After Guillermo del Toro dropped out of directing The Hobbit films on May 30th, everyone has been wondering who will step up to direct. Yesterday, it was reported that David Yates (the Harry Potter films) is interested. Today, Deadline reports that not only is Yates interested, but also David Dobkin (Fred Claus, Wedding Crashers) and Brett Ratner (Rush Hour 3, X-Men: The Last Stand).
At this point, no one has been given the job. However, according to Deadline, MGM and Warner Brothers are currently trying to convince Producer Peter Jackson to step in to direct the two films.
After del Toro stepped down this past May, Peter Jackson had this to say (from /Film):
“If [directing the films is] what I have to do to protect Warner Bros’ investment, then obviously that’s one angle which I’ll explore…The other studios may not let me out of the contracts.”
By “contracts,” he is referring to his commitments to direct other films, such as the second film in Steven Spielberg’s Tintin trilogy.
At this point, while I wouldn’t want Peter Jackson to step up to direct simply to protect Warner Brothers’ investment, he is the best choice out of the other three mentioned above. He directed The Lord of the Rings trilogy with great success, and he already lives in New Zealand where the films will be shot (unlike Guillermo del Toro, who had to move there along with his family). If he says yes, hopefully his heart is in it just as much as it was when he directed The Lord of the Rings.
However, if Jackson gives a definitive “no” to the project, I’d say that if they put the above three directors into the drawing, Yates is clearly the best choice in my opinion. I like the look and feel of his Harry Potter films, and it would be the closest fit since he is used to directing fantasy movies.
I’m not too keen on Dobkin or Ratner. Those two don’t make any sense at all.
