> Have you seen Pan's Labyrinth? Not only is it proof Del Toro can make a truly great fantasy film, I think the style he displays would fit well with the series.

I've seen the first ten minutes. I was interrupted before it got underway, but I'll be watching it properly tonight. I have no doubt whatsoever that it is great, though.

> Let's not forget that prior to his actually making the movies, there was little reason to suspect that the guy behind The Frighteners and Bad Taste was a great pick for LOTR.

See, it's funny you should say that. Well do I remember those days, but I was always of the opinion that, bizarre and whacked as his prior work was, he had what it took. As it turned out, he blew my expectations away, but I always had the confidence in him that I had no basis to have.

I have that confidence in Del Toro and Cuaron but not at all in Raimi, who has demonstrated excellence with more intimate stories and floundered with epics. Even the Spiderman movie I liked was not compellingly directed.

> And I'm not totally convinced that changing the feel of the film is necessarily a bad idea.

Me neither, BUT -- is a switch to Del Toro a shift in the right direction? His filmography is extraordinarily dark, and The Hobbit, while not the frothy fairy tale it appears when it's sitting next to Lord of the Rings, is nevertheless lighter material. I'm sure Del Toro *can* establish the lighter tone, but will he?

When all is said and done, though, my only actual fear is that Raimi will get the job, or somebody worse that's not even being considered at the moment. Even with Jackson overseeing the production, a bad director will still kill the story's impact.