Guillermo Del Toro Quits 'The Hobbit'

We are really sad to report this terrible news. Guillermo Del Toro has quit as director of the two The Hobbit movies.

Del Toro has been living in Wellington, designing characters, sets and costumes. Most of the pre-production work has been completed, but ongoing financial issues with rights-holders MGM are not likely to be resolved soon.

"In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming The Hobbit I am faced with the hardest decision of my life," the Mexican filmmaker said in a press release.

"After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien's Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures."

Del Toro will still remain with the project as a writer.

"I've been privileged to work in one of the greatest countries on earth with some of the best people ever in our craft and my life will be forever changed. The blessings have been plenty, but the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project."

Could there be other reasons for leaving? Leading film critic and 3D-hater Roger Ebert has tweeted: "Today: Del Toro is off "The Hobbit." Last week: Del Toro announced he wouldn't film it in 3D."

It's safe to say this news has put a damper on our day. We were really looking forward to seeing Del Toro's take on Middle Earth, and are sad that legal/rights issues and scheduling conflicts have made this impossible.