Okay, okay, I know we’re going overboard with this kind of news about The Hobbit, but as a huge Lord of the Rings fan, why wouldn’t we want to share this news with all of you? Plus, it’s a very popular project and everyone wants to know about this kind of stuff anyway, so bear with us. Its been known for a while that The Hobbit would start shooting sometime in 2010 for a late 2011 release. Last we heard, at least according to Sir Ian McKellen, it was supposed to start shooting in the spring of next year, March or April. Not anymore. Peter Jackson gave a new update and it looks like they’re pushing filming back to a mid-summer start.

Here’s the quote from Jackson on TheOneRing.net translated from German as found on MovieReporter.net.

“We’re currently working on the second script which we hope to have completed by the end of this year or beginning of next. When the scripts are completed, we can begin with the exact calculation of the necessary budget. We hope to start filming in the middle of next year. However, we’ve received no green light from the studio yet.”

Let’s hope a delay doesn’t cause the December 2011 release date to be pushed either. McKellen said they’re supposed to shoot for 383 days, but that is for two complete films (and the second one isn’t supposed to hit until 2012 anyway). I’m more concerned about the lack of a greenlight. The studio is probably waiting for a finished script and cast before they fork over a whole bucket of cash to shoot this, but with all the financial trouble MGM is in, this isn’t a good sign. I was hoping that someone like Warner Bros (who now runs New Line) would step up and finance this, but as of right now I’m assuming (key word) that hasn’t happened yet.

Of course, considering this is only one small quote and we’re not at all privy to any inside info or dealings going on behind-the-scenes, I wouldn’t take this as surefire news that its release is delayed at all. It’s simply for informational purposes and for me to express my growing concern over MGM’s financial troubles. We’ll definitely keep you updated on all things The Hobbit as we hear more. Hopefully some more positive news!

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