The Hobbit is a series of three epic fantasy adventure films directed, produced, and adapted to film by Peter Jackson, based on J. The films are, by subtitle, An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and There and Back Again (2014). Just as Tolkien's three-volume novel, The Lord of the Rings, continues themes and issues introduced in his earlier novel, The Hobbit, in the same
way, Jackson's three Hobbit films together are imagined as a prequel to Jackson's earlier film adaptation of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novel. Several actors reprise their roles from The Lord of the Rings, including Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Ian Holm, and Hugo Weaving, as well as actors whose characters did not appear in the novel, such as Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Elijah Wood, and Orlando Bloom. Also returning for the production, among others, were co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, illustrators John Howe and Alan Lee, art director Dan Hennah, cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, and composer Howard Shore. As with the original trilogy, props will generally be crafted by Weta Workshop and visual effects managed by Weta Digital. The most significant new involvement in the series is the participation of Guillermo del Toro, originally chosen to direct the films, as co-writer.
