After what seems like an eon of production hell, the teaser trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has finally materialized. The movie, of course, will be the first of two Hobbit films based upon J.R.R. Tolkien’s works and directed by Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings; King Kong). I’m not a huge fan of the source material because, to be blunt, I didn’t go crazy about all of that Middle earth stuff during my childhood (I was more of a Nancy Drew chick), but die-hard fans have been waiting forever to see this movie. And even after this trailer, they’re still going to have to wait another year for the first movie itself, which releases in December 2012, and even longer for the second installment, which arrives in December 2013.
Naturally, the promotion has already started, and EW.com has released the first few stills of the film in conjunction with the new teaser trailer. As far as the main casting goes, Martin Freeman (“Sherlock”) plays title character Bilbo Baggins; Ian McKellan will be, to borrow an expression from Tom Cruise, “amazing” as Gandalf; Cate Blanchett plays Noldorin princess Galadriel; and Elijah Wood shall pop in as Frodo. Here’s that trailer:
At first, I was wondering whether the fanboys (and girls) would tear this sneak peek to pieces because they’re probably so frustrated at waiting so long for the actual movie. Seriously, there have been a million false starts, so fans would have to be really devoted to hang onto any semblance of hope. Well, the YouTube comments on the trailer range from “I NEED TO CLEAN MY SCREEN NOW” to “Teasing this film one year before the release is pure evil…” to “omg omg omg omg want to see NAOW.” Yeah, this film will make far too much money when it finally arrives.
Photos courtesy of EW.com and Coming Soon
I can’t wait!!
Amen, sister!
Me three!!
Me too. Just decided to reread the Hobbit book for lowering the tension.
Looking forward to this but not thrilled about the two-movie split.
I’m a chic, but love this series. But admit I’m watching it moreso b/c Mitchell (Aidan Turner) from UK “Being Human” has a role. Yummy Nummy!
NEXT DECEMBER?!?!?! How have I’d aged by then due to waiting!!!
He is DEFINITELY an added bonus. =)
OMG!!! Dying! I feel like an 8th grader again!
I know right!? Childhood nostalgia. Back when my crush for Orlando Bloom ran rampant.
I only ever found Orlando hot as Legolas. And he was scorching as that elf!
Fangirl checking in and I got goosebumps at the dwarves’ song. I’m excited – despite the fact that I eventually got bored of all the falling hobbits in ROTK (I was more interested in the men of Gondor and Rohan; Faramir/David Wenham in particular).
oh me too, gurl, me too. i got chills. i don’t care if people are of the opinion this is over-rated and the two movie split is for money. I JUST WANT TO LIVE IN MIDDLE EARTH. and seeing as how I can’t, I’ll settle for watching movies and envisioning the beautiful majesty of middle earth. *___*
HURRAY!!!
*SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!*
I LOVED the book, but then Peter Jackson removed all the heart out of the LOTR trilogy so I don’t hold out much hope that this will be anything but beautifully-made and totally soulless.
And that from the guy that gave the world the awesome Bad Taste, Braindead and The Frighteners!
I know, right? Its like he didn’t even want to make a LOTR movie but some other movie and threw in a few names the fans would recognize to distract them. HEY NERD! LOOK, a silmarillion reference! *distracts nerd as he makes a lame elf-surfing scene*
Plus he or his kids must have been really into Tony Hawk back then, and now Legolas’s “action” scenes just look dated.
I haaaate the elf surfing bit, but most of Legolas’s fights are incredible. The wolf fight in the Two Towers when he flips onto his horse? That was AWESOME.
I think the movies were brilliant, minus a few lame lines and moments.
I am super freaking excited! The first three, in my opinion, are some of the best movies ever made!!!!
I. Can’t. Flipping. Wait.
SOOOO EXCITED! But yeah it’s definitely stretching it to make two films out of the Hobbit.
Hmmm…. I don’t think it’s stretching it at all. I think it will give them room to more completely treat the book so that awesome parts of the story aren’t left out as in LOTR. That’s not to say I don’t love the trilogy though… definitely a fangirl here!
The LOTR is much more dense than The Hobbit. One book in the trilogy is about 3 times the length so yes they could have done it all one movie.
There is plenty of material to use to stretch the movie into two. There are so many explanations that are included in books like Tolkein’s Silamarillion and the rest of the Books of Lost Tales to bring more depth to the history of hobbits and more background to other characters that would be useful (and perhaps much needed) for these movies. I think the younger generation would appreciate having a complete picture about the story of hobbits and LOTR in general, just like some of us did when we were younger. Nerd rant over 🙂
Total fangirl here-grumpy about the wait, but I’d pass on a whole lotta Fass-dong, RDJ etc. to see this
The song sent shiver down my spine. But releasing this teaser so long in advance is pure evil, just pure unadulterated evil.
AGREE!!!
I’m incredibly sentimental about everything Tolkien, it was a huge part of my childhood. The song works great in this trailer.
