A press release with some precious details about the debut of the new ‘Hobbit’ trailer has been handed to us and while we thought we knew it all, there are tidbits that whet the appetite. This trailer, coming approximately three months before the film lands in wide release in theaters, will likely be the first specific look at the first of the three films, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book The Hobbit, celebrating its 75th anniversary. It may give us clues about what to expect as it tries to sell the film to a mainstream audience.
Most interesting from the release is the phrase: “The new trailer is set to debut on broadcast and online media on September 19, 2012, then roll out in theaters around the world throughout the day.” So the obvious news is that the trailer will be broadcast, but where? Where online? And what films will it roll out with in theaters? There are several films scheduled for release on the 21st, including “Dredd,” “House at the End of the Street,” and Warner Bros., own, “Trouble with the Curve,” but none on the 19th. This probably means theaters have the trailers today with instructions to add them to existing films starting Wednesday. If that is true, each theater will have the option, so those wishing to watch the trailer on the big screen should call local movie houses.
TORn will update with any specifics but for now, here is the full press release:
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WARNER BROS. PICTURES, NEW LINE CINEMA AND METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES TO CELEBRATE TOLKIEN WEEK WITH WORLDWIDE TRAILER DEBUT FOR “THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY”
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Trailer Debut Leads Up to 75th Anniversary of Publication of The Hobbit and Worldwide Hobbit
Day, Marking the Birthdays of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins
Burbank, CA, September 17, 2012—Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema and Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) are joining the worldwide celebration of Tolkien Week with the debut of the
highly anticipated theatrical trailer for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” on September 19, 2012.
The first in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R.
Tolkien, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is directed by Oscar® winner Peter Jackson, who
previously brought to the screen the blockbuster “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy. The week-long
Tolkien Week celebration encompasses the 75th anniversary of the publication of The Hobbit novel
and the worldwide celebration of Hobbit Day.
The American Tolkien Society first proclaimed Hobbit Day and Tolkien Week in 1978,
though Hobbit Day celebrations existed prior to its official recognition. Tolkien fans the world over
celebrate by having parties and feasts emulating Hobbit celebrations as described in the books.
The new trailer is set to debut on broadcast and online media on September 19, 2012, then roll
out in theaters around the world throughout the day. The first satellite feed will be coordinated
worldwide at 14:00 Greenwich Time; the second satellite feed at 17:00 Greenwich Time. Satellite
coordinates are TBA.
The celebration will continue on Friday, September 21, with activities related to the 75th
anniversary of the book’s publication, which occurred on that same day in 1937.
On Saturday, September 22, fans around the world will recognize Hobbit Day—marking the
birthdays of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, the Hobbits who are the unlikely heroes of The Hobbit and The
Lord of the Rings, respectively—with Hobbit Day parties and celebrations. Bilbo and Frodo were
both said to be born on the same day of different years, Bilbo in the year 2890 and Frodo in the year of
2968 in the Third Age (1290 and 1368, respectively, in Shire-reckoning, the Hobbits’ own calendar).
Throughout early September, the Facebook page for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will
roll out a series of features and ideas to create a fun, communal experience leading up to Tolkien
Week, including “How to Throw a Hobbit Party” instructions, a “Fan of the Week” contest, and a
special app on which fans will be able to share and collect recipes inspired by Middle-earth.
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: An
Unexpected Journey,” the first of a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The
Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the
Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy
that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
The screenplay for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa
Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro. Jackson is also producing the film, together with
Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn,
Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-
producers.
Under Jackson’s direction, “The Hobbit” Trilogy has been shot in 3D 48 frames-per-second
and will be released in High Frame Rate (HFR) 3D, other 3D formats, IMAX and 2D. Under
Jackson’s direction, “The Hobbit” Trilogy has been shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest
camera and stereo technology. Production has taken place at Jackson’s own facilities in Miramar,
Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and the second and third films of the trilogy—“The
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again”—are productions of
New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, with New Line managing production. Warner
Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well
as all international television licensing being handled by MGM.
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be released worldwide beginning December 14,
2012, with “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second film, releasing beginning December
13, 2013, and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” the third film, slated for release on July 18, 2014.
www.thehobbit.com
