It's official: Peter Jacksons two-part epic The Hobbit has finally finished filming. Jackson announced on his Facebook page today that he and his crew had wrapped on the filming of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again. The first of the two-part epic; An Unexpected Journey, will be released on December 14th, and the second; There and Back Again, will follow a year later on the 13th of December 2013. The films are based on the childrens book by J. R. R. Tolkien of the same name and tell the story of Bilbo's adventures before the events in The Lord of the Rings. Mr Jackson posted the following note on his Facebook page along with a photograph confirming the date:
We made it! Shoot day 266 and the end of principal photography on The Hobbit. Thanks to our fantastic cast and crew for getting us this far, and to all of you for your support! Next stop, the cutting room. Oh, and Comic Con!
Cheers, Peter J This announcement has been a long time coming, as the film had a lot of problems before production could even start. A few lawsuits and a change of director where just a couple of the host of delays that plagued the project in its early days. There was a point in which it looked as though the film was never going to make it to the screen, but today we have reassurance that our furry footed friends will be hitting cinemas in 3D, 2D and IMAX by Christmas.