David Yates' representative has shot down reports he's signed up to direct troubled Lord of the Rings prequel The Hobbit.
Speculation has been rife about who will take over from Guillermo Del Toro, who quit the project last month (May10) because of the ongoing delays.
Yates has recently been linked to the role - but the rumours have been dismissed by officials at the Creative Artists Agency.
The director's rep tells TheWrap.com the reports are "not true at all".
The Hobbit, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's first book, has been thrown into jeopardy due to ongoing financial problems at MGM Studios, which was put up for sale in 2009 after falling heavily into debt.
It had been hinted at that the film studios are still trying to coax Peter Jackson into taking over but David Yates has been the only other name that have been banded around as a suitable replacement for Del Toro.
Jackson has penned the script for the two movies and will serve as executive producer when shooting on the film finally gets underway.
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