Return to Middle Earth

Name: WORLD
Price range: $

Good news for Tolkien fans who've been missing Middle Earth. Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, revealed on his website this week that shooting for The Hobbit will begin in July.

Of the script, McKellen wrote, "The first draft is crammed with old and new friends, again on a quest in Middle Earth." He also revealed that J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved prequel will be adapted in two films.

Though Peter Jackson remains on the project as executive producer, Oscar-winning director Guillermo Del Toro (best known for Pan's Labryinth in 2006) will be at the helm this time.

Megan Basham

Megan is a former film and television editor for WORLD and co-host for WORLD Radio. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and author of Beside Every Successful Man: A Woman’s Guide to Having It All. Megan resides with her husband, Brian Basham, and their two daughters in Charlotte, N.C.

@megbasham