The Hobbit has revealed several new images in Entertainment Weekly 's annual Comic-Con edition, with Bilbo, Gandalf, Galadriel and the Dwarves all getting a little more exposure.
Our favourite is probably the shot of Gandalf in the Shire, which looks as though it hasn't changed a bit in the decade or so since we last visited. There's also an atmospheric shot inside Gollum's cave, with a worried-looking Bilbo clutching hold of Sting for dear life.
Meanwhile, Peter Jackson has been discussing how he's fleshed out some of the book's minor characters in order to give them more of a substantial part on the big screen.
"In the movie we want these characters to have storylines and a little more substance than they do in the book," he said. "Almost everything we’re doing is from Tolkien somewhere, whether it’s in the book or the subsequent development that wasn’t published in The Hobbit itself."
Sir Ian McKellen has also been talking about the project, making the point that for a lot of younger fans, it will be their first opportunity to experience Midddle-earth in the cinema.
"A lot of people weren’t even born when we were filming Lord Of The Rings and only know the movies from watching them on DVD," he says. "They’ll see Middle-earth on the big screen in The Hobbit , and I guarantee there will be a lot of minds blown wide apart."
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens in the UK on 14 December 2012. In the meantime, you can check out the new images below (and become a fan of The Hobbit UK on Facebook ).
