Ian McKellen dropped a whopping bit of casting news at a recent fan event: Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis' upcoming 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum' will feature Frodo and Gandalf.
Jackson was a producer on the project from the beginning, and HE wanted Guillermo Del Toro to direct. IIRC Jackson wasn’t super jazzed to do The Hobbit, but, when Del Toro left and because New Line couldn’t be fucked to wait for him to finish a different project, Jackson was the only acceptable replacement that fit into their timeline. Jackson did not want to be doing more LOTR, and it’s probably still true. The Hobbit was a turd with too much money tossed at it, while LOTR’s was lighting in a bottle with many years of preproduction* and passion behind it. Jackson will never make anything as good again.
Jackson was a producer on the project from the beginning, and HE wanted Guillermo Del Toro to direct. IIRC Jackson wasn’t super jazzed to do The Hobbit, but, when Del Toro left and because New Line couldn’t be fucked to wait for him to finish a different project, Jackson was the only acceptable replacement that fit into their timeline. Jackson did not want to be doing more LOTR, and it’s probably still true. The Hobbit was a turd with too much money tossed at it, while LOTR’s was lighting in a bottle with many years of preproduction* and passion behind it. Jackson will never make anything as good again.
Edit: fixed some words.