New titles, release dates set for 2nd, 3rd "Hobbit" films

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," based on the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy.

/ Warner Brothers

(CBS News) LOS ANGELES - Peter Jackson's journey back to Middle-Earth is a little clearer, with the announcement of titles and releases dates for the second and third films in "The Hobbit" trilogy.

Originally planned as a two-part adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien novel, Jackson announced in July that he was expanding his "Hobbit" to three films.

On Friday Warner Brothers announced that the second film, now called "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," will arrive in theaters on Dec. 13, 2013.

The third film, "The Hobbit: "There and Back Again," will bow seven months later, on July 18, 2014.

"There and Back Again" was originally the subtitle of the conclusion of the second of two films.

The first film, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," opens on December 14.

The films - prequels to Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" epic - star Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, and a number of actors returning from Jackson's Oscar-winning "LOTR" cycle, including Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee , Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, and Andy Serkis as Gollum.

"The Hobbit" screenplay was written by Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Bovens and Guillermo del Toro (who had originally signed on to direct, but left after studio squabbles delayed production).

[MegaProcrastination]

I was so aggravated when the news was released this would be in three movies. That was before I saw the extended version of LotR. I'm not even the teeniest bit upset anymore because the extended LotR puts back so much context that was missing from the theater released movies. I remember watching those and thinking, 'goodness, there's so much missing a person would really need to have read the books to even know why some of this stuff happened.' I'm hoping I won't feel that way after watching these movies.

[Ulgnud]

If it is anywhere near as good as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, IK will enjoy it immensely. From the few clips I have seen, I think it will. I enjoyed the books many years ago and the movies do a reasonable job of following the story line.

[Jim_Schwartz_85]

I'd be happy if they would just make a movie about the last section of the Silmarillion ("Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"). It's only 20 pages long, and would be a great prequel to LOTR. With 20 pages to work with, Jackson should, hopefully, be able to fit it into two movies.

[Valhalla0907]

I'm patiently waiting for the screen version of Neil Gaiman's American Gods. That and Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern. Someone should do Diane Duane's Support Your Local Wizard series, it's better than the Harry Potter books! MY REAL DREAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO DIRECT!

[sandle2]

@Wookiee, sorry, but I think I'd rather watch a golfing marathon than a movie about the Silmarillion. (Reading it in verse could only make it worse.)

[Wookiee-1138]

They'd damn well better do Quenta Silmarillion next.

But it would probably have to be a miniseries or something. Apart from being fiendishly difficult to adapt for screen, the majority of viewers wouldn't be able to keep track of the people and places and events.

Bloody philistines. It's probably my favorite book of all time, but folks are always scared of it. I tell them to try the Lays of Beleriand instead. Same stories, but in formal verse. That shuts them up about difficult literature.

[Scimajor]

I doubt even a mini-series would be enough to cover the epic length of the Silrmillion.

[OmegaWolf747]

Can't wait!