Gandalf And Bilbo Grace The Cover Of This Week's Entertainment Weekly

Hobbits are known for their hearty appetites, and the same could probably be said for the appetites of J.R.R. Tolkien's fans, especially when it comes to the adaptations of his books. We still have months to wait until the first part of the two-part adaptation of The Hobbit arrives in theaters. But Entertainment Weekly is prepared to serve up some new photos and information about An Unexpected Journey, which arrives in theaters this December, in their upcoming issue.

A fitting cover story to feature for their Comic Con Preview issue, The Hobbit will be showcased in this week's issue of EW, which should hit stands tomorrow (Tuesday, July 3). Something tells me, Lord of the Rings fans won't have trouble spotting the cover of this issue.



There's definitely a Hobbit in the shot, with Martin Freeman featured in costume as Bilbo Baggins, the titular Hobbit who's about to embark on an unexpected journey. But Sir Ian McKellan's Gandalf the Grey seems to be stealing the spotlight, what with his center positioning. Or maybe it's Glamdring that's got my attention. My eyes went straight to the sword, and then to Gandalf's eyes and creased brow. Intimidating. In absence of Sting, Bilbo is armed only with suspenders and a smile. Less intimidating, but we know by now never to underestimate a hobbit on a mission.

EW promises "exclusive images and on-set scoops" from An Unexpected Journey in this week's issue. They offer a sample in the form of some discussion from director Peter Jackson on how he's expanding to the story to suit the two-film length, "adding characters not present in the Hobbit book." This includes (vague spoiler) Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett). (end spoiler) On that subject, Jackson said:

“In the movie we want these characters to have story lines and a little more substance than they do in the book,” Jackson explains. “Almost everything we’re doing is from Tolkien somewhere, whether it’s in the book or the subsequent development that wasn’t published in The Hobbit itself.”

It should be interesting to see what other information and photos EW has to share in this week's issue, which will also have a "jam-packed" Comic Con guide. In the meantime, more information, photos and videos for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey can be found in our Blend Film Database.