Depending on your stance, next week's release of director Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is either nine years of painful waiting, or nine years too late. Very few people will deny that Jackson's work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a cinematic achievement and its bounty of Oscar wins only solidifies that statement. However, between Return of the King and The Hobbit series was nine years, in which time a lot has changed in cinema, including Jackson's style. While many predict that the film will get an easy Best Picture nomination just like the last three, is it possible that the film will actually prove to be a continued hot streak with a possible win?
