For a while there, it was looking like the "Lord of the Rings" prequel "The Hobbit" was never going to be made.

Financial woes stood in the way of taking on such a big-budget film, and labor disputes caused other problems. "Pan's Labyrinth" director Guillermo Del Toro was on to direct, but later dropped out...and with Peter Jackson ailing with health problems, it seemed as though the movie would be leaderless. Add to all that an earthquake in New Zealand where the movie was to be fimed, and "The Hobbit" just seemed doomed to fail.

But never fear, Tolkien fans! As of today, "The Hobbit" is officially underway, with the true "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson at the helm. Warner Bros. released a statement yesterday on Facebook announcing the start of filming, but without giving much in terms of new information.

There's a short synopsis (as if we didn't know the story of "The Hobbit" already) and a detailed cast list. The film will be shot entirely in digital 3D, though, so it will be interesting to see how Peter Jackson handles 3D and how it enhances the "Lord of the Rings" experience. I'm not a huge fan of 3D (those darned glasses!) but those epic battle scenes (and Smaug) might be pretty cool.

To celebrate the start of filming, the production has released the first two photos from the set: both look to be from Bilbo's home in the Shire, with a slimmed-down Peter Jackson posing for the shots.