Hobbit Film News - Archives

6/20/2011
Barry Humphries will play the Goblin King, Evangeline Lilly a Woodland Elf named Tauriel. The latter doesn't appear in the book.

6/18/2011
Luke Evans cast as Bard, Benedict Cumberbatch voices Smaug.

6/7/2011
Orlando Bloom is in again as Legolas and the titles for the movies are revealed: THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY and THE HOBBIT: THERE AND BACK AGAIN.

5/19/2011
The Master of Laketown and Azog have been cast.
Stephen Fry will be playing The Master of Laketown, Conan Stevens will be Azog.

5/1/2011
Fili and Thranduil have been cast.
Rob Kazinsky had to step back from the role of Fili due to personal reasons. Now Dean O'Gorman will be Fili. Thranduil, the king of the Wool-elves, will be played by Lee Pace.

4/15/2011
First video from Peter Jackson from the Hobbit set.

2/7/2011
Filming starts March 21.
Article on Wall Street Journal

1/13/2011
Christopher Lee joins the team.
The 88 year old actor will reprise his role as Saruman, providing he is in good health. Besides, a rumor says that David Tennant will be Thranduil, the king of the Wood-elves and father of Legolas.
Article on scifimafia.com

1/11/2011
Gandalf and Gollum cast.
As in Lord of the Rings: Ian McKellen is Gandalf, Andy Serkis is the model for the computer-animated Gollum.
Article on hollywoodreporter.com

1/7/2011
Frodo in The Hobbit.
Elijah Wood (Frodo) will be in The Hobbit. He will feature in the opening sequence.
Article on theonering.net

12/8/2010
Cate Blanchett will be Galadriel again.
Also cast are Ken Stott as Balin, Sylvester McCoy as Radagast, Mikael Persbrandt as Beorn, Ryan Gage as Drogo, Jed Brophy as Nori and William Kircher as Bifur.
Article on comingsoon.net

11/2/2010
James Nesbitt is Bofur, Adam Brown is Ori.
This was announced yesterday by New Line, Warner and MGM.
Article on theonering.net

10/27/2010
The Hobbit will be made in New Zealand.
Article on Wall Street Journal

10/22/2010
Bilbo and some of the dwarves are cast:
Bilbo Baggins: Martin Freeman
Thorin Oakenshield: Richard Armitage
Fili: Rob Kazinsky
Kili: Aidan Turner
Dwalin: Graham McTavish
Oin: John Callen
Gloin: Peter Hambleton
Bombur: Stephen Hunter
Dori: Mark Hadlow
Biographies of the actors on theonering.net

10/16/2010
The Hobbit has green light, MGM, Warner Brothers, and New Line have confirmed. Peter Jackson is reconfirmed as director.
Article on time

7/2/2010
Peter Jackson will direct The Hobbit.
The director of the Lord of the Rings movies, Peter Jackson, originally was the producer of The Hobbit. After the retreat of Guillermo del Toro, Jackson takes his position. There are still 2 movies planned, which are loosely scheduled for 2012 and 2013.
Article on rttnews.com

5/31/2010
Director del Toro drops out of The Hobbit!
The Hobbit doesn't have a director any more. Due to the ongoing delays, Guillermo del Toro decided to step back as director from The Hobbit. His original commitment was for three years, he couldn't life for six years in New Zealand, Peter Jackson said about del Toro's retreat. Del Toro will continue to co-write the screenplays.
Article on theonering.net | Article on comingsoon.net

5/4/2010
In an agreement between Warner and Imax, Warner seems to plan with December 2012 for the Hobbit release. The movie shall be in 3D at least for Imax cinemas.
Article on hollywoodreporter.com

4/17/2010
Peter Jackson adjusts some things concerning timeline and casting.
The second script (first draft) is finished. Jackson supposes, that this autumn shooting will begin, but MGM has to give green light first. No actors have been signed yet, but the ones from LotR with roles also in The Hobbit are wanted there, of course.
Article on moviefone

3/18/2010
According to Ian McKellen (Gandalf), the shooting for The Hobbit starts in July, casting has already begun.
Article on comingsoon.net

12/10/2009
The Irish twins John and Edward Grimes will audition for the roles of Fili and Kili. At least those are the latest rumors.
Article on metro.co.uk

12/6/2009
Seems like there won't be a delay and that the casting has begun.

