Source: Digital Spy http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds12542.html
LOTR 'Hobbit' prequel could follow
11:36 GMT, Monday 1st December 2003 -- by Neil Wilkes
A Lord of the Rings prequel movie could be on the cards in the future, director Peter Jackson confirmed at the Return of the King premiere in New Zealand today.

Jackson said he would be "keen" to work on an adaptation of Tolkein's The Hobbit but it would have to wait until after his next project, a remake of King Kong.

New Line have yet to acquire the film rights to the book, which follows Bilbo Baggins as he stumbles upon the Ring of Power.

"They haven't talked to me about the Hobbit and I know there's some difficulty with the rights," Jackson said. "If they wanted to talk to me about it I'd be keen (but) I'm obviously busy for the next couple of years with King Kong."