The original plan was to screen it as two films.
Jackson states –
“Upon recently viewing a cut of the first film, and a chunk of the second, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and I were very pleased with the way the story was coming together. We recognized that the richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, gave rise to a simple question: do we tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as filmmakers and fans was an unreserved ‘yes.’ We know the strength of our cast and of the characters they have brought to life. We know creatively how compelling and engaging the story can be and—lastly, and most importantly—we know how much of the tale of Bilbo Baggins, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur would remain untold if we did not fully realize this complex and wonderful adventure. I’m delighted that New Line, MGM and Warner Bros. are equally enthusiastic about bringing fans this expansive tale across three films.”
Fucking sweet.
The Hobbit is set about 60 years before the events told in The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring and follows the journey of Bilbo Baggins (adopted uncle of Frodo) across Middle Earth in the adventure that set the scene for all that hullaballoo in LOTR.
Many fan faves are making reappearances in key roles, with Ian McKellan as Gandalf, Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Andy Serkis’ inimitable Gollum and franchise newcomer Martin Freeman as the superbly cast Bilbo Baggins.
With Jackson at the helm (after years of back-and-forthing which nearly resulted in the film being directed by somebody else) fans can feel safe in knowing that The Hobbit will live up the masterful standard set by The Lord Of The Rings (we hope).
