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The Hobbit Films Release Dates Announced!

by May 31, 2011
Martin Freeman is Bilbo

Martin Freeman is Bilbo

Finally, after stalling several times, being threatened with continuing a director who is not Peter Jackson, and financial difficulties due to New Line Cinema's recent woes, The Hobbit, a two-part movie phenomenon is finally coming to the big screen... with actual release dates. And, actually, it's not "The Hobbit". Not anymore. It's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and its continuation, "The Hobbit: There and Back Again". The first film "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" will be released just in time for Christmas of 2012 - on December 14th. The second film, "The Hobbit: There and Back Again," will follow almost exactly a year later in 2013. While the films are being shot sequentially (and have been since March), the post production and special effects will be split, allowing Peter Jackson to complete the first film in time for its Christmas debut, and giving him nearly a year to finish up the second for the following season.

Now for the kicker - both films will be shot in 3D. If 3D wasn't already hard enough (see our video of James Cameron and Michael Bay discussing the various difficulties and benefits of the format), shooting 3D with forced perspective is going to land Peter Jackson in yet another world of firsts. In my opinion, just given the difficulties of the way the Lord of the Rings was shot, this is going to be a spectacle that will redefine the limits of what's possible in live action filmmaking. We're also looking forward to seeing Martin Freeman take up the role of Bilbo, with supporting characters in Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett and even Orlando Bloom (who as you may recall should show up in his native Mirkwood Forest home).

Hit our forums and let us know if you're looking forward to this as much as we are!

sholling posts on June 08, 2011 18:27
I'm looking forward to these.
mperfct posts on June 07, 2011 11:53
I'm super excited for this. There's so much garbage in theaters now, it's not even funny. Mass-produced crap, just like a lot of restaurants.
skizzerflake posts on June 06, 2011 23:24
I lived though all three LOTR flicks in the theaters, then the DVD and the extended versions, but it's been lean times recently. Finally, some more Jackson/Tolkien to look forward to. I'm really a sucker for that stuff.
paulw posts on June 04, 2011 22:40
Finally!

The Lord of the Rings is one of my all time favorite stories and the Hobbit was far and away my favorite book. Here's hoping the wait was worth it.
jeffsg4mac posts on June 01, 2011 19:23
I was watching the first vid Peter released about the filming. He is putting his heart into these just as he did the others. Very much looking forward to these films. Big time! Peter will go down as one of the greats in my opinion.
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Clint Deboer was terminated from Audioholics for misconduct on April 4th, 2014. He no longer represents Audioholics in any fashion.

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