Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is naturally expected to be one of the biggest films of the year, set for release in mid-December.

Whilst we’ve previously expected it to arrive on 14th December here in the UK, the film’s UK Facebook has announced that the first instalment will now be hitting the big screen a day earlier, and has put out a new image of Martin Freeman as the young Bilbo Baggins to celebrate.

“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, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.”

Freeman takes the lead alongside an all-star cast, headed up by Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Sylvester McCoy, and Christopher Lee.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will now be arriving in 3D and IMAX 3D on 13th December here in the UK, followed by a 14th December release in the US. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will then land on 13th December, 2013, and finally The Hobbit: There and Back Again on 18th July, 2014. For now, here’s the new image of Bilbo, which you can click to enlarge.