Guillermo del Toro, director of 'Pan's Labyrinth', is set to direct 'The Hobbit' and the unnamed sequel, according to Reuters. The films, which will be shot simultaneously, will be produced by Peter Jackson, and the date for the start of filming is - tentatively - set for 2009. Early release dates are 2010 for 'The Hobbit', and 2011 for the sequel.

"Del Toro's name was on a short list of directors who could tackle the project, one of the most anticipated literary adaptations of the past decade. An ill-chosen director for "Hobbit" could put billions of dollars at stake for New Line and MGM and could turn off an audience that encompasses millions of passionate readers, Tolkien fans and obsessive geeks.

Few filmmakers have the cachet that del Toro has, as well as a deep love for the source material, an assured grasp of fantasy filmmaking and an understanding and command of geek culture as well as its respect. Del Toro has built that goodwill through such films as the Oscar-nominated "Pan's Labyrinth," "Hellboy," "Blade 2" (which was made by New Line) and "The Devil's Backbone.""

The Middle-earth Role Playing | Total Conversion (MERP|TC) modification for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion have just announced the release of their latest BETA:

"The MERP team is making an addition to Oblivion that is the world of Middle-earth. It will add all of Middle-earth in it's entirity. Our goal as a team is to realize the world of J.R.R. Tolkien as closely as we can to his vision. We hold the lore to a very high standard and will not compromise the lore at all if we can. We do use the visual appearance of the films, but if there is a conflict then we always take the book over the movie."