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'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' gets two TV spots

The new TV commercials for 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' show Bilbo fending off trolls as well as more of his journey with the dwarves.

“The world is not in your books and maps,” wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) tells the hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) in the upcoming film "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." “It’s out there.”
  • By Molly Driscoll Staff writer

Two new TV spots for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” show more of the plot of the film and reference the film’s 3-D format.

The first film in the planned trilogy will tell the story of Bilbo, “Lord of the Rings” protagonist Frodo’s cousin, and how Bilbo joins a company of dwarves who want to take back their ancestral kingdom. The wizard Gandalf, a main character in “Lord of the Rings,” encourages him to do so and accompanies the group on their journey.

The first trailer, which is 34 seconds long, begins with the famous line that starts the “Hobbit” book: “In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit.”

“The world is not in your books and maps,” wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) tells the hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman). “It’s out there.”

The trailer shows Gandalf in a tree, waving his staff, as well as the group being pursued by wolf-like creatures known as wargs, Bilbo being threatened by trolls and fighting with the sword, Sting, which is later inherited by his nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood), and a glimpse of Gollum (Andy Serkis) shrieking.

“You done much fighting?” the dwarves’ leader, Thorin (Richard Armitage), asks Bilbo at the end of the trailer.

The trailer cuts to Bilbo looking very uncomfortable on a horse.

“Thought as much,” Armitage says wryly.

The movie is listed at the end of the trailer as being shown in Real-D 3-D, HFR 3-D, and IMAX 3-D.

The movie is filmed at a high frame rate, twice the rate at which a normal movie rate is filmed, but screenings of the film in that higher frame rate will be limited. Early screenings of footage with the high frame rate met with mixed reactions, which may have influenced the decision.

The second TV spot for the film begins with Gandalf approaching Bilbo at Bilbo’s home, Bag End.

“Can I help you?” Bilbo asks Gandalf.

“I’m looking for someone to share in an adventure,” the wizard tells him.

The trailer also shows Thorin meeting Bilbo and commenting, “So, this is the hobbit” as well as a glimpse of Bilbo meeting Gollum and more of the hobbit’s encounter with hungry trolls.

“Can we cook you?” one asks.

“I wouldn’t risk it, I really wouldn’t,” Bilbo says hastily.

The spot also shows him picking up the One Ring which will become the center of a war in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will come to theaters on Dec. 14.

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