Kristin from Reelz Channel sends this in: So we are having a bit of fun in the Hobbit Casting Rumors department. Since there isn’t much else to report on, why not? This time we’ve narrowed the possible monsters that Guillermo del Toro might play in the movie. More..

“I’m a 22-year-old who’s been making films all my life – how can I get a job on The Hobbit?” Towards the end of a remarkable two hours with Guillermo del Toro, this question got a remarkably friendly answer from the 44-year-old Mexican who has made seven movies and who’s getting ready to make his next two in Wellington. More.. (Paid registration required)

Film director Guillermo del Toro is to take time out from making The Hobbit to help out some other little movie guys in Wellington. Mexico-born del Toro has given up his valuable time to help independent New Zealander Sam Kelly raise money to make a musical feature film. One For The Road, directed by Kelly, is due to begin filming in January, with just $60,000 of its $1.5 million budget raised so far. In a bid to close the gap, the film’s makers are hoping to sell out Wellington’s Paramount Theatre tonight. More..

Guillermo Del Toro paid a visit to our message boards today to confirm that he will definitely be making a cameo appearance in The Hobbit as a small monster:

“I had a hand on the design of the creature and I will personally sculpt the appliances that will be applied on my face and hands. I used to sculpt the creatures for NECROPIA (my FX company) and I miss it a bit. I will have a line or two and die quickly.”

His comments were in response to a discussion on our Hobbit Movie message board of a German interview about The Strain posted on YouTube, with some English audible and a comment or two about The Hobbit.  Guillermo is known for dropping in from time to time to join in the discussions, awarding us with tidbits about The Hobbit production, or simply how life in Middle-earth is treating him. Follow the link to read his comments and join in the discussion. Guillermo Del Toro Cameo..

What exactly is going on with the two-part adaptation of The Hobbit? The world seems to be holding its breath in anticipation, including us, but as the calendar turned to November, we turned to a trusted rock-solid inside source and found a dragon’s treasure of updates. Read the rest of this entry »

From Total Film: Eighteen months ago, Guillermo del Toro had a 10-year-plan. His life was mapped out, and it had nothing to do with JRR Tolkien’s lovingly rendered cartography of Middle-earth.  “I was calmly laying out the next decade of my life when The Hobbit appeared,” he laughs. “I was preparing all these things and all of a sudden The Hobbit shows up and takes over my life.” Make no mistake: The Hobbit is his precious. Del Toro knows more than anyone that this diptych could – should – define his career.  And so the director has been busy building a world that not only honours JRR Tolkien’s book and Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy but will emerge assuredly, triumphantly, his own. More..

Oscar-winner Guillermo Del Toro may be a big guy in Hollywood circles but the director of The Hobbit is only too happy to help some of the local film industry’s “little guys”. He has pledged his name and support to a Q&A fundraising event for Wellington producer Bonnie Slater and director Sam Kelly’s first feature film, One for the Road. Billed as New Zealand’s first musical drama, it’s slated to shoot early next year and follows the fortunes of a struggling, small town band.

“We’re thrilled to have Guillermo’s support,” Slater says. “He has not done any event of this kind in New Zealand before and it’s a coup to have attracted him to headline our fundraiser and help promote our cause. More..

linuxelf sends along this article with more (in)correct casting rumors for ‘The Hobbit’. More..

TheOneRing.net would like to send Happy Birthday wishes to Hobbit director Guillermo del Toro! If you’d like to send along your well wishes, take a moment to post on the thread that has already been started in our forums. (He visits them quite often!) Guillermo del Toro was born October 9, 1964 in Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico, which makes him only 45 as he moves into his second year of ‘Hobbit’ film development.

Geoff Boucher writes: This week we’re taking a look at four major trilogies from this decade that are looking to add a fourth film despite substantial challenges — not least among those challenges the skepticism of moviegoers who may wonder if some of these Hollywood vehicles are running on empty.

The story so far: Director Peter Jackson’s majestic and magical interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic is arguably the gold standard now for fantasy-film franchises. The “Rings” trilogy piled up a staggering $2.92 billion in worldwide box office (plus more than $3 billion in DVD and others ancillary sales) and also pulled off a magic trick that has eluded the “Star Wars” or “Harry Potter” franchises — it cast a spell over voters in the marquee Oscar categories of best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay. More..