The Hobbit movie gets official title and release date

Tolkien fans rejoice, Peter Jackson has revealed the titles and release dates of his two part adaptation of the Hobbit.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will hit screens on December 14th 2012, followed by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on December 13th 2013.

The first film has already started filming and stays true to the J.R.R classic, following a young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellan) sends him and a group of dwarves on an epic mission to battle a powerful dragon.

Several stars are signed to reprise their roles from Jackson’s hugely successful Lord of the Rings trilogy; Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Elijah Wood all return.

Starring alongside Freeman are a host of British talent including Stephen Fry, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage and James Nesbitt.