“Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson has confirmed on Facebook that “The Hobbit” will become a film trilogy.

Now the other two movies, starting Irish actors James Nesbitt and Aidan Turner, have wrapped the director has confirmed that a third movie is now in the mix.

Writing on Facebook Jackson said “It is only at the end of a shoot that you finally get the chance to sit down and have a look at the film you have made.

"Recently Fran [Walsh], Phil [Boyens] and I did just this when we watched for the first time an early cut of the first movie - and a large chunk of the second.

"We were really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life.

"All of which gave rise to a simple question: do we take this chance to tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as the filmmakers, and as fans, was an unreserved 'yes'."

He added that the final movie will be based on the material from the appendices of “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit”.

Jackson continued “We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance.

"The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth."

Jackson did not reveal the name of the third movie or its release date.

The first movie “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will  premiere in Jackson's hometown Wellington, New Zealand on 28th November 2012. The second, "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" is scheduled for release in late 2013.

Here’s the trailer for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”:

Here’s the latest video blog from Peter Jackson on attending Comic Con in San Diego: