http://www.aintitcool.com/node/45299

I'm hoping Peter Jackson will take the director's helms in his absence.

This is a good thing.

With Del Toro already doing a lot of concept design and writing, I can see the film still bearing a lot of resemblance to his visual style. I would have loved him to direct it, its a shame the film(s) are in such development hell.

Should I have heard of this guy? >_>

With Pan's Labyrinth and HellBoy 1 & 2, I would say yes.

Haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth and I don't think Hellboy is anything to brag about =p

I'm not saying they're good, but they certainly are well-known.

Fair enough.
I'd never heard of James Cameron till he stuck his name on the Avatar, then when I saw the other movies he had done I was impressed.
I guess I just don't know directors very well

Yeah, Cameron also hadn't made a movie in like 12 years...

This is stupid. Cameron made HUGE movies over many years so somebody being ignorant of him, and google, is stupid. It's like, really, if I hear a name I'm not familiar with I google it. Then, when I find out he's been involved with many films over the years, I comment based on the impression I draw from that. Let's see, Del Toro? A list of films I like but I don't think he would live up to the expectations I have of a Peter Jackson "franchise". And what the hell is the matter with the Hellboy films?

Wookie, you're being a little childish. I am of course aware of google, but that doesn't mean I'm going to google everything instead of having conversations with people. Besides, asking people about things can get you better information then google can, not just about the person in question but about the opinions of the people discussing him.
Also if you checked the Cameron thread from a while back, you'll see I wasn't the only one who was ignorant of him. Fact is I remember movies, not directors, and if a director doesn't have his name attached to the movie then chances are I'm not going to know who directed it.
In fact, only on massassi have I ever heard directors names being used outside of Tim Burton and a couple of others.
Hellboy 1 was mediocre, it wasn't awful, but it's nothing special either, but giving the start of your post I'm surprised you asked me at all and didn't just google instead.

Yeah, but you're the same dude that never heard of James Cameron. When you say some **** like that it really doesn't even matter what you're opinion of Del Toro is because you obviously don't have any basis to have an opinion.

Pan's was the ****

That makes no sense at all, especially if you actually read my post.

south australia

I don't know much about The Hobbit film they're making and for a second I was wondering why the hell Benecio Del Toro was directing it.

The Hobbit has moved from a pipe to 60 cigarettes a day and coughs his life away in the cold neon research lab of his betrayal. OF HIS BETRAYAL!

My face when I read this....

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/3760208/Peter-Jackson-may-direct-Hobbit

Providing he doesn't find another director in time.

its really bad that Del Toro has left the amount of time he has put in pre-production