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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Full Cast & Crew

• 58   Metascore
• 2 hr 50 mins
• Travel, Horror, Fantasy, Action & Adventure
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Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the wizard and a group of dwarves seek a dragon's treasure, and encounter a series of incredible obstacles over the course of their epic journey.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first film of The Hobbit film trilogy , lasting 3 hours and 2 minutes. It was directed by Peter Jackson , who previously had directed The Lord of the Rings film trilogy . It was a major box office success, grossing over $1.017 billion worldwide. The film is the fourth Middle-earth film adaptation to be released, and the first chronologically.

Martin Freeman portrays a young Bilbo Baggins and Ian Holm reprises his role as an older Bilbo Baggins. Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis reprise their roles as Gandalf and Gollum , respectively, as do Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett , as Elrond and Galadriel .

The character of Radagast the Brown appears in the movie and is portrayed by Sylvester McCoy , who had been known mostly for his portrayal as the seventh incarnation of The Doctor on Doctor Who .

• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3 Development
• 4.3 Extended Edition only
• 4.4.1 People of Dale
• 4.4.2 Dwarves of the Lonely Mountains
• 4.4.3 Mirkwood Elves
• 4.4.4 Hobbits of the Shire
• 4.4.5 Hunter Orcs
• 4.4.6 Elves of Rivendell
• 4.4.7 Goblins
• 5 Appearances and mentions
• 7 Extended Edition
• 10 Translations
• 11 References
• 12 External links

A reluctant Hobbit , Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of Dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it from the dragon Smaug . [1]

Memorable quotes [ ]

Gandalf: Agreed. "

Development [ ]

Credits [ ].

• Ian McKellen as Gandalf
• Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins
• Richard Armitage as Thorin II Oakenshield
• Ken Stott as Balin
• Graham McTavish as Dwalin
• William Kircher as Bifur
• James Nesbitt as Bofur
• Stephen Hunter as Bombur
• Dean O'Gorman as Fíli
• Aidan Turner as Kíli
• John Callen as Óin
• Peter Hambleton as Glóin
• Jed Brophy as Nori
• Mark Hadlow as Dori
• Adam Brown as Ori
• Ian Holm as Old Bilbo
• Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
• Hugo Weaving as Elrond
• Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
• Christopher Lee as Saruman
• Andy Serkis as Gollum
• Sylvester McCoy as Radagast
• Barry Humphries as Great Goblin
• Jeffrey Thomas as Thrór
• Michael Mizrahi as Thráin
• Lee Pace as Thranduil
• John Rawls as Yazneg
• Stephen Ure as Fimbul
• Timothy Bartlett as Master Worrywort
• William Kircher as Tom
• Peter Hambleton as Bert
• Mark Hadlow as William
• Bret McKenzie as Lindir
• Stephen Ure as Grinnah
• Kiran Shah as Goblin Scribe
• Manu Bennett as Azog
• Conan Stevens as Gundabad Orc Chieftain
• Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug and Necromancer
• Glenn Boswell as Dwarf Miner
• Thomas Robins as Young Thráin

Extended Edition only [ ]

• Luke Evans as Girion
• Dan Hennah as The Old Took
• Stephen Gledhill as Old Gammidge
• Tim Gordon as Old Hob
• Oscar Strik as Little Bilbo
• Sonia Forbes-Adam as Belladonna (Took) Baggins
• Erin Banks as Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
• Brian Hotter as Otho Sackville-Baggins
• Eric Vespe as Fredegar Chubb
• Mervyn Smith as Tosser Grubb
• Ruby Acevedo as "Cute Young Hobbit"
• Katie Jackson
• Honor McTavish
• Louis Serkis
• Ruby Serkis
• Sonny Serkis

Uncredited [ ]

People of dale [ ].

• Mary Nesbitt
• Peggy Nesbitt
• Many unknowns

Dwarves of the Lonely Mountains [ ]

• Peter Jackson
• Jabez Olssen
• James Wells
• Richard Whiteside

Mirkwood Elves [ ]

• Brendan Casey
• Cameron Jones
• Carl Van Room
• Few unknowns

Hobbits of the Shire [ ]

• Joan Z. Dawe
• Melissa Kern
• Aaron Morgan
• Kaela Morgan
• Ravi Narayan

Hunter Orcs [ ]

• Frazer Anderson
• George Harach
• Christian Hipolito
• Ane Kirkeng Jørgensen
• Joseph Mika-Hunt
• Elliot Travers

Elves of Rivendell [ ]

• Jared Blakiston
• Shane Boulton
• Melanie Carrington
• Andrew Fitzsimons
• Luke Hawker
• Dean Knowsley
• Luke Wilson

Goblins [ ]

• Renee Cataldo
• Ben Fransham
• Tim McLahlan
• Nathan Meister
• Terry Notary
• Thomas Rimmer
• James Trevena-Brown
• Mark Trotter

Appearances and mentions [ ]

Species and creatures

Factions, groups and titles

Objects and artifacts

Miscellanea

Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, in a photo from the set of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Deviations from the book [ ]

• Elijah Wood appears briefly as Frodo Baggins , while this character does not appear in the book. However, his appearance is purely a cameo as the set-up for the movie, as the Red Book of Westmarch is being written and read by Bilbo, shortly before the start of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring .
• The Dwarves do not arrive in order (first Dwalin, then Balin, then Kíli and Fíli, then Óin, Glóin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur all at once, and then Thorin arrives significantly later) and they do not have their multi-colored hoods or beards as they did in the book.
• Bilbo was shown to be allergic to Horses .
• The Dwarves surrender when the Trolls threaten to rip Bilbo in two instead of being overpowered and popped into bags.
• Bilbo goes to the Trolls because they steal the Dwarves' ponies.
• In the book, it was Gandalf that stalled the trolls until they turned into stone. This was done by Bilbo in the film.
• The trolls' cave is wide open, and there is no locked door blocking it.
• In the book, Bilbo finds Sting and takes it. In the film, Gandalf comes upon it and gives it to Bilbo.
• The group is attacked by Orcs on the way to Rivendell , just after the Trolls sequence in the movie. This did not happen in the book.
• Radagast the Brown aids the Dwarves in escaping the Orc Warg-riders near Rivendell. In contrast, Radagast did not appear in the book at all, and there is only one mention of him.
• Radagast investigates the darkness of Mirkwood, and at Dol Guldur encounters the Necromancer and the Witch-king of Angmar , with whom he briefly duels and from whom he takes a Morgul Blade. In contrast, Tolkien never wrote of any such incident.
• Azog has survived the War of the Dwarves and Orcs in which he was wounded by Thorin, who cut off his arm, and hunts Thorin Oakenshield and his followers. In contrast, in the Tolkien literature Azog was beheaded by Thorin's cousin Dáin Ironfoot in the Battle of Azanulbizar , well before the events of The Hobbit . The events of leading to and included in the battle are also altered: Thrór leads an army to Moria to reclaim it as opposed to investigating it with a single companion, and he is beheaded during the battle while in the books this occurred several years beforehand. The origin of Thorin's name of Oakenshield is taken from the appendices of The Return of the King , but here takes place during battle with Azog and involves him picking up an oaken branch rather than cutting it off a tree.
• While at Rivendell with Thorin's party, Gandalf meets with Elrond , Galadriel , and Saruman (the film's version of the White Council ) and relates Radagast's news about Mirkwood, but Saruman discounts Radagast's news about the Necromancer, who he says must be no more than a human pretending to be a wizard. This conflicts with Tolkien's version, in which the White Council already knew that the Necromancer was Sauron and was at Dol Guldur , since Gandalf had already confirmed this 89 years earlier, and Saruman had discovered two years earlier (although he did not inform the Council of this) that Sauron had learned of Isildur 's loss of the One Ring at the Gladden Fields by the river Anduin and his servants were searching the area. Accordingly, in Tolkien's original version, in the year of the events of The Hobbit , Saruman finally agreed to an attack on Dol Guldur because he wanted to prevent Sauron from finding the Ring. [2]
• There is no mention of Galadriel in the book, although she is part of the White Council.
• At the White Council meeting, Galadriel relates how the Witch-king of Angmar, after his defeat near Fornost , had been killed and sealed in a tomb in that could not be opened in the High Fells . This is a serious departure from canon (Tolkien's writings), in which the Witch-king had not died, but fled. In fact, Glorfindel had stopped pursuit of the Witch-king and prophesied, "Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall." [3] This prophecy, of course, was the basis for the later dramatic moment in The Lord of the Rings in which Éowyn was able to kill the Witch-king because she was not a man. This prophecy no longer makes sense if the Witch-king had already been killed and is now (as Saruman implies) just a spirit raised by a necromancer who could "summon the dead." Furthermore, per Tolkien the White Council knew the Witch-king had not been killed because he and the rest of the Nazgûl had previously been fighting with Gondor and had captured (and presumably killed) the last King of Gondor at Minas Morgul in TA 2050, long after he had fled Fornost [2] . It is possible, however, that the Ringwraiths could not die due to their Wraith nature and were imprisoned in the tombs, and only Sauron had the power to call them forth. As for how they presumably killed the last King of Gondor , Galadriel never specifically says if the other Ringwraiths were sealed in the High Fells along with the Witch-king when Angmar fell. So it is possible that the other Ringwraiths challenged and killed Eärnur , and were defeated and sealed with their leader centuries later.
• When traveling along the mountain pass, Bilbo observes the stone-giants hurling rocks at a distance, "across the valley." Bilbo and his companions take refuge under a hanging rock during the thunderstorm (thunder-battle), but are never involved in the stone-giants' game.
• In the book, it was Bilbo that alerted the party when the trapdoors in the Front Porch open. In the film, the Dwarves realize this just as they fall into the hole.
• In the book, the Goblins only had tunnels, not rope bridges.
• In the book, Bilbo is with the Dwarves when they are taken to the Great Goblin and later rescued by Gandalf. In the film, Bilbo is separated from the group and falls to Gollum's cave before the Dwarves are taken to the Great Goblin.
• In the book The Hobbit , as in the prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring film, Bilbo Baggins finds the One Ring by chance when his hand happens to fall upon it as he is crawling through one of the dark Goblin-town tunnels, well before he comes across Gollum. In this film, Bilbo sees Gollum fighting with a Goblin and we see Gollum drop the Ring during the fight.
• Gollum has six teeth in the book, not nine.
• In the book, when Gollum and Bilbo were playing the game of riddles, the cave was pitch black and Bilbo could only see Gollum's glowing eyes and hear his voice echoing through the walls of the cave. In the film, the cave was partly lit up and Bilbo could see Gollum entirely.
• In the book, Gandalf saves the Dwarves in the goblin cave with a storm of burning smoke and instantly slays the Goblin King with his blade. In the film, the Goblin King is merely knocked aside in this scene (though many of his minions die in the telekinetic blast), and slain later on.
• In the film, Gandalf does not use multi-colored fire when lighting the pine cones.

