Jackson and Walsh not likely to be involved in "The Hobbit"

This is sad news IMHO.

http://www.theonering.net/staticnews/1163993546.html

One interesting tid-bit is this idea of a LOTR prequel in addition to the Hobbit.

(snip)
Several years ago, Mark Ordesky told us that New Line have rights to make not just The Hobbit but a second "LOTR prequel", covering the events leading up to those depicted in LOTR. Since then, we've always assumed that we would be asked to make The Hobbit and possibly this second film, back to back, as we did the original movies. We assumed that our lawsuit with the studio would come to a natural conclusion and we would then be free to discuss our ideas with the studio, get excited and jump on board. We've assumed that we would possibly get started on development and design next year, whilst filming The Lovely Bones. We even had a meeting planned with MGM executives to talk through our schedule.
(snip)

I remember hearing roomers of another film besides "The Hobbit" but what I read implied it would be based on stories in the "Silmarillion" but the mention of the second potential film here sounds like it would be set between "The Hobbit" and "Fellowship" in the timeline of the story.

I can't see anyone else helming the Hobbit project other than PJ, to be honest. It seems that he got it as "right" as it can get despite some deviations from the books. The core team of the LOTR trilogy was also the soul of the movies. I guess New Line can hire whomever they want. I wonder if they will try to emulate PJ's work or start from scratch? Wingnut and Weta have set the bar pretty damn high, imo. Maybe we'll hear / read more of this as time goes on. This is the first I heard of it and it's like having someone kick my feet out from under me.

The LOTR movies were great, but Peter Jackson didn't exactly reinvent the movies in doing so. If they're serious about mimicing the same style, there are plenty of less talented directors who will be able to do that.

Peter Jackson's talent was in establishing and creating the style of the three movies, but now with what....twelve hours of movies in the extended cuts....there should be enough for even a mediocre director to be able to repliate the style in a new film. I think the bigger problem would be budget.

To Web Fans, Peter Jackson Is the One True Director

(snip)
In an interview from Italy Mr. Zaentz said he was misquoted, but that Mr. Jackson should be the one to direct “The Hobbit.” “We would like to see it done, of course with Peter Jackson,” he said. “He’s a good film director. He’s the right guy. He knows it too. But it’s a hard thing to do, when you feel you didn’t get the money you were supposed to get.”
(snip)


(snip)
But anxiety continued to reverberate in cyberspace. Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the Rings series, wrote on his Web site, mckellen.com: “I’m very sad as I should have relished revisiting middle Earth with Peter again as team-leader. It’s hard to imagine any other director matching his achievement in Tolkien country.”
(snip)

(snip)
It was left to another studio entirely, MGM, which owns the distribution rights to “The Hobbit,” to step in and calm the raging waters — and the Web sites.

“We expect to partner with New Line in financing ‘The Hobbit,’ ” a spokesman for MGM said. “We support Peter Jackson as a filmmaker, and believe that when the dust settles, he’ll be making the movie. We can’t imagine any other result.”
(snip)


More at: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/29/movies/29hobbit.html

Sounds like the dust really hasn't fully settled on this and there may still indeed by a chance for PJ and Fran Walsh to be involved in making the Hobbit. But that part of the Ian McKellen quote I highlighted is worrisome, bad enough if PJ and Fran are not involved (perhaps as someone else suggested a competent director could follow in their lead) but then to loose Ian McKellen in the role of Gandalf...? Not good. At that point I would have to see any Hobbit movie as a totally disconnected creation somehow (sort of like I did with Star Trek: Enterprise), which of course would be difficult.