Warner Bros. Pictures has released the first full-length trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which tells the story of how Bilbo Baggins came to possess the One Ring.
There’s not much to say here other than that an An Unexpected Journey looks every bit as excellent as The Lord of the Rings films, which is really no surprise considering Peter Jackson is at the helm again. Plus, the trailer does help explain how Elijah Wood can be in the cast of a film which takes place before his Lord of the Rings character was born.
The trailer seems to take place in a flash-back of sorts with Bilbo explaining the tale to Frodo. Although expected, it’s good to see that this aspect of the film is being handled quite well. Hopefully, the frame won’t interupt the narrative too often, but I have enough trust in Jackson, earned by the first trilogy, that I’m not really worried about it.
The only truly disappointing thing about the films is just how long we’re going to have to wait to see them.
The official synopsis for the film is thus:
The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.
Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever… Gollum.
Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities… A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters Dec 14 , 2012. The follow up film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, follows on Dec 13, 2013.