Extended Edition [ ]

The extended edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was released on October 22 , 2013 for digital downloads and November 5 2013 for hard copies. It includes these scenes:

• The introduction. The Elvenking Thranduil is given more screen time. He approaches the throne while Thráin gestures for a Dwarf to show Thranduil a chest of gems. As Thranduil looks entranced and reaches for it, the Dwarf closes the lid. Bard's ancestor Girion is given screen time. He is seen behind his Wind lance attempting to shoot down Smaug during the dragon's attack on Dale .
• Bilbo's introduction to himself. A flashback wherein a young hobbit boy comes running up to Gandalf and plays with him. His mother Belladonna runs after him and acknowledges Gandalf as an old friend.
• After Bilbo meets Gandalf on the front bench, he buys supper from Hobbiton while suspiciously looking around everywhere to make sure Gandalf is not around.
• Kíli glances over to a female Elf in Rivendell and winks at her. Dwalin sees him and Kíli begins making excuses. In one of his excuses, he mistakenly calls another male Elf a female and Dwalin corrects him. The rest of the Dwarves laugh much to Kíli's embarrassment.
• While eating, Nori and Óin complain about the song played by the Elf musicians. Bofur climbs up a platform and begins singing. The other Dwarves join in and start throwing food around. Elrond and Lindir look surprised and angry about Dwarves activities because they start throwing fruit to Elrond, Lindir and Bofur but they say nothing about it.
• Bilbo is wandering around Rivendell during the daytime. He approaches the statue holding the shards of Narsil before a particular painting catches his eye. The painting depicts Isildur about to cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand. Bilbo is particularly interested in the One Ring on Sauron's hand.
• A conversation between Bilbo and Elrond in Rivendell. Elrond also welcomes Bilbo to stay in Rivendell if he wishes.
• Lindir complains to Elrond about the Dwarves' behavior. They find them swimming in a large fountain.
• Gandalf and Elrond further discuss Thorin and Company's quest. Elrond voices his concern of Thorin himself, since both his grandfather and father succumbed to madness. Bilbo and Thorin overhear this conversation.
• At the White Council, Gandalf brings up the fact that the Ring of Power once owned by Thorin's father mysteriously vanished. Saruman dismisses this as it would be of no use since all believe the One Ring was lost long ago.
• A new song from the goblin king and longer interrogation.

Bilbo in Rivendell with the Dwarves

• Guillermo del Toro was originally on board to direct, but bowed out due to "ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming."
• When it appeared Martin Freeman would not be available to play Bilbo in The Hobbit film trilogy due to scheduling conflicts with the BBC television series Sherlock , other actors such as James McAvoy and Tobey Maguire were considered. A false rumour was spread online that David Tennant was considered, but both Tennant and Jackson denied this. Tennant was actually considered for (and offered) the role of Thranduil but had to turn it down when his girlfriend discovered she was pregnant.
• Ryan Gage was originally cast to play Drogo Baggins , father of Frodo Baggins . According to Peter Jackson , "Ryan is a great young actor who we originally cast in a small role, but we liked him so much, we promoted him to the much larger Alfrid part."
• This is the only film in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies in which Legolas makes no appearance.
• The scene when Bilbo first puts on the Ring is very similar to the scene in The Fellowship of the Ring where Frodo puts on the Ring in The Prancing Pony .
• The filmmakers titled the project Little Rivers to aid in hiding the film's identity.
• When a Giant Eagle grabs Thorin's unconscious body, his oak-log shield falls off his arm and is permanently left behind.
• This was both the last film not distributed by Disney, Universal or Paramount and the last film distributed by Warner Bros . to gross $1 billion until the release of Aquaman in 2018.

Gallery [ ]

Translations [ ]

References [ ].

• ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/
• ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Lord of the Rings , Appendix B
• ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings , Appendix A (I, iv).

External links [ ]

• Official site of The Hobbit films
• Trailer for the movie
• Differences between the book and the film
• Lord of the Rings
• 2 Rings of Power

Screen Rant

The hobbit: an unexpected journey.

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A powerful wizard recruits a middle class homebody to accompany him and a gaggle of dwarves to their lost royal halls in the mountains. Martin Freeman is great casting, but the movie is torn between its kid story roots and a desire to cater to fans of the original Lord of the Rings movies.

My hottest take probably ever is that I find The Hobbit trilogy more enjoyable to watch than Lord of the Rings. Still, this movie is just alright. Feels like it goes on forever. Looks pretty nice though and some fun action scenes.

Martin Freeman

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If The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is any indication of what's to come, Lord of the Rings faithfuls have reason to be hopeful that the director will create another captivating round of adventures.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Movie » The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey released on December 13, 2012.

Tolkien's prequel to the Lord of the Rings book The Hobbit comes to screens in this first part of three movies directed by Peter Jackson

Summary short summary describing this movie..

Balin originated from the realm of Erebor. He was one of the Dwarves who accompanied Thorin Oakenshield on the quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug.

Bilbo Baggins

Hobbit adventurer, and one of the bearers of the One Ring

Dwarven member of Thorin Oakenshield's party which sets out to take the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.

Elf Lord of Rivendell

Frodo Baggins

One of the Ring-bearers, a member of the Fellowship of the Ring

Leader of the elves of Lothlorien (Laurenlindórinen), the prophet of Middle-Earth

Gandalf is a Maia who were the underlings of the Valar, the Gods of Middle-Earth. He was sent with his fellow Istari Saruman and Radgast to help in Middle Earth from the Undying Lands. He aided Bilbo Baggins and the thirteen dwarfs on their quest to retake Erebor and years later help Frodo as a member of the Fellowship of the Ring.

Gloin was one of the members of Thorin Oakenshield's party which quested to recover Lonely Mountain in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.

Gollum was once a Hobbit before he was ensnared by the power of the ring. Now his only reason for living is to reclaim his "precious". In the Peter Jackson adaptations of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit books, he was played by Andy Serkis.

The evil wizard that betrayed his order and attempted to take the One Ring for himself. He bred orcs with men, creating Uruk-hai armies at his Isengard fortress to claim the Ring for him.

Sauron is the Dark lord of Mordor, and the creator of the One Ring. He is a fallen Maiar spirit, powerful beings who serve Eru, the one true God, who fell from grace when Morgoth corrupted him.

One of the great dragons, holder of the Lonely Mountain

Thorin II Oakenshield, Son of Thrain, Son of Thror, King Under the Mountain. Dwarven king who leads his people on a quest to reclaim the dominion of his forefathers which lies below the Lonely Mountain.

Elven king of the Woodland realm. He his the father of Legolas.

He was the highest King of Men, and was given a ring which corrupted him and turned him into the greatest servant of Sauron: The Witch King of Angmar.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey » Characters

Navigation: main | an unexpected journey | the desolation of smaug | the battle of the five armies | the fellowship of the ring | the two towers | the return of the king.

• The Company : Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield, Fíli, Kíli, Balin, Dwalin, Óin, Glóin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur.
• The Fellowship : Gandalf the Grey, Frodo Baggins.
• Independent Villains : Smaug, Gollum, the Three Trolls, the Great Goblin, the Goblins of Goblin-Town, the Spiders of Mirkwood.
• Sauron's Evil Forces : Sauron (the Necromancer), the One Ring, Saruman , the Witch-king of Angmar, the Nazgûl, Orcs, Azog, Azog's Hunters.
• Other Characters : Radagast, the Eagles of Manwë, Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, Otho Sackville-Baggins, Gerontius "The Old" Took, Belladonna Took.
• Dwarves : Thráin, Thrór.
• Elves : Elrond, Lindir, Galadriel, Thranduil.
• Men : Girion.
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• Characters/Tolkien's Legendarium
• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
• Characters/Middle-earth Film
• CharacterSheets/Live-Action Films

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (also known as The Hobbit - Part 1 ), is the first film adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien 's book entitled The Hobbit . Both parts are directed by Peter Jackson who previously directed The Lord of the Rings Trilogy , and will also feature actors from The Lord of the Rings . It is set for release on December 14th 2012.

• 3 Development
• 6.2 Video Games
• 7 References
• 8 External Links

Synopsis [ ]

According to a press release from Warner Bros. Pictures: [1] The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic 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.

• Ian Holm as Old Bilbo Baggins
• Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey
• Richard Armitage as Thorin II Oakenshield
• Graham McTavish as Dwalin
• Ken Scott as Balin
• Aiden 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
• Andy Serkis as Gollum
• Hugo Weaving as Elrond
• Billy Connoly as Dáin II Ironfoot
• Barry Humphries as the Great Goblin
• Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
• Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
• Jeffrey Thomas as Thrór
• Mike Mizrahi as Thráin II
• Conan Stevens as Azog
• Brett McKenzie as Lindir

Development [ ]

Coming Soon

Filming [ ]

Release [ ], marketing [ ].

