There were several times in the now dim and distant past (well, only a couple of years ago, really) when we thought we’d never see The Hobbit start shooting. But the cameras began cranking on March 20 last year and now Peter Jackson has posted the picture above to Facebook, marking the end of the two Hobbit movies’ long slog through production.

We made it! Shoot day 266 and the end of principal photography on The Hobbit,” he wrote in a note accompanying the image. “Thanks to our fantastic cast and crew for getting us this far, and to all of you for your support! Next stop, the cutting room. Oh, and Comic Con!”

Yes, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There And Back Again will now be making their way through the editing and post-production system. Though given that the first film is set for release in December, Jackson and his crew will already have started getting it ready.

But for now – and assuming there aren’t pick-ups or second unit material still to be shot – the studios will not ring to the sounds of dwarves singing, weapons clashing or dragons roaring. With luck, though, there will still be plenty of production blogs to watch as the process continues into the next stage.

And as Jackson mentioned, the next big quest is to win over fans at next week’s San Diego Comic-Con. Empire will be there, so expect plenty of updates…