Of course, anyone not living under a rock knows that door is far from being closed, as the filmmaker has agreed to spend the next few years realizing THE HOBBIT, a two-part prequel series to the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy to be produced by original helmer Peter Jackson. Shooting is set to commence in 2010.

“We’re going to have a break in the middle of filming, but I don’t know how long that break is going to be,” explains Del Toro. “We’re going to do it because of the textural differences between the two movies. The second one is meant to blend with the trilogy and so many sets will have to be refurbished and reconstructed and so forth. Ultimately we will start editing, and I normally shoot six days a week and edit on the seventh, but I'll start editing the first part of the first movie in that break.”