012.
Casting for the film remains mum, with rumors circulating that Ian McKellen (as Gandalf) and Andy Serkis (as Gollum) would reprise their roles. Scottish actor James McAvoy ("Narnia," "Wanted") has been mentioned for the lead role of Bilbo Baggins.
Set prior to the events of "Lord of the Rings," "The Hobbit" follows Baggins on a quest across Middle Earth, during which he finds "The One Ring."
[via Reuters]
With shooting scheduled to begin late in 2009, the pair decided that their familiarity with (and fondness for) Tolkien's world of "Middle Earth" would help the projects stay on schedule. The film's distributor, New Line is aiming to release the first film in 2011, with the sequel slated for 2012.
Casting for the film remains mum, with rumors circulating that Ian McKellen (as Gandalf) and Andy Serkis (as Gollum) would reprise their roles. Scottish actor James McAvoy ("Narnia," "Wanted") has been mentioned for the lead role of Bilbo Baggins.
Set prior to the events of "Lord of the Rings," "The Hobbit" follows Baggins on a quest across Middle Earth, during which he finds "The One Ring."
[via Reuters]
