The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012): Cast, Plot and Ending Explained
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the 2012 fantasy adventure directed by Peter Jackson, the first of three Hobbit films, starring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and Ian McKellen as Gandalf. It opened in the US on December 14, 2012, runs 169 minutes, and took more than $1 billion worldwide on a $200 million budget. In release order it is the fourth Middle-earth film, but in chronological order it is the second, because its story is set before The Fellowship of the Ring.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Plot, Without Spoilers
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey follows the quiet hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who leaves his comfortable home in the Shire to help thirteen dwarves reclaim their homeland from a dragon. The film opens with the elderly Bilbo (Ian Holm's role in the earlier trilogy) writing down the story of his great adventure for his nephew Frodo. It then moves back sixty years to the young Bilbo, a quiet homebody in the Shire.
That quiet ends when the wizard Gandalf visits. Gandalf has chosen Bilbo as the burglar for a company led by Thorin Oakenshield, whose people lost their homeland beneath the Lonely Mountain to the dragon Smaug. Bilbo is unsure, and the film spends its first act on that hesitation before he steps out of his front door and joins them.
If you are new to Middle-earth, this is the gentler entry point. It was directed by Peter Jackson (2012), who also directed the earlier Lord of the Rings trilogy, and you can read how it fits with the rest in the Lord of the Rings movies in order guide.
What Songs Are in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey?
Howard Shore composed the score for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), released by Decca Records on December 10, 2012, as "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" with 26 tracks. Three songs are credited on the film's music:
"Song of the Lonely Mountain" by Neil Finn
"Misty Mountains" by Richard Armitage and The Dwarf Cast
"Blunt the Knives" by The Dwarf Cast
"Song of the Lonely Mountain" is marked as an original song written for the film, with Neil Finn as its credited artist. It plays over the end credits, so audiences hear it as the story closes. I think that placement suits a film that spends most of its running time on the road, because it sends viewers out with the mountain still in mind.
"Misty Mountains" is credited to Richard Armitage together with The Dwarf Cast, and "Blunt the Knives" is credited to The Dwarf Cast alone. Both songs place the company of dwarves at the center of the film's music, which fits a story built around their quest to reclaim their homeland.
For the composers and notable tracks across the whole saga, see the Lord of the Rings soundtrack page on Cinvibe.
Full Plot of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Spoilers)Spoilers
The full story runs from Bilbo's door to the Carrock, and it moves through four distinct set pieces: the trolls, Rivendell, the goblin caves and the burning trees.
Gandalf brings thirteen dwarves to Bilbo's door, and Thorin explains the plan to retake the Lonely Mountain from Smaug. Bilbo signs on as their burglar and sets out with them. Along the road the group is caught by trolls, and Gandalf saves them by tricking the trolls into staying out until sunrise. In the trolls' hoard the company finds an old elven sword and other blades. The party is also pursued by Azog, an Orc chieftain who holds a grudge against Thorin.
Gandalf leads them to Rivendell, where the elves help them and warn of growing dangers. In the Misty Mountains the company is seized by goblins and taken before the Great Goblin. Bilbo is separated from the others and meets Gollum. He wins a riddle contest with him and takes a magic ring that makes him invisible. Bilbo escapes and rejoins the dwarves, but the goblins and Azog's wolf riders trap the company in the trees. Giant eagles rescue them at the last moment.
On the Carrock, Thorin admits he was wrong to doubt Bilbo and treats him as a true friend. From there they see the Lonely Mountain far off, and the sleeping Smaug stirs. The story continues in The Desolation of Smaug.
When and Where Did The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Premiere?
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey held its world premiere on November 28, 2012, at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington, New Zealand.
Neil Finn performed Song of the Lonely Mountain and other songs at the Wellington event, according to the Christian Science Monitor, which reported that thousands of people turned out. The film then opened in the US and the UK on December 14, 2012, and in Australia on December 26, 2012.
In the US the film is rated PG-13, in the UK it is rated 12A and in Australia it is rated M. It went on to earn $303 million domestic and $712 million international, which puts the worldwide total at more than $1 billion on the $200 million budget, according to The Numbers. Box Office Mojo lists slightly different gross figures in its all releases view. For the full series comparison, see the Lord of the Rings box office page.