On 16th December 2011, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Lego announced the development of figures and play sets based upon the upcoming adaptations of The Hobbit as well as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The Launch of the LEGO The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey collection is scheduled to coincide with the release of the first part of the film in December 2012.

Video Games [ ]

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment now has the right to develop a video game based upon The Hobbit after Electronic Arts' licence expired in 2008. And they are planning a game for the first part of the films release in December 2012, but whether it ties in with the film is currently unknown.

References [ ]

• ↑ New Warner Bros. press release and a casting mystery

External Links [ ]

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Official Website
• The Hobbit Official Studio Blog
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at The Lord of the Rings Wiki
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at IMDB
• 1 The Necromancer

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Cast and Crew

The hobbit collection.

The Hobbit collection is a three-part epic fantasy-adventure film directed and produced by Peter Jackson and based on J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel of the same name. The trilogy of films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before "The Lord of the Rings", and will act as a prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Richard armitage: thorin.

• Photos (90)
• Quotes (20)

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Quotes 

Gandalf : Well, why does it matter? He's back!

Thorin Oakenshield : It matters. I want to know - why did you come back?

Bilbo Baggins : Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right. I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. That's why I came back, 'cause you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can.

Thorin Oakenshield : [singing]  Far over the misty mountains cold / To dungeons deep and caverns old / We must away at break of day / to find our long forgotten gold

Dwarves : [singing]  The pines were roaring on the height / The winds were moaning in the night / The fire was red, it flame spread / The trees like torches blazed with light...

Balin : [after overhearing Bilbo tell Gandalf he will not join the Dwarves on their journey]  It appears we have lost our burglar. Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkerers, toy-makers. Hardly the stuff of legend.

Thorin Oakenshield : There are a few warriors amongst us.

Balin : Old warriors.

Thorin Oakenshield : I would take each and every one of these Dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they answered. Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart... I can ask no more than that.

Balin : You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains, a life of peace, and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor.

Thorin Oakenshield : [He holds up the key Gandalf has given him]  From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me. They dreamt of the day when the Dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice Balin. Not for me.

Balin : Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done.

Thorin Oakenshield : Where did you go, if I may ask?

Gandalf : To look ahead.

Thorin Oakenshield : And what brought you back?

Gandalf : Looking behind.

Thorin Oakenshield : I cannot guarantee his safety.

Gandalf : Understood.

Thorin Oakenshield : Nor will I be responsible for his fate.

Gandalf : Agreed.

Thorin Oakenshield : You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say that you would be a burden, that you would not survive in the wild and that you have no place amongst us? I've never been so wrong in all my life.

[Thorin embraces Bilbo] 

Thorin Oakenshield : And I am sorry for doubting you.

Bilbo Baggins : No, it's fine. I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero, or a warrior...

[looks up at Gandalf] 

Bilbo Baggins : ... Not even a burglar.

Thorin Oakenshield : Out of the frying pan...

Gandalf : ...and into the fire. Run. Run!

Gandalf : Here lies the Last Homely House East of the Sea.

Thorin Oakenshield : This was your plan all along - to seek refuge with our enemy?

Gandalf : You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself.

Thorin Oakenshield : You think the Elves will give our quest their blessing? They will try to stop us.

Gandalf : Of course they will. But we have questions that need to be answered. If we are to be successful this will need to be handled with tact, and respect, and no small degree of charm, which is why you will leave the talking to me.

Thorin Oakenshield : So this is the Hobbit.

Thorin Oakenshield : Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?

Elrond : So this is your purpose, to enter the mountain?

Thorin Oakenshield : What of it?

Elrond : There are some who would not deem it wise.

Gandalf : What do you mean?

Elrond : You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle-Earth.

Thorin Oakenshield : Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?

Bilbo Baggins : Pardon me?

Thorin Oakenshield : Axe or sword, what's your weapon of choice?

Bilbo Baggins : [proudly]  Well, I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know.

Great Goblin : I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc astride a White Warg.

Thorin Oakenshield : Azog the Defiler is no more. He was slain in battle long ago!

Great Goblin : So you think his defiling days are done, do you?

Dwalin : I thought we had lost our burglar.

Thorin Oakenshield : He's been lost ever since he left his home. He should not have come, he has no place among us.

Thorin Oakenshield : Rumors have begun to spread, The dragon Smaug has not been seen in many years... Perhaps the vast wealth of our people lies unprotected... perhaps it is time to take back Erebor!

Balin : We're all right! We're alive!

Bofur : Where's Bilbo? Where's the Hobbit?

Ori : There!

Dwalin : Get him! I thought we'd lost our burglar.

Thorin Oakenshield : He's been lost ever since he left home.

Thorin Oakenshield : You think that's funny? You think a night raid by Orcs is a joke?

Kili : We didn't mean anything by it.

Thorin Oakenshield : No you didn't. You know nothing of the world.

Gandalf : The Elves could help us, we could get food, rest, advice.

Thorin Oakenshield : I do not need their advice.

Gandalf : We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us.

Thorin Oakenshield : Help? A dragon attacks Erebor. What help came from the Elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, the Elves looked on and did nothing! You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather, who betrayed my father.

Gandalf : You are neither of them.

Balin : Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield.

Thorin Oakenshield : Give him a pony.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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Watch The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey with a subscription on Prime Video, Max, rent on Fandango at Home, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Apple TV.

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Peter Jackson's return to Middle-earth is an earnest, visually resplendent trip, but the film's deliberate pace robs the material of some of its majesty.

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Ian McKellen

Martin Freeman

Bilbo Baggins

Richard Armitage

Thorin Oakenshield

Graham McTavish

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The story is set in Middle-earth sixty years before the events of The Lord of the Rings , and portions of the film are adapted from the appendices to Tolkien's The Return of the King . An Unexpected Journey tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) to accompany thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. The ensemble cast also includes James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis, and features Sylvester McCoy, Barry Humphries and Manu Bennett.

An Unexpected Journey premiered on November 28, 2012 in New Zealand and was released internationally on December 12, 2012. The film has grossed over $1 billion at the box office, surpassing both The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies , becoming the highest-grossing movie of The Hobbit franchise, the fourth highest-grossing film of 2012, the second highest-grossing entry in the Middle-earth Saga and the 18th highest grossing film of all time and the 7th fantasy film to reach the $1 billion mark. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. It was also nominated for three BAFTA Awards.

An Unexpected Journey was also nominated for nine Saturn Awards, winning one for Best Production Design.

• 4.1 Critical reception
• 5 Related Links

Approaching his 111th birthday, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins begins writing down the full story of his adventure 60 years earlier for the benefit of his nephew Frodo. Long before Bilbo's involvement, the Dwarf king Thrór brings an era of prosperity for his kin under the Lonely Mountain until the arrival of the dragon Smaug. Destroying the nearby town of Dale, Smaug drives the Dwarves out of their mountain and takes their hoard of gold. Thrór's grandson Thorin sees King Thranduil and his Wood-elves on a nearby hillside, and is dismayed when they take their leave rather than aid his people, resulting in Thorin's everlasting hatred of Elves.

In the Shire, 50-year-old Bilbo is tricked by the wizard Gandalf the Grey into hosting a party for Thorin and his company of dwarves: Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur. Gandalf's aim is to recruit Bilbo as the company's "burglar" to aid them in their quest to enter the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo is unwilling to accept at first but has a change of heart after the company leaves without him. Travelling onward, the company is captured by three trolls. Bilbo stalls the trolls from eating them until dawn. Gandalf exposes the trolls to sunlight turning them to stone. They search the trolls' cave and find treasure and Elven blades. Thorin and Gandalf each take an Elf-made blade—Orcrist and Glamdring, respectively. Gandalf also finds an elven shortsword ("Sting"), which he gives to Bilbo.

The company meets the wizard Radagast the Brown, who tells them of an encounter at Dol Guldur with the Necromancer, a sorcerer who has been corrupting Greenwood with dark magic. The company is then chased by orcs on wargs. Radagast covers the company's escape as Gandalf leads the company through a stone passage to Rivendell. There, Lord Elrond discloses a hidden indication of a secret door on the company's map of the Lonely Mountain, which will be visible only on Durin's Day. Gandalf later approaches the White Council—consisting of Elrond, Galadriel and Saruman the White—about his involvement with the dwarves. He also presents a Morgul blade Radagast obtained from Dol Guldur as a sign that the Necromancer is linked to the Witch-king of Angmar, despite Saruman's skepticism. When Saruman presses concern to the more present matter of the dwarves and Smaug, requesting that Gandalf put an end to the quest, Gandalf secretly reveals to Galadriel he had anticipated this and had the dwarves move forward on their quest without him.

The company journeys into the Misty Mountains where they find themselves amid a colossal battle between stone giants. They take refuge in a cave and are captured by Goblins, who take them to their leader, the Great Goblin. Bilbo becomes separated from the dwarves and falls into a cave where he encounters Gollum, who accidentally drops a golden ring while killing a stray goblin to eat. Pocketing the ring, Bilbo finds himself confronted by Gollum. They play a riddle game, wagering that Bilbo will be shown the way out if he wins or eaten by Gollum if he loses. Bilbo eventually wins by asking Gollum what he has in his pocket. Noticing his ring is lost, Gollum suspects that Bilbo possesses it and attacks him. Bilbo discovers that the ring grants him invisibility, but when he has a chance to kill Gollum, Bilbo spares his life and escapes while Gollum curses the hobbit.

