[Mithalwen]

I think they scrubbed that idea and it is merely splitting the Hobbit story so they can extract 2 lots of box office revenue from the fanbase. I suppose htey may well pad out with what Gandalf is up to while away.

I don't see that it needs so much screentime. It is so much shorter and simpler than LOTR it doesn't need 2/3 of the time. So much of the Hobbit is stuff that can be shown on film in an instant but which takes a while to describe in writing. I just wonder if it will hold the audience enough to wait a year for the end.