'The Hobbit' Trailer: 'Lord Of The Rings' Prequel 'An Unexpected Journey' Gets First Look (VIDEO)

Nearly ten years to the day that the first "The Lord of the Rings" film hit theaters, the first trailer for its prequel, "The Hobbit," has been revealed.

Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth for the first time since he won three Oscars for "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" to tell the story of Bilbo Baggins and his adventure to reclaim the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the dragon Smaug.

Baggins, who is played by Martin Freeman ("The Office"), is joined by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), Oakenshield's band of Dwarf warriors, and Gandalf the Grey (Sir Ian McKellen). Andy Serkis returns as Gollum. Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, and Cate Blanchett return in small parts to reprise their roles as Legolas, Frodo, and Galadriel, respectively. Evangeline Lilly will play Tauriel, while Luke Evans is on board as Bard.

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" will be maniacally anticipated by the time of its release, and not just because it follows a legendary trilogy. The film's production is a saga in itself. It's a product of a number of lawsuits and riffs between New Line, Jackson and a number of other parties who fought over profit, finances and rights issues. Director Guillermo Del Toro was initially slated to helm the project, with Jackson producing, but he left in 2010 due to delays to the filming schedule.

The film, out next December, is one of two "Hobbit" pictures Jackson will put out, with "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" slated for release in 2013.

Comments

[fuzzynormal]

01:11 PM on 12/26/2011

The Shire set in New Zealand is pretty cool. I was there a week after filming wrapped and they're making it a modest tourist destination. It's not overwhelming, just a pleasant laid back pastoral setting. As it should be. Kind of sublime, really.

[Zephyra]

02:40 PM on 12/26/2011

You are so lucky-the Shire & Hobbiton. Tolkien's novels were my first foray into high fantasy & I'm still a great fan. Peter Jackson hit all the right notes.

[novictim]

08:13 PM on 12/23/2011

Dude...if they had gotten the real Richard Armitage to play Thorin...oh my god!

Barrell chested state department guy ...would be a rockin thorin.

[Mary Loes]

06:46 PM on 12/23/2011

Uhhhhhh, can't wait..

[friendlier]

01:34 PM on 12/23/2011

"Rifts" not "riffs".

[JBS]

08:15 PM on 12/22/2011

Good lord! It's still a year away.

[ElTan]

04:06 PM on 12/22/2011

Them's some big dwarves. Thorin's nearly as tall as Gandalf!

[eshine]

03:04 PM on 12/22/2011

NICE!!

[American Native Son]

01:37 PM on 12/22/2011

From the oily ashes of internet porn rise the multitudes of shire lusting ring geeks!

[Xgal08]

12:23 PM on 12/22/2011

Nerdgasm! Looks amazing!

[mikihx]

03:32 AM on 12/22/2011

"Deep roots are not reached by the frost."

[Youcantstandthetruth]

08:23 AM on 12/22/2011

From the ashes a fire shall waken. A light from the darkness will spring. Renewed shall be sword that was broken. The crownless again shall be king!

[KHAAANNN]

09:30 PM on 12/21/2011

AWESOME!
Looks great (as expected given the talent working on/in it.)

[carmpence]

09:24 PM on 12/21/2011

Yawn...I almost fell asleep watching the teaser. Pass.

[KHAAANNN]

09:29 PM on 12/21/2011

I'm sure that Transformers 4 will be more to your liking.
All SFX, no plot.

[enneacalypso18]

10:20 PM on 12/21/2011

You liked Inception, didn't you?

[metalbagabon]

09:02 PM on 12/21/2011

looks as good as the LOTR trilogy, hope they have the Dragon in there too

[ElTan]

04:06 PM on 12/22/2011

Can't have the Hobbit without Smaug. They better have left Beorn in as well!

[fuzzynormal]

01:18 PM on 12/26/2011

Wha?

Okay...I guess I'd like to see an adaptation made without Smaug. Just leave out one of the main characters of the story that the entire plot/book revolves around. That would be a neat trick.

[enneacalypso18]

08:49 PM on 12/21/2011

Arthur Dent is playing Bilbo...this I want to see.

[KHAAANNN]

09:30 PM on 12/21/2011

Where is his towel?

[enneacalypso18]

10:19 PM on 12/21/2011

Better question, where is his bathrobe?

[Jarrett none]

12:01 AM on 12/23/2011

Where is his Methrill?

[concernedazvoter]

08:29 PM on 12/21/2011

I remember going into a very small, obviously independent bookstore, right next to a grocery store over 35 years ago and asking the bookseller for something good to read. I was ten and she handed me the Hobbit.

[manelady]

12:13 PM on 12/22/2011

An experience you can only have in a small,independent book store.

[JBS]

08:24 PM on 12/22/2011

Not necessarily.

There are LARGE independent book stores too. A few anyway.