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Latest on Guillermo del Toro: Hobbit, Horror, and Hater

by Kevin Powers
May 22, 2008
Source: Variety

With the release of Hellboy II just under two months away, we're starting to get inundated with news of Guillermo del Toro and his upcoming projects. The Guadalajara-born writer, director and producer has definitely hit a stride since the success of Pan's Labyrinth a few years ago. (Die-hard fans, however, would say del Toro has been the shit ever since Mimic and his earlier works.) Variety drops a big update on a number del Toro's upcoming projects, which include the joint effort with Peter Jackson on the two-part Hobbit movie, an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness", and a producer role in the adaptation of a novel called "Hater".

Firstly, the latest "ooh" moment in Hobbit news is that apparently talks have already begun with at least three actors whose Lord of the Rings characters also appear in the Hobbit storyline: Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, and Andy Serkis as Gollum. Del Toro went on to say, "I am all for keeping the actors who originated the parts, as much as availability and their willingness will allow." How cool is that going to be if Jackson and del Toro can get these folks to sign on? Talk about bridging the movies in the best way possible. Previously, Ian McKellen himself already stated he would be in no matter what, and similarly so did Andy Serkis.

Secondly, and this is really intriguing to me, del Toro is still scheduled to adapt and direct H.P. Lovecraft's 1931 novella, "At the Mountains of Madness." The story surrounds an expedition to Antarctica in which various manner of terror and creature is discovered - perfect for del Toro, who painfully teases us by saying, "I think we need to re-create the tentpole studio horror film." Indeed!

Lastly, and less interesting, del Toro will help produce an adapted story called "Hater" that is a thriller about an epidemic of random violence in which ordinary people strike lethally without warning or remorse. I say less interesting, because it doesn't seem like del Toro is going to lend that much to the project. "I'll carry my weight on the creative side, in choosing elements and storyboarding, but it will be up to [co-producer Mark Johnson] and the director we choose to execute the day to day. The Hobbit is a monumental task, and I don't want to do anything that detracts from my attention to that."

How's that for a nice helping of Guillermo goodness on this fine day?

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CSpuppydog

I love del Toro. I cannot wait for AT The Mountains of Madness.
http://www.thestopbutton.com Andrew Wickliffe

At the Mountains of Madness will never get made. Del Toro's a sell-out.
Spider

Del Toro is a great talent! If there is anyone in Hollywood fully capable of multi-tasking, while keeping his creativity in stride, it's definitely Del Toro! ...Del Toro is definitely NOT a sellout--he's a talented Mexican. Heck, it's Hollywood!
David

Yeah, seriously Andrew, calm down. The man is bringing good media to a more mainstream audience. If he wants to make something and someone is willing to finance it...how is that selling out?
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

Andrew - how would you claim he's a sell out?! At the Mountains of Madness is his dream project! He'll get to it when he can, and he needs the right amount of money to do it (which is a lot), and in the meantime he'll do Hobbit. You really think he took on Hobbit just as a money thing? C'mon, a project that big no one would do just for that. Guillermo knows fans and what they want better than ANY other director our there (except maybe Zack Snyder).
Silver

Only thing that could be better than a Del Toro-Mountains of Madness movie would be a Del Toro-Doctor Strange (fingers crossed). But whoa whoa whoa wait Viggo better only be in the "bridge film" or it will kill the Hobbit for me (and surely other fans) because Aragorn was a wee little tike (or something like that) during the events of the Hobbit. Del Toro is still the man.
Tank

Why is it that people who have no real idea about the big picture of film making (andrew) insist on calling people a sell out when they make something that person doesn't like the idea of? Grow up and let a creative man who is living his dream do what he wants. You have no right to bag him. Unless you are a greater talent and have a bigger track record than his Del Toro is a brilliant film maker. Nuff said