I think I grew out of waiting impatiently for every next movie but I still think that the source material and the production not only defend themselves but wipe the floor with what usurps the trilogy’s place nowadays, Twilights and (yeah, I’m gonna go there) Harry Potters. Don’t get me wrong, HP novels aren’t bad but Ms Rowling is no Tolkien.
wanna see so bad
Im actually very happy and excited to see it. Though I read a comment from an ignorant user on youtube saying it was a rip-off of Lord of The Rings. total Facepalm…
That’s almost as bad as arguments between the book fans and gamers who think that LOTR was based on Dungeons and Dragons. *headdesk*
That must have been the same bleep hole I saw. He/she tried to make themselves look better by saying Tolkien must be po’ed.
*second facepalm*
You may have just been trolled…
My preciousssss…:) Why do we have to wait a whole year? Dragging it out like this sucks.
Meh! I will see it but not in theatres. This movie wont be as good as the LOTR trilogy simply because The Hobbit wasnt as good as the other three books, which were far more exciting.
What are you talking about? The Hobbit was an actual story– written as stories are written– with a protagonist, his concerns– events and what they mean to him.
Lord of the Rings was an etymology lesson. Seriously. Tolkien created a world (middle earth) just to house his own languages and how they would evolve or devolve over the years. The languages came FIRST. Any story in “The Fellowship” “Two Towers” and “RotK” is incidental.
As a nerd married to a geek (what can I say, mixed marriages work! And in a dorky attempt to prove my nerd/geek cred – my husband made custom combat capable lightsabors for all the groomsmen in our wedding. I’m likely one of the few women on the planet who got left on the side of the dance floor so her new husband could beat the crap out of his friends with his lightsabor!) I have to admit… I can’t wait. I was worried, Tolkien was the first real author I read as a kid (family story is my big brother tried to read me the Hobbit, I lost my temper, grabbed the book, and was found sounding it out – at 4 – under the kitchen table) so all his work – from his well known to his more obscure language studies – is dear to me.
But they got me at the song. The song has the DNA of the cartoon record version from back in my childhood – but it’s RIGHT. Tolkien’s words as they should be sung. Can’t wait until next year, and yes. I’ll be waiting in line for the first midnight showing.
Agreed about the song – one of the things I loved about the cartoon version of the film growing up was the music. The song in the trailer had hints of that original.
Also, you’re wedding sounded awesome!! I love geeks – I’m a huge geek myself. Yet somehow I married the most ungeeky, sports-loving man in existance lol. Opposites attract!
Jenna, I kind of envy you, your husband sounds hilarious and adorable. 🙂
As for the trailer: I didn’t like the first part, it seemed like a comedy. But the second part is omgomgomgperfectawesome and iwannaseeitrightnow, and the dwarves’ song made me feel 19 years old again. And it’s great to have something to wait for again. I really enjoyed those years between Fellowship-Towers, Towers-Return and the ones between the Harry Potter books and movies.
Oh yeah, a geek never changes. I bet I’ll be like that old lady who watched every single credit of the last Potter movie with us in the cinema.
I can’t wait!
And to have Richard Armitage singing in the teaser… be still my heart! That man is still very handsome even as a dwarf!
Had it on loop last night.
My heart burst with joy when I saw this trailer an hour ago! I’ve been a Tolkien-head since I was seven and I would go to my gramps every Saturday where he would read two chapters of LOTR to me every afternoon without fail. It was our thing! I miss that man.
It’s gonna be so good because Jackson really cares about the film and doing justice to the books. I felt like everyone who worked on the trilogy was commited 3000 percent in getting it right for film and even though some things were changed that broke my heart, it was the best fantasy film ever.
Okay going back to my office Christmas party.
So excited!!!!
I’ll watch this one for sure 🙂 .
SOO ready for this! And RICHARD ARMITAGE as a dwarf! Singing dwarf songs! WOO!
My reaction was Thorin Oakenshield is hot?! CAN dwarves be hot? I’m so confused right now.
Precisely my reaction!
What a relief,second installment 2013.Now I know the world definitely isn’t ending in 2012.
Poster’s awesome! The Hobbit was never really THE thing for me, but I’m likely to go see the movie anyway. I’m sure it’s quite entertaining at least. Even though Tokien’s stories are classics, I still find them rather childish compared to the Witcher stories, which I these days like more.
I can’t wait!!!!
I’m not a fan of the books but LOVE the films and can’t wait for this
richard armitage is totally swoon-tastic
I’ve got a bit of a penchant for elves too for some reason
I like the elves too! And is Viggo in this one? Because if so, I’m THERE!!!!!
Am I the only one who remembers The Hobbit animated mini-series that was on major network TV?
Nope 🙂
Oh good, I thought it was just me. I remember watching it with my mom! (I’m sure I’m dating myself here.) 😉
Do you remember the “Return of the King” animated television thing? I will just always remember “where there’s a whip… there’s a way….”
And I believe Orson Bean was the voice of Bilbo in the animated “Hobbit.” I could be wrong, though.
