Fans of the Lord of the Rings films by New Line Cinema (which was recently acquired by Warner Brothers) were disappointed when they learned that Peter Jackson, the director of the prior three films, would not be directing The Hobbit.

You may already know that the movie’s director will be Guillermo del Toro, but according to a recent posting over at FirstShowing.net, he will also be writing the screenplay in partnership with Peter Jackson.

There’s not a single thing to be worried about here, given it was Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens who wrote the screenplays for all three Lord of the Rings. And Guillermo is an accomplished writer as well, so if anything, this is reassuring that they decided not to risk letting someone else mess up the adaptation instead. Both Hobbit films will still be shot simultaneously, with filming tentatively set to start in late 2009. The first film is expected to arrive sometime in 2011, so get ready for one hell of a triumphant return.

Read the entire story over at First Showing: Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro Writing Hobbit Themselves.