1. I did not realize that he directed Mimic.

As for The Hobbit ... who is in it from the other LOTR stories other than Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins (it has been decades since I read the Hobbit)

Posted at 8:29PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Gordon Werner

2. Golem plays a pretty big role.


As for Del Toro directing, he would be my second best choice he has shown he can do fantasy and still be mature.

Posted at 8:46PM on Apr 24th 2008 by NvM

3. I'm with you NvM on the "mature fantasy" tip. Look no further than Pan's Labyrinth... dark, freaky, disturbing..yet sweet, innocent and touching. I have complete confidence in del Toro.

As for familiar faces, I believe that's about it in what WE know as the Hobbit--Bilbo, Gollum and Gandalf. But the second film is entirely new, so anybody might show up.

Posted at 10:09PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Cincinnati Mike

4. Elrond is in the Hobbit as well.

Posted at 11:24PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Saavik

5. As far as the Mimic goes, the opening credits are almost better than the movie. Watch the credits, then watch the movie, and tell me I am not right. The Bug-monsters in Mimic often look ridiculous, and the movie was pretty boring. I haven't seen the sequels yet, maybe they improved on the idea.

I didn't know Hobbit would have to possibly be two movies. As if Lord of the Rings movies weren't long enough as it is. I don't know enough about the Hobbit to understand why it will be two.

Posted at 10:31PM on Apr 24th 2008 by MCW

6. (IMO) I think the second movie might be about "bard" I believe he is the one who kills the dragon smog.... the second movie will probably introduce him and summarize whats happining on the outside of the dwarven stronghold. (IMO)

Posted at 10:33PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Joshua

7. Do you suppose we'll get Doug Jones as Thranduil the elf king? Or maybe one of the trolls?

Posted at 10:49PM on Apr 24th 2008 by Jen

8. Why would you defend the Guillermo del Toro? Perhaps you feel the need to? It's easy to have fewer bombs when you've had fewer projects. Sorry, but I gotta say it again: overrated!

Pan's Labyrinth was good, but not as good as the critics would have you believe. Aside from that - Blade II, Hellboy and Mimic make him a "Dark fantasy master"?? Are you fucking kidding me? Ridley Scott is a dark fantasy master. Guillermo's career is young and promising, tops.

Not getting the Hobbit wrong will help -- getting it right is almost easy with the original LOTR creative team standing behind you. Time will tell.

Posted at 11:23PM on Apr 24th 2008 by mikull

9. I still don't understand why Peter Jackson doesn't just direct it himself, but Del Toro should be great. I just hope he uses the same types of creature models (Orcs, Goblins, Gollum etc.) as the other movies and doesn't try to use the Pan's/Hellboy style. Only like 4 actors need to return for Gandalf, Elrond, Gollum, and probably Saruman.

Posted at 1:36AM on Apr 25th 2008 by Chupacabra

10. Chupacabra: Jackson is unable to direct because he's currently working with Spielberg on that Tintin project. That is not to say that he won't be involved. He will serve as producer and GDT is eager to have him, Fran Walsh, and Phillipa Boyens help out with the screenplays.

One final correction: The Hobbit itself will not be broken into two parts. The first film will be The Hobbit, while the second film serves as a bridge between The Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy and could probably focus on events from the appendices: the dwarven attempts to reclaim Moria, Aragorn's youth and service in Gondor and Rohan under the name Thorongil, the death of Frodo's parents, Saruman's turn to darkness and discovery of the palantir, etc.

Roles for Ron Perleman and Doug Jones, should they choose to join: Ron could be Thorin, Bard, Beorn, or the voice of Smaug while Dougie could be the Goblin King or one of the trolls.

Posted at 9:48AM on Apr 25th 2008 by elessar

11. "Hellboy" was not a good movie. The preview for "Hellboy II" looks equally as cheesy and stupid. "Pan's Labyrinth" is one of my favorite movies, so I'm definitely a big supporter of del Toro, but he is definitely not flawless. He does make great visuals and really creative sets, monsters, and creatures, so I'm sure that at the very least "The Hobbit" will be a feast for the eyes.

Posted at 10:49AM on Apr 25th 2008 by James Noeys

12. Actually, I'm hearing now that both parts of this film will be based on the Hobbit and not a transition between the Hobbit and LOTR as so many have reported.

Posted at 12:03PM on Apr 25th 2008 by Bhist

13. Del Toro has openly admitted that Mimic wasn't the movie he idealized in his mind due to the studio constant interference, that's why he usually comeback to do small independent movies.

The more success he achieves in this big budget money-maker film for the studio, the more liberty he'll have to make his future films the way he wants ("At the Mountains of Madness" or "Saturn and the end of days".

Martin Freeman from the Office would we awesome as Bilbo.

Posted at 1:13AM on Apr 27th 2008 by alexmonty