The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey


 * Disambiguation: This article is about the 2012 live action film. For the 1977 animated film, see The Hobbit (1977 animated film). For the novel, see The Hobbit.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first film of the upcoming movie trilogy The Hobbit. Peter Jackson, who previously directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is directing all three films.

Etymology
The title bears a similarity to the first chapter of The Hobbit novel, An Unexpected Party.

Synopsis
On his eleventy-first (111th) birthday, the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins decides to write down the full story of the adventure he took 60 years before for his nephew Frodo. Bilbo writes about how, prior to his own actual involvement, the Dwarf Thrór becomes king of Erebor  and brings an era of prosperity to his kin until the arrival of Smaug  the dragon. Drawn by the amount of gold that the Dwarves have amassed, Smaug destroys the nearby town of Dale before driving the Dwarves out of Erebor. Thrór's grandson, Thorin Oakenshield, sees King Thranduil  and his Wood-Elves on a nearby hillside and is dismayed to find them taking their leave rather than aiding his people. This makes Thorin grumpy.

Following this, Bilbo is tricked by the wizard Gandalf the Grey into hosting a party for Thorin and his band of Dwarves, which doubles as Bilbo's recruitment as the Dwarves' "burglar" to help them steal their treasure back from Smaug. Bilbo reluctantly joins the company on their journey to the Lonely Mountain. The group gets captured by 3 mountain trolls, but Bilbo is able to stall the trolls from eating them until dawn, when Gandalf saves the company by exposing the trolls to sunlight, turning them into stone. They search the trolls' cave and find treasure and Elven blade. Thorin and Gandalf each take an Elf-wrought blade, Orcrist  and Glamdring respectively. Gandalf also finds an Elven short-sword, later to be known as Sting, which he gives to Bilbo. Being Elven blades of the First Era, they glow when near Orcs or Goblins.

The group encounters Radagast the Brown, a wizard who lives in the forest of Greenwood. He tells them of a strange presence he encountered at Dol Guldur  and how it is poisoning the forest. The group is then chased by Orcs on Wargs, with Radagast covering their escape. Gandalf leads them through a stone passage to Rivendell  as the Wargs and Orcs above are slain by Elven riders. Elrond discloses the map's indication of a secret door that will be visible only on Durin's Day. Gandalf talks with the White Council (Elrond, Galadriel, and Saruman the White) about his involvement with the Dwarves, explaining the presence Radagast encountered and expresses mild suspicion that this necromancer is the Dark Lord. The others are skeptical, believing Sauron to have been defeated forever, and that this necromancer is not a true threat.

Against the Council's wishes, Gandalf sends Bilbo and the Dwarves towards the Misty Mountains. While passing through the mountains, Bilbo and the Dwarves encounter a battle between three stone giants, and are forced to take refuge in a cave. While the company sleeps, Bilbo decides to leave and return to Rivendell after talking to Bofur, who believes in him. But before he can leave they are all captured by Goblins and taken to their leader, the Great Goblin. Gandalf arrives and saves the Dwarves from the Goblins, killing the Great Goblin during their escape. Bilbo is separated from the Dwarves and encounters Gollum, who accidentally drops a mysterious ring  while killing a stray Goblin to feed on. Picking up the ring and placing it in his pocket, Bilbo finds himself confronted by Gollum. They play a riddle game, wagering that Bilbo will be shown the way out if he wins, or eaten by Gollum if he loses. After Bilbo wins by asking Gollum what he has in his pocket, Gollum realizes Bilbo has stolen the ring and attacks him. Bilbo discovers the ring grants him invisibility and evades a furious Gollum, following him to find the way out and deciding out of pity not to kill him, despite having the chance to do so.

Bilbo rejoins the group once he sees them, keeping the ring he found secret. The moment of triumph is cut short as they are ambushed by Azog and his hunting party. After taking refuge in cliffside trees before the Wargs uproot most of them, Thorin charges Azog, but is wounded and knocked to the ground. Bilbo defends Thorin from being beheaded, and as Azog's other orcs move in, Fili, Kili, and Dwalin rush in and attack them, and a fight ensues. The group is then saved by eagles, who fly them to safety on the Carrock. Gandalf wakes the unconscious Thorin, who acknowledges Bilbo for his bravery. As the party sees the destiny of their journey, the Lonely Mountain in the distance, Smaug awakens.

