7. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
If there is one moment in his back catalogue that led to Guillermero del Toro snaring the Hobbit job, then it will have been the troll market in Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Set underneath New York City, the sequence showed off del Toros love of puppetry and animatronics and, as well as being one of the films stand out sequences, promising a visually unique retelling of The Hobbit. Early word was the writers were going for a blend of what had been done originally with the Rings trilogy and the visual splendour of del Toros back catalogue, such as the sumptuous Pans Labyrinth. But the films final impact ended up being something else entirely. If it hadnt been for del Toros initial involvement, its unlikely wed have got The Hobbit at all. Jackson was adamant he wouldnt return to Middle Earth and it was only del Toros departure (the official word is that The Hobbit was stuck in development hell and he wanted to explore other projects) that led to him helming the new trilogy. However, the filmplaces lower on this list because although it was instrumental in the early stages, a lot of the promise of a practical effect based Middle Earth was squandered (see Avatar).