"The Hobbit: Unexpected Journey" image features Bilbo in peril

PanARMENIAN.Net - Before holding a Hall H panel at the 2012 San Diego Comi-Con, Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" uveils a brand new image. Being released via Entertainment Weekly, the still shows Martin Freeman's Bilbo Baggins standing alone in a dark cave with his hand holding a sword. Looking perplexed, he's covered in dust and spiderweb, AceShowbiz said.

Freeman explains that the scene shown in the image takes place in Mirkwood Forest, where the reluctant hobbit hero is forced to face giant spiders and other perils. "I don't think I'm particularly hobbit-y," the actor says. "But I do like comfort and I'm quite private, so in those ways, maybe I am."

In addition to the new Bilbo still, EW releases a set of fresh pictures from "The Hobbit". Ian McKellen's wizard Gandalf is featured in a Hobbiton in one still, while some of the dwarves are seen embarking on a journey through mountainous terrain in Middle-Earth in another. There are also images that feature Hugo Weaving's Elrond, Cate Blanchett's Galadriel, and Andy Serkis' Gollum.

"The Hobbit" follows the adventure of Bilbo as he is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, the uncle of Frodo finds himself joining a company of dwarves led by Thorin Oakensheild.

Peter Jackson explains that in the upcoming movie, he will include some characters that are not featured in J.R.R. Tolkien's original book. "In the movie we want these characters to have story lines and a little more substance than they do in the book," the director reasons. "Almost everything we're doing is from Tolkien somewhere, whether it's in the book or the subsequent development that wasn't published in The Hobbit itself."

Ian McKellen chimes in, "A lot of people weren't even born when we were filming Lord of the Rings and only know the movies from watching them on DVD... They'll see Middle-Earth on the big screen in The Hobbit, and I guarantee there will be a lot of minds blown wide apart."

"The Hobbit" will arrive in cinemas across the U.S. on December 14. On Saturday, July 14, the epic movie will go to Comic-Con's Hall H during a Warner Bros. Pictures panel at 2:30-5:00 o'clock in the afternoon.