Jackson, del Toro to Write Hobbit Films

• Aug 20, 2008 02:13 PM ET
• by TV Guide News

Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro have found the perfect writers for The Hobbit and its sequel - themselves.

Del Toro, who is directing the movies, will work with the Lord of the Rings filmmaker and Hobbit executive producer to adapt the J.R.R. Tolkien book and write its companion film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Other writers include Jackson's wife Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, both of whom collaborated with Jackson on the Rings trilogy.

The two auteurs spent eight months searching for a writer to adapt the literary classic. When Jackson and New Line settled their differences over profit participation in the Rings films, the Oscar winner said he would not pen the Hobbit movies because of other commitments.

While looking for another writer, however, Jackson and del Toro found openings in their schdules, realized how much they loved the material, and decided there was no time to bring in someone unfamiliar with Middle Earth.

Tolkien wrote The Hobbit for his children, years before the Rings trilogy. It tells the story of young Bilbo Baggins, who joins the wizard Gandalf on a journey for treasure involving trolls, humans, Gollum and his ring of invisibility, and a dragon named Smaug.

Like the LOTR flicks, the Hobbit films will be shot simultaneously, with production tentatively set to start in late 2009. New Line and MGM are targeting a 2011 release for The Hobbit and a 2012 one for its sequel.