Guillermo del Toro has dropped out as director of the planned Hobbit movies, based on J.R.R. Tolkein’s prequel novel to The Lord of the Rings.
The director cited delays in starting production in announcing the move, though says he will remain as a writer on the planned two-film series, which is being produced by Peter Jackson.
‘In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming The Hobbit, I am faced with the hardest decision of my life,’ says del Toro. ‘The blessings have been plenty, but the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. Both as a co-writer and as a director, I wish the production nothing but the very best of luck and I will be first in line to see the finished product. I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director.’
A production start on The Hobbit has been held up by partial rights holder MGM’s ongoing financial problems. The studio, which bought the original rights to the property in 1969, is co-financing the movies with New Line, which produced the Rings trilogy.
Jackson originally backed off suggestions that he would step in and direct the films as he had on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, though he told a New Zealand newspaper he would explore the possibility if it’s required to get the movie done and protect the studio’s investment. Deadline Hollywood reports that such a move may not be possible given Jackson’s contractual commitment to direct other films for other studios, including the Adventures of Tintin series he is working on with Steven Spielberg.
Del Toro is best known for his work on the Hellboy movies, the Oscar-winning Pan’s Labyrinth and sci-fi entries Cronos and Mimic.
