The Hobbit, budget boners, and Peter Jackson.

I’m usually pretty on top of PJ-related news, but Peter Jackson apparently signed on to do both Hobbit movies after Del Toro (Director of the Pan’s Labrynth) backed out of the directing job. On a side note, I never understood why PJ and Del Toro are so ridiculous looking. When you’re a big-budget director are you forced to eat, not shave, and be jolly? I’d think so, but Zach Synder is like a male model. If PJ and Del Toro had sex and had a baby, it would be Baloo the bear

Anyway…Abc News reports that, “Warner Bros. and MGM, which is acting as co-financing partner, have reached a deal that will see the two-part prequel to Jackson’s blockbuster “Lord of the Rings” trilogy finally go before cameras after months of wrangling over how financially beleaguered MGM would cover its half of the production, estimated to cost around $500 million and be shot in 3D.”

500 million dollars? I just popped a budget boner. 500 million bucks, wow! What’s crazy is that PJ famously gets crazy contracts, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he signed something like 30 million up front with a 5% to 10% kicker. I can’t even imagine how much that tubby lil’ dude is going to make. ABC NEWS also stated there is a labor dispute regarding SAG, apparently SAG is telling some members not be in the film because its non-union. I literally find this impossible unless a incidental rule has been broken in the past to nullify the films status as union.

Stupid. Regardless, the movie might hit the big-screen in a little under 3 years. Ballin’

-Collin