Third 'Hobbit' movie may be coming from Peter Jackson

Our take: After some consideration, the originally planned two-film "Hobbit" may turn into a trilogy. Although the third movie is still uncertain Jackson has concluded that there is enough material from the book, as well as the extensive appendixes to The Lord of the Rings, to make a third film.

Warner Bros. and director Peter Jackson are seeking to turn the planned two-film Hobbit franchise into a trilogy, a move that could pay off in bigger box office returns, according to people familiar with the situation.

The Burbank film studio originally planned to release two Hobbit movies based on J.R.R. Tolkiens literary prelude to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and principal photography on those two pictures finished in New Zealand this month. The first is set to come out in December, followed by the second in December 2013. The two films combined cost about $500 million.

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