Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson; Harry Sloan, Chairman and CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM); Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of New Line Cinema have jointly announced today that they have entered into the following series of agreements:

* MGM and New Line will co-finance and co-distribute two films, The Hobbit and a sequel to The Hobbit. New Line will distribute in North America and MGM will distribute internationally.

* Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as Executive Producers of two films based on The Hobbit. New Line will manage the production of the films, which will be shot simultaneously.

* Peter Jackson and New Line have settled all litigation relating to the "Lord of the Rings" (LOTR) Trilogy.

Said Peter Jackson, "I'm very pleased that we've been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line. 'The Lord of the Rings' is a legacy we proudly share with Bob and Michael, and together, we share that legacy with millions of loyal fans all over the world. We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth. I also want to thank Harry Sloan and our new friends at MGM for helping us find the common ground necessary to continue that journey."

"Peter Jackson has proven himself as the filmmaker who can bring the extraordinary imagination of Tolkien to life and we full heartedly agree with the fans worldwide who know he should be making 'The Hobbit,'" said Sloan, MGM's Chairman and CEO. "Now that we are all in agreement on 'The Hobbit,' we can focus on assembling the production team that will capture this phenomenal tale on film."

Bob Shaye, New Line Co-Chairman and Co-CEO comments, "We are very pleased we have been able to resolve our differences, and that Peter and Fran will be actively and creatively involved with 'The Hobbit' movies. We know they will bring the same passion, care and talent to these films that they so ably accomplished with 'The Lord of the Rings' Trilogy."

"Peter is a visionary filmmaker, and he broke new ground with 'The Lord of the Rings,'" notes Michael Lynne, New Line Co-Chairman and Co-CEO. "We're delighted he's back for 'The Hobbit' films and that the Tolkien saga will continue with his imprint. We greatly appreciate the efforts of Harry Sloan, who has been instrumental in helping us reach our new accord."

The two "Hobbit" films – The Hobbit and its sequel – are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, with pre-production beginning as soon as possible. Principal photography is tentatively set for a 2009 start, with the intention of The Hobbit release slated for 2010 and its sequel the following year, in 2011.

The Oscar-winning, critically-acclaimed LOTR Trilogy grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide at the box-office. In 2003, "Return of the King" swept the Academy Awards, winning all of the eleven categories in which it was nominated, including Best Picture – the first ever Best Picture win for a fantasy film. The Trilogy's production was also unprecedented at the time.

For more information about "The Hobbit" films, visit TheHobbitBlog.com.

Wasn't this announced a while ago, I remember seeing it on another site?

Anyway, I've read the book and I can safely say it doesn't have as good a story as LotR. I have no idea on what the sequal could be unless they are splitting the story into two films.

No...


What had happened was that Peter Jackson DID announce that he intended to make The Hobbit, but somewhere along the line New Lines and him had a disagreement.

So much that they said that Peter will never touch Tolkien stuff again, and so the project was pretty much scrapped.

This information is new.

Looks like they'll be splitting it up into two parts, which is probably for the best.

First one will be all the lighthearted stuff, Bilbo being coerced, the Stone Trolls and most likely up to where the party enters Mirkwood

The second will probably be the Lonely Mountain, Gollum and the Battle of Five Armies.

Still awhile to go though.

Well I am very happy to hear this but hopefully Sam Rami doesn't screw this up like he did with Spiderman 3. But i think Jackson will make it not suck. Sounds like its going to be seperated into two parts cause the sequel to the Hobbit is LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring.

Whoever said anything about Sam Raimi? They haven't announced a director yet.

Either way, I guess I'm hopeful about it but I think splitting it into two parts is the dumbest fucking idea. That book isn't even 300 pages long. Trust the film company execs to try to milk the franchise as much as they can.

uh i'm such a fan of LOTOR and the Hobit i have been since i was five WOO HOO i can't wait for this movie to come out! i hope they get pete to direct it. WOOOO!

Hobbit 2?

How the hell can there possibly be a sequel. There's the Hobbit, then it leads to LOTR, nothing more.

Fucking film market, milking shit all they can.

^^Yeah Hobbit 2...? That's a little fucked. LOTR is awsome though and The Hobbit is one of my favourite books I hope the movie lives up to it.

Knowing hollywood, they are probably gonna find a way to place Aragorn and Gimili in this, since it only takes place 40 years ago.

That might be possible... But who would act Aragorn? Mortensen is much older now so it wouldn't make sense for him to act 40 years younger Aragorn.

I have to say that a sequel sounds strange as the book isn't that long. Idea of a story taking place after the book would also be strange. I just don't know.

Wait yeah, i didn't really think about that. They could just make the book into two different movies and elaborate alot on the book and not skip anything. But then again like you said the book isnt really that long. Plus i couldn't imagine what the ending point for the first movie would be......


Gollum:
Voiceless it cries,
Wingless flutters,
Toothless bites,
Mouthless mutters.

Bilbo: Half a moment!

Gollum:FUCK!!! Well, here's the ring.

Credits roll.

I'm glad about this, considering that The Hobbit was the only book in the LOTRverse that I could stand, and I enjoyed it considerably.

The LOTR films were MUCH better than the books, so hopefully this should be good too.

Hobbit 2 sounds shit though. If they come up with their own story for it, in the words of the Misfits, "Mommy? Can I go out and kill tonight?"

Bullshit.

I hated the books. I could do without two pages of "And Beregorn son of Barachathorn who was the second cousin of Beregeerawn twice removed by their evil auntie who was very conservative with the money-giving called Bajachalan who was the daughter of Hobbit master Bijibaijan etc."

Not to mention the amount of space taken up by that dancing tree ponce Tom Bombadil, and the ridiculous amount of detail that JRR Tolkien would put into walking up a hill and then fights would be surmised as "He stabbed him in the chest. OH NOES!".

Films > books. Rare, but, in this case, true. In my opinion.

Bullshit! Tom Bombadil was awesome, and The Two Towers and Return of the King are filled with huge battles. There is a ridiculous amount of detail in every description of every setting and character, but that just makes it so much more satisfying and easier to visualize this entire world that Tolkien created.

Yeah, the books are great. It's true that it's a bit heavy to read, but hey, if I want easy reading, I pick up a comic book.

The movies weren't bad either. ^_^

I wouldn't know. I never get past the frightfully dull Council Of Rivendell.

You seriously made me laugh. But yeah, you know, the book gets going after Rivendell and it gets MUCH more interesting. I know that the beginning is boring as hell.

Three films of Walking and three books of walking.

Well at least the Hobbit was actually GOOD. Hopefully the movie will be good.

Same person. He was 87 in LOTR. Acting 40 for him wouldn't be hard at all. A lil makeup .

Aragorn couldn't be in it. The Hobbit takes place 80 years before Frodo leaves the Shire, not 40, which means Aragorn would have been 7 years old when Bilbo was on his journey to the Lonely Mountain.

He'll probably make a cameo, knowing film companies.

Little 7 year old Aragorn just pops out of somewhere with his mentor or something for no reason just so they can have the dramatic:

GANDALF
And who are you, little one?

BOY
... Aragorn of the Dunedain.

DUN DUN!

Yes but that movie will come out 2010 is have long time to wait.


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