Today (March 21), Warner Bros. announced that filming has finally commenced in Wellington, New Zealand, on the two-part film adaptation of the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, will direct the film and also serve as producer and co-writer.
The filming was long delayed by a variety of obstacles: initially MGM’s precarious financial situation, then Guillermo Del Toro stepped down from the role of director. When Peter Jackson was slated to take over directing, there happened to be a union conflict that threatened to delay the production once again.
Finally – and some say due to the stress of getting the picture made – Peter Jackson was hospitalized on January 26 for a perforated ulcer, once again delaying the shoot which was supposed to start in early February.
The prequel is 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 Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.
The two films, with screenplays by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson, will be shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Filming will take place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.
The studio has also launched anofficial The Hobbit blog and a Facebook page so Peter Jackson to post updates.
Tentatively titled The Hobbit: There and Back Again and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the two films are planned for release in late 2012 and 2013 respectively.