First Look - "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"

For many people, the most exciting news they may hear all year, has just been released. Peter Jackson has released not one, but three exclusive pictures from "The Hobbit" films. While it is fantastic to see Ian McKellen looking exactly as majestic as his Gandalf did ten years ago, it is the first new shots of Bilbo that will generate the most buzz. And Martin Freeman looks perfect in his role. Taking on comfortably from Ian Holm, it seems he fits in impeccably with Jackson's take on the Tolkienverse. And that also seems to be the first (blurry) shot of some of the thirteen Dwarves watching behind Bilbo. It appears that Jackson has assuringly stuck with the same feel and tone as it's predecessors. After waiting for so long, it is incredibly exciting to be returning to Middle Earth. Jackson it seems, has used the films many delays wisely in honing the script and it all looks set to hopefully live up to the (almost impossibly) high standards of the original trilogy. The only downer of all this is that "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" will not be released until December 14th 2012, and "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" on December 13th, 2013. That sound you hear is millions of followers noisily scribbling down those dates in their calenders.