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Jackson: Hobbit A Ways Off

Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson told the Australian Associated Press that it will be at least three years before he shoots the Rings prequel, The Hobbit. Jackson is currently shooting King Kong. Asked how long it would be before he tackles The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien's first book set in Middle-earth, Jackson said: "Three or four years would be accurate, I would say."

The rights to The Hobbit are split between MGM and New Line Cinema, the AAP reported. Jackson said that he was keen to return to Middle-earth, but that MGM's sale to Sony made the project's future unclear. "I think there is probably a will and a desire to try and get it made," he said. "But I think it's going to be a lot of lawyers sitting in a room trying to thrash out a deal before it will ever happen."