Meanwhile, the Great Goblin reveals to the dwarves that Azog, an Orc war-chief who beheaded Thrór and lost his forearm to Thorin in battle outside the Dwarven kingdom of Moria, has placed a bounty on Thorin's head. Gandalf arrives and leads the dwarves in an escape and kills the Great Goblin. Bilbo exits the mountain and rejoins the company, keeping secret his newly obtained ring. The company is ambushed by Azog and his hunting party, and takes refuge in trees. Thorin charges at Azog, but is knocked unconscious and left defenseless on the ground. Bilbo saves Thorin from the orcs just as the company is rescued by eagles. They escape to the safety of the Carrock where Gandalf is able to revive Thorin, who renounces his previous disdain for Bilbo after being saved by him. In the distance, the company sees the Lonely Mountain, where the sleeping Smaug is awakened by the knocking sound of a thrush.

• Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey
• Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins
• Richard Armitage as Thorin II Oakenshield
• Ken Stott as Balin
• Graham McTavish as Dwalin
• William Kircher as Bifur
• James Nesbitt as Bofur
• Stephen Hunter as Bombur
• Dean O'Gorman as Fili
• Aidan Turner as Kili
• John Callen as Oin
• Peter Hambleton as Gloin
• Jed Brophy as Nori
• Mark Hadlow as Dori
• Adam Brown as Ori
• Ian Holm as Old Bilbo
• Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
• Hugo Weaving as Elrond
• Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
• Christopher Lee as Saruman
• Andy Serkis as Gollum
• Sylvester McCoy as Radagast
• Barry Humphries as Great Goblin
• Jeffrey Thomas as Thror
• Mike Mizrahi as Thrain
• Lee Pace as Thranduil
• Manu Bennett as Azog the Defiler
• Conan Stevens as Bolg
• John Rawls as Yazneg
• Stephen Ure as Fimbul & Grinnah
• William Kircher as Tom Troll
• Mark Hadlow as Bert Troll
• Peter Hambleton as William Troll
• Bret McKenzie as Lindir
• Jared Blakiston as Musical Elf
• Andrew Fitzsimons as Elf
• Branden Casey & Cameron Jones as Thranduil's Lieutenants
• Kiran Shah as Goblin Scribe
• Benedict Cumberbatch as the Necromancer
• Thomas Robins as Young Thrain
• Timothy Bartlett as Master Worrywort
• Luke Evans as Girion

Gallery [ ]

Trailer [ ]

Critical reception [ ]

The film received positive reviews, with critics praising the film itself, particulary for its visuals, Peter Jackson's return to Middle-earth and the performances of the cast, especially that of Martin Freeman, but criticized it for its long running time of 169 minutes. The film holds a rating of 64% "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes, while the film received mixed reviews on Metacritic with a rating of 58 out of 100.

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Movie's ratings

• Kinorium 8.1 12 367
• IMDb 7.8 882 117
• Critics 64% 305

Cast & Crew

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey — Cast & Crew

Special effects, visual effects, peter jackson.

Martin Freeman

Ian McKellen

Richard Armitage

James Nesbitt

Graham McTavish

Dean O'Gorman

Aidan Turner

Stephen Hunter

Sylvester McCoy

Mark Hadlow

John Callen

Peter Hambleton

William Kircher

Andy Serkis

Cate Blanchett

Hugo Weaving

Elijah Wood

Christopher Lee

Barry Humphries

Jeffrey Thomas

Michael Mizrahi

Manu Bennett

Conan Stevens

Stephen Ure

Timothy Bartlett

Bret mckenzie.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Glenn Boswell

Thomas Robins

Ruby Acevedo

Katie jackson.

Isaac Miller

Ella olssen, louis ashbourne serkis.

Ruby Ashbourne Serkis

Sonny Ashbourne Serkis

Luc Campbell

Rose harnett, eloise masters, eva matthews, ollie matthews, culain mcghie, honor mctavish, findlay price, oscar strik, amelia taylor, samuel taylor, ruby vincent, tui vincent, orlando bloom.

Frazer Anderson

Danielle Blake

Jarred blakiston.

Shane Boulton

Jessica buckham, rosalie button.

Melanie Carrington

Brendan Casey

Renee Cataldo

Bruno Du Bois

Sonia forbes-adam.

Ben Fransham

Jed Gard'ner

Stephen gledhill.

Stephen Grey

George Harach

Jamie harrison.

Luke Hawker

Allan Henry

Christian Hipolito

Brian Hotter

Cameron Jones

Robert Kazinsky

Clare Olssen

Jono kenyon.

Paul Kingdom

Dean knowsley.

John Landreth

Lilli latham, tim mclachlan, nathan meister.

Joseph Mika-Hunt

Ravi Narayan

Mary Nesbitt

Peggy Nesbitt

Terry Notary

Jabez Olssen

Shane Rangi

Thomas Rimmer

Miranda Rivers

Tania rodger, gabriela roque lópez, brett sheerin.

Andrew Simon

James R.W. Smith

Dave Stringer

James trevena.

Mark Trotter

Simon Vincent

James waterhouse-brown, hayden j. weal.

James Wells

Richard Whiteside

Philippa Boyens

Guillermo del Toro

J.R.R. Tolkien

Carolynne Cunningham

Zane Weiner

Eileen Moran

Carolyn blackwood, toby emmerich.

Alan F. Horn

Matthew Dravitzki

Amanda walker, andrew lesnie.

Howard Shore

Christopher Boyes

Brent burge, david farmer, matt gruber, michael hedges, chris hiles, tony johnson, michael semanick.

Dave Whitehead

Matthew Iadarola

Jules Woods

Simon Bright

Brian Massey

Andy mclaren.

Ann Maskrey

Richard Taylor

Charlotte Adams

Joel ahie-drought, johnny fraser allen, adam anderson, ross anderson, michael asquith, richard athorne, yvonne autridge, andrew baker, grace baker, wendy bambro-tilyard, john baster, david bawel, patrick baxter, bonne becconsall, uli beck-schneider, grant bensley, jamie beswarick, david booth.

Steven Boyle

Sean Douglas Brennan

Carola broekhoff, jonathon brough, duncan brown, elise brown, mark brownlie, daniel burnett, dean bushby, luke butters, bruce campbell, craig a. campbell, sourisak chanpaseuth, karl chisholm, marty t.c. chung, nick cleverley, daniel cockersell, eric cotton, lindsey crummett, brad cunningham, alan curreri, sheldon currington, bryce curtis, geoff curtis, bridget dash, paul davenport, alex denton, edward denton, mark william dewes, reece dixon, kim docherty, harry domett, marly doyle, b. david duke, joe dunckley, george dunn, andrew durno, christopher dwan, stephen edwards, warner emery, jeremy faiers, daniel falconer, doug falconer, alex falkner, rodney ford, flo foxworthy, robert freitas, james french, will furneaux, andrew gillespie, rob gillies, eve gilliland, simon godsiff.

C.J. Goldman

Gina goodwin, darin gordine, hayley gray, jonathan roy grindlay, george grove, chris guise, cameron hall, chris hampton, lans hansen, john harding, scott harens, cathy harris, olivia harris, frances hawker.

Rosie Horsley

Iain hutton, ruby lee hutton, steve ingram, nadine jaggi, martin jago, jason james, carene jenkin, mark keetch, nick keller, charlotte key, adam kinsman, aris kolokontes, nick krützfeldt, trevor r. lamb, stephen lambert.

Emmy Lennevald

Callum linegard, candace little, joaquin loyzaga, conor lui-fakaotimanava, caroline macleod, kelly marie, pietro marson, kim mcauslan, tristan mccallum, mike mcdonald, alistair mcdougall, anna mckendry, phil mclaren, john p. mcmullen, matthew g.p. mills, cathrine mitchell, tracey morgan, sarah morris, samantha elizabeth mott, andrew moyes, timothy munro, peter osborne, kiri packer, shaun patten, katherine pepperell.

Vincent Michael Pirovano

Claire prebble, lizanne proctor, jennifer quinlin, allison ralph-smith, hynie rasch, doug redpath, jamie rencen, matthew rodgers, cristina salvoldi, rogier samuels.

Mauro Santini

Steven saunders, derek scherer, bas schwarz, madeleine scott-spencer, russell sharp, philip sharpe.

Roberta Shaw

Raashi sheehan, roderick sheehy, samuelu tevita siilata, carlos slater, steven smart, brian stendebach, ri streeter, emily sturrock.

Sam Templeton

Stuart thomas, fiona thomson, jordan thomson, william toft, jade townsend, steve unwin, peter van de laar, richard van dijk, paul van ommen, kate venables, paul verrall, frank victoria, jamin vollebregt, michael wallace, fiona walsh, daniel wickham, paul wickham, kate wilcox, lee williams, lorraine willis, beck woolhouse, brigitte wuest, jorgelina yeme, warwick yin, petar zivkovic, genelle eaglen, mel milanovic, shaun friedberg «pyrokinesis», david abbott, john aberdein, gino acevedo, holly acton, olivia adams, richard addison-wood, michael aerni, gerardo aguilera, gustav ahren, malcolm aitchison, matt aitken, tim alexander, laurent alibo, mark edward allen, stephen allison.

Jan Althaus

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Daniel Ashton

Andrew atkinson, kevin atkinson, nikki atkinson, jean-marie aubry, derrick auyoung, sergio ayrosa, jean-luc azzis, sindharmawan bachtiar, jonathan baker, leslie baker, simon baker, robert baldwin, michael baltazar, marco barbati, mark barber, ned barraud, phil barrenger, jacob barrow, teresa barsall, bryan bartlett, scott e. baxter, bryn bayliss, stephen bayliss, daniel bayona, hamish beachman, kathleen beeler, olivier beierlein, brittany bell, hamish bell, gregory bellis, daniel bennett, james bennett.

