The Hobbit Films Have Names! (Le Guin Did Not Unname Them)

The SFX Blog (linked through The Wertzone) has announced that the two films in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit have been named:

The Hobbit:  The Unexpected Journey (to be released on the Dec. 14th, 2012)
The Hobbit:  There and Back Again (to be released Dec. 13th, 2013)

While I am not a fan of secondary titles for films, nor for the two-film split of Tolkien’s classic, I have to say those are some good titles!  They capture what might be called the hobbit-y feel of the story.

And if you didn’t already known, the following folks from LOTR are set to return:  Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, and Orlando Bloom (who was the most recent addition).  That’s great news considering that The Hobbit has been in production limbo for years.

What do you think about the titles?  What about the release dates?  I honestly wish they’d release the second movie in summer 2013 instead of a year later, but that’s because I’m an impatient son of a biscuit…