Can Peter Jackson save us from Brett Ratner's THE HOBBIT?

According to Mike Fleming, no offers have been made by Warner Bros. and MGM to any film-maker to replace Guillermo Del Toro on The Hobbit, despite yesterday's story that David Yates had been offered the job. Fleming says both studios are desperately hoping that Peter Jackson listens to the die hard LOTR fans and decides to finish the $3 billion saga he started a decade ago, and that no offers will be made to anyone else before they are 100% convinced that he won't take up the directing duties. Seemingly, WB and MGM think that Jackson can be swayed, though if he can't the word is that Brett Ratner is circling. OH DEAR LORD... Fleming points to the original LOTR team (Boyens, Walsh, Jackson) having put together the script, the fact that Jackson has been so heavily involved in a producing capacity (going above and beyond his title), the fact that he will be able to work with Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis and other Middle-Earth vets (on and off screen) and that it will film in his backyard of New Zealand, as the main reasons why he could be swayed to return. Then of course there's his love for the source material and the fact that Jackson may be in need of a hit after the disaster that was The Lovely Bones. He has already made it known, for the first time, that if directing The Hobbit..."is what I have to do to protect Warner Bros.€™ investment, then obviously that€™s one angle which I€™ll explore". However as we've mentioned before, there's his contract obligations to Tintin and other movies that are in the way of that potentially being a viable option. Naturally, once a gig like The Hobbit comes up, even with the New Zealand relocation and the 4 year committment, a ton of directors begin expressing interest in the project. I mean directing such a big movie is a life-changer, and would be for the names listed below who Fleming says are the three directors who have shown the most interest; David Yates (which is probably where yesterday's rumour originates) David Dobkin (Wedding Crashes, Fred Claus) - lol and, you guessed it, the Rat-a-nater! Unsurprisingly, Brett Ratner, Hollywood's biggest leech has expressed interest. Here's hoping this interest is only one way. Deadline say one potential problem in replacing Del Toro is that Warner Bros/MGM spent so much on the lengthy pre-production so far that they have simply ran out of money to attract an A-list director. Only those who are willing to take a massive pay-cut for what is a job that requires SOOOO much commitment, will be considered. But surely that's no excuse to hire The Rat; if that day was ever to come.