Hobbiton revisited

New Zealand is once again the backdrop for Middle Earth, Peter Jackson and Hobbit director Guillermo Del Toro confirmed in an hour-long live internet chat with fans. Speaking from New Zealand and London respectively, the pair answered 20 of the most popular questions they received online, including the location of The Hobbit, the casting of Bilbo Baggins and whether or not an extended edition of the film would be made. Jackson discusses his role in the production of the films: “Truth is ‘Executive Producers’ do a range of things on movies from a lot to virtually nothing! I see myself being one of a production team. I see my role as being part of that writing team, which will create the blueprint, and then helping Guillermo construct the movie.” The Hobbit will be released December 2011.