It's Monday, I'm struggling with work and reading the above has started nme thinking - always dangerous!
Ian McKellan has talked about the Hobbit on his website (the BBC have picked up on the fact that filming on the 2 parter starts in July) and that 'a lot of old friends will be reunited' - especially, it seems, for part 2 which will be a bridge between the Hobbit proper and LOTR.
I realise that I'm adding 2 and 2 together and coming up with 46 but is there a possibility that SB may be contemplating pulling out of one to do the other? I've got no idea whether it's possible or not, my brain is just coming up with these random thoughts.