I have been a Tolkien nerd since my teens (and I’m 44 now!) and it has rubbed off on both of my daughters. We were literally jumping up and down with excitement watching that! I agree though about releasing the trailer a YEAR before the movie….that is torture! We’re really looking forward to seeing those =).
I LOVE the trailer, finally a movie that I am looking forward to seeing.
Will definitely have to go to the movies to see this – which is a rarity for me these days. Might also have to go to the world premier too I think 🙂 .
…just re-watched the LOTR series over the last week. ’nuff said.
I can’t wait! I’m gonna let my inner nerd free and go to the world premier and all.
“Martin Freeman (“Sherlock”) plays title character Bilbo Baggins.”
All I could think of watching him that trailer is that redic role he played in Love Actually (the scenes where he and a girl are both shy but film a porn and fall in love)…can’t concentrate on him being a hobbit now 🙁
Can. Not. Wait!!
I’m glad to hear there are two parts to this film so we have not one, but two films to look forward to. If they are releasing a trailer already, the excitement is going to get completely crazy by next December!
Yikes, this looks so bad it hurts…
trailer looks as good as I expected, it s going to be a great movie. Cannot wait.
SO FUKIN EXCITED XD!!!
Ok. I think I have to stop reading your blog…about a week ago or so you wrote an article how super excited you were about GI Joe trailer, which was an utter crap with fireworks as special effects. You said a movie about a future bride-to-be pooping into her dream wedding gown was one of your favourite films and now you dare to say “Hobbit” trailer is overrated!….
This Tolkien nerdette cannot wait to see this film. My husband and I already have a date night set for the opening next December. The trailer is quite good.
I absolutely adored the LOTR trilogy but I watched part of this trailer and was so bored I didn’t watch the rest. So I won’t be seeing the movie. Peter Jackson is a terrible director and the other trilogy would have been so much better under another director, as would the hobbit. Oh well.
A friend of mine moved to New Zealand to work on this movie she is one of the amazing make up artist who transform the actors into the hobbits & other creatures, for that alone I am excited about it coming out!
How much fun must that have been?!? And a lot of work too. But SO cool!
As I recall, the Hobbit was a much more enjoyable book than the Lord of the Rings series, which seemed overly long and dramatic to me.
I think this movie should be better than Lord of the Rings. I loved the Hobbit. I’m actually sad I don’t have a copy of that book anymore. I must have lost during one of the times I moved.
They had me until the 3D…dammit!!
Hopefully they will be also a 2D version playing.
SWEET TOLKIEN GOODNESS! *explodes*
Ditto on the fangirl status and ditto on the goosebumps! I got chills watching this trailer..all three times! CANT WAIT!!!
OMG! I CAN’T WAIT!!! A year is a loooooong time to make us wait.
Love/hate relationship w/the trilogy. Much of the visual part is amazing, but the dialog is amazingly clunky. I do enjoy some of the humor, and John Rhys-whatever as the Dwarf was hilarious.
Unaccountably, I adore the sappy Liv/Viggo love scenes, and the burial of Theoden’s son, with the mourning chant, remains deeply moving to me every time I see it.
I like a LOT about these movies-the middle one is my favorite.
My hobbit hubby INSISTS on watching all three extended versions (usually on his birthday, 12/22, but we are visiting friends, so it’ll be Christmas Day since we have no plans). I dread it every year b/c I get PTSD from the music & the fight scenes.
I am mad for the horsemen & esp Eomer.
I haven’t seen the trailer for The Hobbit yet. Wish a better director was available, but frankly, with this huge of a production-who else but Peter Jackson is capable of pulling it off? Even if he sucks, he did the best of any of the great epics. Which magical series has been done even CLOSE to this level of special effects, visual beauty, and storytelling mastery? The characters all come across as REAL. I appreciate that.
And at least the tone will be consistent. I hated the differences in the HP movies.
That is all. Happy waiting.
another year?? well i’ll have to wait i guess *freezes herself till next year december 14*
I’m really looking forward to revisiting that world. The Hobbit never really grabbed me because I read LotR first when I was twelve, and after that The Hobbit was kind of meh. But still, looks good, I’m looking forward to it.
Am not even a little ashamed to admit that yes, I got a little teary eyed when I first saw this trailer. I remember watching the original amimated film with my grandfather and when I was old enough reading the book for the first time. THIS IS MY CHILDHOOD. It IS cruel to have to wait nearly one whole year to see it, but I’ll just have to settle with this 2 1/2 min preview. It’s all good though, because its awesome! So excited =)
Cate Blanchett played Galadriel in the LOTR movies, so it’s not so much inspired casting as continuity.
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG Im a fan girl for sure. I AM SO EXCITED. The lotr trilogy are possibly be my favorite movies and books. They are absolutely amazing, and frankly it hurts to hear the hobbit talked down.
Did someone say two movie split??
YAAAY TWICE THE GOODNESS!!!!