Guillermo del Toro is in talks to direct both installments of the back-to-back production for “The Hobbit,” says The Hollywood Reporter [1]. There’s no script, but the process will be fast-tracked when the writer’s strike ends.

Sam Raimi had been a much-rumored front runner for “The Hobbit,” even before Peter Jackson was brought back in to produce. However, Raimi recently signed on for a return to low-budget horror filmmaking, “Drag Me to Hell [2],” from a script he and his brother Ivan co-wrote.

Del Toro was once in line [3] to direct the live action “Halo” film that Peter Jackson was to produce. This most likely takes del Toro off the table to direct Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows [4].