Unless you’ve been living under a rock these past few weeks, you’ll know that the two The Hobbit films have become three – confirmed last month by Peter Jackson, with new footage being shot next year. Over the weekend Warner Bros. announced the titles of the three films and their release dates.
Two of the names remain the same. The title of what was the second film has been retained as the title of the third… with the second now called The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. In an interesting move Warner Bros. are breaking from their traditional December release for the third installment, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, which the film scheduled for July (2014) instead.
So why is the third film being released in July, you may ask? In a statement Warner Bros. President of Domestic Distribution, Dan Fellman, said: “Opening in July affords us not only the perfect summer tentpole, but fans will have less time to wait for the finale of this epic adventure.” I’m not sure fans would have minded a December release but hey, why not make it July – although it will make for a wet and blustery World Premiere in Wellington.
Like the decision to shoot at 48 frames per second and to create a third installment, the plot for each of films – particularly the third – is being furiously debated on the interweb. In another statement Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution for Warner Bros. said: “The Hobbit: There and Back Again will be an action spectacle and an emotional conclusion for this already much-anticipated trilogy.” Whatever that means…
Here’s the new schedule:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – December 14, 2012
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – December 13, 2013
The Hobbit: There and Back Again – July 18, 2014
The Hobbit trilogy will be released in High Frame Rate 3-D, other 3-D formats, IMAX and 2-D.
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We’d love to know your thoughts on the new schedule and potential plot for each film?
