Thanksgiving week! Cross-country airline travel with a toddler! My much-tried mother bedridden with the stomach flu! I have to leave in 20 minutes and I only just got packed!

I may be posting while I’m away, but then again, I may not. Have a glorious Thanksgiving and hug somebody you’re thankful for. And thank you for reading this blog.

TheOneRing.net, and this blog, and this blog too, had the news about 24 hours before the Associated Press, who nevertheless misnamed TORn as TheOneRing.com. But anyway. Via our friends at TORn, once again, apparently MGM, who owns the distribution rights even though New Line owns production rights, is not pleased:

All of this has riled MGM, which in recent weeks has been openly touting the fact that the newly revamped studio is serious about making “The Hobbit” — with Jackson.

An MGM spokesman said that “the matter of Peter Jackson directing ‘The Hobbit’ films is far from closed.”

It’s one thing to shoot yourself in the foot with your fan base, but quite another to tick off a studio that may have more clout than you — if not in this particular matter then quite possibly in Hollywood at large. TheOneRing.net also reports that even if Peter Jackson does not direct, his special effects company, WETA, would not be barred from doing the films. Interesting, that.

Cross-posted at Electric Venom.