“The Hobbit” Films Get Titles and Release Dates

Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit spent a hefty amount of time in the pre-production stages to say the least. Between the many delays and changes made throughout the course of putting it all together, one may have wondered if it would even happen.

Now a couple months into filming, Jackson and the gang have everything set and Warner Bros. and New Line have announced the titles and release dates for both parts I and II. The two parts will be titled The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again; they’ll release on December 14, 2012 and December 13, 2013, respectively.

You can check out the full press release below for the official announcement and any details on The Hobbit you may have missed.


“New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures and MGM have announced the titles and release dates for filmmakerPeter Jackson’s two-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s enduringly popular masterpiece ‘The Hobbit.’ The first film, titled The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will be released on December 14, 2012. The second film, titled The Hobbit: There and Back Again, is slated for release the following year, on December 13, 2013.

Both films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar-winningThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The adventure of ‘The Hobbit”’follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.

Under Jackson’s direction, both movies are being shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Filming is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, and Martin Freeman, who just won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the BBC series ‘Sherlock,’ takes on the central role of Bilbo Baggins. Also reprising their roles from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movies are:Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee asSaruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The ensemble cast also includes (in alphabetical order) Richard Armitage, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas and Aidan Turner.

The screenplays for ‘The Hobbit’ films are by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson. Jackson is also producing the films, together with Fran Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham. Theexecutive producers are Ken Kamins and Zane Weiner, with Philippa Boyens serving as co-producer.

‘The Hobbit’ films are productions of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing being handled by MGM.”