Stephen Bennett

Michael benton, saïdou bernabé, alex berson, pravin bhat, shweta bhatnagar, hannah bianchini, erik bierens, kris bieringa, graham binding, alicia bissinger, kathryn jane black, helen blake, mariano blanc, robert bloom, pavani rao boddapati, moragot bodharamik, philip boltt, michael bomagat, sebastian bommersheim, alessandro bonora, jonathan bot, jake botting, zakaria boumediane, antoine bouthors, katreena erin bowell, don bradford, adam bradley, derek bradley, derek brady, lee bramwell, benjamin brenneur, kristie breslin, robert bridson, andre brizard, tyson brochu, thomas brodie, ryan brooks, dan brosnan, andrew d.w. brown, joerg bruemmer, david brunette, julian bryant, tanya buchanan, matt beauchamp buck, joerg w. bungert, sebastian burke, andy burmeister, astrid busser-casas, hans butler, julian r. butler, kurt butler, ria-bella buys, robert byrne, andreas bystrom, miguel diaz cachero, regina cachuela, david caeiro cebrián, cedric cagniart, djordje cakovan, andrew calder, sonia calvert, charlie camp, ben campbell, jason thomas campbell, josh canalini, cedric enriquez canlas, robin stuart cape, jeff capogreco.

Taylor Carrasco

Anthony carter, oliver castle, tim catchpole, myriam catrin, bimla chall, erina chamberlain, luke chamberlain, matthew chambers, scott chambers, arthur chan, johnny chan, leslie chan, raymond chan, jung min chang, matthieu chardonnet, hamish charleson, jason k.s. cheung, simon cheung, anthony chiang, tessa chisholm, gak gyu choi, jong jin choi, sanchari chowdhury-kesler, andrea christie, evan christie, glen christie, kelly roslyn christophers, douglas chubb, jasper chung, julia jooyeon chung, joe churchill, matthew cioffi, craig d. clarke, raymond clarke, david clayton, mike clephane, gerald clevy, emma clifton, simon clutterbuck, adam cobabe, johann francois coetzee, zachary cole.

Rosie Colligan

Alice collins, peter connelly, paul conway, vernessa cook, gemma cooper, shane cooper, brenton cottman, alasdair coull, andrei coval, christopher cowan, michael cozens, christine cram, robyn crane-campbell, nick craven, jim croasdale, ryan cronin, steve cronin, nicholas cross, christopher crouzet, noemie cruciani, aaron cubis, glenn curry, john curtis, richard cuthbert, eugene d'eon, ken dackermann, marion davey, colin davidson, mark davies, gilles daviet, juliette davis, joanna davison, daphne de jesus, sarah de schot, paul debevec.

Tom Del Campo

Graeme demmocks, aaron john dey, tamir sammy diab, sylvan dieckmann, james dinsdale, jennifer docherty, sean dollins, alana douglas, tim douglas, james doyle, samuel doyle, nebojsa dragosavac, georg duemlein, ryan duhaime, georgia dumergue, eamon samuel duncan, samuel duncan, simeon duncombe, siobhan durkin, frank dürschinger, areito echevarria, austin eddy, benny edlund, christopher edwards, samuel edwards, christopher egden, sharif elcott, kane elferink, daniel elliott, joe engelke, csaba lászló eröss, kevin estey, paul everitt, gianpietro fabre, campbell taylor fairweather, nathan farquhar, john farrow, luca fascione, dan feinstein, christine feistl, oliver ferguson, florian fernandez, andrew fitchett, matt fitzgerald, kristina flach, jason fleming, liana fleming, matthew fogarty, rémi fontan, nicola fontana, chris foreman, michael forot, ludovic fouche, nikki fraei, richard frances-moore, migael franken, rod fransham, guillaume françois, hamish fraser, matt fraser, nick fredin, anneka fris, johan fröjd, nick gabchenko, rita garcia, elliot gardner, robb gardner, nicholas gaul, robert geist, christoph genzwürker, chris george, reece geraghty, chris j. gerrard, storm gezentsvey, yannick gillain, jen gillespie, aaron gilman.

Kenneth Gimpelson

Jordi girones, geoffroy givry, evgeny glazyrin, melissa goddard, meetal gokul, thomas goldblatt, daniel gonzalez, marcus goodwin, anna-louise gordon, jason gordon, david gouge, agnes gould, elizabeth gray, tom greally, paul greenwood, jason grindlay, eitan grinspun, nicholas grobler, martin groezinger, matthew grueber, kathy gruzas, leonhard grünschloß, rebs guarina, signy bjorg gudlaugsdottir, deepak gupta, david gurrea, claire hackett, bassim haddad, geoff hadfield, mark haenga, david hampton, johannes hanika, joshua hardgrave, bryant hardwick, yoshihiro harimoto, john william harnagel, adam harriman, joey harris, paul harris, toby haruno, serena hastie, martin haughey, mark hawthorne, kelly haysom, g.g. heitmann demers, nicole hekel, quentin hema.

Rachel Herbert

Matthew hermans, kerstin herold, jon hertzig, afif heukeshoven, sean heuston, dean hewison, matthew hicks, martin hill.

Peter Hillman

Christian Hipp

Lucy hodgins, claire louise hoey, caleb holland, robin hollander, jeremy hollobon, aaron holly, mark l. holmes, matt holmes, teijo holzer, tom holzinger, lisa hooper, katie houston, sandy houston, susan howard, jason howden.

Barbara L. Howe

Francis hsu, sonya hsu-ya chang, victor huang, nikki hughes, nicholas hull, karen e.m. hulse, sherryn hunt, philip hunter, aaron hunwick, radford hurn, hanna marijke hurndell, ryan hutchings, megan hutchison, stephen hutt, rachel hydes, cajun hylton, corrado ianiri, nikolay ilinov, susan immonen, chris ingersoll, amy l.g. ingram, laura ingram, jonna isotalus, fergus jack-hinton, myles jackson, anthony jacob, james jacobs, ebrahim jahromi, wenzel jakob, malik jayawardena, paul jenness, braden jennings, carolina jimenez garcia, kenneth johansson, martina johansson, bradley john, michael johns, carey johnson, nathan johnson, gios johnston, caleb s. jones, danny jones, marie a. jones, michael p. jones, shobita jones, jens kafitz, sandip kalsy, joshua kamau, matthew kapfhammer, kaveh kardan, stephen karl, andreas bravin karlsson, annabelle kent, patrick keogh, simon kershaw, tessa kershaw, christian kesler, yasmin khudari, christian kickenweitz, sigtor kildal, ben kilgore, ki-hyun kim, heather kinaston-smith, oliver kirchhoff, balazs kiss, john kitching, alex klaricich, michael kokich, makoto koyama, lonnie kraatz, jakub krajcovic, alex kramer, lars kramer, dmitri krasnokoutski, fryderyk kublikowski, dave kujawski, martin kulig, paul kulikowski, ayako kuroda, todd labonte, keith lackey, laure lacroix, kosta lagis, andrew lambert, juan pablo lampe, marc landrain, alexandra lanzensberger, michael lanzensberger, mathias larserud, rachel laurenson, theresa laurenson, luisma lavin, kirsty lawlor, david leach, greer g.j. lean, james leaning, alison learned wolf, chet leavai, evelyne leblond, seong kyun lee, sun jin lee, julian legge, carmelo leggiero, fabio leporelli, steve lesser, joe letteri.

Dean Lewandowski

Mingzhi lin, brad lincoln, mattias lindkvist, wendy lloyd, thomas sing wai lo, jason locke, daniel lond, steven longay, jim longhurst, owen longstaff, morgan loomis, jade lorier, jennifer loughnan, ruth-anne loveridge, jacob luamanuvae-su'a, valerie lumb, wan-chun alex ma, daniel macarin, rob macbride.

Tiana Mackenzie

Sam maclennan, jason madigan, toshiyuki maeda, merlin bela wassiij maertz, oleg magrisso, alastair maher, warren mahy, samuel maniscalco, jade mansueto, james marks, jason marlow, shaun marnewick, jan maroske, sarah marriott, nic marrison, steve marschner, christopher marshall, john martin, thomas martin, seth martiniuk, daniel marwick, jean matthews, kirk mawhinney, vaughan mayclair, john mccarten, david mccormick, bradley mcflinn, steve mcgillen, dave mcgrath, peter james mcgrattan, matt mcguinness, anthony mcindoe, steven mckendry, jeremy mckenzie, nick mckenzie, richard mckenzie, nigel mckissock, chloe mclean, jim «big dog» mclean, robert k.o. mcleod, tristan mcmahon, brian mcmillin, donal mcmullan, michael mcneill, renton mcneill, louise mcnicholl, mark mcnicholl, ross mcwhannell, gagan mehta, james meikle, shéa w.c. melville, marco menco, matthias menz, andrea merlo, miklós mesterházy, stephanie metcalfe, orlando meunier, christoph meyer, goran milic, jessica millar, luke millar, michael miller, ron e.j. miller, seth f. miller, nicholas r.j. mills, leighton milne, sarah milnes, kaori miyazawa, chad moffitt.

Mo Mohamoud

Terry molatore, dejan momcilovic, carlo monaghan, james moore, richard john moore, fernando morales, simon dean morley, carla morris, hugo r.a. morris, darren mortillaro, alessandro mozzato, matt mueller, rolf muetze, yvonne muinde, arwen munro.

Matthew Muntean

Laura murillo, jun zee myers, vanessa mylchreest, dominica myles, alfred mürrle, duncan nairn, kiyoyuki nakagaki, victor naveira, sehera nawaz, salima needham, leo neelands, nikora ngaropo, tim nicholas, michael b. nielsen, ben nightingale, kenichi nishida, peti nohotima, teni noravian, espen nordahl, keven norris, greg notzelman, alexander nowotny, brian nugent, pete o'connell, ciaran o'connor, mike ocoboc, anton ognyev, brandon onstott, benjamin orange, daniel luke orr, david a. ostler, filippo paganoni, michael paget, stephen painter, amanda pamela, michael pangrazio, sathyan panneerselvam, john papafotiou, alexandra papavramides, jonathan paquin, andrew park, hunter parks, stuart partridge, anthony m. patti, ferand peek.

Hannah Peirce

Ana sofia mestre de almeida pereira, porl perrott, emily fairlight peters, patrick peterson, nicolas petit, ignacio b. peña, david phillips, timothy pick, jeremy pickett, carles piles, danila pogalov, bruno pollet, jessica ponte, james porter, christian poullay, sam prebble, thomas prebble, david preece, niklas preston, matthew provost, robin prybil, eddy purnomo, lucas putnam, oleksiy puzikov, simon quach, cesar quijada, inge rademeyer.

Ula Rademeyer

Pascal raimbault, richard raimbault, matthew george rampias, kade ramsey, troy ramsey.

Karl Rapley

Ellen rappenecker, craig douglas rattray, donny rausch, rebecca ray, satya reddy, paul redican, george redmond, chris reece, phillip reed, jonathan regan, chloe elise reilly, markus reithoffer, stephan remstedt, marco revelant, eric reynolds, nicholas richter, kim rickard, marc d. rienzo.

Matthew Riordan

Joshua rivas, christian rivers.

Ben Roberts

Paul-george h. roberts, fraser robertson, cesar rodriguez bautista, ryan rogers, kevin romond, nina rongokea, campbell rose, robert rossello.

Sharuddin Rosunally

Stephen roucher, robert rowles.

Jance Rubinchik

Merrin Ruck

Jesús ruiz torres, garry runke, james russell, kristina russo, marilyn ryder, karim sahai, eric saindon.

Zoe Saker-Norrish

Rosendo salazar, christoph salzmann, jose samson, adrian samuels, mahria sangster, victor sanz fernandez, alessandro saponi, michael sarkis, horst sarubin, caterina schiffers, jiri schlemmer, markus schneider, rolf schneider, sebastian schoellhammer, jennifer schoo, marcus schoo, durant schoon, florian schroeder, andreas schulz, andreas schuster, jens schwarz, michael schwarz, jorge schwarzhaupt, rob sclater, penelope scott, brad selkirk, carsten seller, paolo emilio selva, miguel sepulveda, adhir sewambar, amir shachar, marnie shachar, thrain shadbolt, sally shanahan, glen sharah, brian sharpe, sam sharplin, aurynn shaw, adam shelton, martin shelton, kevin l. sherwood, holly inyoung shin, tomoko shin, jenni shoesmith, jayson simpson, chrystia siolkowsky, brett skinner, eván skíbin.

Michael Smale

Layne small, lori smallwood, stephen smart, adam brett smith, breannan smith, cameron smith, daniel jacob smith, kevin andrew smith, sean snyders, perry hyunwoo sohn, michael solon, eddie soria, jonathan sothern, gerrard southam, jonas sperl, holger spill, marco spitoni, christoph sprenger, mark stanger, cameron f. steel, justin steel, deborah stephens, grace stephens, jacob stephens, alan stevenson-galvin, john stevenson-galvin, matteo stirati, justin stockton, carsten stoll, petra stueben, max stummer, rini sugianto, francois sugny, malino suzuki, masaya suzuki, jonathan swartz, luke swasbrook, ben swinbanks.

Sebastian Sylwan

Peter syomka, krzysztof szczepanski, andreas söderström, giuseppe tagliavini, reynold tagore, charles tait, michael takarangi, hirofumi takeda, anne taunga, jochen tautges, andrew taylor, bridget m. taylor, kate taylor, sandy taylor, sharisse teare, sompong teekasathien, sunny teich, felix telfer, eteuati tema, chris templeman, adrian teng, tim teramoto, craig thomas, gareth thomas, shannon thomas, ben thompson, caleb thompson, jon thorsen, jonas thörnqvist, caroline ting, edwina ting, pär tingström.

Geoff Tobin

Glenn tocher, audrea topps harjo.

Daniele Tosti

Mariko tosti, wayne traudt, diego trazzi, sebastian trujillo, natasha turner, riaan underwood, stephen unterfranz, roland vallet, james van der reyden, phil van der reyden, chris van dyck, kara vandeleur, bruce vecchitto, beck veitch, armando velazquez, adrian vercoe, marco vidaurre, douglas peter viljoen, antonis voutsinos, andreja vuckovic, daniel wade, chris walker, sean noel walker, faye walkington, brenda r. wallace, ange waller, gwyneth walton, martin ward, hannah bridget warren, sequels/prequels chronology: 7.

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Full Cast of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Actors/Actresses

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey cast list, listed alphabetically with photos when available. This list of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey actors includes any The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey actresses and all other actors from the film. You can view additional information about each The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey actor on this list, such as when and where they were born. To find out more about a particular actor or actress, click on their name and you'll be taken to page with even more details about their acting career. The cast members of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey have been in many other movies, so use this list as a starting point to find actors or actresses that you may not be familiar with.

Items on this list include Christopher Lee and Cate Blanchett.

If you want to answer the questions, "Who starred in the movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey?" and "What is the full cast list of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey?" then this page has got you covered.

Christopher Lee

Cate Blanchett

Ian McKellen

Elijah Wood

Orlando Bloom

Stephen Fry

Hugo Weaving

Andy Serkis

Billy Connolly

Martin Freeman

Benedict Cumberbatch

James Nesbitt

Brian Blessed

Evangeline Lilly

Graham McTavish

Barry Humphries

Richard Armitage

Mikael Persbrandt

Sylvester McCoy

Manu Bennett

Aidan Turner

William Kircher

• The Hobbit Trilogy
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All about the epic Hobbit trilogy that follows Bilbo Baggins out of the shire and into the great unknown.

How to watch The Lord of the Rings movies and shows in order (release date and chronological)

Here’s your ultimate guide to The Lord of the Rings on screen

If you're wondering how to watch The Lord of the Rings movies in order, then you've come to the right place. 

Though there are only six movies to make sense of, they didn't release in chronological order, which can make knowing the right place to start tough. Then there's the fact that The Hobbit book was split into three separate movies, even though it's just one novel. It's enough to get anyone in a muddle. 

But, with The Rings of Power season 2 upon us, there's never been a better time than now to get up to date on JRR Tolkien's epic saga. That means knowing how to watch The Lord of the Rings in order is pretty useful information (though, just a note that we've stuck solely to live-action for our list). 

Below, we've explained everything you need to know for a Middle-earth marathon. Adventure awaits! 

The Lord of the Rings movies and shows in order – release order

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
• The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 (2022)

There are two main ways to navigate your journey into Middle-earth: in release order, or in chronological order. Here’s your guide to the former, which is how most people familiar with the world already will have watched them. 

We’ve got to admit this is probably the most satisfying way to tackle the saga as it's the way it was intended to be watched. And you won't miss much as you don’t get a huge amount of context that you’ll need later on from the prequels, they just add more to it once you’ve seen it.  

The Lord of the Rings movies and shows in order – chronological order

The other major way to get your head around The Lord of the Rings saga is to tackle it in the order of events. This means starting with the television series The Rings of Power, which is set thousands of years before the movies in the Second Age of Middle-earth and tells the origins of characters like Galadriel and Sauron. Then there’s a very big jump ahead to The Hobbit trilogy, which takes place in the Third Age of Middle-earth, and around 60 years before The Lord of the Rings Movies. 

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Watching it in this order will mean you have a lot more context for some of the big events and main characters by the time you reach The Fellowship of the Ring. So if you’re a viewer who likes to know the whole picture first, then this might be the way for you to tackle it.

Where to watch the Lord of the Rings movies in order

Unfortunately, not all of The Lord of the Rings movies and shows are available in one place. So you’ll have to do a bit of streaming platform hopping to be able to stay on top of your watching saga. 

Luckily, most are on the same platform. All of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies are available to watch on HBO ’s streaming platform MAX in the US. Meanwhile, if you’re in the UK, you’ll need to have NOW TV in order to stream them.

The Rings of Power is only available on Amazon Prime Video so you’ll need a subscription to that streaming service to be able to watch it. If you want to keep it all in one place, you can buy the movies on Amazon as well so you don’t have to keep switching apps.

For more on Middle-earth, we're got a guide to The Lord of the Rings timeline to help you make sense of when events take place.

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.

• Emily Murray Entertainment Editor

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10 Movie Franchises That Are Better if You Watch Them Out of Order

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Every franchise inevitably hopes to become a mainstream hit with numerous movies, shows, and comics to boast about. Some have achieved it and created a long content catalog to provide further insight into their worlds. That can lead to shaky chronology that lends to confusing viewing orders.

Yet, while many franchises are created with a specific order in mind, some need to be viewed differently. With an atypical order, the characters make more sense, the world is more established, and the narrative is more compelling. As fun as the original order is, a different viewing order is better.

10 The Star Wars Universe Benefits From Chronological Storytelling

Generally, viewers are supposed to watch the Star Wars movie in a clear order: the release order. The movies are meant to be viewed from the original trilogy to the prequels, and then to the sequels. Yet the best way to watch them is by viewing them from the prequels to the original trilogy, and then to the sequels.

While Solo: A Star Wars Story could stay or go, the rest of the story benefits heavily from removing the mystery of Anakin's story. It makes a pre-existing tragedy all the more painful when his slow descent into darkness and return to the light is drawn out. Then, the immediate aftermath of Kylo Ren's devotion to Vader is made all the more horrifying. It's also best to add The Clone Wars between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith , though it isn't wholly necessary.

