It certainly seems like ever since Guillermo Del Toro dropped out as director of the two-part Hobbit movies, each day has brought with it a new name up for consideration. We’ve heard it all so far – from folks like Harry Potter’s David Yates to Peter Jackson to Brett Ratner. Pretty soon I’m half-expecting George Lucas’ name to be thrown in the hobbit pot too. This latest rumor, however, kind of makes the most sense of them all, though part of me feels like it ultimately won’t happen.
According to TheOneRing.net, who first broke the Guillermo Del Toro news, they received a little nugget of info that claims Neill Blomkamp (District 9) has been chosen to direct The Hobbit movies. Naturally, it’s a move that makes sense since both Blomkamp and Jackson are close friends, and Jackson helped Blomkamp get his first film (District 9) made by attaching himself as producer. So if Jackson isn’t going to direct The Hobbit himself, one would think he’d want someone in there that he’s really comfortable with; someone who’s already close to the production and can pick up where Del Toro left off rather quickly.
Perfect, right? Well, that’s if it’s true. Last we heard from Blomkamp, he was working on an independently produced sci-fi film that was supposed to start production at some point this year. There was no word on the plot, except that it took place on a distant planet and was budgeted at over $30 million. So, is this project dead? We certainly haven’t heard about casting or production, so is it possible that Blomkamp quietly put the kibosh on it? If so, that would open him up to something like The Hobbit.
Chances are great that MGM and Warner Bros. are waiting to make an official announcement at Comic Con in late July. Could we see Guillermo Del Toro, Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp take the stage hand in hand to announce the new Hobbit?
Would you want that to happen, or should someone other than Blomkamp direct?
