THE HOBBIT Trilogy Concludes on July 18th, 2014; Second Film Re-titled THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG | Collider

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We can now confirm that the third installment in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy will open on July 18th, 2014. The film will now be called The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Before you get too confused, the second film has been re-titled, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. No title or release date changes have touched the first film, so, in summation:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will open on December 14th, 2012.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will open December 13th, 2013.
The Hobbit: There and Back Again will open July 18th, 2014.

Still with me? Hit the jump for more on The Hobbit shuffle.

Deadline reported on the new release date for the third film in The Hobbit trilogy as well as the shuffling of titles. We previously posited the question of when we would see the dragon, Smaug (motion-captured and voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) in the trilogy. Matt also reported that the closing chapter would probably still carry the title of The Hobbit: There and Back Again with the middle installment taking on either The Desolation of Smaug or Riddles in the Dark. So why the shorter time between the second and third films? A statement from Dan Fellman, Warner Bros Pictures President of Domestic Distribution said:

“We wanted to have a shorter gap between the second and third films of The Hobbit Trilogy. Opening in July affords us not only the perfect summer tentpole, but fans will have less time to wait for the finale of this epic adventure.”

Works for me. What do you folks think of the new title?

kenny38606

Really WB? X-Men: Days of Future Past is the only film scheduled for July 2014 so far and you chose to schedule your movie the same weekend. Why not choose one of the other 3? Why force X-Men to either compete with you or move?
- John
  
  I’m guessing X-Men will be moved. Fox should put it up front in May like they did with Wolverine, that worked very well for them.
  - kenny38606
    
    Fox already has Dawn of the Planet of the Apes scheduled for May. They’re not going to put their 2 summer blockbusters that close together.
  - ScaredForMovies
    
    WB isn’t going to schedule their movies around Fox. I don’t see this as a big deal at all. X-Men will do just fine. Early July is still open isn’t it?
  - MJ
    
    The Amazing Spider-Man sequel has the start of May opening slot already.
- Anonymous
  
  X-Men: First Class sucked ass so who really cares.
Jimmy

This is awesome! I’m guessing that the first film will be the journey through Mirkwood Forest to the Mountain. The second will be outsmarting Smaug and then his slaying. And the final film will be the war. They must have shot a lot of damn footage to be making 3 films out of this.
Albert

I don’t care what everyone says but I’m excited for this!
Cpt. Hindsight

Loooooove that the went with The Desolation of Smaug! Awesome title. I always loved looking at the map and thought that was a cool phrase.
Strong Enough

i have no problem with this. catch it on bootleg
- Pocketses
  
  I truly hope something horrible happens to you.
  
  Bootleg? Go to hell. PAY FOR THE THINGS YOU ENJOY, I’m sick of this whole country thinking that they want it, so they can just take it. I hope someone hacks your bank accounts, steals your identity, ruins your credit and bankrupts you.
  - Strong Enough
    
    LMAOOO
    
    why you so mad bruh? lol
  - Bilbo bung
    
    He mad because there will be no movies if everyone bootlegs
Brian

VERY aggressive scheduling from WB. Not good. FOX will definitely move X-Men, but where to? December? I doubt it would do well there.
WickedLazers

I personally think the title is fitting. *NOTE: MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW! DO NOT READ IF HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK!*

The Desolation of Smaug refers to the ravaged landscape around Lonely Mountain, such as the ruined city of Dale, which the dragon flamed all those years ago. As I imagine, the second film will probably deal with Bilbo and the Dwarves escape from the Elves in Mirkwood, their journey to Lake-town, the trip to Lonely Mountain, Bilbo’s encounter with Smaug, the destruction of Lake-town, the slaying of Smaug by Bard, and with Gandalf and his dealings at Dol Guldur, and the Necromancer. It will work.
Thomas K.

I’m hoping they are doing this to cut down running time and enhance pacing on the 1st and 3rd film and in turn making an awesome part 2.
That would be nice.
I don’t know if I could watch Three 3hr films again. And then want to watch all 3 LOTR after? That be a helluva challenge. But I guess, yeah, I’d be up for it.
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Jamesy

Looking forward to this, but in the back of my head I can see this as not being on par with the LOTR trilogy. Just because it seems a bit…rushed? But I hope I’m wrong and can’t wait to see this on the big screen! Cumberbatch and Freeman together again, even if it’s not as Holmes and Watson, I can dig it.
Jamesy

Looking forward to this, but in the back of my head I can see this as not being on par with the LOTR trilogy. Just because it seems a bit…rushed? But I hope I\’m wrong and can\’t wait to see this on the big screen! Cumberbatch and Freeman together again, even if it\’s not as Holmes and Watson, I can dig it.
Pocketses

I get the book reference with the title, but god, Desolation of Smaug just sounds bad as a film subtitle.

I’m more excited than just about anyone in the world for these films, and I’m going to love them no matter what they are…but that title was the worst of the proposed.

Oh well, I can live. NOW JUST GIVE ME A NEW GOD DAMNED TRAILER!
bubbatwo420

What’s funny is that we can call it THE HOBBIT: DOS (2) for short – get it -
Masshuu il Thulcandra

So when do we start getting new trailers? The first one is good but Pt. 1 is only 3 1/2 months away. Time to up your game P.J.!
jun

WB just wants to release just in time for christmas 2014 the complete hobbit trilogy on blu ray. that’s why.
Byron

I just wish they would either just call it ‘The Hobbit’ or solely go by the subtitle, together it’s just a jumbled mess and your average moviegoer isn’t going to be intrigued by the referenced
dogg

How the hell can anyone complain about 3 films? They’ll be extended with content from the Tolkein sources almost nobody has read. So it’s more legit Tolkein goodness, AND it will still have the capacity to surprise. The Hobbit by itself is so well known it couldn’t do this.
- Thomas K.
  
  Well, you see,
  The LOTR trilogy is based off of a much more in depth 3 part story that was originally written as one book, but because of it’s length, was released into 3 volumes.
  Now, the Hobbit on the other hand, no matter how good or bad you see it, is still and always has been just ONE BOOK. Splitting up ONE STORY, into THREE FILMS, leads many to believe that it is probably more Peter Jackson’s fascination with Tolkien’s stories that is then him just bogging down what would be 2 great films into 3 unnecessary parts.
  OR, if you HATE corporate America, New Line, MGM, and WB is just trying to milk the story into as many films to make as much money as possible.
  Now,
  I’m not saying this is what is happening, or that it is going to.
  This is just what everybody fears.
  Nobody wants it too happen.
  But it is in the back of all our minds, even though everybody hopes they are ALL great.
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THE HOBBIT Trilogy Concludes on July 18th, 2014; Second Film Now Titled THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG

by Dave Trumbore Posted: August 31st, 2012 at 5:22 pm

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