'The Hobbit' And 'Lord Of The Rings' Updates To Brighten Your Monday

I know what you're thinking. "The Lord of the Rings" is old news. What kind of update could there possibly be? The one that PlayStation 3 owners and Blu-ray adopters have been waiting for, of course. The full trilogy will hit the hi-def format on April 6, according to a report at Video Business (via ComingSoon). Fans can look forward to nine discs of Blu-ray goodness, with bonus content culled from the previous DVD releases as well as digital copies of each movie and BD Live access. The April release is only for the theatrical cuts of the trilogy; the extended versions are coming... eventually. No word yet on when.

There's also some news to report on "The Hobbit" front, beginning with the official start to the casting process today. "Hobbit" director Guillermo del Toro also dropped in on the forums at "Rings" fansite TheOneRing to address some of the pesky rumors that have been flying around.

The fansite is currently down, but fortunately The Playlist has the details on del Toro's post. For starters, "The Hobbit" is not delayed, despite recent comments from producer Peter Jackson which have made fans suspect otherwise. The director also re-confirmed what we previously learned from Jackson about the three actors confirmed to be returning from the "Rings" trilogy, though he also said that he hopes to see Andy Serkis return for the role of Gollum. The update concludes with del Toro reaffirming that all things "Hobbit" are moving along swimmingly, with the second movie's script currently in the midst of being written.

In short... calm down people. "The Hobbit" is coming and people who really care are shepherding it well.

Did you believe any of the delay rumors? Are you relieved to hear that all is well? With casting now officially underway, this is your last shot to make picks: who do you think would be perfect for the part of Bilbo?

Tags guillermo-del-toro, peter jackson, the lord of the rings, the-hobbit