The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• Martin Freeman as Young Bilbo Baggins
  • Ian Holm as Old Bilbo Baggins
• Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey
• Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield II
• Ken Stott as Balin
• Graham McTavish as Dwalin
• Aidan Turner as Kíli
• Dean O’Gorman as Fíli
• Mark Hadlow as Dori
• Jed Brophy as Nori
• Adam Brown as Ori
• John Callen as Óin
• Peter Hambleton as Glóin
• William Kircher as Bifur
• James Nesbitt as Bofur
• Stephen Hunter as Bombur
• Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
• Hugo Weaving as Elrond
• Christopher Lee as Saruman the White
• Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
• Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown
• Andy Serkis as Gollum
• Manu Bennett as Azog the Defiler
• Barry Humphries as the Great Goblin
• Conan Stevens as Bolg
• John Rawls as Yazneg
• Bret McKenzie as Lindir
• Kiran Shah as the Goblin scribe
• Jeffrey Thomas as Thrór
• Stephen Ure as Fimbul
• Michael Mizrahi as Thráin II
• Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the dragon Smaug

Storyline:

Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome 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 Oakenshield. 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.

About Movie:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a epic high fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit. Serving as the first installment in The Hobbit trilogy, it also acts as a prequel to Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The screenplay was crafted by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro.

The film stars Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, alongside a stellar cast including Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, and Andy Serkis. The film introduces new characters played by Sylvester McCoy, Barry Humphries, and Manu Bennett.

Principal photography took place in New Zealand from March 21, 2011, to July 6, 2012, with additional pick-ups for An Unexpected Journey filmed later that year. The film gained attention for its use of the groundbreaking 48 frames per second shooting and projection rate, branded as “High Frame Rate,” although most cinemas showed it at the standard 24 fps.

At the facility where about 150 animals were housed for the production of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, up to 27 animals died. The animals in question were horses, goats, chickens and one sheep.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey went on to premiere in Wellington on November 28, 2012, followed by its global release in December. The film was met with mixed reviews but grossed over $1.017 billion worldwide, ranking it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2012.

At the 85th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Visual Effects. Its success led to two sequels: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), completing the trilogy.

Budget & Box Office Collection: