Raimi Would Like to Direct “The Hobbit” — But Only IF! — And It’s a Big IF!

Writer/director Sam Raimi said in a news conference this weekend that he did speak with New Line Cinema’s Robert Shaye about possibly directing the LOTR prequel “The Hobbit,” however, his participation was contingent upon receiving Peter Jackson’s full blessing.

“I spoke to him (Shaye)once, so it’s a little more overblown I think,” Raimi said. “That’s why I don’t want to pretend that it’s bigger than it is. I had one conversation about the possibility of it, and that’s really where it’s at.”

“I’d have to know that he (Jackson) was OK with it,” Raimi continued. “It’s really his picture and Bob Shaye’s picture.”

Raimi added: “The truth is, I just don’t know what I’m going to do next, that’s the most honest answer I can give you. And I can’t honestly say, even though I have spoken to Bob Shaye, that I don’t know that I could honestly say that anything’s been offered to me until some time in the future, because, it just wouldn’t be exactly right. Or true.”

Raimi has left open the possiblity of helming the next installment in the “Spider Man” franchise, but only if he felt Peter Parker’s character still had room for growth stating “For me to come back, I’d have to—when I’m done with all of this—have a breather and then look at the character and say, ‘Where does he next have to grow to? Where can he now develop in a meaningful way?’”

“And if I could recognize, honestly, a real deficit that he and we could fashion a story [about], [for instance], where this young man could learn his next life lesson in a meaningful way, and that we could make [a] good story out of it, then I would die to direct the picture. … I honestly don’t think I could do a good job unless I understood that about Peter for the fourth one. That’s why I can’t actually answer that question, either.”

Columbia Pictures has already committed itself to a fourth Spidey film, the biggest question that still remains is — will Sam direct, is Tobey and Kirsten returning? With that in mind we created this week’s poll question around who you think would make the best replacement for Tobey Maquire should he decide to opt out of number four.

Both stars, Maquire and Dunst, have put stipulations on their return to the Spidey set. Dunst has gone on record and stated that she would only return if Raimi is directing and Maguire is back in the suit. Maguire, echoing Dunst’s concerns has said that for him to put the suit back on would require an excellent script. “For me [to come back], there would have to be a great screenplay, a great story, something really worth telling,” stated Maguire. “Some new territory for us to go on with Peter Parker. Sam would have to be involved. The right cast would have to be in place, and then I would consider it.”