In Variety's profile of Peter Jackson timed with the release of his final Hobbit film, the director hints he may have more than two trilogies' worth of J.R.R. Tolkien-inspired material in him.

"If I had to start [production on another Tolkien film] tomorrow, I would say no, because I definitely would appreciate a break to clear my head and get my little New Zealand stories done, which is where my passion and my heart is heading now," he said. "But ask me in two or three years, and I'd probably say yes. It would be hard to see another filmmaker go into this world, because I certainly have an emotional ownership of it."

Jackson's journey through Middle-earth began with the Lord of the Rings trilogy; the first installment, The Fellowship of the Ring, hit theaters way back in 2001. When that trilogy wrapped with 2003's Return of the King, fans immediately speculated Jackson would turn his attention to Tolkien's first Middle-earth story, The Hobbit. Of course, no one speculated he would transform the lone novel into a trilogy of films, the last of which -- The Battle of the Five Armies -- opens today.

The Variety profile notes there are still Middle-earth short stories left untouched by the six films, although that material is "tightly controlled" by the Tolkien estate, which may not wish for them to be adapted. According to the timeline given by Jackson, we should know more about Middle-earth's feature film fate in "two or three years."