Cast
Martin Freeman portrays a young Bilbo Baggins and Ian Holm reprises his role as the Older Bilbo Baggins. Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis will reprise their roles as Gandalf and Gollum, respectively. Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett will also reprise their respective roles as Elrond and Galadriel.

The character of Radagast the Brown appears in the movie and is portrayed by Sylvester McCoy, known mostly for his portrayal as the seventh incarnation of The Doctor on Doctor Who. Although he is mentioned in the book The Hobbit (in Chapter 7 on page 109 when Gandalf asks Beorn if he remembered Radagast and that he was Gandalf's cousin who lived on the Southern borders of Mirkwood), for the rest of the book Radagast makes no appearance.



Future Films in the Trilogy
In The Desolation of Smaug (scheduled for release on 13 December 2013), having successfully crossed over (and under) the Misty Mountains, Thorin and Company must seek aid from a powerful stranger, Beorn, before taking on the dangers of Mirkwood Forest—without their Wizard. The film will likely follow the group through Mirkwood, their arrival in Lake-town, and their exploration of the Lonely Mountain, culminating in the desperate fight against the ancient dragon Smaug.

There and Back Again (scheduled for release on 18 July 2014) will likely begin with the Battle of the Five Armies, which occurs near the end of The Hobbit, and may then explore the adventures Bilbo had in returning home, events which were not covered in the book The Hobbit, and will perhaps reveal some of Gandalf's investigation and conflict with the Necromancer in southern Mirkwood, serving as bridge between the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings film trilogies.

Trivia

 * Guillermo del Toro was originally on board to direct, but bowed out due to "ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming."
 * When it appeared Martin Freeman would not be available to play Bilbo in The Hobbit films due to scheduling conflicts with the BBC television series Sherlock, other actors such as James McAvoy, Tobey Maguire, and  David Tennant were considered.
 * Ryan Gage was originally cast to play Drogo Baggins, father of Frodo Baggins. According to Peter Jackson, "Ryan is a great young actor who we originally cast in a small role, but we liked him so much, we promoted him to the much larger Alfrid part."
 * The scene when Bilbo first puts on the Ring is very similar to the scene in The Fellowship of the Ring (film) where Frodo puts on the Ring in The Prancing Pony.

Memorable Quotes
"While I can honestly say I have told you the truth, I may not have told you all of it."

- Bilbo Baggins

"Far over the misty mountains cold To dungeons deep and caverns old We must away ere break of day To find our long forgotten gold. The pines were roaring on the height, The winds were moaning in the night, The fire was red, it flaming spread; The trees like torches blazed with light."

- Thorin Oakenshield,Fíli, Kíli, Óin, Glóin, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori and Ori

"I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure..."

- Gandalf

"Allow me to introduce: Fíli, Kíli, Óin, Glóin, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori, and the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

- Gandalf

"Thorin: I cannot guarantee his safety, Gandalf: Understood. Thorin: Nor will I be responsible for his fate."

- Thorin Oakenshield and Gandalf

"Gandalf: You'll have a tale or two to tell when you come back. Bilbo: Can you promise that I will come back? Gandalf: No, and if you do, you will not be the same."

- Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins

"Bilbo: My Name is Bilbo Baggins. Gollum: ''Bagginses, what is a Bagginses, Precious?"

- Gollum and Bilbo Baggins

{{Quote|The world is not in your books and maps… it's out there!|Gandalf|Fellowship of the Ring}|"The world is not in your books and maps… it's out there!"}}

