AceShowbiz -

Responding to the rumor saying he is in the running to helm "The Hobbit" following the public dispute between Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema, famed filmmaker Sam Raimi for the first time revealed his thoughts about the matter to Entertainment Weekly in exclusive interview with the magazine's Steve Daly for its Summer Preview issue.

"Peter Jackson might be the best filmmaker on the planet right now. But, um, I don't know what's going to happen next for me right now," the man remarked. "First and foremost, those are Peter Jackson and Bob Shaye's films. If Peter didn't want to do it, and Bob wanted me to do it-and they were both ok with me picking up the reigns-that would be great. I love the book. It's maybe a more kid-friendly story than the others."

The possibility of Raimi helming "The Hobbit" no doubt may lead up to a probability that he won't return to direct the fourth part of "Spider-Man" series yet Sony Pictures as the studio producing all three seems pretty optimistic to have back the team that launched the franchise.

"Listen, we're making Spider-Man 4," Sony's President of Production Matt Tolmach advised the magazine. "Our hope, dream and intention is to do it with Sam."