It's Del Toro! It's new Zealand!

[Nóm]

Figured I'd post this since no one else has yet. Good news for lots of people.

TORN (http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/04/24/28739-its-official-del-toro-to-direct-hobbit-films/)

By chance, does anyone know if Del Toro has been a reader of LotR or The Hobbit? I haven't been able to find anything on it.

[Ithrynluin]

What, another bearded, bespectacled fat guy? Yeah, that makes a world of difference! http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd224/Metathronxyz/lol2.gif

But damn, my mockery is falling apart at the seams, PJ is no longer fat.

Maybe that's why Del Toro wants to do The Hobbit in the first place, hoping in the process of filming to shed some of that excess blubber! http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd224/Metathronxyz/spit.gif

[Ciryaher]

I was thrilled to see (just 2 minutes ago) on BBC news that Guillermo would be directing the Hobbit movies. He's the person I've wanted all along to direct them (Pan's Labyrinth was terrific), so I am immensely pleased!

[Firawyn]

Pans Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone. Del Toro is amazing! I didn't even know he was an option!



...was that really PJ in that pic? :eek:

[Barliman Butterbur]

Figured I'd post this since no one else has yet. Good news for lots of people.

TORN (http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/04/24/28739-its-official-del-toro-to-direct-hobbit-films/)

By chance, does anyone know if Del Toro has been a reader of LotR or The Hobbit? I haven't been able to find anything on it.

If he hasn't been up to now, he'd damn well better become one soon! And yes, that's skinny PJ standing next to DT.

And Ciryaher: glad to see you're still alive and kicking!

And Ith: how'd you manage to work in animated smileys?

Barley

[Nóm]

Just got these Del Toro Trademarks off a mini-bio at imdb.
Often uses insects or insect imagery.

Uses a lot of religious relics and artifacts. Always mentions Catholicism.

Archangels, symbols and other religious items.

Many of his films have major scenes based in underground areas such as subways systems (Mimic (1997), Hellboy (2004)), sewers (Blade II (2002)), or large basements (Espinazo del diablo, El (2001)).

Likes to use amber as a dominant color in his movies. This is especially noticeable in Blade II (2002) and Hellboy (2004).

Clockwork designs and motifs (for example, Kroenen's lair in Hellboy (2004) and the captain's obsession with his father's watch in Laberinto del fauno, El (2006) ).

Often casts Ron Perlman, Doug Jones, and Federico Luppi.

Frequently works with cinematographer Guillermo Navarro.

One or more of his protagonists are often strongly and pivotally influenced by their father figures.

Underground areas, and insects? Then we should be good between Mirkwood and barrels? :D

I also read that he lost 45 lbs while making Pan's Labyrinth, so you could be right Ithrynluin.

But from what I've read the guy likes to stick to his guns, hopefully if he disagrees with the producers he will fight for what he wants on this. Now lets see how these Ron Perlman, Doug Jones and Frederico Luppi might fit into The Hobbit? ;)

[Firawyn]

My only concern with Del Toro is that he'll put too much of his personal style into the Hobbit and make it not flow well with the general feel of Lord of the Rings.

I know that they have different tones to begin with, I just don't want to have to blend PJ's Middle Earth with DT's. :(

[Echo]

I loved Pan's Labyrinth, so I'm hopeful that with him in the director's seat, and Jackson as producer, the book will be very faithfully realized.

[Runyadur]

He’ll direct the two films back to back, with the sequel which will deal with the 60-year period between “The Hobbit” and “The Fellowship of the Ring,” the first of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

What's with that??

[Firawyn]

I was just wondering that...

[Nóm]

Regarding Guillermo as a reader.

Just found something over at TORN ("http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/03/18/28525-guillermo-del-toro-reaches-out-to-torn/)

The Mexican born director is busy however researching not only the Hobbit but the greater J.R.R. Tolkien library.
“All I can say is that I am diligently going through all Tolkien material related to Middle-earth but only as a way of bridging a gap in my reading. I still respond the strongest to “The Hobbit,” but as an avid reader of Mythology I find a lot of his other writings fascinating. A perfect Cosmology forged from very eclectic sources,” he said.

He described himself as a bibliophile and his study of Tolkien’s mythology fits in with his passion for myth.
“I bought my first book at age 4 and my last one, last week an original pamphlet edition of Calmet’s (Augustine Calmet) dissertation on Ghosts and vampires from the 18th century.”
This seems hopeful.

[Barliman Butterbur]

Things are going forward: McKellen HAS BEEN SIGNED (http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=22480) to play Gandalf.

Del Toro has an extended conversation (http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/04/25/28747-guillermo-del-toro-chats-with-torn-about-the-hobbit-films/) about the new films. These two articles should clear up a number of questions and concerns.

Barley

[Snaga]

This is good news for sure. Pan's Labyrinth is superb.

And surely this means Ron Perlman as Thorin. We already know Jack Black's a cert for Bilbo (PJ's choice).;)