Deviations from the Book

 * Elijah Wood appears briefly as Frodo Baggins, whereas this character does not appear in the book. However his appearance is purely a cameo as the set-up for the movie is that it's the Red Book of Westmarch being written and read by Bilbo shortly before Fellowship of the Ring.
 * The Dwarves did not arrive in order (first Dwalin, then Balin, then Kili and Fili, then Oin, Gloin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur all at once, and then Thorin arrived significantly later) and they did not have their multi-colored hoods as they did in the book.
 * Bilbo was shown to be allergic to Horses.
 * The group is attacked by Orcs on the way to Rivendell, just after the Trolls sequence in the movie. This did not happen in the book.
 * Bilbo goes to the trolls because the trolls steal the Dwarves' ponies.
 * Radagast the Brown aids the Dwarfs in escaping the Orc Warg Riders near Rivendell. In contrast, Radagast did not appear in the book at all.
 * Radagast investigates the darkness of Mirkwood, and at Dol Guldur encounters the Necromancer and the Witch-king of Angmar, with whom he briefly duels and from whom he takes the Morgul Blade. In contrast, Tolkien never wrote of any such incident.
 * Azog has survived the war of the Dwarves and Orcs in which he was wounded by Thorin and hunts Thorin Oakenshield and his followers. In contrast, in the Tolkien literature Azog was beheaded by Thorin's cousin Dáin Ironfoot in the Battle of Azanulbizar, well before the events of The Hobbit.
 * While at Rivendell with Thorin's party, Gandalf meets with Elrond, Galadriel, and Saruman (the film's version of the White Council) and relates Radagast's news about Mirkwood, but Saruman discounts Radagast's news about the Necromancer, who he says must be no more than a human pretending to be a wizard. This conflicts with Tolkien's version, in which the White Council already knew that the Necromancer was Sauron and was at Dol Guldur, since Gandalf had already confirmed this 89 years earlier, and Saruman had discovered two years earlier (although he did not inform the Council of this) that Sauron had learned of Isildur's loss of the One Ring at the Gladden Fields by the river Anduin and his servants were searching the area. Accordingly, in Tolkien's version, in the year of the events of The Hobbit, Saruman finally agreed to an attack on Dol Guldur because he wanted to prevent Sauron from finding the Ring.
 * At the White Council meeting, Elrond relates how the Witch-king of Angmar, after his defeat near Fornost, had been killed and sealed in a tomb in that could not be opened. This is a serious departure from canon (Tolkien's writings), in which the Witch King had not died, but fled. In fact, Glorfindel had stopped pursuit of the Witch King and prophesied, "Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall."  This prophecy, of course, was the basis for the later dramatic moment in The Lord of the Rings in which Éowyn was able to kill the Witch King because she was not a man. This prophecy no longer makes sense if the Witch King had already been killed and is now (as Radagast implies) just a spirit raised by a necromancer who could "summon the dead." Furthermore, per Tolkien the White Council knew the Witch King had not been killed because he and the rest of the Nazgul had previously been fighting with Gondor and had captured (and presumably killed) the last king of Gondor at Minas Morgul in TA 2050, long after he had fled Fornost.
 * In the book The Hobbit, as in the prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring (film), Bilbo Baggins finds the One Ring by chance when his hand happens to fall upon it as he is crawling through one of the dark Goblin-town tunnels, well before he comes across Gollum. In this film, Bilbo sees Gollum fighting with an Orc and we see Gollum drop the ring during the fight.
 * When traveling along the mountain pass, Bilbo observes the stone-giants hurling rocks at a distance, "across the valley." Bilbo and his companions take refuge under a hanging rock during the thunderstorm (thunder-battle), but are never involved in the stone-giants' game.

Merchandise
With the release of the new Hobbit film comes done great replicas, for a full list visit http://www.thefilmcell.com/all-film-merchandise/Hobbit-Merchandise there are new prop replica pipes from Gandalf and Bilbo that can actually be used and smoked. Some new sword replicas including the Orcrist, Elven Sword and loads more check out the above site for a full list.

Timeline

 * 1995: According to Brian Sibley's 2006 book "Peter Jackson: A Film-maker's Journey," interest in filming The Hobbit is originally expressed by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh this year. They envision it as the first part of a trilogy (parts two and three would have been based on The Lord of the Rings).


 * March, 2005: Peter Jackson launches a lawsuit against New Line claiming he has lost revenue from merchandising, video and computer game releases associated with The Fellowship of the Ring.


 * January, 2007: New Line co-founder Robert Shaye, annoyed with the lawsuit, states that Jackson will never again direct a film for New Line, accusing him of being greedy.


 * August, 2007: After a string of flops, Shaye begins trying to repair his relationship with Jackson, saying "I really respect and admire Peter and would love for him to be creatively involved in some way in The Hobbit."


 * December 16, 2007: Peter Jackson is officially announced as executive producer of The Hobbit films.


