According to the website TheOneRing, Sam Raimi, director of the Spider-Man films, may take Peter Jackson’s place to direct The Hobbit.
This information was revealed a few days after Jackson (The Lord of the Rings), confirmed that he would not be continuing with this production following a dispute with New Line Cinema in regards to The Fellowship of the Ring.
Although this offer may seem interesting, in order for Raimi to accept, he would have to give up Spider-Man, which he is currently working on Spider-Man 4.