The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a 2012 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson, based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. The film is the first instalment in a three-part film adaptation of the novel, and was produced by WingNut Films and The Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film features an ensemble cast including Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy, Barry Humphries, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, and Andy Serkis.
Set in Middle-earth, the story tells of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf the Grey to accompany thirteen dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. The film was a major box office success, earning over $1.017 billion worldwide, and received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
The film was followed by two sequels, The Desolation of Smaug (2013) and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), which were also critically and commercially successful. The Hobbit film series is one of the highest-grossing film series of all time.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the fourth highest-grossing film of 2012, and the 24th highest-grossing film of all time.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first film with a frame rate of 48 frames per second, twice the traditional rate of 24 frames per second, and was released in High Frame Rate 3D, other 3D formats, IMAX, and conventional 2D.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first film to be released in High Frame Rate 3D, other 3D formats, IMAX, and conventional 2D.
Published on February 28, 2024