 * February, 2008: New Line Cinema completes a merger with Warner Bros. The two parts of The Hobbit are announced as being scheduled for release in December 2011 and 2012 respectively.


 * April, 2008: Guillermo del Toro signs on to direct the films despite an interview in 2006 where he was quoted as saying "I don't like little guys and dragons, hairy feet, hobbits, [...] I don't like sword and sorcery, I hate all that stuff."


 * August, 2008: Pre-production begins, with Del Toro, Jackson, Walsh and Philippa Boyens writing the scripts.


 * November, 2008: Del Toro has mentioned that he, Jackson, Walsh and Boyens realize something new about the story virtually every week and that the script is continually changing.


 * March, 2009: Completion of the story outlines and treatments end, and the studios approve the start of writing the screenplay.


 * June, 2009: Del Toro reveals that he has decided where to divide the story based on comments from fans about signifying a change in Bilbo's relationship with the dwarves, and on how many actors would be available to reprise their roles.


 * November, 2009: Peter Jackson reveals that he anticipates the script for The Hobbit will not be finished until the beginning of 2010, which will delay the start of production until the middle of that summer (several months later than previously anticipated). The announcement creates doubts about whether the film will make its previously-announced release dates of December 2011 and December 2012.


 * January 22, 2010: Alan Horn states that the first film will likely not be released until the fourth quarter of 2012.


 * May 30, 2010: Del Toro announces at TheOneRing.net that "[i]n light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming", he would "take leave from helming", further stating that "the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. [...] I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future and fully support a smooth transition to a new director."


 * June 25, 2010: Jackson is reported to be in negotiations to direct the two-part film.


 * September 24, 2010: The International Federation of Actors issues a Do Not Work order, advising members of its member unions (including the Screen Actors Guild) that "The producers...have refused to engage performers on union-negotiated agreements." This would subject actors who work on the film to possible expulsion from the union. In response, Warner Bros and New Line Cinema considers taking the production elsewhere, with Jackson mentioning the possibility of filming in Eastern Europe.


 * October 15, 2010: New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. confirm that The Hobbit is to proceed filming with Peter Jackson as director, and that the film will be in 3-D. That same day, Deadline Hollywood reports that James Nesbitt is in negotiations for a part in the film.


 * October 23, 2010: Former "Doctor Who" star Sylvester McCoy confirms that he is in negotiations to play a major role as a "wizard", leading to speculation he could appear as Radagast the Brown.


 * October 25, 2010: Partly out of fear for the Tolkien tourism effect, thousands of New Zealanders organize protest rallies imploring that production remain in New Zealand, as shifting production to locations outside New Zealand would potentially cost the country's economy up to $1.5 billion.


 * October 27, 2010: After two days of talks with the New Zealand government (including involvement by Prime Minister John Key), Warner Bros. executives decide to film The Hobbit in New Zealand as originally planned. In return, the government of New Zealand agrees to introduce legislation clarifying the distinction between independent contractors and employees working in the film production industry and also broaden the government's financial support for big budget films made in New Zealand.


 * November 1, 2010: Peter Jackson confirms that James Nesbitt has been added to the cast. Jackson is quoted as saying: "James's charm, warmth and wit are legendary as is his range as an actor in both comedic and dramatic roles. We feel very lucky to be able to welcome him as one of our cast."


 * November 27, 2010: Ian McKellen updates his website to include The Hobbit, suggesting that he has, in fact, decided to reprise the role of Gandalf in both parts of The Hobbit.


 * December 3, 2010: Swedish newspaper Nöjesbladet announced that Mikael Persbrandt had been cast in an unspecified role.


 * December 4, 2010: Deadline Hollywood reports that Orlando Bloom has entered into negotiations to reprise the role of Legolas.


 * December 7, 2010: Mikael Persbrandt is confirmed to play the role of Beorn. Jackson is quoted as saying, "The role of Beorn is an iconic one and Mikael was our first choice for the part. Since seeing him read for the role we can't imagine anyone else playing this character." Also on this day, Sylvester McCoy is officially added to the cast as Radagast the Brown.


 * January 6, 2011: Deadline Hollywood reports that Elijah Wood is in talks to reprise his role of Frodo Baggins.