The original trilogy depicts  the heroic development of Luke Skywalker as a Jedi and his fight against Palpatine's Galactic Empire alongside his sister, Leia . The prequels tell the tragic backstory of their father, Anakin, who is corrupted by Palpatine and becomes Darth Vader.

9 Watch The Hobbit Before The Lord of the Rings

Denethor's worst moments in the lord of the rings, ranked.

Denethor, Steward of Gondor, is one of the most infamous characters in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. These are his very worst moments in the films.

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies both exist in the world of J. R. R. Tolkien. Yet, while Tolkien started with The Hobbit , Jackson elected to adapt Frodo's adventures with the Fellowship of the Ring first. Bilbo's story was forced to wait another decade before it hit the big screen.

Watching the Hobbit trilogy first better aligns with Tolkien's vision for the world. At the same time, it is not quite as epic and expansive as The Lord of the Rings , which allows for a better sense of escalation and stakes. The horror of Sauron's return is made more stark by The Hobbit coming early on and building to Frodo's journey.

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is a series of epic fantasy adventure films and television series based on J. R. R. Tolkien's novels. The films follow the adventures of humans, elves, dwarves, hobbits and more in Middle-earth.

8 The X-Men Universe Is Confusing Otherwise

The Fox X-Men universe is generally known for its absurd timeline. Fox took little care in ensuring the X-Men timeline made sense , which means that the release order is as confusing as it is pointless. Characters routinely jump through time, age at bizarre rates, and even repeat earlier storylines.

Thus, the best way to watch the movies is through something close to chronological order. It would start with First Class , the prequel, then tell the slow story of the rise and fall of the X-Men. Logan and The New Mutants leave the world at a tragic place before the Deadpool trilogy goes back in time to offer chronological changes, a tonal shift, and even a shift to a new universe. The order also cuts out some later X-Men movies , including the much-maligned Dark Phoenix to offer a tighter ending and less repetition.

X-Men (Film)

X-Men is an American superhero film series based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name.

7 Fast & Furious Has Been Playing With Escalation

Fast & Furious is a franchise with stakes that have risen so sharply that it is downright baffling. It has grown from a movie about DVD players into a franchise that involves international heists and skydiving cars. Characters regularly travel around the world, driving numerous absurd vehicles, and repeatedly emphasizing the importance of family.

The best way to watch the movies is shifting Tokyo Drift to help ensure steadier earlier continuity and that the ever-rising escalation remains. Then, when the franchise is over, it's best to rewatch the 2001 movie just to see how far it has grown. Watching the first movie again at the end is downright hilarious. Seeing just how much Fast & Furious has changed since 2001 in one jarring change would be as amazing as watching The Fast and the Furious and then jumping directly to Fast X or F9 .

Fast and Furious

Fast & Furious is an American media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. 

6 The Planet of the Apes Movies Were Made To Move

The best way to watch Planet of the Apes for the first time is to start with the 1968 movie. The twist at the end needs to come without audiences knowing the truth. After that first viewing, however, a repeated viewing begs to come in chronological order. Though Rise of the Planet of the Apes does not lead directly to the same universe as the 1968 movie, it still runs on a similar timeline to make it entertaining.

Viewers can watch the world fall apart before their eyes, leading to the wars and devastation that George Taylor discovers when he returns to Earth. It adds a sense of dramatic irony that only makes the final twist in the 1968 movie more effective. It also helps to make the apes more sympathetic after Caesar's tragic story is seen in full. This order does cut out the maligned 2001 movie and Kingdom for fitting less comfortably within continuity, though they do deserve to be seen.

Planet of the Apes

The Planet of the Apes franchise began as a novel by French author Pierre Boulle, which was adapted in 1968 as a feature film that went on to build a franchise that spans more than five and a half decades.

5 The Mad Max Franchise Benefits From Furiosa

How furiosa retcons fury road's prequel comic.

As Anna Taylor-Joy plays a younger Furiosa in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the film makes a few retcons to the Mad Mad: Fury Road prequel comic from 2015.

Mad Max: Fury Road was the revival that brought the entire Mad Max franchise back into the public consciousness. Building on the previous movies, it mixed practical effects with CGI to ensure a smooth and worthy viewing experience. Unfortunately, the prequel, Furiosa has received some criticism for its visuals.

The best way to ensure that the story of Furiosa is easily accessible without facing issues with VFX is to watch Furiosa before Fury Road . It can come between Thunderdome and Fury Road , providing a major leap in quality while also setting a chronological gain. It serves as an excellent bridge for the franchise.

4 The Transformers Movies Have Given Up on Order

The Transformers franchise is downright baffling. Two different reboots have created three universes, and each possesses a different tone and quality level. The Michael Bay universe, which ran from 2007 to 2017, earned widespread love for its sense of action and chaos, while Bumblebee served as something of a prequel , meant to launch a new universe.

The most interesting way to watch the movies is by cutting out the 1986 movie entirely, given how disconnected it is. Instead, viewers should watch the first Michael Bay movie, then Bumblebee to get more insight into the lovable yellow Autobot — though it is not wholly connected. Viewers can then return for Revenge of the Fallen , then Dark of the Moon . Then, before the Dinobots are introduced, audiences can be eased into the concept by watching Rise of the Beasts . It's a strange order, but it is oddly rewarding and worth giving a shot.

Transformers

Transformers  is a media  franchise  produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, such as vehicles and animals.

3 The Hunger Games' Prequel Begs To Be Seen Early

The original Hunger Games order is simple. It features a straight and largely chronological order with few flashbacks and a linear direction. Every movie was released within a year of its predecessor, making the order easy to follow. Then came the prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes , which told the story of President Snow's ascension through the Games.

Yet, before President Snow meets a fitting end in Part 2 , it's worth seeing how a young man evolved into a bitter monster. Watching his story can make him somewhat more sympathetic, though it will largely just add context to his character. Fitting in Ballad between Mockingjay — Part 1 and Part 2 allows for that sense of comprehension and apprehension. It's an unusual order that makes Katniss' choice all the more poignant , given just how much she parallels Lucy Gray Baird.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games franchise shows a dystopian future where teens are forced to battle to the death for the amusement of the wealthy. Everything changes when Katniss Everdeen volunteers in place of her sister, Primrose.

2 A New Order Makes DC Extended Universe Larger

Best movie from the dceu.

Although the DCEU is now gone – replaced by James Gunn’s DCU – it’s not forgotten. While inconsistent in quality, there were several popular and well-rated entries. My favorite is probably Birds of Prey (though I also have a soft spot for Aquaman ). What’s your favorite DCEU entry?

The DC Extended Universe never had a strong sense of chronology. It offered prequels, shaky storylines, and a desperate rush to establish its characters before Justice League . The revised order offers more insight into the heroes before throwing them into the fray in a team-up movie. In this order, Blue Beetle, Shazam, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman all have their movies before 2017's Justice League .

While the disparity in the timeline does mean that some details don't add up, it still makes the universe feel larger, rather than every single cameo leading to the same movie. Some heroes never team up at all in Justice League , which just makes the story feel more realistic. Audiences can choose whether to watch the 2017 version of Justice League or Zack Snyder's version, as the differences are not so jarring that they cannot each fit into the timeline.

DC Extended Universe

The DC Extended Universe is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics.

1 The Marvel Cinematic Universe Has Much To Skip

While there are too many MCU movies to include in a single chart, there is a wealth of content to watch. Even setting aside the shows, there have been 34 movies, meaning that it would take days just to watch everything that has gone to theaters. Various orders could be better, including skipping all of the movies in the chart above , given their poor reception and lack of an impact on the rest of the universe.

Still, other styles could fit. A chronological order would see The First Avenger , followed by Captain Marvel , which would allow for a smoother introduction for Carol Danvers. It is also possible to end the watch party after Avengers: Endgame , as it largely closed the MCU's story and offered a conclusive ending. It is better than watching the slow decline of the MCU since Endgame . If Marvel Studios recovers with Fantastic Four and X-Men , it could very well offer a reason to retain the original order, but — for the time being — an early ending after a chronological watch is the best possible style.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Created by Marvel Studios, the Marvel Cinematic Universe follows heroes across the galaxy and across realities as they defend the universe from evil.

How to Watch the“ Lord of the Rings” Movies and TV Show in Order: A Guide to Middle-earth’s Epic Saga

H ere’s how to watch the 'Lord of the Rings' films and TV series in order, from the rise of Sauron to the final battle for Middle-earth

J.R.R. Tolkien 's Middle-earth epic of The Lord of the Rings has captivated audiences for decades, starting with The Hobbit in 1937. His tale ultimately prompted what would be one of the longest-standing and most lucrative franchises across literature, film and television. 

Peter Jackson first brought Tolkien’s world to life with The Lord of the Rings film trilogy in the early 2000s, followed by The Hobbit movies a decade later. Eight years after the final Hobbit installment, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay brought the fantastical universe to television with The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime in 2022, with the second season premiering on Aug. 29, 2024. The Lord of the Rings is also getting the anime treatment later this year through The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim , which will be released in theatres on Dec. 13.

Whether you're new to the series or revisiting the epic saga, knowing where to start can be tricky, as the six films and television series take place over thousands of years.  

Here’s how to watch the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, as well as the Rings of Power series, in both release and chronological order.

How to watch the Lord of the Rings movies and TV show in release order

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
• The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022 - Present)

How to watch the Lord of the Rings movies and TV show in chronological order

The lord of the rings: the rings of power.

Set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , The Rings of Power takes place during the Second Age of Middle-earth. According to the series showrunners, The Rings of Power offers an extensive backstory narrative for some of the major plot points in the iconic saga.

“The Rings of Power unites all the major stories of Middle-earth’s Second Age: the forging of the rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the epic tale of Númenor and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men,” Payne and McKay said. “Until now, audiences have only seen on-screen the story of the One Ring –but before there was one, there were many.”

