For all those who missed the one-hour online question-session and chat with Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro this afternoon (3 pm Eastern Time), a transcript has been posted on Weta’s site. I couldn’t get the version on their home page to print, but if you just want to read it, that’s adequate. There’s a link to a PDF copy that prints out easily, in case you want to relive, study, and savor the whole thing—and obsessively file it away, like me. Who knows, maybe I’ll end up writing another book!

Some of the questions are pretty predictable, but there’s actually quite a bit of news tucked away here. Some highlights:

Peter hints that Gandalf the Grey will be important in both The Hobbit and what’s currently just called Film 2. That seems to hint that Ian McKellen is willing to act in both, since later on Peter says that only characters whose actors will return for the second film will be written into its script.

It is confirmed that both Alan Lee and John Howe will be working on the design of the films.

The schedule is given more precisely than I’ve seen it. Peter says, “At this point in time the plan is to write for the rest of this year and start early conceptual designs. 2009 will be dedicated to pre-production on both movies and 2010 will be the year we shoot both films back to back. Post production follows one film at a time, with The Hobbit being released Dec 2011, and F2 released Dec 2012.”

(Later Guillermo and Peter seem to interpret “back to back” differently, Guillermo says it means one film shot, then a short break, then the other film. Peter describes it as more like LOTR, with all the scenes in a given location or with a particular set of actors would be done together, whichever film they’re for.)

Peter confirms what I’ve predicted about the casting: “We anticipate we won’t be in serous casting mode for these movies until well into next year.” Near the end Guillermo writes of the questions they’ve received, “I can proudly say that only a FEW asked ‘How can I be an extra?’ so my heart swells with pride with the many questions that you were kind enough to submit.”

Peter says some quite interesting things about what Film Two might consist of. It’s clear that they haven’t decided whether to put Gandalf’s travels south and his dealings with the White Council into The Hobbit or Film 2. There’s a suggestion that Gollum will be in Film 2.

It seems definite that Howard Shore will score the films. Peter and Fran have talked with him, Guillermo has exchanged e-mail messages with him and says “He will return.”

But there’s lots more, and I’ll let you enjoy it yourselves. It sounds like there will be another life Q and A like this one, though nothing definite yet.