A surprising choice of director has been made for the upcoming movie based on J.R.R Tolkien's 'The Hobbit'
Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro has confirmed he will be the likely choice to direct the highly anticipated movie adaptation of the world famous fantasy book.
For several years there was speculation that 'Lord Of The Rings' director Peter Jackson would be handling the project.
Del Toro, who rose to prominence after his epic fantasy 'Pan's Labyrinth' wowed audiences, told Entertainment Weekly he may also be co-writing the script with Jackson, along with 'Lord Of The Rings' writers Fran Walshe and Phillipa Boyens.
"All I can say is creatively we are all in sync and eager to commit and move forward." del Toro said.
Jackson and Walshe are expected to be co-producers. The film is set to have a budget of $US150 million ($A163.77 million).