THE HOBBIT: IT’S OFFICIAL- DEL TORO TO DIRECT!

As reported in every corner of geekdom, Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth director Benicio Del Toro has now been conformed to helm the two HOBBIT movies. To be made by New Line and MGM, the two films are to be shot in New Zealand, just like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The first of the two films will be a complete adaptation of the legendary book by JRR Tolkien, and the second (and more risky) part is to bridge the gap between the Hobbit and LotR, using Tolkien’s original notes to fill in the blanks.

While it was a no-brainer that there would end up being a Hobbit movie, I’m very pleased by Del Toro’s involvement and excited at the prospect of an original movie stuck in the middle of such a well-loved franchise. It is most certainly a risky move on the part of the studios, but in Del Toro’s more than capable hands we should be in for something spectacular and compelling added to the Lord of the Rings mythology. It will certainly be interesting to see what the second film will bring in terms of story, and I’m very curious as to what the title of the piece will be.