The Hobbit
The Hobbit is a series of three
epic fantasy adventure films directed, co-written and produced by
Peter Jackson and based on
J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel
The Hobbit (1937). The films are, by subtitle,
An Unexpected Journey (2012),
The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and
There and Back Again (2014).
The Lord of the Rings is originally a
sequel to the novel, thus the series acts as a
prequel to Jackson's
film trilogy.
Several actors will reprise their roles from
The Lord of the Rings, including
Ian McKellen,
Andy Serkis,
Ian Holm,
Hugo Weaving, and actors whose characters did not appear in the novel such as
Cate Blanchett,
Christopher Lee,
Elijah Wood, and
Orlando Bloom. Also returning for the production, among others, were co-writers
Fran Walsh and
Philippa Boyens, illustrators
John Howe and
Alan Lee,
art director Dan Hennah, and
cinematographer Andrew Lesnie. As with the original trilogy, props will generally be crafted by
Weta Workshop and visual effects managed by
Weta Digital. Additionally, composer
Howard Shore, who scored
The Lord of the Rings, will return to score the film series.The most significant new involvement in the series is the participation of
Guillermo del Toro, originally chosen to direct the films, as co-writer.
Set in the fictional world of
Middle-earth, the three films follow the
hobbit Bilbo Baggins (
Martin Freeman), hired by the
wizard Gandalf (McKellen), to accompany
13 dwarves led by
Thorin Oakenshield (
Richard Armitage) on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the
dragon Smaug (
Benedict Cumberbatch).
The first film in the series premiered at the
Embassy Theatre in
Wellington,
New Zealand on 28 November 2012. Around 100,000 people were expected to line the red carpet on
Courtenay Place, and the entire event was to be broadcast live on TV in New Zealand, as well as streaming over the Internet.
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