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Having turned the cherished Lord of the Rings novels into one of the most commercially successful movie franchises of all time—and tying an Oscar record in the process—Peter Jackson might seem like a natural choice to direct the announced prequel, The Hobbit. Much to the dismay of many fans, however, Jackson has allegedly been dumped from the project, as he announced via an open letter to Lord of the Rings fans everywhere, posted on fan site theonering.net.

Those fans haven't been taking the news well. The New York Times reports that, within hours of the announcement, the Internet was buzzing with complaints and worries about the future of the franchise. Some sites have even called for a boycott of any Hobbit film not directed by Jackson; there's even a petition with more than 50,000 signatures demanding that PJ helm the flick. Chris Pirrotta, founder of theonering.net, notes that the "fan community as a whole is up in arms about the way Peter Jackson has been treated. Fans are very distraught to see someone who's created something so wonderful being treated so poorly by the studio."

New Line Cinema, after being bombarded with requests for information on the franchise's future, refrained from commenting on The Hobbit, but did state that litigation between them and Jackson's Wingnut Films has complicated the situation considerably.

Meanwhile, some of the stars of the original film have spoken out against New Line's decision as well. Sir Ian McKellan, the actor behind the wizard Gandalf, released a statement on his website: "I'm very sad as I should have relished revisiting middle Earth with Peter again as team-leader. It's hard to imagine any other director matching his achievement in Tolkien country." Elijah Wood (Frodo) is similarly concerned.

Rumors also continue to circulate as to who might replace Jackson in the director's chair. Theonring.net reports that Sam Raimi—the man behind the Spider-man films—has been approached to direct The Hobbit.

Nativity Story ads outlawed at Christmas festival (Variety)
Chicago fest ditches Nativity ads for fear of offending non-Christians

Facing the Giants finds increasingly broad audience (official site)
Film still going strong, inspiring teams after 10 weeks

Stallone characters turn to Christ? (Citizen Link)
Rocky, Rambo reflect Christian faith and values

Beverley Hills Cop IV in the works (Variety)
Eddie Murphy working on another sequel

Sundance announces 2007 lineup (Variety)
Film festival to include 122 films, 82 premieres

New Fantastic Four car unveiled (USA Today)
Rise of Silver Surfer comes to theaters June 15

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