Variety reported today that Guillermo Del Toro will be co-producing Hater, based on the David Moody novel, along with Mark Johnson. Mark is the producer of the Chronicles of Narnia series and was one of my interviewees for The Frodo Franchise. I talked with him in Auckland in June, 2004, just as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was gearing up for production. Mark acquired the rights to Hater and approached GDT to direct, but he can’t because of his lengthy commitment to The Hobbit. Interviewed by Daily Variety, GDT revealed a few specific bits of Hobbit-related information that I hadn’t heard before.

Here’s the relevant part of the story. Discussing Hater, GDT said:

“I’ll carry my weight on the creative side, in choosing elements and storyboarding, but it will be up to Mark and the director we choose to execute the day to day,” he said. “The Hobbit” is a “monumental task, and I don’t want to do anything that detracts from my attention to that.”

Pre-production is about to get under way on the two-part “Hobbit.” Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are expected to pen the scripts under the direction of Peter Jackson and del Toro. Preliminary contact has already been made with at least three actors whose “Lord of the Rings” characters also appear in the “Hobbit” storyline: Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Ian McKellen (Gandalf) and Andy Serkis (Gollum).

“We will all be involved in the script in some fashion but the exact definition is about a week away,” said del Toro. “I am all for keeping the actors who originated the parts, as much as availability and their willingness will allow.”

It seems as though work on the Hobbit project is moving at last. Pre-production to start soon, Viggo Mortensen approached to play Aragorn again, other actors perhaps contacted, and firmer plans for the scripting responsibilities due in about a week. Sounds exciting!