11/30/2009
The filming was pushed back from spring to some time in the summer, there is no green light yet, according to Peter Jackson.
Article on screeninglog.com

11/26/2009
The script for the first movie is completed and was received well by the film studio.
Article on digital spy

11/7/2009
Gandalf's adventures apart from Thorin & Co, which probably above all means those at Dol Guldur, will feature in the movies.
Interview with Del Toro

10/30/2009
John Rhys-Davies, Gimli in Lord of the Rings, won't appear in The Hobbit as Gloin.
Short interview on empireonline

9/16/2009
Here are pictures from the current Hobbiton set, made in August.
Pictures at theonering.net

9/13/2009
The lawsuit between Tolkien Trust, New Line and HarperCollins is settled.
It was about the earnings from the Lord of the Rings movies. After this settlement, there shouldn't be any more juristic obstacles for the Hobbit film adaption.
News at reuters

8/14/2009
Screenplay for first Hobbit film is finished.
Peter Jackson finished the writing this month.
Yahoo News / AP

7/19/2009
Hobbiton is re-build for The Hobbit.
The construction work on the Hobbtion set from the Lord of the Rings has begun.
Article at collider.com

6/12/2009
Hugo Weaving, Elrond in Lord of the Rings, is confirmed by Del Toro to be cast in the upcoming Hobbit films.
While is was not specifically said that he will be Elrond, it is obviously for sure that he will play this role again.
Article at theonering.net |

4/28/2009
Filming will start in March 2010.
The movies will include something about the history of Erebor, Jackson and Del Toro told in an interview in the print issue of Empire magazine. Beorn and the spiders of Mirkwood will appear. 3D is still an option, but there are concerns about it if it would catch the feelings of the trilogy. Del Toro won't try to imitate Jackson's style.

4/18/2009
The story of The Hobbit will span over two movies, producer Jackson and director Del Toro told.
The White Council and the comings and goings of Gandalf to Dol Guldur will be interlaced. The idea of having a bridge movie about the time between Hobbit and Lord of the Rings as part two seems to be dead.
Article on empireonline.com |

3/16/2009
Ralph Moeller said, a role in the Hobbit was offered to him. He was asked to play a wolfman, but he hasn't been signed yet.
Such a creature doesn't exist in the Hobbit. Maybe an Ork or Beorn was meant.
Interview with Ralph Moeller in German |

1/26/2009
Mike Mignola, artist for some of Del Toro's movies, will work on visualization together with Weta, Alan Lee and John Howe. A good third of that is already done. There are still a few actors possible as Bilbo, but no names are given.
MTV article

11/30/2008
Del Toro said, filming will begin in 2010 and last for about 370 days. Maybe The Hobbit will be splitted in two, instead of making the second movie with materials from the appendices.
Del Toro interview

10/22/2008
Del Toro said in an interview, the Hobbit is "the hardest movie I'll probably ever do". He wants the Dwarves to be believable and not as secondary characters. And Smaug "is the best Dragon ever written".
Interview on TORN

10/18/2008
According to Del Toro Peter Jackson probably won't film any scene of The Hobbit, all will be done by Del Toro himself. Meanwhile the script is almost finished.

8/20/2008
The writing for The Hobbit has begun.
Article on Entertainment Weekly |

7/11/2008
Del Toro clarifies, that there definitely will be two movies.

7/10/2008
Del Toro will write the screenplay for the first Hobbit movie. Jackson, Walsh and Boyens for the second movie, if there will be one. Then they plan to switch and rewrite each other.
Article on USA Today

6/30/2008
Del Toro says, it isn't sure that there will be a second Hobbit movie. "We believe there is a second movie. If there isn't, there will not be."
Interview at Defamer

6/13/2008
James McAvoy says he won't be Bilbo.
Article on collider.com

6/9/2008
The momentarily circulating announcement, that James McAvoy will have the role as Bilbo, is only an unconfirmed rumor so far.

5/28/2008
Ian Holm won't play the leading part as Bilbo in The Hobbit, but should have some other small role (maybe older Bilbo in a flashback). Several actors are considered for Bilbo, one of them is the first choice, but no names are given yet.
Article on Empire Online

5/26/2008
A court will decide on 6th of June, if the production of The Hobbit can continue or not. Christopher Tolkien is claiming, that New Line didn't pay a 7.5% share of profits that was signed in 1969, when J.R.R. Tolien sold the rights.
Article on Times online

5/22/2008
Rumors tell of Liv Tyler (Arwen) and Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) being on board again. For the second movie, the link between Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, this would be quite logically.

