Peter Jackson, director of the Hobbit trilogy

It’s been decided–the movie adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbitwill (thankfully!) be directed by The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. 

Unfortunately, the movie still has another obstacle in its way before a February start date can be confirmed for filming. Warner Brothers’ New Line Cinema unit and MGM are financing the film project–which will be broken into two movies–and a budget has already been drawn up for filming in New Zealand. Yet it seems that a union dispute could prevent local actors and contractors from signing on.

(See “The Hobbit Goes Hollywood”^[1])

The New York^[2]Times^[3] Arts Beat^[4]blog reports that “New Zealand officials have said the production can’t legally enter a collective bargaining arrangement with its actor-contractors, but unions there have insisted that a deal could be struck.”

(See more on the labor dispute.^[5])

So while all those Tolkien fans out there just might have to wait longer than anticipated, at least they can rest easy knowing the film is in Jackson’s capable hands.

(See “Peter Jackson: Lord of the Cinema”^[6])