Click HERE to see this thread with all of the graphics, features, and links.

Writer/director Sam Raimi confirmed to SCI FI Wire that he has spoken with New Line Cinema honcho Robert Shaye about helming The Hobbit, a Lord of the Rings prequel film based on J.R.R. Tolkien's book, but only once and only informally. "I spoke to him once, so it's a little more overblown, I think," Raimi said in a news conference in Beverly Hills, Calif., over the weekend while promoting his upcoming Spider-Man 3. "That's why I don't want to pretend that it's bigger than it is. I had one conversation about the possibility of it, and that's really where it's at."

As for his interest in the film, Raimi repeated that he would only sign on with the OK of Peter Jackson, the Rings director who has been blacklisted by New Line as a result of a lawsuit over Rings revenues. "I'd have to know that he was OK with it," Raimi said. "It's really his picture and Bob Shaye's picture."

www.scifi.com

That would be horrible - he'd probably remove the orcs because he wouldn't understand them or think them unbelievable.

Terrible news - although I heard it a while ago.

Oh dear lord... will Smaug be some giggling Power Rangers villain????

oh great.... Sam "american accents in fantasy" Raimi.

its nice he'd only do it with Peter Jacksons approval

Sam Raimi is a decent director but he wont capture the spirit of the Tolkien novel like Jackson did so brilliantly.

Originally posted by rockycairns
Sam Raimi is a decent director but he wont capture the spirit of the Tolkien novel like Jackson did so brilliantly.

Couldn't agree more. And I've said it before and ima say it again: Without Jackson (and consequently, Weta) the LoTR we all have come to love will be history.