5/20/2008
Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro invite you to a live internet chat about The Hobbit on Saturday, 24. of May.

5/11/2008
Del Toro plans to do something really big with Smaug. He said, that 'Smaug should not be "the Dragon in the Hobbit movie" as if it was just "another" creature in a Bestiary. Smaug should be "The DRAGON" for all movies past and present.'
Article on theonering.net |

5/6/2008
Something happened in the last two weeks: Del Toro, McKellen and Serkis are in.
Read article

4/26/2008
Breaking news: Del Toro will direct The Hobbit.

4/20/2008
Der Toro said on April 19th, in the next four or five days we will know if the deal [between Warner and him] will happen or will not happen.
Video interview on ign.com

4/14/2008
Del Toro wrote in a Hellboy II forum about The Hobbit, that "there has been a lot of movement. And for the last few weeks there has been a lot of creative / cast / crew / visual talks and agreements and we have witnessed great progress in areas that I cannot disclose or that have already leaked from other sources".
Posting on boards.universalpictures.com

4/7/2008
According to an interview with Ian McKellen, The Hobbit will be in cinemas in 2011 and 2012, one year later than previously announced.
Article on The Independent

4/3/2008
Del Toro says, things are moving forward. "But at the very least, I have the illusion of movement."
Article on Entertainment Weekly

3/31/2008
Howard Shore, who composed the music for Lord of the Rings, will be composer for The Hobbit, too.
Article on AICN

3/21/2008
Del Toro is still in negotiations about directing The Hobbit, he recently said.
Article on theonering.net

2/29/2008
Time Warner has fusioned The Hobbit studio New Line with Warner Bros, making it one big company. Apparently the New Line bosses Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne won't be on board any more.
Article on CNBC

2/24/2008
Universal was stunned to hear about Del Toro as Hobbit director, because they want him for a Hellboy sequel and for Lovecraft's 'At the Mountains of Madness'. Universal production chef Donna Langley: "We're in discussions with how to rectify that with Guillermo".
Article on Variety

2/15/2008
Del Toro wants the actors from Lord of the Rings, like Andy Serkis and Ian McKellen, in The Hobbit, too.
Article on Empire

2/11/2008
The Tolkien Trust and HarperCollins are suing New Line, claiming the company failed to pay a cut of gross profits for the Lord of the Rings movies.
This could cause another serious delay for The Hobbit. Let's hope it won't.
Article on SFGate.com

1/30/2008
Guillermo del Toro will direct The Hobbit, he said himself in an interview.
Update: This is not official yet and may proove wrong, Del Toro admitted.
Article on theonering.net

1/29/2008
Nothing is finalized yet in the director question, according to MarketSaw. Jackson did contact Del Toro and talked about "possibilities".
Article on MarketSaw

1/28/2008
Guillermo del Toro is in talks with New Line and MGM to direct The Hobbit.
Article on Hollywoodreporter

1/24/2008
This rumor was denied by New Line!
The contracts of Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne with Time Warner will expire this year. Rumors say they won't be renewed.
Shaye and Lynne founded New Line, which now belongs to Time Warner, in 1967. According to Deadline Hollywood Daily it is 'virtually certain that the studio pair will be shown the door'.
Article on Deadline Hollywood Daily

1/13/2008
Elijah Wood wants to reappear in a minor role in the second movie as young Frodo. He confirms that this movie should fill the gap between Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Article on MTV Movies Blog

1/10/2008
Christopher Lee hopes there will be a place for him in The Hobbit.
Article on Miami Herald

1/9/2008
Peter Jackson will play host to key insider people for a scale discussion on what 3D options to elect for The Hobbit, says Marketsaw.

