Is Neill Blomkamp the right directer for ‘The Hobbit’?

This rumor was floated a few days ago, but there didn’t seem enough to back it up to justify posting. There still isn’t, but Film School Rejects frames the question in terms that sound somewhat plausible, so I’ll pass it along for discussion. The source for the speculation is Tolkien fansite The One Ring, so decide for yourself if that lends it more credence or less:

They are saying that Jackson wants Blomkamp. It’s also a clear power-play for control of The Hobbit without having to direct it himself. He and Blomkamp have a great working relationship, but Blomkamp is still young and would certainly need guidance from Jackson in order to take on a task that towers above that of District 9. If Jackson were to bring on a more seasoned director — the likes of Sam Raimi or Brett Ratner — that director’s personal style would need to be melded into the already decided Hobbit roadmap.

But Neil Miller thinks that’s a bad idea. He’d rather see a promising director like Blomkamp’s pursue projects of his own design instead of have Jackson pulling strings — and pulling rank — behind the scenes. I’m paraphrasing but that’s the basic argument.

I hate the idea of Neill Blomkamp — one of the most talented and original storytellers we’ve seen in a long time — spending the next three or four years of his life making two Hobbit films that are essentially Peter Jackson’s movies. It’s impossible to see a scenario where Blomkamp would be given room to do anything more creative than what has already been decided. And that’s sad. He has more to say with his work if he’s not bound to such a franchise.

It’s all idle conjecture at this point — but what do you guys think? Won’t any major director face the same situation, and don’t we want a major director handling The Hobbit instead of some lackey hack?