"The Hobbit" Officially Announces Three-Part Film Plans

　　Sending Middle-Earth fans into a frenzy, Peter Jackson has confirmed "The Hobbit" has officially become a trilogy after announcing on Monday (July 30) plans for a third film instead of the originally scheduled two.

　　Sharing the news through his facebook page, the franchise's director explained, "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."

　　The epic fantasy-adventure tale will begin this December when the first installment titled "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" opens with the follow-up film dubbed "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" due in December 2013.

　　Now, the pair of highly-anticipated flicks will be capped off by a third motion picture which is expected to hit theaters sometime in Summer 2014.

　　Check out Peter Jackson’s announcement in it's entirety below:

　　"It is only at the end of a shoot that you finally get the chance to sit down and have a look at the film you have made. Recently Fran, Phil and I did just this when we watched for the first time an early cut of the first movie – and a large chunk of the second. We were really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life. All of which gave rise to a simple question: do we take this chance to tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as the filmmakers, and as fans, was an unreserved ‘yes.’

　　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. 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.

　　So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of “The Hobbit” films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.

 　　It has been an unexpected journey indeed, and in the words of Professor Tolkien himself, ”a tale that grew in the telling.”