The Hobbit Trailer Debuts

First Published: December 21, 2011 9:53 AM EST Credit: New Line Cinema Caption Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Middle Earth is rejoicing with the debut of the first look at Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The trailer, which made its debut on Tuesday night, reunites many familiar faces from the Oscar-winning trilogy including Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Frodo (Elijah Wood), Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) and even Gollum (Andy Serkis). A younger version of Bilbo Baggins is being played by British actor Martin Freeman, best known for his role on the British version of The Office. Fans will have to wait a little bit longer before they see Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Saruman (Christopher Lee). A slew of new characters, including a gaggle of dwarves are seen in the trailer along with the pivotal character, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey debuts in theaters on December 14, 2012, followed by The Hobbit: There and Back Again in 2013. Check out the trailer, HERE! Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.