Hell officially freezes over. Again.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Filming starts, at last, on much-delayed "Hobbit" movie.

WELLINGTON | Mon Mar 21, 2011 3:08am GMT

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Filming began on Monday on the long-awaited "Hobbit" movies, ending years of delay due to funding problems and a labour dispute which nearly saw the project shifted out of New Zealand.

The two films are being directed by New Zealand native Peter Jackson, 49, who made the hit Oscar-winning "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Filming will take place at Stone Street Studios in Wellington and at a number of locations around New Zealand, with the exact whereabouts a closely guarded secret. The first of the two movies will be released in December 2012 and the second is expected a year later.

The movies have been beset by a succession of problems, most notably the threat last year by Time Warner Inc unit Warner Bros. to move production overseas because of fears unions would impose a boycott to back demands for a collective contract.

The government last year changed labour laws to keep the estimated $500 million (£308 million) production and increased tax breaks for Warner Bros, citing the damage that might be done to the country's small film industry.

Before that, issues around the funding of the films saw original director Guillermo Del Toro quit in 2010.

The final challenge came from Jackson's hospitalization earlier this year for emergency surgery for a perforated ulcer.

"The Hobbit" is based on the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who lives in the land of Middle-earth and goes on a quest to find treasure guarded by a dragon.

The book, first published in 1937, is the precursor to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which also takes place in Middle-earth.

The cast for the movies includes Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Ken Stott and Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

[rachelbean]

[Gawdzilla Sama]

2013 before it's over? I'm still trying to get over no more Harry Potters and now this long slow tease comes along.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Delayed ‘The Hobbit’ Finally Begins Filming

[hadespussercats]

X2.

[Twoflower]

[Gawdzilla Sama]

[rachelbean]

X2.

Because the x was capitalized I thought you were making a statement about the movie X-Men 2 but I wasn't sure what or what the connection could be. Just when I was about to say that X2 is the best of the series I realized what you were actually saying

[hadespussercats]

X2.

Because the x was capitalized I thought you were making a statement about the movie X-Men 2 but I wasn't sure what or what the connection could be. Just when I was about to say that X2 is the best of the series I realized what you were actually saying

I'll keep 'em lowercase from now on. But I agree with you about X-men.

[drl2]

I'm worried about the fact that they're trying to stretch it to fit into two movies - how much new material is Jackson going to add? I cringed at most of the "new" parts of the LotR films; I'll be less bothered by mangling of The Hobbit, but I still don't want to see it butchered.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It will be a movie about the world JRR created. It will NOT be a verbatim regurgitation of the book.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6Tckrt3 ... r_embedded[/youtube]

[drl2]

It will be a movie about the world JRR created. It will NOT be a verbatim regurgitation of the book.

Of course, and I wouldn't expect any different - I just had problems with some of PJ's decisions about what to change, what to leave in, what to take out in the LotR films.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It will be a movie about the world JRR created. It will NOT be a verbatim regurgitation of the book.

Of course, and I wouldn't expect any different - I just had problems with some of PJ's decisions about what to change, what to leave in, what to take out in the LotR films.

Me too. And the extended sets discussed some of the problems they had in deciding that matter. I think the flow of the movie works as it stands. A 100% faithful movie would be 20 hours or so long.