The proposed two part "The Hobbit" film is having an uphill climb equal to that of Frodo and Sam scaling Mount Doom. It has not been a simple stroll through The Shire. I had thought that after the Christopher "I'm a bitter greedy old man" Tolkien lawsuit was thrown out in November of last year that the final hurdle had been leapt and the pathway cleared for a trek back to Middle Earth. I couldn't have been more wrong. Shortly after the lawsuit ended MGM (who shares the rights along with New Line) announced that it was "beginning a process to explore various strategic alternatives including operating as a standalone entity, forming strategic partnerships and evaluating a potential sale of the company." That's code for: "I'm broke bitch!" Since then MGM's woes have been nothing short of disastrous and "The Hobbit" has paid the price. The beginning of principal photography has been pushed back numerous times with the latest start time slated for November of this year. In the latest turn of events the film's director Guillermo Del Toro has said adios to the project. The acclaimed director of "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Hellboy" is still going to advise in a writer capacity and contribute on the special effects side, however. But you know what? I can't blame him. This movie has been in pre-production for almost two years. The freakin' guy moved to New Zealand with his wife and two daughters! I'd bolt too. The guy has other things he wants to do in his movie career and a director with that kind of talent does not deserve to be dicked around while MGM sits in the corner with their collective thumbs up their collective arses. Now the question becomes who is going to direct "The Hobbit" movies? The short list has Peter Jackson, Neil Blomkamp ("District 9"), Sam Raimi ("Spiderman"), and Alfonso Cuaron ("Children of Men"). My vote is for Peter Jackson but with all the problems surrounding this film I'm not sure any director is gonna touch this puppy with the Torch of Gondor until MGM gets its shit together. As of right now MGM's creditors have extended forbearance on their interest payments until July 14th. After MGM's creditors rejected the 1.5 billion dollar buyout offer from Time Warner, the current companies in line to buy MGM include both Summit Entertainment and Spyglass Entertainment. Listen I love the LOTR pictures and "The Hobbit" is still one of my all-time favorite books, so honestly I believe that the project is going to get done. Too much money has already been invested and you are guaranteed to get a return on your investment. In fact if these two films don't make $600 million combined domestically I'll eat Gandalf's staff. Bottom line however is that there are a lot of fans out there, myself included, who are tired of getting jerked around like this. So before MGM gets stampeded by a bunch of 40 year old virgins wearing "Frodo Lives" t-shirts, sporting plastic elf ears, carrying replica Anduril swords, and swearing at executives in Sindarin, I suggest they officially green light the project, get a new director, make some casting announcements, and sell the freakin' company already. In the meantime I'll have to content myself with watching the 1977 animated version with Orson Bean and John Huston.
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