I can barely imagine how they could possibly make two movies out of the book as it is. - Victor Ganata

They're included more than what's in the book, such as Gandalf and the White Council. - Akiva

Sure, I can possibly see the White Council attacking Dol Guldur and forcing Sauron to flee taking another movie to tell, but what could the third movie possibly be about, then? - Victor Ganata

Depending on how you wanted to do it, you could have the first end when they escape the burning trees (and attendant wargs/goblins), end the second when Bilbo goes barrel riding, and start the third at Lake Town. With extra material worked in, I could see those going to three. I'm just hoping that they don't ditch actual plot from the book for the extra stuff. - Jennifer Dittrich

The thing is, even with the extra material, there just doesn't seem to be anywhere near enough action to support three length feature films. I mean, I know people complain that LotR is mostly about walking, but I think The Hobbit is even more so. - Victor Ganata

The is too much action for one film, but maybe too little for three, I agree. I also agree with Jennifer on the first break point should be near the escape from the goblins. - Gimminy from fftogo

I figure if they're going to do just two films, I'd put the break more at the barrel riding, so that you get a bit more time in the second one for Smaug (which PJ has said will be the focus of the second film anyway.) I could see enough material for three, if they were heavily padding the second (Beorn, Mirkwood) with the "what is Gandalf up to now" segments with the White Council, etc. - Jennifer Dittrich

That would mean the first movie is just about meeting Gandalf and the dwarves, walking down the East-West road, running into some trolls, hanging out in Rivendell, getting captured by goblins, Bilbo stealing the ring from Gollum, escaping, but then getting treed by wargs. That seems to me like less than half of the action in FotR. - Victor Ganata

Maybe in comparison to the LotR films, but that is a lot of action compared to just about any other fantasy film, that I can think of. Then again, I don't watch a whole lot of fantasy films. - Gimminy from fftogo

I am worried that they'd really have to move around the timeline for dramatic purposes. It also seems like PJ is going to end up haunted by George Lucas prequel syndrome. Getting captured by the goblins = Mines of Moria. Driving out Sauron from Dol Guldur = Helm's Deep + the Fall of Isengard. The Battle of Five Armies = The Battle of the Pelennor Fields. - Victor Ganata

The Tolkein professor is doing a whole series of interviews on what they think will be in the Hobbit. They think there's enough material, but I tend to agree with you. http://www.mythgard.org/exclusi... - Todd Hoff