The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

The Hobbit is an upcoming epic fantasy-adventure film series directed, co-written and produced by Peter Jackson and based on J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel of the same name. The series is expected to contain three parts and will act as a prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy and will star Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, as well as several actors who will reprise their roles from The Lord of the Rings, including Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, and Orlando Bloom. Also returning for the production are a significant part of the production crew: among others, 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 wrote the score for The Lord of the Rings, has confirmed his involvement in the first two parts of the film project.