Good news for The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fans out there, as Ian McKellen, aka Gandalf, has posted on his website saying that shooting will begin in New Zealand in June 2010 for the duration of one year. According to his site, the director of the two part prequel, Guillermo del Toro is now living in Wellington, close to where Oeter Jackson and the studios are based.

He said: THE HOBBIT’s, two films, start shooting in New Zealand in July.  Filming will take over a year. Casting in Los Angeles, New York City and London has started.  The script too proceeds.  The first draft is crammed with old and new friends, again on a quest in Middle Earth.

The director Guillermo del Toro is now living in Wellington, close to the Jacksons’ and the studio in Miramar.

We thought delays may occur since MGM are in such a financial mess but it seems that hasn’t stopped production of the movie but this confirms the news we had earlier in the year.

More info as we get it.