He's not directing, thank God.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Peter Jackson is not directing "The Hobbit". Now maybe it's got a chance to be good.

We just have to hope that he hires a director who, unlike himself, will allow his actors to act rather than having computer graphics do all the heavy lifting. And who will have the courage to say, "No, I will not make a twelve-hour movie out of a 100-minute property, the way you did with 'King Kong.'"

I'll keep my fingers crossed that he's not going to write it either. The article hints that he's not, but I want confirmation.