Thread: Return to the Shire: Peter Jackson FINALLY begins shooting The Hobbit

Return to the Shire: Peter Jackson FINALLY begins shooting The Hobbit after surgery and production delays

March 21, 2011

After months of delays, cameras started rolling today on director Peter Jackson's production of The Hobbit

Hollywood studio funding problems, a threatened actors' boycott and ulcer surgery for Jackson have plagued pre-production on the $500 million, two-movie project.

The director posted a studio news release on his website saying production has commenced in New Zealand on the much-anticipated project.

He also released pictures on his Facebook page that show him on the set of the prequel to his Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy.


On set: Peter Jackson released this image on location of The Hobbit in Wellington, New Zealand, today

A similar image of him holding a pipe on set was taken back in 1999 while he was shooting the first film, highlighting his dramatic weight loss in recent years.

He has previously credited his transformation to a change his food intake, saying in 2005: 'I just got tired of being overweight and unfit, so I changed my diet from hamburgers to yoghurt and muesli and it seems to work.'

British actor Martin Freeman will star as hobbit Bilbo Baggins alongside Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom in twin movies of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel about a short, hairy-footed hero.

The films are expected to take up to two years to make, with the first timed for release in late 2012.

The Hobbit is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkien that Jackson helmed to blockbuster film success in 2001-03, winning best-picture and best-director Oscars for the finale.

Jackson underwent surgery last month for a perforated stomach ulcer, pushing back the start of filming at least by several days.

Last October, New Zealand changed labour laws and tipped in extra tax breaks for Hollywood studios MGM and New Line Cinema to ensure the Hobbit films would be made in the country.


Flashback: The producer sitting in Bag End while filming Lord of The Rings in 1999


Back to health: The director recently underwent surgery for a stomach ulcer

The changes mean actors and others working on the films will be hired as contractors not employees. The union had wanted local actors and other production workers to be hired as full-fledged employees on union contracts.

New Zealand received a huge boost to its tourism and film-making industries from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Freeman, whose films include 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Hot Fuzz' but who may be best known from Ricky Gervais' 'The Office' television comedy, has said playing Baggins is the role of a lifetime.

so awesome. i LOVED lotr

can't wait! i bet itll be epic

so unbelievable.
I cant wait!

Sweet - nice too see him healthier as-well.

I hate sci -fy movies but, I have to admit I liked LOTR. I'll watch this.

good stuff right here!