Filming For The Hobbit To Start In Mid-Summer 2010

Consider this another addition to the ever-increasing pile of vague factoids for Guillermo Del Toro's The Hobbit. According to TheOneRing.net, Peter Jackson mentioned to reporters (while doing press for The Lovely Bones) that they hope to begin filming towards the middle of next year, a delay from the film's previous March 2010 shooting plan.

See the full Jackson quote after the break.

We're currently working on the second script which we hope to have completed by the end of this year or beginning of next.  When the scripts are completed, we can begin with the exact calculation of the necessary budget.  We hope to start filming in the middle of next year. However, we've received no green light from the studio yet.

The quote originates from German film site Moviereporter.net, and was translated by TheOneRing.

Now that The Hobbit scripts are finally nearing completion, I think we can finally start to trust the information we're getting from Jackson and Del Toro. And once the studio greenlights the production, things will definitely be more concrete. At that point delays will cost money, and will result in more than just irate fans and movie bloggers.

There's no word if this delay will affect the release of the films for December 2011 and  2012. Jackson previously mentioned that they plan to shoot for 370 days, and that they will also need a few months of post-production before the release of the first film. Going with those numbers, a mid-2010 start could be cutting it close, but it honestly doesn't seem like anything we should get too worried about yet.

This is going to be a busy next few years for Jackson, what with the Spielberg Tintin trilogy happening in tandem with The Hobbit's production. But while he may run himself ragged, it's going to be a win for us movie fans.