Reports that Peter Jackson is in the thick of negotiations and is all but a sure thing to direct The Hobbit may have been greatly exaggerated, as potential words from Jackson himself indicate that nothing is certain regarding a directing deal.

Harry Knowles at Ain't It Cool News spoke to a source named "DEREK," a man who is all but officially confirmed as Peter Jackson himself. According to Jackson — ah, "DEREK," that is — nothing has changed regarding his ascension to the director's chair.

"No, nothing has really changed," he said. "I've always said that me directing was one option, and so that's not really news. The studio are working out what that deal would look like, because how else do they know if it's a viable option? But it's honestly one of several different options — many irons are in the fire right now. What's of great concern to everyone right now is trying to stay on schedule and not slip back another year, because we will start losing people — and that's increasingly difficult as each day passes. A lot of people — both film makers and studios are working very hard right now, trying to get a positive outcome here."

There you have it, folks. Straight from the mouth of "DEREK" himself. Do you think Jackson's going to wind up directing The Hobbit, will the job go to someone else, or will the project fall apart entirely?

Source: AICN