> Cuaron and Del Toro would be much stronger choices, but I'd be minorly concerned their distinctive styles would clash with the existing movies.

Have you seen Pan's Labyrinth? Not only is it proof Del Toro can make a truly great fantasy film, I think the style he displays would fit well with the series. It's the sort of elegant fantasy film making Jackson brought to LOTR, not really hyper kinetic at all like Cuaron's Harry Potter film (AKA the best one) while still pulsing with a distinct energy.

Let's not forget that prior to his actually making the movies, there was little reason to suspect that the guy behind The Frighteners and Bad Taste was a great pick for LOTR. Aside from Heavenly Creatures, Jackson's filmography was pure insanity. Pan's Labyrinth is up there with the LOTR trilogy on the very short list of best fantasy films ever, so I am hoping that if Jackson doesn't do it that Del Toro does.

And I'm not totally convinced that changing the feel of the film is necessarily a bad idea. The Hobbit novel feels distinctly different from the LOTR novels, so it might work to its favor. Not to mention that adapting The Hobbit -- a pretty simple, straight ahead adventure -- is an infinitely easier task than adapting LOTR.

I think the most important thing Jackson brought to the table was a real love of the source material and the conviction to do it justice. If he's still overseeing the project and he can find a director who shares those values, I think we should be OK.

Stephen