Warner Bros. cleared up the remaining question marks about a third "Hobbit" movie from Peter Jackson and company over the weekend with the announcement of an official title and release date for the final film of the fantasy trilogy.
"The Hobbit: There And Back Again" will hit theaters on July 18, 2014, seven months after the second installment—the newly renamed "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"—opens on December 13, 2013.
That new title may sound familiar as it was one of the potential titles that Warner Bros. had registered around the time of the announcement of the third film. The title comes from Middle-earth geography and the map found at the beginning of the book and featured in the story. The Desolation of Smaug is a location in Middle-earth, where the legendary dragon destroyed a city after taking hold of Lonely Mountain.