There appears to be another interesting development on The Hobbit this weekend, and to be honest, I’m a bit surprised this possibility hadn’t surfaced earlier. As you know, Guillermo Del Toro left the project last month, and MGM has been in search of a new director to take over the reins. Peter Jackson does not want the job, but as executive producer he does want someone that he can trust. The latest rumour has District 9 director Neill Blomkamp pegged as Del Toro’s successor for these two massive films.

The report comes from a spy for TheOneRing.net, who seem quite confident that the information is correct. As far as we know Blomkamp’s schedule is currently clear, and if Peter Jackson simply wants a proxy that he can work through, then Blomkamp is ideal since they have already established a close working relationship.

He might not seem like an obvious choice for The Hobbit just because his previous experience is in the realm of sci-fi rather than fantasy, but the fact is, most of the pre-production work and art design has already been completed. Personally, I think he’s a great candidate. He has proven that he can handle action, drama and special effects, and this would be an opportunity to vault him into mega-budget A-list territory. Plus, it may mean there’s an outside chance that they’ll find a role for Sharlto Copley in the films as well! What do you think, is Neill Blomkamp a good choice to direct The Hobbit?