Guillermo del Toro 'leaves' as director of The Hobbit

Guillermo del Toro will no longer direct the two movies based on JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit, reports said.
"In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming The Hobbit, I am faced with the hardest decision of my life," he said.
However, del Toro added that he will continue to co-write the screenplays. The project - which has already been delayed for several years - is expected to last longer than originally expected.
Executive producer Peter Jackson reportedly said Del Toro could not commit to living in New Zealand for that long.
The Hobbit was due to be split into two films, both prequels to Jackson's Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy - to be released in 2012 and 2013.