TORN Exclusive: Guillermo Del Toro departs “The Hobbit” - NEW Quote | Reply To This Post
Guillermo Del Toro announced today that he is no longer directing the two movies based on J.R.R Tolkien's "The Hobbit", but will continue to co-write the screenplays. Out of respect to the legions of loyal Tolkien fans, both Guillermo and Peter Jackson wanted to break the news to The One Ring first. They are both committed to protecting The Hobbit and will do everything in their power to ensure the films are everything that the fans want them to be.
"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 Guillermo. "After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien's Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures. I remain grateful to Peter, Fran and Philippa Boyens, New Line and Warner Brothers and to all my crew in New Zealand. I've been privileged to work in one of the greatest countries on earth with some of the best people ever in our craft and my life will be forever changed. 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 wlsh 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".
"We feel very sad to see Guillermo leave the Hobbit, but he has kept us fully in the loop and we understand how the protracted development time on these two films, due to reasons beyond anyone's control - has compromised his commitment to other long term projects", says Executive Producer Peter Jackson. "The bottom line is that Guillermo just didn't feel he could commit six years to living in New Zealand, exclusively making these films, when his original commitment was for three years. Guillermo is one of the most remarkable creative spirits I've ever encountered and it has been a complete joy working with him. Guillermo's strong vision is engrained into the scripts and designs of these two films, which are extremely fortunate to be blessed with his creative DNA".
"Guillermo is co-writing the Hobbit screenplays with Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh and myself, and happily our writing partnership will continue for several more months, until the scripts are fine tuned and polished" says Jackson. "New Line and Warner Bros will sit down with us this week, to ensure a smooth and uneventful transition, as we secure a new director for the Hobbit. We do not anticipate any delay or disruption to ongoing pre-production work".
The Hobbit is planned as two motion pictures, co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM. They are scheduled for release in Dec 2012 and Dec 2013.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
I wonder whether PJ will end up directing them himself after all?
Edit: On the other hand, I can't help but wonder whether this is a sign that things are even more up in the air than it has appeared.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Voronwë_the_Faithful wrote: On the other hand, I can't help but wonder whether this is a sign that things are even more up in the air than it has appeared.
That was my first thought. What does he know that makes him unwilling to pour more time and commitment into this project?
Take my hand, my friend. We are here to walk one another home.
The other possibility is that it turned out that PJ and his crew and GdT were not actually working as well together as they had led us to believe, and that the MGM delays are a cover for creative differences between them. If the films stay on track, either with PJ directing, or with him hiring someone else to do so, I believe that is likely to be the case.
And I must say that as much as I have enjoyed reading GdT's comments and felt good about his potential role with the project, there has always been that niggling doubt in the back of my mind because of comments before he was hired about Tolkien. It seems to me that at the end of the day this was just another job for him, and it was worth hanging in there through thick and thin. Whatever one may say about Peter Jackson, he perservered through a lot more than what has been going on with The Hobbit to get the LOTR films made. In the end, GdT just didn't have that all-consuming commitment. Or so it seems to me.
Unless the true story is that the films simply aren't going to happen.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
I think it's more a matter of someone who loves to direct not being able to while they're suspended in pre-production limbo, and not being willing to stay there indefinitely, even for The Hobbit. PJ was in a different situation while LOTR was gearing up...and down...and up: he was producing as well as directing and writing. The films were his in a way TH would not have been GdT's.
Sadly, it sounds like Sam Raimi might end up being the replacement.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
My replacement choices would be
1- John Ford
2- David Lean
3- William Wyler
There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.... John Rogers
Voronwë_the_Faithful wrote:Edit: On the other hand, I can't help but wonder whether this is a sign that things are even more up in the air than it has appeared.
If they weren't before, they certainly are now.
You've got to wonder too; how much influence will a new director who enters now really have? The scripts are written, lots of pre-production work has been done, and the producers view it as their own project and will have their hands in everything. The job might almost be grunt work. Maybe that's even part of the reason dT left.
GDT dropped by TORn earlier to make a brief statement:
Dear All-
I intend to post a more lengthy post later in the week. Today is a day where I feel like collecting myself and meditating about all things past present and future. nevertheless I didn't want the day to be over without dropping you all a line. Compa- I did intended to be the Irving K of middle Earth and your "handle" in fact always inspired me to do good. Much of the visual design and previs and creatures etc is likely to survive into the final movie, so, I'll be delighted to see the final film and trust that the right director will step in into this massive endeavour.
I will drop by soon enough and I want to thank you all for the kindness, wrmth and wisdom you have shared with me.
Yours Truly
Guillermo
There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound.
~Diana Cortes
But I can't imagine why anyone would want the job now, for the reasons that Dave describes above.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
There are not many people who can take 6 years off to work on something that may or may not happen within the 6 year period. I am going to miss GDT thats for sure, his visual abilities will be missed.
I agree with Voromwe, I think it's still all far up in the air.
If this turns into another Star Wars I am going to be highly All the expectation of a great movie and then get Jar Jar....
From the ashes, a fire shall be woken. A light from the shadow shall spring. Renewed shall be blade that was broken. The crownless again shall be king.
