Tolkien Obsessives Will Get Whole New Thing To Bitch About

Genius director Guillermo Del Toro, scheduled to helm the two Hobbit films that serve as prequel to Lord of the Rings, has withdrawn from the project, citing the “ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming.” Producer Peter Jackson, who won an Oscar for his direction on the LOTR movies, has not ruled out taking over, pending availability: “If that’s what I have to do to protect Warner Brothers’ investment, then obviously that’s one angle which I’ll explore.” One thing is for certain: Who ever winds up taking the job will face an angry online mob complaining about how he or she is doing it wrong, because that’s just the way it works.