What started off as a comment made by director Peter Jackson to fans during The Hobbit panel at this years Comic-Con has blossomed into so much more, with the film maker entering into talks with Warner Bros. to turn his current two film adaption of J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit into a trilogy. As it stands The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is released in December of this year, and There And Back Again hits cinemas in December of next year. If a third installment is green lit, additional shooting will take place for two months next summer, and the trilogy will presumably come to a close in 2014, with a yearly release schedule similar to Jackson's Lord Of The Rings.
A lot has to be taken into account by Warner Bros., including securing new actor deals for the expansive cast, before any decision will be made. A source close to the production says, "if we’re going to do it, we have to make a decision soon. It’s strongly driven by the filmmakers’ desire to tell more of the story.” More on this when we hear it.
Synopsis: A curious Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, journeys to the Lonely Mountain with a vigorous group of Dwarves to reclaim a treasure stolen from them by the dragon Smaug.
Release date: 14th December
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