12/27/2007
Here is a very good and detailed summary of the current Hobbit situation.
Article on The Frodo Franchise

12/19/2007
Rumors tell of Hellboy-director Guillermo del Toro as a new candidate to direct The Hobbit.
Article on Entertainment Weekly

12/19/2007
According to Entertainment Weekly, the first movie will deal with the book The Hobbit, whereas the second will link The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
I suspect, that then the second movie will use a lot of material from the appendices.
Article on EW

12/18/2007
The Hobbit movies will be made with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh as producers! New Line and Jackson have reached agreement, the dispute between New Line boss Shaye and Jackson seems to be settled. Jackson and Walsh will produce two Hobbit movies, a director isn't named yet. Both movies will be shot simultaneously, like The Lord of the Rings movies were. Production will start in 2009, the movies are scheduled to come to our cinemas in 2010 and 2011.
Official announcement

12/6/2007
A new rumor by MarketSaw: Peter Jackson will surely make two Hobbit movies.
The second movie will be influenced by The Silmarillion and the Unfinished Tales. The source of this rumor is claimed as 100% veracity. If this is true or not, time will tell.
Article on MarketSaw

12/3/2007
The latest rumor of Jackson doing The Hobbit in 3D was commented as 'not true' by New Line.
Article on AICN

12/1/2007
New rumor says: Jackson will make The Hobbit in 3D.
This claims a by own account reliable source. A blog on 3D movies has the story that two Hobbit movies will come 2010 and 2011, directed by Jackson and shot in 3D.
Article on MarketSaw

11/29/2007
Sam Raimi believes that Peter Jackson is in negotiations with New Line about The Hobbit.
Article at CBR

11/15/2007
On top of each page is now displayed what happened on this day in The Hobbit.

10/29/2007
A new book, entitled The History of the Hobbit is available.

10/17/2007
Sam Raimi wants Peter Jackson to direct The Hobbit, but in case Jackson would only be the producer, Raimi would do it.
Article on Rotten Tomatoes

10/15/2007
Ian McKellen is keen to be Gandalf again in The Hobbit, even if Peter Jackson would not direct it. In fact Jackson said to him: 'Of course, you must play Gandalf whether I direct or not.'
Article on BBC News

10/10/2007
Tolkien's nephew Tim Tolkien praises the progress in the legal row between New Line and Peter Jackson.
Article on contactmusic.com

10/10/2007
Michael Lynne of New Line says, there is 'more than hope' for the Hobbit movie. But he didn't get precise.
Article on MTV Movies Blog

10/7/2007
In an interview on New Line's 40th anniversary, Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne talk of the company's history and future and are also mentioning The Hobbit. Start at about minute 47.
Video on charlierose.com

10/5/2007 Entertainment Weekly has in its latest issue a long and interesting cover story about the current status of The Hobbit movie, which is a quite good summary. Cover story

10/4/2007
New Line has now accepted the fine and won't oppose it.
Article on Hollywoodreporter

9/21/2007
Peter Jackson has won the first round in the legal battle with New Line over the payment for Lord of the Rings.
New Line has to pay 125 000 US$ and Jackson's lawyers have been allowed to inspect New Line's files, if the studio did not produce several audits within 21 days.
Article on stuff.co.nz, Larger article on LA Times

9/13/2007
Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen that is) wants to be part of The Hobbit, too, but admits he is "not really in the loop." and it "doesn't seem like I would be part of".
Article on MTV Movies Blog

9/6/2007
According to a more than a month old interview, Raimi is out of The Hobbit:
Q: Are you involved with "The Hobbit"?
SR: I am not involved. I respect the director [Peter Jackson] a great deal and he may do it some day, so no. (excerpt from the interview)
Full interview on wizarduniverse.com

8/10/2007
An article about New Line's situation in general has an interesting statement about The Hobbit:
Eager to move ahead with "The Hobbit," New Line has quietly been trying to mend fences with "Rings" filmmaker Peter Jackson, who has sued the company over his share of profits from the first "Rings" films. When asked if it was true that company insiders had been in talks with Jackson's reps, Shaye replied, "Yes, that's a fair statement. Notwithstanding our personal quarrels, I really respect and admire Peter and would love for him to be creatively involved in some way in 'The Hobbit.' " (excerpt from the article)
Full article on LA Times

8/9/2007
While in New Zealand with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Ian McKellen talks about The Hobbit again:
"I would very much like to do it, but I don't know if it is going to happen or not," says McKellen. "If Peter Jackson ended up directing or producing it in New Zealand, it would be a wonderful thing. Peter was very sweet when he announced that he wouldn't be directing it. He sent me a note saying, 'Of course, Ian, you must play Gandalf if they get around to making it', which is kind because I would have felt disloyal doing it when he had not been able to do it himself. I have a feeling: every month that goes by when they don't announce that they're going to do it gets closer to the point where they no longer have the rights." (excerpt from the article)
Article on NZ Listener, the Hobbit part is on end of page 2 and on page 3.

