Jackson signs deal for The Hobbit - but won't direct
10:10AM Wednesday December 19, 2007
By Russell Baillie
Peter Jackson landed back in New Zealand today with a surprise Christmas present for his Wellington studio team - the greenlight to reprise Middle-earth once more with two films adapting The Hobbit.
Plans to make J.R.R. Tolkien's earlier tale about Bilbo Baggins, which set the scene of the Lord of the Rings, had been snared in litigation and between Jackson and New Line, the studio which backed the trilogy over earnings from the films, as well as rights issues with another studio, MGM.
But all parties have come to an agreement meaning Jackson and partner Fran Walsh are to executive produce the two films to be shot back-to-back in 2009. At this stage no decision had been made on who might direct the films.
Spokesman Matt Dravitski said Jackson was hesitant to direct it himself and likened his involvement to that of George Lucas' in the original Star Wars trilogy - having established the franchise, Lucas had other directors do parts two and three.
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