The Hobbit Officially Greenlit with Peter Jackson Directing

Finally, after delays over financing (MGM's woes threw a wrench in The Hobbit plans) and a fight with labor unions over some aspects of the production, the two The Hobbit movies are now absolutely, positively officially going to get underway in February 2011 with Peter Jackson at the helm. Toby Emmerich (President and Chief Operating Officer of New Line Cinema), Alan Horn (President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros.), and Steve Cooper, (Co-Chief Executive Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.) made the announcement which was greeted with a huge sigh of relief by Hobbit fans worldwide.

Lord of the Rings vet Peter Jackson stepped in to direct The Hobbit movies after Guillermo del Toro had to back out due to the delays in production. Jackson, who co-wrote the scripts with Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and del Toro, will be shooting The Hobbit movies back-to-back in Digital 3-D.

In the press release officially announcing The Hobbit status as a go, Jackson stated, "Exploring Tolkien's Middle-earth goes way beyond a normal filmmaking experience. It's an all-immersive journey into a very special place of imagination, beauty and drama. We're looking forward to re-entering this wondrous world with Gandalf and Bilbo - and our friends at New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers and MGM."

Alan Horn stated, "There is no human being on the planet as qualified as Peter Jackson to direct these films. Peter is incredibly talented and has the creative vision and experience to bring this beloved property to life in a way that no other filmmaker could. And the team of Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens has proven through their work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy that no one is more skilled at transforming Tolkien's written words into a vibrant, living language that makes the audience believe they are not merely visiting Middle-earth but actually living in it. We couldn't be more thrilled and look forward to seeing The Hobbit take shape under Peter's stewardship and the team he is putting together."

And speaking of the team Jackson's putting together, current casting rumors have Martin Freeman as the most likely actor to fill the role of Bilbo Baggins. Other names repeatedly brought up in conversations regarding potential Hobbit players include Michael Fassbender, David Tennant and Jimmy Nesbitt. With filming set to begin in February, official announcements should be coming relatively soon.

<sub>(Photo by Marty Melville / Getty Images)

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