Note: Updated with confirmation about third film’s release date and content. Updated with Official Press Release as well.

In a note posted to Facebook this morning (in the U.S.) Peter Jackson confirmed there will be a third film in the “Hobbit” series:

So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of “The Hobbit” films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.

TheOneRing.net has confirmed with two independent sources that the third “Hobbit,” film will not follow the schedule of traditional December releases for Middle-earth movies and will hit audiences in Summer of 2014. TORn has also learned that this newly announced film will not serve as a bridge film but continue to tell the story of “The Hobbit,” in three parts. It is believed that the breaking points of the first film has changed. That film, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” will be released in theaters this December 14. The next film, announced as “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” is expected to keep its December 13, 2013 schedule. Its name may change however. The newly announced film, as yet untitled, will follow months later in the summer months of 2014.

The reaction has been swift and strong from film communities and Tolkien fans around the world. Read Peter’s full note here. Join us in our LIVE chatroom Barlimans, on the board, on twitter (@theoneringnet) and on Facebook (facebook.com/theoneringnet) Follow the break for the official press release

Continue reading “Update: Peter Jackson Confirms Third ‘Hobbit’ Film”

Dean Knowsley, one of the stand-in actors on The Hobbit production just tweeted that the production pick-ups Peter Jackson had scheduled has wrapped up.

“Wow, this it. The ‘Martini!” he wrote. Apparently a “martini” is a film-making expression used for the last lighting and camera setup for the last shot of a production.

Jackson said at Comic-Con 2012 that he had scheduled 10 days of pick-ups. His own cameo appearance was one of the sequences scheduled to be shot. Thanks to Ringer Tolktolk on our forums for the find.

I admit, when I first heard talk of “a third ‘Hobbit’ movie” from the floor of Comic-Con, I was skeptical. Reporters Quickbeam and Justin brought back footage from a press conference (that you can watch right here) breaking the story that additional shooting was a possibility, directly from Peter Jackson’s mouth. I downplayed it because from a five-week set visit I knew the team was going to return to shooting right after Comic-Con. I thought the media was being its usual bombastic self by calling a little more shooting “a third “Hobbit” movie. They absolutely had it posted first, breaking the story so kudos to them, but I dismissed it. How quickly things change.

Now it seems inevitable that this will happen. Jackson clearly has the will or he wouldn’t have spoken about it so fully. The studio clearly has the will because they are talking about it instead of dismissing it. So what would this mean besides another year of happy blood sweat and tears at TheOneRing.net? Lets look at all the facts and see if we can’t come to some conclusions educated guesses.

ON THE RECORD, WHAT WAS SAID:

Jackson spoke about this, very likely not by accident, from the television press line meet-and-greet at Comic-Con that took place before the famous Hall H event for fans. (Watch the first two or three minutes of Jackson’s own production diary #8 for the best account of Hall H.) Continue reading “Third ‘Hobbit’ movie: How? What? When? Why?”

As well as busily staffing the TORn booths at Comic-con, a handful of our staff were mad devoted enough to queue all night in order to catch the Hobbit showreel that Peter Jackson screened in Hall H for Rings fans.

After, while our lucky, lucky staff were still slightly delirious as a result of sleep-deprivation, we subjected them to a barrage of questions to get their impressions of the footage.

So without further ado, here a spoilerific summary what our staff thought of the showreel! Continue reading “Our staff react to the Comic-Con Hobbit showreel”

The LA Times writes more on the speculation that Warner Bros. and Peter Jackson are looking to convert the planned two Hobbit films into a trilogy: (New info bolded below)

The Burbank film studio originally planned to release two “Hobbit” movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary prelude to “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and principal photography on those two pictures finished in New Zealand this month. The first is set to come out in December, followed by the second in December 2013. The two films combined cost about $500 million.

But Jackson has concluded that there is enough material from the book, as well as the extensive appendixes to “The Lord of the Rings,” to make a third film, according to three people who were not authorized to speak publicly. New Line Cinema, the Warner Bros. unit overseeing production of the movies, is eager to see it happen, and talks are underway with actors and others who would need to sign off on the plan.

We focus on this story because it is brand new and seems to imply that the LA Times has acquired additional information from what was previously reported during Comic-Con. What say you? [Read Article]

Peter Jackson and company swooped into Comic-Con and unleashed some footage for the ravenous fans there but now he has unleashed Vlog #8 from his Facebook page full of spoilers, Comic-Con footage, John Howe, lots of actors saying hi and a little nostalgia from the crew. If you can stand a view of stone giants, Beorn’s house, Andy Serkis jamming on a sax and an absurd amount of “Hobbit” stuff, it is a must watch. The film hasn’t been released yet and already producer Michael Pellerin and his crew of behind-the-scenes people are making us nostalgic for it! And, sure sounded like Jackson reads TheOneRing. Find it on his Facebook page or watch it below: