Guillermo Del Toro in Talks to Direct 'Hobbit'

(andPOP) - Guillermo Del Toro may have won a ticket to Middle Earth.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker is in talks to take the reigns from Peter Jackson and direct "The Hobbit." The J.R.R. Tolkien novel will reportedly be split into two films, with Jackson producing.

Del Toro has already built a strong following in the science fiction and fantasy crowd, with the Oscar-nominated "Pan's Labyrinth" and cult hit "Hellboy."

Jackson, who co-wrote and directed the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, is already committed to several other projects, so he will not be able to write the "Hobbit" script. The process of picking a writer will be fast-tracked once the Writer's Guild of America strike has been resolved.

In the meantime, Del Toro already has a full plate with 12 projects in various stages of development.