Prepare for another journey into Middle Earth. That’s right folks, Peter Jackson‘s upcoming epic The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be hitting theaters just in time for Christmas… 2012.

A prequel to Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit has been split into two feature films so the director can flesh out the story without so much of a time constraint ruining his creative flow.

Much of the original cast have returned, as well as a slew of new faces added into the mix.

Check out the first official trailer for the film.

I know, I know, it’s TOTALLY not fair that we have to wait a WHOLE YEAR before we can watch the finished film. BOOOO! BUT at least we know that Jackson will be taking his time to edit the film properly and that it’ll be fantastic. So that’s something at least.

I cannot WAIT!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will hit theaters NEXT December, the 14th.