In July 2008 I wrote this,

So this is it. The Hobbit. The movie everyone denied they were even thinking of making. And we’re not getting one, we’re getting two. The news was announced at the end of 2007, but I’ve not been thinking about it much since we’re not going to see anything until 2011 and I don’t want to end up in a fever 2 years too early.

So the news broke in 2007, and because ‘we weren’t getting the movies’ until 2011, I didn’t want to post too soon.  Well, it’s 2011 and they haven’t started filming yet.  But they are, finally, about to.  In a tale almost as complex as the Lord of the Rings we’ve had issues with rights, issues with financing, issues with timing and issues with ownership.  Not to count the issues with unions.  But we are here, on the cusp.

From Deadline,

MGM and Warner Bros have finalized a deal that gives Warner Bros worldwide theatrical distribution on the Peter Jackson-directed The Hobbit. MGM will retain international television rights. This solves another problem on Jackson’s eagerly awaited followup to The Lord of the Rings, which has overcome an MGM freeze because of angry creditors, and the threat that the films would move away from New Zealand after local unions blacklisted the production.

Shooting begins next month [February] …

The only bad news, is they’re shooting them in 3D.

Due on our screens December 2012 and December 2013 – I’ll be getting my tickets soon.