GUILLERMO DEL TORO HEADS TO THE “MOUNTAINS”

By: Ben Scuglia — Mega-hot director Guillermo del Toro broke the hearts of movie fans around the planet when he reluctantly bowed out of directing “The Hobbit,” a long-gestating project to which he had dedicated several years of his life buried in pre-production. Del Toro himself is said to be crushed, as he is known to be a dedicated fan of the books. But the project has been stalled by the ongoing financial woes of MGM, which owns the rights to “The Hobbit” together with Warner Bros. (MGM’s problems have also resulted in the next James Bond pic being put on hold.) During the recently concluded Comic-Con in San Diego, the prolific hyphenate announced his next two projects: He will write and a produce “Haunted Mansion,” based on the popular Disneyland attraction. And he will direct “At the Mountains of Madness,” based on the creepy HP Lovecraft novella about an Antarctic expedition that goes very, very wrong. Showbiz website Deadline.com/Hollywood reports it will be shot in 3D and that none other than “Avatar” visionary James Cameron has agreed to produce.