New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures and MGM have announced the titles and release dates for filmmaker Peter Jackson's two-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's enduringly popular masterpiece THE HOBBIT. The first film, titled 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,' will be released on December 14, 2012. The second film, titled 'The Hobbit: There and Back Again,' is slated for release the following year, on December 13, 2013.

Both films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien's 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 adventure of THE HOBBIT follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.

Under Jackson's direction, both movies are being shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Filming is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.