Peter Jackson released from hospital

Sir Peter Jackson has been discharged from a New Zealand hospital following stomach surgery.

The 49-year-old filmmaker was in the country to begin pre-production on troubled movie 'The Hobbit', but was admitted to Wellington Hospital last Wednesday (26.01.11) suffering with stomach pain as a result of a perforated ulcer.

He has now been released, his publicist Melissa Booth has confirmed.

She added the Oscar-winning director would continue his recuperation at home.

Filming on 'The Hobbit' - starring Martin Freeman as leading character Bilbo Baggins alongside Sir Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom - will be minimally impacted by Peter's hospital stay.

It was initially intended to begin shooting at the end of February, and it is not known if that will now be delayed until March.

'The Hobbit' - a prequel to the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy about a group who must journey to battle a dragon - has undergone a number of problems in production.

First-choice director Guillermo del Toro pulled out of the movie because of continued delays, while acting unions around the world called for extras to boycott the film because of a lack of guarantees about pay and conditions.

It is expected to hit cinemas in December 2012.