Sam Raimi offered "The Hobbit"

I really like Sam's work, but this is still a train wreck if it's not Jackson. If it's coming down to money with Jackson, how can the studio look at how much money the last three films made and throw an extra $30 million at Jackson or $50 million, whatever it takes. If I was Raimi, I would have to turn this project down. Anyone will fail to come close to what Jackson did. I am guessing that they won't use the same effect people, cast, and etc. Either way... Get Jackson attached at all cost!

Money isn't the problem. Jackson won't do it because there is some huge legal mess with the LOTR movies and he doesn't want to get back into that mess. From an interview I have read somewhere if they clean up that mess Jackson would most likely come back.

Well, this would certainly be an interesting choice... but no! If the Hobbit is supposed to be in line with Lord of the Rings, his style doesn't match anything at all. Raimi is an excellent director, but not for this go around. If the company isn't willing to use Jackson, I'd suggest not using someone that is on a totally different scale. Hmmm. Maybe we should think of some directors that COULD do the job! Maybe Ridley Scott?

I don't think Raimi's a bad choice at all, particularly if you look at the tone of Spider-Man. Certainly, its a prequel, but The Hobbit is a very different kind of story than Lord of the Rings. It's more personal, about a reluctant, overwhelmed hero, than an epic war for the future. While Jackson wouldn't be a BAD choice, given that this is a completely different kind of story, I don't know that he's actually be the best choice! Raimi, with the sense of wonder and discovery of a greater world he was able to convey in the first Spider-Man movie would make a good director for such a story, I think, assuming he's careful not to fall to far into the snarkiness that marks a lot of his work.

Since hearing that Jackson wasn't going to do the movie, I've been pondering over and over on what director would be appropriate to follow up Jackson - and Rami just isn't it. I love his movies (even Darkman), but he just doesn't have that epic quality that Hobbit needs. It requires more a director closer to David Lean than Sam Rami, to properly present the grandness of the story - and equally be capable of working with the fantastical elements. The name I keep coming back to - and it was the name I immidiately dismissed when I originally heard Jackson was off the project - is Spielberg (please allow me to finish my thought before attacking). I know its such an overly simplistic "guy-on-the-street" suggestion, but when I think about the battles of Saving Private Ryan, and the personal emotional termoil presented in movies like Schindlers and Amnistad, and stir in Spielberg's appreciation for the fantastic, and I can't think of anyone better. Besides that, the man has never done a straight on fantasy. That's what I think, anyway. Its not going to happen, but I just think it would be great if it did.

If jackson doesnt come back, my man Gandalf(sir Ian) isnt coming back. Of course i dont know that for sure, but if i were him, i wouldn't. I mean replacing a Dumbledoor or something like that is really no big deal, but Gandalf is Gandalf. I thought New Line cared about the artist too, what a shame, make it work, and get Jackson.

When I first heard they were going to do The Hobbit I thought it would be nice to get Peter Jackson id only to cool the jets of so many fans who would be ready to protest, but ya know there are qute a few hard-core Tolkein fans that did not like some of the changes Jackson made to the story. I found myself missing some things as well, but found the films fine as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings not Tolkein's. Now I know Tolkein's son doesn't want his father's works filmed at all, but the movie rights to Lord of the Rngs and The Hobbit were sold long ago. I find myself wondering what exactly could be in a second Hobbit movie to lead up to Lord of the Rings and I also think on things that appeared in the Lord of the Rings films that were not from those books, but actually from material that no studio has any right to as far as I know, so what material can they use here? Now we all know that the Hobbit itself is very much different from Lord of the Rings. It really isn't such an epic tale for one thing or at least it doesn't compare to LOTR in that sense and perhaps it needs a director with a different vision anyway. Sam Raimi might just be fine. It would be like the difference between the first couple Harry Potter films and the last couple. It might be more than just nice to have Ian play Gandalf again, but just as you've mentioned Dumbledoor, I would say Dumbledoor may not be a big deal to some, but he is to others. As far as Bilbo it would be like Obi-Wan Kenobi being played by the same guy or even Aniken "Darth Vader" Skywalker himself. Maybe this will be great maybe it will be awful. I refuse to pre-judge such a thing until we see the finished product. Here we are likely to see some of Sam Raimi's favorite people rather than Peter Jackson's though. Perhaps even Bruce Campbell. As long as this doesn't get too far off into what someone here calls snarky. If you've seen Army of Darkness you know how it can get. As far as Spielburg hmmm. Somehow he seems a bit too much like Disney to me and I know that Tolkein pretty much loathed Disney. I'm sure C.S. Lewis is rolling over in his grave as well over Narnia. Lewis and Tolkein corresponded while they were working on their respective tales, so there are comparisons. Whether that would work or not to me depends entirely on Spielberg's vision for it. This is in a way a story for kids, but not to the extent that we've seen Narnia and Harry Potter made.

BDD it is not Jackson that has the problem with the lawsuit it is New Line. They have told Jackson that they do not want him back he wants to make it. That is besides the point what scares me is that Sir Ian will only make it if Jackson is the director and New Line is going to learn very quickly that without Jackson and Sir Ian they will have a dud in the works

Sam Raimi is excelent but he's not PJ. New line think smart on this, PJ is the only one that can do it. Otherwise don't make the Hobbit at all. Grab onto another fantasy series.

Raimi? Sweet. Does this mean Bruce Campbell gets to be Gandalf? That would be so fantastic...