Pages tagged “the hobbit”

It seems like not so long ago Guillermo del Toro was known as an understated genre child, a sign of life for horror as the genre dragged its feet through the neo-slasher craze. Early movies like Cronos and The Devil’s Backbone struck a brooding gothic rhythm that celebrated the old traditions of the genre with visual invention and genuine emotional edge.

When it was announced that Guillermo del Toro was directing The Hobbit, many were elated but few were surprised. Not only was del Toro one of the few directors with a sensibility for magical whimsy tinged with darkness, but he had long been rumored as the first choice for the project.  No, the big surprise was that he was planning on creating two films: one to cover the material within The Hobbit and one to cover the lengthy gap before the Lord of the Rings.

As the fuss around poor little Bilbo Baggins continues to mount along with pre-pre-production for The Hobbit, Guillermo del Toro has just scooped another project onto his already brimming plate (Seriously, does the guy sleep?). Producer Mark Johnson (The Chronicles of Narnia) and del Toro will produce an adaptation of David Moody's book Hater, a thriller about an epidemic of ordinary people suddenly acting violently with no regret that can strike anywhere and anyone. Even you!

Psyched about the upcoming Hobbit and its as-yet-untitled sequel? That wasn't a rhetorical question, and the answer was "yes!" Well, this weekend you can put your questions to Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro yourself.  Weta has announced a livechat on Saturday, May 24. After first asking the 20 most common questions, they'll then open things up to live questions.  The live part will take up an entire hour, so you should have plenty of time to ask air your burning desires as to whether or not Smaug would win in a fight with a Nazgul.