The Hobbit’s unexpected journey begins

MANILA, Philippines - Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures have just released six new images from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of Peter Jackson’s trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of 13 dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the wild; through treacherous lands swarming with goblins and orcs, deadly wargs and sorcerers.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. Also reprising their roles from The Lord of the Rings in The Hobbit trilogy are Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm, the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee, Saruman; Hugo Weaving, Elrond; Elijah Wood, Frodo; and Andy Serkis, Gollum. The international ensemble cast of the trilogy also includes Manu Bennett, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott and Aidan Turner.

Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens Dec. 13, with the second film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, releasing Dec. 13, 2013, and the third film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again slated for July 18, 2014.