Jackson happy to hand over Hobbit reins
Peter Jackson happy to hand over Hobbit reins
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Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson has confirmed the first script for the two films based on JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit has been completed.
Pan's Labyrinth helmer Guillermo del Toro is to bring the novel to the screen while Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will co-write and produce the films, having won 17 Oscars for the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the premiere of his new film The Lovely Bones, Jackson revealed the first of the two scripts had already been completed and handed to a grateful studio.
"The Hobbit will be two movies and we've written the first script and delivered it to the studio who seem to be happy with it," the New Zealander told reporters.
"We're now halfway through the second script and Philippa, Fran, Guillermo and myself are doing the scripts and having great fun."
He continued: "It was an interesting experience because eight or nine years have passed since we wrote the Lord of the Rings screenplays and I was worried it'd be weird or hard or uncomfortable to go back there, but as soon as we started writing the scripts it was fun, actually, and easy."
Having won a best director award for The Return of the King in 2003, Jackson could be expected to feel reluctant to hand over the reins to envisioning Middle Earth to another director.
But the 48-year-old stressed he is "happy" Del Toro is making the two films based on Tolkien's 1937 novel.
"It's our job to support him and to help him tell the story - and my favourite part of the process of filmmaking is the screenplay. That's the part that's the least pressured and most creative and it's fun."