Axed like Tom Bombadil

I missed this originally, having been away from the fandom for a few days as I'm wont to do when juggling obsesssions. Apparently they're making a movie out of The Hobbit after all, which would be absolutely squee-worthy if not for the news that Peter Jackson's not directing it. The studio dropped him over some disagreement, which seems suicidal to me, since he's proven himself more than capable of making high-quality adaptations not to mention billions of dollars. As recently as the 14th, it looked like things were going well. I'm glad I hadn't read that news flurry before New Line decided to yell "Psyche!" Talk about a letdown.

Then again, there might be an upside to Jackson's divorce from the new film. For one, it preserves Jackson's LotR trilogy as standalone movie gold. As I've said before, don't mess with perfection. No matter how bad the new Hobbit movie is, it won't tarnish the splendor that is LotR.

That being said, a non-Jackson Hobbit may not be that bad. It solves a problem that many fans had been debating: the question of tone. Tolkien's Hobbit is a much lighter work than LotR, less awash in carnage, symbolism, and confusing names. The merry elves of The Hobbit are nowhere to be found in its sequels, replaced by a vanishing race of solemn beauties who wouldn't lower themselves to frolic. Ultimately, Bilbo's story is much more of a childrens' book, right down to its very diction, and Jackson is not a childrens' film director. He likes his battles bloody and his symbolism heavy, thank you very much. In order to make his prequel match his trilogy, Jackson would probably have to change The Hobbit into something very different from its source material. This might not be a bad thing, but it's a complication. Now, a new director may still decide (or feel obliged) to imitate the feel of Jackson's films. But if he fails, it won't be Jackson's fault. It might even make him look better.

But I'll still be signing the petition. :)

Literally everything you'd ever want to know about this can be found at geek Mecca.