New Zealand tries to save “The Hobbit”

The unfolding drama of The Hobbit continues…to unfold…dramatically.

The New York Times (among other sources) is reporting that the New Zealand government is trying to knock heads together so that everyone gets on the same page with “The Hobbit”.

When last we checked the ratings — er, status quo — our heroes had fallen by the wayside. I mean, Peter Jackson was feuding with actors’ organizations over attempts to unionize the film and television industry in New Zealand and Warner Brothers and MGM were trying to figure out how to split billions of dollars in revenue (possibly even to include Peter Jackson in the distribution this time around, as he claims that New Line Cinema didn’t pay him millions of dollars to which he felt entitled).

Meanwhile, Sir Ian McKellen has left the building, along with Guillermo del Toro. So “The Hobbit” has no Gandalf, no director, no financing, shaky union relations, and an uncertain future.

Must be 2010 after all.

You know, if all else fails, maybe Peter can hook up with Tom Hanks to produce a series of 30-second “Hobbit” clips for YouTube ….