8/1/2007
In a video interview (at 1:54 minutes) Sam Raimi said that New Line is in negotiation on The Hobbit, more he couldn't say. On a comic con he said that "while he loved what Peter Jackson did with the franchise, he had no plans to follow it up".

7/19/2007
Ian McKellen did an interview basically about Singapore gay rights, but with one starement about the Hobbit, too.
Q: A film version of Tolkien's "The Hobbit" has been stalled because of a dispute between "The Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson and film company New Line Cinema which holds the film rights to the book. Has there been any movement on the film development?
A: "I detect that there is movement and it's movement in the right direction. I'll be seeing Peter (Jackson) when we tour (New Zealand) next month. I hope it will happen."
Article on Reuters India

7/10/2007
Shaye is talking again about The Hobbit, not really saying anything. But that little nothing is interpreted by the New Nork Post as "hints we should never say never at the idea of Jackson".
Article on New York Post, the Hobbit part is at the very end.

6/26/2007
Although New Line says they won't yield to Peter Jackson, they want to settle their dispute: Article on Variety.
This article is a good summary of the momentary Hobbit situation: Once more on New Line, Peter Jackson, and The Hobbit.

5/27/2007
There is a new statement from Peter Jackson about New Line:
'We have a great many friends at New Line and utmost respect for the risk they took with us and it hurts to be hit with the level of venom directed at us from individuals in that company. It's been a lot more nasty behind the scenes than what's been made public. It's just an accounting dispute at the end of the day, but it makes you wonder what they have to hide.' According to Jackson, chances of him doing The Hobbit are 'remote at this point'.
Article on Cinematical

5/21/2007
Orlando Bloom, Legolas in the Lord of the Rings movies, wants to be involved in The Hobbit with Peter Jackson. He is not sure, if he will under any other director.
Though Legolas doesn't even appear in The Hobbit, he could be involved in a subplot. But hopefully The Hobbit movie will be more true to the book, than the Lord of the Rings movies were. So The Hobbit movie could easily do without Legolas. Another possible role for Bloom would be that of Thranduil, Legolas' father and king of Mirkwood.
Article on MTV Movies Blog

5/15/2007
More rumors: the reputed wish list of New Line.
Should both Sam Raimi and Peter Weir be not available, then New Line wants one of the following directors: Stephen Sommers, Michael Bay, Brad Silberling or Bill Condon. The validity of this report is quite questionable.
Article on AICN

5/11/2007
A new rumor about who will be director: Peter Weir
The name of the director of 'Master and Commander' is now coming into play for the director job in The Hobbit movie. But it's not more than a rumor yet.
Article on AICN

4/24/2007
Sam Raimi talks again about The Hobbit.
Excerpts from the interview:
'The truth is I just don't know what I'm going to do next ... I had one conversation [with Bob Shaye] about the possibility of it and that's really where it's at ... It's still Peter Jackson's project ... I'd have to know that he wasn't making the movie. Then it would have to be officially offered to me ... I'd have to know that he was okay with it. It's really his picture. I don't even want to put him in a position where he's forced to respond to me. I'm not even in a position where I want to ask him that. I guess I should say "no comment!"'
The complete interview on comicbookresources.com

4/20/2007
'The Children of Hurin' was released 3 days ago.
Book The Children of Hurin

4/17/2007
Sam Raimi would make the Hobbit. But this would leave Spiderman 4 without a director. Some speculations on Entertainment Weekly.

