David Yates is on the shortlist to direct ‘The Hobbit’

With the departure of Guillermo del Toro from the director's chair of 'The Hobbit' it's anyones guess who would take the trip to Middle Earth, but if reports are true, David Yates who is directing the final installments to the 'Harry Potter' franchise is said to be inline for the job.

It's just a rumour at this point, but "industry insider tracking boards" have it that Yates is the studio's top choice to take over. It's worth noting that the studio in this case is MGM, which is famously mired in financial troubles and may not even be able to fund the film any time soon. It's also worth noting that Yates just wrapped production on the final Harry Potter film and will be spending the next few months locked in an edit room. Finally, you have to wonder how anxious he would be to tackle yet another adaptation of a beloved fantasy novel. Wouldn't you think all that work on Harry Potter would have earned him a vacation?

So the shortlist is ever growing, David joins the likes of Sam Raimi on the list of who will succeed Guillermo del Toro.