The Hobbit (Parts 1 & 2)

So, the fat Spanish dude is going to replace the fat dude from New Zealand. You can read more in Variety, but it's now official: Guillermo del Toro will direct two feature films based on The Hobbit. The Hobbit is a kinda-sorta prequel to The Lord of The Rings trilogy, even though the tone is different.

I do have faith in Del Toro. When Jackson was first announced by New Line to direct a series of live action adaptations of The Lord of The Rings, it seemed ludicrous. But I thought about what he did with Heavenly Creatures, particularly the fantasy elements, and I was confident he knew what he was doing. This time around, I've got Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth to bolster my confidence. Plus, Peter Jackson is executive producer, with his company WETA along for the ride.

The real question is: who will play Bilbo? Is Ian Holm too old?