Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have finally resolved their royalty dispute over Lord of the Rings, paving the way for Jackson to direct two films based on J.R.R. Tolkein's Hobbit book.
Due to other commitments, Jackson will be unable to direct but has signed on as executive producer. The early names being tossed around for director include Spider-Man director Sam Raimi, whose been anxiously awaiting this project, and Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro.
The studios indented to begin shooting both films simultaneously in 2009 with release dates in 2010 and 2011.
Source: Variety
