The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a 2012 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson. It is the first of a three-part film adaptation of the 1937 novel 'The Hobbit' by J. R. R. Tolkien. It will be followed by The Desolation of Smaug and There and Back Again in 2013 and 2014. The three films together will act as prequels to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. The story is set in Middle-earth sixty years before The Lord of the Rings. It tells the tale of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in his quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug the dragon. The film premiered in New Zealand on 28 November 2012 and was released internationally from 12 December 2012.
As of April 4, 2013, An Unexpected Journey had grossed a worldwide total of just over $1 billion. This makes it the 14th highest-grossing film of all time. Critical response for the movie was mixed. After the New Zealand premiere, Television New Zealand noted that critical responses were "largely positive". The 'Los Angeles Times' said the critical consensus is that the film "stumbles". Peter Travers of 'Rolling Stone' criticised the film's use of 48 frames per second and 3D, saying "the movie looks so hyper-real that you see everything that's fake about it". The film received three Academy Award nominations for Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design, and BestMakeup and Hairstyling.