Peter Jackson in Negotiations to Direct The Hobbit

It looks like the MGM and Warner Bros. strategy of contacting tonally inappropriate directors to helm The Hobbit franchise had paid off better than any strategy associated with MGM in the last year. According to Movieline sister site Deadline, Peter Jackson is fully immersed in negotiations that would place him behind the camera for the two Hobbit films. Feign your total surprise... now.

Basically, it looks like MGM is being persuaded to "loosen the purse strings" to allow The Hobbit films to be produced. And Jackson in the director's chair is the means to that end. You can almost hear the negotiations now: Hey, what if I told you we could get an Oscar-winning director to do this?

Furthering the speculation, Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are scheduled to head to London during the week of July 4, followed by a trip to Los Angeles after that to meet with a select few actors who have been singled out by casting directors. Why is that important, you ask? Well, it seems logical that the director of the film would be included in casting choices. As they say in the business, developing...

· URGENT: Peter Jackson Negotiating To Direct 'The Hobbit' Films [Deadline]