Shorting "Hobbit"

I have to say I’m not surprised that New Line Cinema uses questionable accounting practices to make sure their films aren’t profitable - thereby screwing the actual CREATIVE people involved in those films out of money. Peter Jackson made a series of films that are clearly cinema masterpieces, and they obviously made a pile of money bigger than Orodruin. Of course, studios screwing talent out of money is “business as usual” in the entertainment industry, as is gutting the creative integrity of projects. I mean, yeah, there’s a reason George Lucas prefers to work outside of the studio system. So Peter Jackson sues New Line, New Line’s Robert Shaye rips on Jackson as being too difficult to work with, Jackson bails on the “Hobbit” project, and Shaye is unapologetic.
So the “Hobbit” movie, which I’m sure would have been done brilliantly by Jackson, now is up in the air. Then I saw this today on SCI-FI Wire:

“Shaye also declined to comment on reports that Spider-Man director Sam Raimi has been asked to direct The Hobbit. He said, however, that although there was no workable script yet for the film, he intended to release it in 2009.”

Ok, so Sam Rami would probably do justice to the material - he hasn’t steered us wrong with Spiderman (yet). Though I’m sure Rami’s take on the story would be quite different from Jacksons, that doesn’t necessarily mean it would be bad. No, it’s the second part of that quote that makes me expect the “Hobbit” is going to suck - they have no workable script, yet it’s slated for a 2009 release?!? Um, you mean to say that this project, which is already a book, has already been made into an animated film, and most likely has a bunch of script-adaptations floating around Hollywood, doesn’t have a “workable” script yet? I find that hard to believe, but if true it means this film is going to a rush-job and probably LOOK like it was slapped together by a money-grubbing studio with no more interest in the story than how much money they can squeeze from Tolkien fans, who they know will go see it no matter how bad it is.
As long as they keep Joel Shumacher, Micheal Bay, and Barry Sonnenfeld away from it! Think Rami thoughts. Think Rami thoughts. Go to your happy place.