The Hobbit Films Get Official Titles, Release Dates

It wouldn't be Memorial Day without an update from Middle-earth! According to a press release from New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. and MGM, the two halves of The Hobbit have official titles and release dates -- and they're the same titles that were rumored back in March. Part one of the saga will be called The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, while part two gets designated The Hobbit: There and Back Again. The Peter Jackson-directed films will hit theaters on Dec. 14, 2012 and Dec. 13, 2013, respectively. Click through for the full press release.

New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures and MGM have announced the titles and release dates for filmmaker Peter 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®-winning "The 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 as Saruman; 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. The executive 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.

[via Facebook/The Hobbit]



Comments

  • Tyler says:

    "click through for the full press release" Click through? Click through what? You mean scroll down? That's kind of obvious... I don't understand why so many articles say "click through" or "after the jump" or whatever... it's just half-an-inch further down the page. Can someone explain?

  • Fanboy says:

    On the main page they only show snippets of the article. "Click through" refers to the thumbnail, and after the jump, means after the "read more" link.

  • jacob says:

    These movies seem to be hobbit-forming.
    OK, that was bad and I deserve to be dug down, but making a good pun based on Middle Earth would be a hairy feat!

  • olivia says:

    The Lord of the Rings was filmed more than 10 years ago.
    Does anybody else feel old?

  • abigail says:

    I wish they would give a short synopsis of each film.
    If I had to guess, the first one will be the adventure to reclaim the mountain from the dragon Smaug. The second one will deal with the political turmoil that follows, ending with the Battle of Five Armies.

  • isabella says:

    It's been quite a while since I've read the Hobbit, but I'm pretty sure Legolas and Frodo never actually appeared in it, though at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings Frodo was working with Bilbo to finish "There and Back Again, A Hobbit's Story"

  • Brian says:

    Wow, filmed "on location" in New Zealand.
    So New Zealand is Middle Earth. Makes me want to move there so much more now!

  • Alex says:

    @Isabella. They weren't in the original book. The casting of Ian Holm as old Bilbo pretty much confirms the film's going to be one big flashback.

  • Warwick Taylor says:

    Don't forget these:
    1. workers (including actors) were denied the right to collectively bargain on their terms and conditions of employment in the making of these films by Act of Parliament at the request of the employer(s).
    2. there was a fire at Stone Street studio last week but we aren't allowed to know why. The Fire Service was sworn to secrecy - http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5050816/Two-hurt-in-Hobbit-fire-but-you-can-t-know-why

  • jake says:

    sniffle... sniffle... oh... the humanity... no collective bargaining... whatever shall be done... I recommend that those who care... just don't go... sniffle... sniffle... achoo!

  • casting couch says:

    Wow, a non-Hangover II story.

  • casting couch says:

    Me too.

  • milessilverberg says:

    Pfft. The original Arthur was filmed 30 years ago. That's what makes me feel old this year.

  • kriti shah says:

    Hobbit series will break every records.I just wish they have opted for at least the time gap of 2 years between the release of the parts instead of one.

  • Meg says:

    Makes me want to cry actually.

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