4/15/2007
Composer Timothy Powell wants to have his song 'New Places' on the Hobbit movie soundtrack. Good luck and let's see if he makes it. Meanwhile you can listen to the song:
Timothy Powell's site

4/5/2007
Again Bob Shaye on The Hobbit:
Q: You recently said Peter Jackson would never touch The Hobbit while you were at New Line.
A:You know, we're being sued right now, so I can't comment on ongoing litigation. But I said some things publicly, and I'm sorry that I've lost a colleague and a friend.
Q: Is The Hobbit still a viable project?
A: I can only say we're going to do the best we can with it. I respect the fans a lot.
Interview on wired.com

3/30/2007
Computer game delayed because of Hobbit movie?
Game magazine Gameinformer reports in its April issue about Electronic Arts delaying the release of the game 'The White Council'.
The article says:
Interestingly, the timing of the original cancellation rumor comes suspiciously close to the news that movie studio New Line Cinema is planning a prequel movie preceding the events in the Fellowship of the Ring, as well as the Hobbit. Given that EA has a licensing agreement with the studio, it is possible that the planned content in the White council overlapped with the plans New Line has for its films. This may have caused the studio to step in and affect the game's development to suit its future plans.

3/22/2007
Bob Shaye won't be the director of The Hobbit, says Bob Shaye.
Article at eonline.com

3/15/2007
At the end of an interview about the movie 'The Last Mimzy' Bob Shaye says, if New Line makes The Hobbit, they'll have a good director for it.
Article at moviesonline.ca

2/28/2007
MGM is putting money aside for The Hobbit. For this and other movies between 60 and 150 million dollars each are scheduled.
Article on Reuters

2/19/2007
The New York Times reports in an article on New Line founder Robert K. Shaye about his bad disease back in 2005 and about the current Hobbit timetable.
Shaye, due to an infection, lay in a coma for six weeks in 2005. On The Hobbit, "he said, however, that although there was no workable script yet for the film, he intended to release it in 2009."
Article on the New York Times

2/15/2007
'The Children of Hurin' will be published mid April and can already be preordered.
Book The Children of Hurin

2/5/2007
Not only Peter Jackson, but Peter S. Beagle too, the screenplay author of the 70's animated Lord of the Rings, still hopes for more money.
Article on Conlan Press

1/28/2007
Spider Man director Sam Raimi sayd, he is thinking about making The Hobbit. New Line still wants to have two Hobbit movies, and this without Peter Jackson. MGM in contrast still sticks to Jackson.
Article on the LA Times

1/12/2007
Peter Jackson answered to the yesterday's accusations back. The Lord of the Rings movies never have been audited with him, New Line was 'completely uncooperative'.
Article on aintitcool.com

1/11/2007
The quarrel between New Line and Peter Jackson continues. New Line Boss Robert Shaye will never again make a movie with Jackson.
Article on Scifi Wire

12/19/2006
While Michael Martinez and Anne Petty campaign for a Hobbit movie, theonering.net addresses in an article fans and studios.

12/11/2006
Royd Tolkien, great grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien, votes in an open letter for Peter Jackson as director for The Hobbit.
The letter on theonering.net

12/7/.2006
The book The Children of Hurin, which will be released in April 2007, is illustrated by Alan Lee. Here is a picture of the cover.

12/5/2006
In the last days there have been much fuss about The Hobbit. But real news weren't available. So here all in short:
Elijah Wood too is sad about Jackson's retreat. The interview with Saul Zaentz is already from the middle of October. And a decision who will be the director isn't made yet. So still nothing is decided.

11/22/2006
Gandalf-actor Ian McKellen is sad about Jackson's retreat and says that "we will have to await developments".
Article on McKellen's website

11/21/2006
MGM is angry about the latest fret over the director of The Hobbit (see last 2 notes) and says, Jackson is still in the run.
Article on variety.com

11/20/2006
Peter Jackson wrote in an email that he won't be the director of The Hobbit.
According to his mail New Line is currently looking for another director, because Jackson won't do it before the lawsuit is settled and New Line has only a limited time option on the film rights.
This is in direct contrast with the latest statement from Saul Zaentz. Things will stay exciting.
Article on theonering.net

11/17/2006
Producer Saul Zaentz said in an interview with the German movie magazine 'Cinema', The Hobbit surely will be made by Peter Jackson. MGM-boss Harry Sloan meanwhile gives 2008 or 2009 as date.
Translation from the magazine:
Q: What is with the long anticipated Hobbit-adaption?
A: It will definitely be shot by Peter Jackson. The question is only when. He wants to shoot another movie first. Next year the Hobbit-rights will fall back to my company. I suppose that Peter will wait because he knows that he will make the best deal with us. And he is fed up with the studios: to get his profit share on the rings trilogy he had to sue New Line. With us in contrast he knows that he will be paid fairly and artistically supported without reservation.
(own translation)
German article on elbenwald.de

