Ever since Peter Jackson was first speculated to be taking the directing reigns of The Hobbit, I think he's been confirmed at least three times. With MGM's financial woes holding up production, none of it really mattered. We were told a greenlight could be coming soon, and now it's looking like that is finally happening. A joint press release confirms that The Hobbit is officially a go, with production set to begin in February 2011. As everyone already knew, Peter Jackson is on board to direct, as well as produce. MGM, Warner Brothers, and New Line will be footing the bill.
This wraps up months of fits and starts for the troubled production, which has faced financial problems, labor disputes(those darn Kiwis! Where was Anna Paquin to smooth matters over?), and the loss of the original director. The Hobbit will be shot in digital 3-D and filmed back-to-back.
With that comes news that Martin Freeman(The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
) has finally been confirmed to take on the role of Bilbo Baggins, originally played by Ian Holm in the LOTR trilogy. One look at Freeman will show you that he already has the look for a younger, more adventurous Bilbo.