 * January 7, 2011: Elijah Wood is confirmed as joining the cast by TheOneRing.net.


 * January 10, 2011: Deadline Hollywood reports that Ian Holm has entered into negotiations to reprise his role, playing the part of old Bilbo, that Christopher Lee has entered into negotiations to reprise the role of Saruman, and that Andy Serkis has been confirmed to reprise his role as Gollum.


 * January 11, 2011: Christopher Lee announces on his website that he will be reprising his role as Saruman the White.


 * January, 2011: Ian McKellen confirms on his website that he is "happy to say I start filming in Wellington on 21 February 2011."


 * March 21, 2011: Principal photography begins in Wellington, New Zealand


 * April 4, 2011: Bret McKenzie is added to the cast as Lindir, a Rivendell elf quarreling with Bilbo in The Fellowship of the Ring, whose name means "singer." (His father, Peter McKenzie, played the role of Elendil in The Lord of the Rings)


 * April 6, 2011: The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Andy Serkis (Gollum) would also serve as second unit director on the films. Serkis states: "I think I understand Peter's sensibility and we have a common history of understanding Middle Earth. A lot of the crew from The Lord of the Rings was returning to work on The Hobbit. There is really a sense of Peter wanting people around him who totally understand the material and the work ethic."


 * April 22, 2011: Peter Jackson confirms via Facebook that Ian Holm has officially been added to the cast.


 * April 24, 2011: English actor Rob Kazinsky (originally cast as Kili's brother Fili) leaves the film "for personal reasons."


 * April 25, 2011: Orlando Bloom reveals that he has been in contact with Peter Jackson, who had given him a copy of the screenplay, and states that there is a high probability he will return. He is quoted as saying, "I'm going to bet on it ... But I can't really talk too much about it because it's still sort of in the ether. But I would love to go back to work with Peter Jackson. It would be an honour."


 * April 29, 2011: After having previously been linked to actors Doug Jones and David Tennant, Peter Jackson reports on Facebook that the role of Thranduil has gone to Lee Pace. On his casting, Jackson said, "Casting these Tolkien stories is very difficult, especially the Elven characters and Lee has always been our first choice for Thranduil. He's going to be great. We loved his performance in a movie called "The Fall" a few years ago and have been hoping to work with him since. When we were first discussing who would be right for Thranduil, Lee came into mind almost immediately."


 * April 30, 2011: Peter Jackson announces via Facebook that Dean O'Gorman has been hired as Kazinsky's replacement, stating: "Dean's a terrific Kiwi actor, who I am thrilled to be working with."


 * April, 2011: Peter Jackson reveals through his Facebook page that he is filming The Hobbit at 48 fps (frames per second) instead of the normal 24 fps.


 * May 1, 2011: Hugo Weaving is confirmed to reprise his role as Elrond: The Elven master of Rivendell. Weaving portrayed Elrond previously in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and it had long been assumed that he would be returning to the role, but his return was not officially confirmed until this date (almost six weeks after principal photography had begun)


 * May 27, 2011: Peter Jackson announces via Facebook that Orlando Bloom will reprise his role as Legolas.


 * May 30, 2011: New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures and MGM announce the official release dates for "An Unexpected Journey" (December 14, 2012) and "There and Back Again" (December 13, 2013)


 * July, 2011: Scenes from The Hobbit are filmed at Pinewood Studios, England using sets constructed on stages F, N, and P.


 * August, 2011: The second block of shooting in New Zealand begins.


 * October, 2011: Warner Bros. confirms that a Hobbit video game will be released in 2012, before the release of the first film.


 * December 16, 2011: Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Lego announce the development of figures and play sets based on the upcoming adaptations of The Hobbit as well as Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.


 * December 21, 2011: The first trailer for the film is screened in the U.S. before the Jackson-produced "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn," and released on the Web on the same day.


 * December, 2011: The second block of shooting in New Zealand ends.

Score
Highly praised for his work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Howard Shore returns to compose the score for The Hobbit films.

Images
{|align="center" style="text-align:left"
 * width="50%" |

Screenshots

 * width="50%" |

Promotional photos

 * }

Posters
{|align="center" style="text-align:left"
 * width="50%" |

Character Posters

 * width="50%" |

Additional Posters

 * }