As Jackson has acknowledged, "The Hobbit" is a slender story compared with the far more sprawling and complex "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. But the director is drawing not only on the original book, but also on more than a hundred pages of appendices Tolkien later wrote that expanded on the world of "The Hobbit." Jackson is obviously confident that all of this material taken together can sustain three films and hinted in his announcement at what narrative elements will be incorporated to fill out the trilogy.
"We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance," he wrote. "The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth."
The first installment in the trilogy, subtitled "An Unexpected Journey," hits theaters Dec. 14, 2012. The second film is slated for Dec. 13, 2013. The last installment will hit theaters in the summer of 2014.
Source: CNN
