The Hobbit films have officially been green
lit. The official press release below: The two
films based on The Hobbit are now greenlit and will begin principal
photography in February 2011, under the direction of Peter Jackson.
It was
jointly announced today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating
Officer, New Line Cinema, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer,
Warner Bros. and Steve Cooper, co-Chief Executive Officer of
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
”Exploring Tolkien’s Middle-earth goes way beyond a normal film-making
experience” Jackson
”Peter is a filmmaker of incomparable ability; having him return to
Middle-earth to produce and direct is a dream come true. A true original, Peter
is a gifted story-teller, visionary director and pioneer in film technology,”
said Emmerich. “Reuniting with Peter, Fran and Philippa truly makes it feel like
we are going ‘there and back again.’”
”There is no human being on the planet as qualified as Peter Jackson to direct
these films,” said Horn. “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.”
”MGM is excited to move forward and add to the successful ‘Lord of the Rings’
franchise,” said Cooper. “Under Peter’s direction, the films will undoubtedly
appeal to fans of the original ‘LOTR’ trilogy and also bring the stories to a
new generation of fans.”
Peter Jackson, who directed all three Lord of the Rings
films, will helm the two films back-to-back, telling the story of The Hobbit
in two parts. Jackson Jackson
The Hobbit is being co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM,
with New Line managing production, Warner Bros Pictures handling
domestic distribution and MGM distributing internationally. Peter Jackson, Fran
Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham are producing the films, with Phillipa Boyens as
co-producer and Ken Kamins as executive producer.
The Oscar-winning, critically acclaimed LOTR trilogy grossed nearly $3 billion
worldwide at the box office. In 2003, Return of the King swept the Academy
Awards, winning all of the 11 categories in which it was nominated, including
Best Picture – the first ever Best Picture win for a fantasy film. The trilogy’s
production was also unprecedented at the time.