Ending Explained: The Eagles, the Carrock and SmaugSpoilers
The ending of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a rescue followed by a reconciliation, and it closes with Smaug waking up.
After the goblins and Azog's wolf riders trap the company in the trees, giant eagles carry them away from the burning branches and set them down on the Carrock. There, Thorin makes peace with Bilbo after doubting the hobbit for most of the journey. The company looks to the Lonely Mountain in the distance and feels hopeful, and the last moments show that Smaug has been woken, which sets up the rest of the journey.
In my opinion, the emotional point of the ending is Thorin's apology, because it turns Bilbo from a hired burglar into a full member of the company. It could be argued that this also explains why the film spends so long on Bilbo's doubts earlier on. Perhaps the clearest link within the saga is the ring he takes from Gollum: the prologue of The Fellowship of the Ring says the Ring passed through Gollum to Bilbo, and the prologue of The Return of the King shows how Sméagol became Gollum. Read together, the riddle scene in this film is the missing link between those two openings.
Where Was The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Filmed?
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was filmed in New Zealand, where principal photography began on March 21, 2011, and ended on July 6, 2012.
That period covered 266 shooting days for the whole production, because the Hobbit films were shot together rather than one at a time. The Wrap reported that the first two Hobbit films were shot consecutively, and the production was filmed in 3D. For the places the story visits, such as the Shire, Rivendell and the Misty Mountains, see the Middle-earth map page.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Trivia
The most discussed technical fact about the film is its frame rate: it was shot and projected at 48 frames per second, double the usual 24, and was the first wide release feature to do so.
Most theaters, however, showed it at 24 frames per second, so many viewers never saw the faster version. It was also filmed in 3D, and CBS News reported on the technology in the lead up to release.
Guillermo del Toro was first set to direct and left in May 2010, after about two years of work, partly because of MGM's financial problems. He stayed on as a credited screenwriter. The production was planned as two films and became a trilogy.
Principal photography began on March 21, 2011, in New Zealand and ended on July 6, 2012, after 266 shooting days. Neil Finn performed Song of the Lonely Mountain and other songs at the Wellington world premiere on November 28, 2012.
The film is also the first release in the Hobbit trilogy but the second film in chronological order. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, the 2024 animated spin-off, is set 183 years before the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo Baggins, with Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. The dwarf company includes James Nesbitt as Bofur, Ken Stott as Balin, Dean O'Gorman as Fili, Aidan Turner as Kili and Graham McTavish as Dwalin. Sylvester McCoy plays Radagast the Brown and Barry Humphries plays the Great Goblin.
What is the plot of The Hobbit?
The elderly Bilbo Baggins writes down the story of how his adventure began. Sixty years earlier, Gandalf recruits the quiet hobbit as the burglar for thirteen dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield, who want to win back the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. Along the way the company meets trolls, elves and goblins, and Bilbo finds a magic ring after a riddle contest with Gollum.
How much did Martin Freeman get paid for The Hobbit?
No studio or trade source reports Martin Freeman's salary for the film, so any figure you see online is unconfirmed. What is documented is the production budget: $200 million for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, according to The Numbers.
Is there an extended version of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey?
The confirmed runtime is 169 minutes (2 hours 49 minutes) for the theatrical release, according to TMDB. An extended edition runtime has not been confirmed, so treat any longer running time you find quoted elsewhere with caution.
What is the most famous quote from The Hobbit?
There is no single agreed answer. In the film, the scene most viewers remember is the riddle contest between Bilbo and Gollum in the dark, which ends with Bilbo taking the magic ring.
Where can you watch The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and is it on Netflix?
As checked on November 3, 2026 through JustWatch data on TMDB, it streams on HBO Max in the US and on Amazon Prime Video in the UK. In Australia it streams on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, so Netflix carries it there but not in the US or UK. It can also be rented or bought on services such as Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and YouTube. Availability changes, so check the service before you plan an evening around it.
