Will The Hobbit ever be made? Just when Andy Serkis reports that filming will be delayed until the end of the year, director Guillermo Del Toro calls it quits. Thankfully, however, Del Toro will be sticking around to finish co-writing the screenplays.

“In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming The Hobbit, I am faced with the hardest decision of my life. After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures. Both as a co-writer and as a director, I wish the production nothing but the very best of luck and I will be first in line to see the finished product. I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director.”

No word yet as to who is to take over Del Toro’s job, but executive producer Peter Jackson revealed the reasoning behind Del Toro’s decision: “[Del Toro] has compromised his commitment to other long term projects… The bottom line is that Guillermo just didn’t feel he could commit six years to living in New Zealand, exclusively making these films, when his original commitment was for three years.”

The film, which is to be released as two separate movies, is still expected to hit theaters in December 2012 and December 2013.