The series lays the foundation for the events that unfold in later films, such as the creation of the One Ring and features characters like Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo), who are also prominent in the later stories.

The series is in the throes of its second season after premiering in August 2024.

An Unexpected Journey is set 60 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings, and marks the beginning of Bilbo Baggins’ ( Martin Freeman ) adventure in the timeline. The story begins with the wizard Gandalf ( Ian McKellen ) recruiting Bilbo to join Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and his band of Dwarves on a quest to reclaim their homeland from the dragon Smaug. The journey is fraught with danger as they face numerous challenges, including trolls, Orcs and a voyage through the Misty Mountains, where Bilbo encounters Gollum ( Andy Serkis ) and obtains the One Ring. Meanwhile, Gandalf seeks help from the White Council, including Galadriel ( Cate Blanchett ), who senses the growing darkness in Middle-earth and supports Gandalf's concerns about a rising evil, foreshadowing the larger conflict that will unfold.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Set in the middle of the quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain, The Desolation of Smaug continues the journey of Thorin and his company, as they are pursued by Azog's Orcs and face the threat of the dragon Smaug. Along the way, they seek refuge with Beorn (Mikael Persbrandt), navigate the dangers of Mirkwood and encounter Wood-elves before reaching Laketown. Meanwhile, Gandalf uncovers Sauron's growing power in Dol Guldur. 

The film builds up to the climactic encounter between Bilbo and the dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch ), who awakens to wreak havoc on Laketown. The film takes place in the years leading up to the events of The Lord of the Rings , setting the stage for the eventual War of the Ring and the conclusion of The Hobbit trilogy.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The Battle of the Five Armies takes place immediately after the events of The Desolation of Smaug, and sees the resolution of the conflict with Smaug, where Bard ( Luke Evans ) emerges as a hero by slaying the dragon. The narrative builds toward an epic confrontation involving dwarves, elves, men and orcs, with alliances forged in the titular battle.

The film concludes in the timeline where The Lord of the Rings begins, 60 years later, as Bilbo returns to the Shire, where he’s paid a visit by Gandalf on his 111th birthday.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Set in the Third Age of Middle-earth, The Fellowship of the Ring follows the story of Frodo Baggins ( Elijah Wood ), a young cousin of Bilbo, who inherits the One Ring. With Sauron's forces pursuing the Ring to reclaim it, Frodo embarks on a journey to destroy it.

Frodo forms the Fellowship, and they face numerous challenges as they navigate the perilous Mines of Moria and the mystical forest of Lothlórien — an elve realm ruled by Galadriel. The film sets the stage for the epic battle that will determine the fate of Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Two Towers picks up where The Fellowship of the Ring left off, and the adventure intensifies as the Fellowship is divided and Frodo and Sam ( Sean Astin ) continue their quest to destroy the Ring, guided by the treacherous Gollum. The narrative splits into multiple threads, following the scattered members of the Fellowship as they face their respective challenges. 

The film's central conflict revolves around the growing threat of Sauron and Saruman as their forces spread across Middle-earth, culminating in the epic Battle of Helm’s Deep, ultimately setting the stage for the final confrontation.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The Return of the King brings the trilogy to its epic conclusion in the final days of the War of the Ring. As Frodo and Sam make their final push toward Mount Doom, the rest of the Fellowship rallies the forces for a last stand against Sauron’s army. The story concludes with the destruction of the One Ring, the downfall of Sauron and the restoration of peace. Aragorn is crowned King, and Frodo departs for the Undying Lands, marking the end of an era and leaving behind a legacy.

Where to watch the Lord of the Rings movies and TV show

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is available to stream on Max , and The Hobbit trilogy is also on Max . The Rings of Power is streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video .

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Why Did an Eagle Appear to Pharazôn in 'The Rings of Power'?

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Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for The Rings of Power Season 2, Episodes 1-3, it also contains major spoilers for the Lord of the Rings novels.

" The Eagle and the Scepter ," the third episode in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, ends on a high note . As Queen Regent Míriel ( Cynthia Addai-Robinson ) faces an uproar during her coronation in Númenor, an Eagle appears, further stirring turmoil. In the heat of the moment, Míriel's cousin and political rival, Pharazôn ( Trystan Gravelle ), takes advantage of the mythical being showing up and stands in front of it, sword in hand, and is hailed as the new king of Númenor . The whole scene is very confusing, raising one primary question: what does the Eagle mean? Is it really there for Pharazôn?

Who Are the Great Eagles in The Lord of the Rings?

To understand what one of the Great Eagles is doing in Númenor during the Second Age, it's important to go further back in time, first, and look at what exactly their role is in J.R.R. Tolkien 's Legendarium. They show up in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings - both the books and their movie counterparts - as divine aid when times are darkest for the heroes. Their power is so great, it's often compared to a sort of deus ex machina narrative device . Indeed, it may seem like that's what is happening when someone cries "The Eagles are coming!," but their role is actually far more important.

The Great Eagles , are majestic, powerful beings who live in Middle-earth. They are sentient giant eagles, often described as noble and wise, considered akin to guardians or protectors, and usually provide intervention when situations are dire during a conflict. They are said to have been created by Manwë, the chief of the Valar (the angelic powers who have shaped the world and look after it), to serve as his messengers and observers in Middle-earth . They are also highly intelligent, capable of speech, and possess immense strength and sharp vision.

The fact that the Eagles rarely appear or take sides has given them a reputation for being just and fair. They only intervene when the heroes are facing serious risks. Because of this, whenever the Eagles show up, it's perceived as a clear message that the Valar consider the side they aided to be the right one . For example, when the Eagles rescue Thorin Oakenshield's ( Richard Armitage ) company at the end of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , it is seen as an approval by the gods that their quest to retake Erebor has the support of the Valar.

The Eagles Have an Interesting Relationship With Númenor

The Great Eagles play big roles during the First and Third Ages of Middle-earth, but, during the Second, not so much. When they do, though, it's mostly in Númenor, serving as omens or warnings in the name of the Valar. After Morgoth's defeat at the end of the First Age, the men who fought the Dark Lord beside the Host of the Valar were granted Númenor as a sign of appreciation by the deities, and the bonds between them were straightened. One of the most important segments of Numenórean society are the Faithful, for example, who worship the Valar.

Númenor exists only during the Second Age, and, in this period, the Eagles are very present on the star-shaped island . It's said that they inhabit the northern portion of the island, for example, and that there is an eyrie on top of the royal palace in the Numenórean capital of Armenelos during the reign of Tar-Ancalimon, the king who starts Númenor's slow turn against the Valar. Also, three Eagles are usually seen flying atop the Meneltarma, the holy mountain of Númenor. These particular Eagles were known as "The Witnesses of Manwë," referencing the Valar who created them, and were revered by the Numenóreans, especially while Numenóreans are still faithful to the Valar.

Despite being seen more often, though, the Eagles remain passive to the events that take place in Númenor, like in Middle-earth . However, as Númenor grows more corrupt under the influence of its later kings and especially Ar-Pharazôn (as he is known during his reign), who increasingly defied the Valar, the symbolism of the Eagles becomes a reminder of how the country has fallen from grace and the potential for divine retribution. The final appearance of the Eagles as a warning happens when Ar-Pharazôn defies the Valar and amasses an armada to sail to war against the Valar themselves in Valinor. As always, the Eagles don't take part in the event itself, but the Valar use eagle-shaped clouds to try and divert the Numenórean armada before the cataclysm that eventually sinks the island.

Is That Eagle Scene Really About Pharazôn?

Given how the Eagles are perceived in Middle-earth and Númenor, it's easy to understand why Pharazôn would want them on his side. Earlier in "The Eagle and the Scepter," he and Míriel talk about how when her father, Tar-Palantir ( Ken Blackburn ), was crowned, an Eagle appeared. Pharazôn then remarks that, should an Eagle appear at her coronation, too, it would be an auspicious omen . This foreshadows the final scene of the episode, as an Eagle does indeed show up.

When the Eagle appears, it's during Míriel's coronation. Eärien ( Ema Horvath ), daughter of Elendil ( Lloyd Owen ) and sister to Isildur ( Maxim Baldry ), causes an uproar by showing Míriel's Palantir , and the Queen Regent confirms it's indeed hers, making for the perfect riot for Pharazôn to take advantage of. It's in the middle of all the confusion that the Eagle appears. It lands on the royal palace's balcony and looks at Míriel . When Pharazôn decides to take advantage of the Eagle's appearance, the mythical being opens its wings and stars screeching in a way that seems more hostile than supportive .

With this in mind, an Eagle appearing at Tar-Palantir's coronation and appearing to Pharazôn can mean two completely different things. For the first, it's a sign of support, given that Tar-Palantir was one of the Faithful and believed in the Valar. Pharazôn, however, is not, so an Eagle showing up is most likely a sign of support for Míriel during her coronation , not to Pharazôn's claim . Cunning as he is, Pharazôn takes advantage of the opportunity in his favor, stirs public opinion against Míriel, and makes it look like the Eagle is there for him. As soon as he draws his sword, for example, the Eagle flies away.

What is interesting about this is how the Eagle simply lands, spends a few seconds, and flies away. In Tolkien lore, they are capable of speech and are known to even sing, sometimes. So how come the Eagle doesn't openly express its support for Míriel or Pharazôn more clearly? It would seem like this is an oversight, but the Valar work in mysterious ways. The Eagles can't take sides in issues like this, and the Valar are also known for not interfering for as long as possible . In this case, the Eagle showing up means both support for Míriel's claim to the Numenórean throne, and a warning against Pharazôn. Turning the situation to his favor is his merit, although it's certain to have disastrous consequences in the future.

Season 2 of The Rings of Power is streaming on Prime Video. New episodes air weekly on Thursdays.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Epic drama set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.

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