Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro have taken on yet another role in bringing “The Hobbit” to the big screen.

Jackson, who is already the movie’s executive producer, and del Toro, who signed on as the director in April, are now also handling scriptwriting duties for the two planned “Hobbit” movies.

The films are being adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary classic, which chronicles Bilbo Baggins’ initial discovery of the powerful ring that will eventually become the focal point of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

Also joining del Toro and Jackson in penning the screenplay are Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who previously collaborated with Jackson to adapt the three “Rings” books for film.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmakers decided they would write the script themselves after seeing their schedules open up, discovering their affection for the material and realizing that their familiarity with Tolkien’s meticulously crafted world would help them make the movies’ release dates.

Shooting for the “Hobbit” films will occur simultaneously and is tentatively slated to begin in fall 2009 in New Zealand.

New Line and MGM plan to release the first movie in late 2011 and the second movie in late 2012.






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