The Hobbit trilogy now all have names…

There’s cause for great celebration in the Shire this weekend, for not only have we gotten a release date for the third film in Peter Jackson’s ambitious The Hobbit trilogy, but we’ve also got a name! Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema announced this late Friday afternoon that July 18, 2014 has been set for the release of The Hobbit: There and Back Again (which previously was the title given to the 2nd film). Now that film has been retitled to The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. With only a 7 month break between the last two films, it will be an exciting year for fans of Middle Earth who will experience this new action packed and emotional set of films which take place nearly 60 years before The Lord of the Rings saga. Some precious news indeed to kick off the Labor Day weekend!

Grab your DayPlanners, iCalendars and what not, don’t worry, we can wait…and jot down these dates!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Dec. 14, 2012

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug – Dec. 13, 2013

The Hobbit: There and Back Again – July 18th, 2014