Hobbit director confirmed

“Frownland” is a pitch-black character study of Keith Sontag, a neurotic, manipulative, stridently unlovable New Yorker whose pitiless roommate aptly describes him, to his face, as “a burbling troll in his underwear.” With the most basic elements of human communication a struggle, Keith lurches his way through an uncaring city, attempting to aid a suicidal friend, evict his unctuous roommate, and simply attain some measure of self-respect.

Guillermo del Toro has finally been confirmed to direct the upcoming ‘Lord of the Rings’ prequel ‘The Hobbit’.

The widely expected announcement — which had been rumored for several weeks — came Thursday afternoon jointly from exec producers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, New Line president Toby Emmerich, and Mary Parent, newly named chief of MGM’s Worldwide Motion Picture Group.

Del Toro will be moving to New Zealand for the next four years to work with Jackson and his Wingnut and Weta production teams. He’ll direct the two films back to back, with the sequel dealing with the 60-year period between “The Hobbit” and “The Fellowship of the Ring,” the first of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

The studios didn’t give a start date on production and don’t yet have a script. Though no screenplay deal’s been set, it’s expected that the “LOTR” scripting team of Jackson, Walsh and Philippa Boyens will collaborate with Del Toro.

What this means for Del Toro’s other projects (such as the recently announced ‘Saturn and the End of Days’ or the possible Hellboy 3) remains to be seen.

DISCUSS: Now we have our director, who do you wanna see cast in ‘The Hobbit’?