Cannes Film Festival 2013

Adventure and comedy await in new 'Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' trailer

Plus: Gandolf and Elrond foreshadow the danger that awaits


For months, industry buzz has centered on how Warner Bros. plans on marketing Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" more to families than the previous "Lord of the Rings" films.  Of course, "Rings" drew in tons of families and fans of all ages, but New Line's campaign at the time generally centered on the novels' epic and dramatic themes.  The primary goal was for audiences to take the world of Middle Earth seriously.  The "Lord" films would take you on a grand adventure, but there were dark and serious consequences at every turn. J.R.R. Tolkien's predecessor to the "Rings" books, "The Hobbit," has its scary moments, but was a little, well, lighter.  Warner Bros., MGM and New Line released the latest and perhaps final trailer for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" this morning and that broader tone is starting to seep through.

It helps, of course, that Warner Bros. doesn't have to sell audiences on taking Middle Earth seriously.  Ian McKellen's Gandalf is instantly recognizable as are elves (Helloooo Cate Blanchett!) and hobbits (even if some fans may be wondering where Frodo is).  And, while he may be cleaned up a bit in this earlier tale Gollum is still pretty much Gollum.  So, Warner Bros. has taken this opportunity to peeper their new preview with comic moments even while providing the scope you've come to expect from Jackson's vision.  And, just to make sure the tone isn't too different than the "LOTR" series, Gandolf and Elrond are around to provide some foreshadowing moments of fear (honestly, does Elrond do anything else in these films? I kid...).

Legitimate questions still remain whether Peter Jackson and crew can duplicate the Oscar success they experienced with the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy with a "Hobbit" trilogy, but this new trailer is another indication that making Middle Earth the family friendly destination of choice over the holidays is the primary goal.  Are both objectives mutually exclusive?  We'll find out as awards season progresses.

You can watch the new trailer embedded at the top of this post.

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" opens nationwide, in 3D and in IMAX on Dec. 14.

Greg-ellwood-sm
Gregory Ellwood
Editor-in-Chief, Co-Founder
With over a decade of experience in the movie industry, Ellwood survived working for two major studios and has written for Variety, MSN and the LA Times. A co-founder of HitFix, Ellwood spends his time relaxing hitting 3’s on the basketball court and following his beloved Clippers.

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  • Default-avatar

    Brock Landers

    I'm a fan of the LOTR trilogy, but was worried that Jackson might not have been able to capture the magic again. This trailer puts me at ease a bit, because it looks really good.

    September 19, 2012 at 6:25PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Jake

    From the trailers so far, I feel like they are doing a perfect job of keeping the old LOTR, but also adding a new feel and look. It looks perfect to me.

    September 19, 2012 at 6:35PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    SJG

    Hmm.

    To me this looks pretty bad, but let's face it, I'll still shell out the money to see it.

    September 19, 2012 at 7:28PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Mark Johnson

    Oscars! :)

    September 19, 2012 at 7:58PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    JLPatt

    I'm a little disconcerted by how polished and overly-digital this looks. I also HATE HATE HATE how this is a trilogy.

    September 19, 2012 at 9:21PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Annie8bit_talkback_profile

      Stormshadow4life Gotta say, it gave me the exact same feelings.

      September 19, 2012 at 10:11PM EST
    • Default-avatar

      Harrison Agreed. The visuals seemed a bit off. Perhaps they still have a little while to go in psot

      September 20, 2012 at 8:17AM EST
    • Default-avatar

      Rafael They filmed it at 48 FPS, that's why it looks weird. It's double the standard resolution!

      September 21, 2012 at 3:00AM EST
    • Annie8bit_talkback_profile

      Stormshadow4life no, it's double the frames per second...nothing to do with resolution. And the trailer isn't at 48fps anyway.

      September 21, 2012 at 8:09AM EST
  • A_monty_talkback_profile

    Monty Jack

    "Gandolf""?GGGGG

    September 19, 2012 at 11:58PM EST Reply to Comment

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