Warner Brothers

They say that even the longest journey begins with a single step, and Peter Jackson has finally reached that step on his movie adaptations of “The Hobbit” where cameras are (metaphorically) rolling, actors are performing their parts and footage is being gathered that will someday arrive in your local cinema. Warner Brothers announced on Monday that production had begun in Wellington, New Zealand, on Mr. Jackson’s two-film version of J. R. R. Tolkien‘s “Hobbit” novel, a project that has previously been stalled by the loss of the director Guillermo del Toro; a battle between Mr. Jackson and labor unions in New Zealand and Australia over hiring practices for the films; and, just when things finally seemed to be getting on track, an emergency surgery for Mr. Jackson to repair a perforated ulcer.

In a statement, Warner Brothers said that the “Hobbit” movies “will be shot consecutively in digital 3-D using the latest camera and stereo technology” and that filming “will take place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.” The movies, which are being jointly produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, are planned for release in 2012 and 2013, though if history is any indication, there’s no need to start camping outside your theater for tickets just yet.