Del Toro and Jackson discuss The Hobbit

Explaining their plans to Empire, Guillermo Del Toro and Peter Jackson have made the announcement Lord Of The Rings fans have been waiting to hear with regards to the format that the upcoming adaptation of The Hobbit will be taking: “We’ve decided to have The Hobbit span the two movies, including the White Council and the comings and goings of Gandalf to Dol Guldur,” said Del Toro in an interview with the magazine.

Dispelling suggestions that the second instalment would serve to bridge the sixty-year gap between The Hobbit and The Fellowship Of The Ring, using elements of The Silmarillion to plug the gaps, this news will come as a relief to many. Jackson remains focused on the direction the fantasy franchise will be taking however, as he explained: “It would be a mistake to try to cram everything into one movie.”

Parts one and two of The Hobbit are due to hit cinemas December 2011 and 2012 respectively.