Well, after plenty of conjecture, rumours, and deduction, this news will probably be no major surprise. But The Hobbit films have officially been greenlit by Warner Brothers, after months of delays due to MGM’s financial difficulties that affected directors’ schedules etc. Filming is expected to begin in February 2011.

As mentioned in an article several weeks ago, Peter Jackson has confirmed that he is directing, and not Neil Blomkamp. I imagine there will be no major debates amongst the fanboy community regarding this, considering the critical and commercial success of his Lord of the Rings trilogy adaptation.

We also reported that Martin Freeman (best known as lovable dork Tim in the UK version of The Office) is being considered as a young Bilbo Baggins. Deadline is still saying Freeman is a strong possibility. But other casting news has emerged. Apparently, Jimmy Nesbitt (Bloody Sunday, Match Point), David Tennant (the most liked Dr Who, apparently), and the great Michael Fassbender (Fish Tank, Hunger, and as Magneto in the upcoming X-Men: First Class). Ian McKellan and Andy Serkis (who voiced Gollum) are hoped to reprise their roles.

The other good news is that release dates have been announced, with the first Hobbit film coming out in December 2012 and the second part the following year. Let’s hope nothing else goes wrong.