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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I got this story off of an AP news
list;</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV> <FONT face=Arial size=2>Guillermo del Toro to direct `The Hobbit' and
sequel <BR>Associated Press/AP Online</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>LOS ANGELES - Guillermo del Toro is directing "The
Hobbit" and its sequel, which will span the 60 years between the first book and
the beginning of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, New Line Cinema announced
Thursday. <BR>The 43-year-old filmmaker will move to New Zealand for four years
to work with executive producer Peter Jackson and his production teams. Del Toro
will direct the two films back-to-back. </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The first tells the story of how Bilbo Baggins came
to possess the Ring of Doom, while the second will center on the time between
then and "The Fellowship of the Ring." New Line did not immediately clarify how
the storyline spanning the books would be created. </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Del Toro wrote and directed "Pan's Labyrinth,"
which earned six Oscar nominations in 2006 and won three awards. He is also the
director of the upcoming sequel "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," whose monsters
bear the unmistakeable surreal vision of the Mexican-born filmmaker.
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"I am indeed blessed to become a part of the
filmmaking community that Peter, Fran and their extraordinary team of
collaborators have created in New Zealand," del Toro said in a statement.
"Contributing to the 'Lord of the Rings' legacy is an absolute dream come true."
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jackson and Walsh called del Toro "a cinematic
magician who has never lost his childlike sense of wonder." </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"We have long admired Guillermo's work and cannot
think of a more inspired filmmaker to take the journey back to Middle-Earth,"
they said in a statement. </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jackson co-wrote, co-produced and directed the
"Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which won 17 Oscar and 30 nominations. .
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