It’s been confirmed that the two films based upon The Hobbit have been greenlit. New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer proudly announced that principal photography will begin in February 2011 under the direction of Peter Jackson.

“Exploring Tolkien’s Middle-earth goes way beyond a normal film-making experience,” says Jackson. ‘It’s an all-immersive journey into a very special place of imagination, beauty and drama. We’re looking forward to re-entering this wondrous world with Gandalf and Bilbo and our friends at New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers and MGM.”

Both Hobbit movies will be filmed in Digital 3-D utilizing all of the latest filming technology. The screenplays were writen by Jackson, who worked with Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro.

“Peter is a filmmaker of incomparable ability; having him return to Middle-earth to produce and direct is a dream come true. A true original, Peter is a gifted story-teller, visionary director and pioneer in film technology,” said Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer for New Line Cinema. “Reuniting with Peter, Fran and Philippa truly makes it feel like we are going there and back again. ”

The Hobbit films will be co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production, Warner Bros Pictures handling domestic distribution and MGM distributing internationally. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham are producing the films, with Phillipa Boyens as co-producer and Ken Kamins as executive producer.

“There is no human being on the planet as qualified as Peter Jackson to direct these films,” said Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer for Warner Bros. “Peter is incredibly talented and has the creative vision and experience to bring this beloved property to life in a way that no other filmmaker could. And the team of Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens has proven through their work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy that no one is more skilled at transforming Tolkien s written words into a vibrant, living language that makes the audience believe they are not merely visiting Middle-earth, but actually living in it. We couldn t be more thrilled and look forward to seeing The Hobbit take shape under Peter’s stewardship and the team he is putting together.”