When Peter Jackson hinted that they might expand The Hobbit to three films, it certainly caused an expected range of emotions and outcry in general. When it was solidified that the productions behind it felt it was appropriate, things came together quickly. Now it’s being reported via Deadline that the third film has gotten a firm release date and that they’re changing the titles up a bit. The breakdown now goes as follows:
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – December 14th, 2012
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – December 13th, 2013
- The Hobbit: There and Back Again – July 18th, 2014
The obvious change is that the third film is now taking the title that the second film was going to have. The second film now uses one of the pieces from the map from the novel that describes that area that Smaug rules over.
Dan Fellman, Warner Bros Pictures President of Domestic Distribution said in a statement, “We wanted to have a shorter gap between the second and third films of The Hobbit Trilogy. 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.”
Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, Warner Bros Pictures President of International Distribution, added, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again opening in the summer will maximize playability for what promises to be an event film for fans the world over.”
Plot Concept: Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.