11/15/2006
Howard Shore, composer of the soundtrack of Lord of the Rings, is looking forward to The Hobbit, too. He already talked with Peter Jackson about it.
tracksounds.com

11/14/2006
MGM is in advanced talks with Peter Jackson. And there are interesting news about the division of the two planned Hobbit movies:
The first movie would be a direct adaptation of The Hobbit, and the second would be drawn from footnotes and source material connecting The Hobbit with The Lord of the Rings.
Article on variety.com

11/3/2006
The movie 'Halo', a project between Microsoft and Peter Jackson, has been put on hold. So Jackson would have more time to do The Hobbit now.
Article on variety.com

10/25/2006
MGM is in discussions with New Line Cinema to get the rights to produce two Hobbit movies.
Article from the Hollywood Reporter

10/21/2006
Between MGM and Peter Jackson's representatives initial conversations about The Hobbit have taken place.
Yet it is questionable whether Jackson will start with The Hobbit soon. At least not while the lawsuit between New Line and Jackson isn't settled.
Article on theonering.net

10/20/2006
Andy Serkis, actor of the later computer animated Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, hasn't been asked to paticipate in the Hobbit so far, too. Nonetheless he is looking forward to this movie.
Video of the interview with Andy Serkis, after 3:28 minutes he talks about The Hobbit.

10/13/2006
Result of the 2 days survey: Should The Hobbit movie stay true to the book or should there be included other stories that are not part of the book (like e.g. the White Council)?

10/5/2006
In April 2007 a new and complete book by Tolkien will be published, the first since The Silmarillion in 1977! Christopher Tolkien now has reconstructed The Children of Hurin.
Press Release by Houghton Mifflin

10/1/2006
Result of the 2 days survey: Should The Hobbit movie be made in one or in two parts?

9/30/2006
Gandalf actor Ian McKellen is waiting for The Hobbit, too:
"I'd very much like Peter Jackson to consider it. I've put it to him a number of times. I think understandably his ambitions might lie elsewhere."
Complete interview at AfterElton.com

9/26/2006
In another interview Peter Jackson again talks about The Hobbit and says, the sets of Hobbiton and Rivendell do still exist and could be used in The Hobbit again.
Article at Entertainment Weekly

9/18/2006
Peter Jackson talks in an interview in detail about The Hobbit:
He still waits to be asked by MGM and New Line to produce The Hobbit. Meanwhile his calendar gets stuffed more and more with other projects. So maybe someone else will make the movie.
Jackson would like to continue with the actors from Lord of the Rings and even include these roles which don't appear in The Hobbit or are only mentioned marginally, like Legolas and Saruman. With a movie in two parts he would show Saurons defeat against the White Council and his return to Mordor.
Article at aintitcool.com

9/15/2006
The CEO of MGM has referred to The Hobbit as a high-profile project of the next years.
Harry Sloan hopes to win Peter Jackson as director for one or two installments. Jackson in turn still hasn't been asked yet.
Article at aintitcool.com

9/1/2006
A visitor of the New York Office of New Line saw 'The Hobbit' on the film schedule for July 2007.
Article at theonering.net

7/10/2006
Rumors tell that at WETA the Hobbit movie is already in production.

5/27/2006
Ian McKellen told in an interview again that he would love to play Ganfalf in "The Hobbit".
From the interview:
Q: If "The Hobbit," the prequel to "The Lord of the Rings," were made into a movie, would you want to play Gandalf again?
MCKELLEN: I would love to do "The Hobbit," yes. Partly because I would hate to see anybody else playing Gandalf.
Article in CNN.com

4/28/2006
The rune generator now finally works with all common browsers like Firefox and Opera and not only with Internet Explorer like before.

3/22/2006
Saul Zaentz, producer and one of the holders on the rights of the Hobbit movie expresses his optimism that the movie could be made soon.
From the following article: "And fear not, lovers of furry-footed wee folk: Zaentz vows there will be a film version of The Hobbit, just as soon as the slightly more complicated legal entanglements around that property are ironed out."
Article in jam! Showbiz

3/15/2006
MGM, the owner of The Hobbit movie distribution rights, has changed its company politics. They are looking now for partners for the production of new movies. How this will affect The Hobbit movie is unclear, but we can hope.
Article in Media InfoCenter