The Hobbit Movies in Order: Cast, How Many Films and Where They Were Filmed
One short book, three long films and a whole country turned into Middle-earth
There are three Hobbit movies, all directed by Peter Jackson: An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013) and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014).
They are set about sixty years before The Lord of the Rings, so in story order they come first, although they were made a decade later.
The Hobbit films at a glance
| # | Film | Released | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | 14 Dec 2012 | 169 min |
| 2 | The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | 13 Dec 2013 | 161 min |
| 3 | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | 17 Dec 2014 | 144 min |
| All three, theatrical versions | 474 min, almost 8 hours |
Why is a short book three films?
The plan was two films, and Guillermo del Toro was first set to direct them. When he left the project, Peter Jackson took over, and in 2012 he announced a third film. To fill it he added material from the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, mostly Gandalf's dealings with the Necromancer, and expanded battles and characters. The third film was first called There and Back Again, Bilbo's own title for his story, before it became The Battle of the Five Armies.
↑ Back to the topThe main cast
Martin Freeman plays Bilbo, with Ian Holm returning as the older Bilbo in the framing scenes. Ian McKellen is back as Gandalf, Richard Armitage plays Thorin and Benedict Cumberbatch gives Smaug both his voice and his movements. Andy Serkis returns as Gollum, Luke Evans plays Bard and Lee Pace plays the Elvenking Thranduil.
Among the dwarves, Ken Stott plays Balin, Aidan Turner plays Kíli and Dean O'Gorman plays Fíli. Faces from the earlier films also return: Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Hugo Weaving as Elrond and Christopher Lee as Saruman, whose scenes were shot in England because he could not travel to New Zealand. Evangeline Lilly plays Tauriel, an elf created for the films.
↑ Back to the topWhere were the Hobbit movies filmed?
Location work took place entirely in New Zealand, at well over a hundred sites on both islands, and most studio scenes were shot at Stone Street Studios in Wellington. Filming ran from March 2011 to July 2012, with more shooting added later for the third film.
Hobbiton was rebuilt as a permanent set on a sheep farm near Matamata, and it is now one of the country's best-known attractions. Lake Pukaki, under Aoraki Mount Cook, was the setting for Lake-town, and the open country around Te Anau, Queenstown and the Mararoa Saddle served for the journey across the wild.
↑ Back to the topIn what order should you watch them with The Lord of the Rings?
For the story in order, watch the three Hobbit films and then the three Lord of the Rings films. For the order they were made, start with The Fellowship of the Ring from 2001. Many fans prefer release order the first time, because the Hobbit films are full of hints that land better once you know what is coming.
↑ Back to the topHow close are the films to the book?
The main road is the same: the unexpected party, the trolls, Gollum, the spiders, the barrels, Smaug and the battle. The films add a great deal around it, including an old enemy for Thorin in Azog, Legolas and Tauriel, a love story for Kíli and the attack on the Necromancer's fortress. The book is a quick, cheerful adventure; the films are a grand prequel.
↑ Back to the topMore about The Hobbit
Books Like The Hobbit
The Two TowersJ. R. R. Tolkien
The Fellowship of the RingJ. R. R. Tolkien
The Return of the KingJ. R. R. Tolkien
StardustNeil GaimanInkheartCornelia Funke
The Horse and His BoyC. S. Lewis
Nettle & BoneT. Kingfisher
Prince CaspianC. S. LewisThis guide discusses the whole plot, including the ending.