The search for the one director to bring them all and unite them in New Zealand to make this damned movie happen already has now arrived at Neill Blomkamp, reports Dark Horizons (via The One Ring). The One Ring has super vague “sources” reporting District 9’s Blomkamp is now attached as director of both Hobbit films—but “a bunch of little pieces of information” is no joint press conference held by Peter Jackson and Blomkamp, so we’re still reporting from the rumor mill here.
But that doesn’t mean the rumor isn't promising: Blomkamp is Jackson’s protégé, and it's likely Jackson would still have a lot of creative control over the project, as Blomkamp hasn’t exactly established his own visual style just yet, and much of Guillermo del Toro’s preliminary concept work will likely be kept. MGM and Warner Bros. are still adamant that Peter Jackson direct, which is safe from a marketing and branding standpoint, but Jackson seems determined to not compete against his own series of films, which is probably the responsible decision as an artist. Considered by and large a weaker and more youth-oriented work, The Hobbit simply will not compare to the magnum opus that is The Lord Of The Rings, and would do well to have its own creative energy. However, given the time and effort Jackson spent pursuing this adaptation, if it came down to the studio flat-out canceling the film altogether if no director can be found, it’s probably safe to imagine Jackson begrudgingly taking up the reins one more time. But at least with a new director, we wouldn’t have to worry about a halfhearted Hobbit film given Jackson's reluctance.