A couple of film news updates for the less socially inclined, one good, one bad.
The bad news first: If you’ve been following the saga of New Line Cinema’s attempts to film Lord of the Rings-predecessor The Hobbit, you may have noticed that the film has been delayed several times; originally, the two-part epic was supposed to hit theaters in late 2011. That got pushed back to 2012, and now the project, which doesn’t even have a date set for filming to begin, may have been pushed back even further. If that wasn’t enough, the constant delays have finally caused conflicts with other commitments for director Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro will still co-write the screenplay along with LOTR trilogy scribes Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson. Jackson also immediately shot down hopes that he might step in to take over, so we’re faced with another long search. This is a real bummer; I really thought Del Toro was a perfect choice for New Line’s return to Middle Earth. Any thoughts on who should take over?
Now, better news: a new trailer for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, sure to have comics fanboys squirming for joy. It looks like Edgar Wright was a brilliant choice to direct; no surprise there, really, given his previous projects (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz). And while I’m tired of Michael Cera playing the awkward geek boy, at least he’s playing his age this time around.
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I still vote for Peter Jackson. Or down with New Line!