It looks like it's official now:

http://www.variety.com/VR1117984595.html

I'll definitely see it when it comes out, but, as far as I'm concerned, nothing that is going to keep Del Toro away from doing another Spanish film like Pan's Labyrinth (or At The Mountains of Madness) for a significant amount of time is good news.

Anyone else not really thrilled by this news? I wouldn't mind a movie of The Hobbit, and I think Del Toro could make a good one, but I don't think this would even be in the top 100 list of projects I would want Del Toro to do.

As a fan, the news is a bit bittersweet, as I was hoping he would soon be able to tackle At the Mountains or that Spanish language Saturn And The End Of Days project. But, even if The Hobbit is only a moderate hit (considering the generations of fans of the book, most likely) the chances of those projects happening in four years from now is far more likely. Many directors have struggled a hell of a lot longer to get a dream project funded.

Guillermo del Toro depicting Tolkien spider monsters, trolls arguing, Smaug the dragon, The Riddles In The Dark, and directing Ian McKellan to boot. As a fan, does that make me happy? You betcha.

By the way, isn't strange how almost exactly 6 years after the opening of Blade II, the two men who collaborated on gutting a Nosferatu monster and blowing up a stoner would reach such disparate career markers on the same day?

Not smething I have any interest in, but maybe the payoff'll be that he can parlay this into getting the Lovecraft project into theaters.

I read something about Saturn And The End Of Days a few days ago, and it sounded like a really cool idea. Maybe we'll get to see it around 2015 or so.

Another unmade Del Toro project that I'd love to see would be the movie adaptation of the Katsuhiro Otomo manga Domu: A Child's Dream that he was set to make for a little while around 1999. I read something that said that complicated rights issues kept it from happening.

IMHO, del Toro is a good director but not so great writer; so him doing adaptations is perfect for him. And he can probably do The Hobbit as well as anyone can. Good deal.

Definitely in the category of "good news."

Since I consider Del Toro one of cinema's true visionaries, this is most excellent news...

I think it's a win-win, with a touch of the bittersweet. Yes, we'll have to wait longer for MOUNTAINS, or SATURN, or even maybe HELLBOY 3, though given Del Toro's comments that he would wish to end it at 3, maybe someone else will take over, there.

I think that he'll do a bang up job, and I can see him and Jackson getting along splendidly. I am very interested and excited about this second film concept, depicting the events Tolkien alluded to in THE HOBBIT. Seeing Christopher Lee play Saruman before he went completely insane, insted of being merely jealous of Gandalf as he was for a very long time beforehand, will be great. And Del Toro directing him...marvelous.

And I sure hope he gets Ron Perlman to do the voice of Smaug. that would be so cool.

I was never into heroic fantasy. At all. I don't like little guys and dragons, hairy feet, hobbits -- I've never been into that at all. I don't like sword and sorcery, I hate all that stuff.

I was going to comment that this would only be a cause of worry if you working on the film, not so much as it stands... until I realized you were quoting del Toro! :rolleyes:

Keep in mind that's an old del Toro interview you were linking, and to a podcast I (and I guess others) don't have access to.

Since then, del Toro says he has been getting his ass in gear and reading every bit of Tolkien available.

Damn, I didn't even think of that! I think I just went into fan orbit.

Now, considering that various factors will probably prevent Ian Holm being cast as Bilbo Baggins, any predictions for casting? I have a pretty safe bet in mind, an actor who's the right age, nationality, and height... who looks like Baggins and has the acting chops to back it all up.

And he looks pretty bad ass killing spider monsters on the big screen. ;)

I'd like to see Colin Firth or Martin Freeman play Bilbo.

James McAvoy? A little thin for a hobbit perhaps, but so were three of the four younger hobbits in LOTR. He might not be interested in going back to fantasyland again after Narnia, though.

I assume you are referring to Toby Jones? Yeah, he'd be great!

Ollie from The Mist? Hell, yeah.

He was the best thing about the flick... he should get a bone for that.

You guys know the actors don't have to arrive already hobbit-sized, right? ;)

Well it helps if they are small. Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd and Ian Holm are all small of stature.

Heck, according to IMDB, Jones is only an inch shorter than Holm's 5'6", so apparently my little quip is even more pointless than it might have been.

Jones comes across as... rather more diminutive on screen.