Del Toro: Hobbit movie production under way

There may no longer be just one movie to rule them all, but the herculean task of adapting Tolkien's fantasy opus The Hobbit to the big screen is picking up steam, according to reports from director Guillermo del Toro.

Pre-production has already begun, including scripting and casting, and the addition of Hellboy mastermind Mike Mignola to the production crew has been confirmed: "We are sketching and designing with Weta's John Howe, and [Adam Lee]," del Toro told MTV. "Mike Mignola is coming soon. He's going to do a stint on the design team."

"We're working on the outline. We did the cards, and then after the cards, we're fleshing out the outline. It's a titanic task. It sounds easy, but, uh, it's, I think, the harder thing to untangle... In about two, three months we're going to full-on have more designers come on from outside Weta. But we are already about a good third of the road [along] with some of the creatures — some really interesting and strong designs."

Scripting and casting is the last area that needs to be nailed down, and though del Toro was silent on who would be filling the, uh, hairy feet of leading man/halfling Bilbo Baggins, he claimed that the shortlist (yuk yuk) is down to four actors. He was also resolutely mute on the plan for the proposed second Hobbit flick, which would ostensibly bridge The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Rings.

The movie probably won't see Leonard Nimoy recreate a particularly low point in his career, but in these dark times, mithril junkies can be only too grateful for their next fix.

Related links:
News: Mortensen, McKellen and Serkis all in talks for Hobbit roles
News: The Hobbit down to one film after all?
YouTube: J.R.R. Tolkien reads from The Hobbit: Riddles in the Dark

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