With only a number of months ahead of us until we return to the Shire for an all-too-expected Unexpected Journey with Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins and Peter Jackson the handful of images, trailers and behind the scenes footage hasn’t dulled enthusiasm for the film and there are some new pictures for part one of The Hobbit out in the wild today.

All the way from Entertainment Weekly (via JoBlo) we have a new look at faces new and old with production stills and on set photography thrown into the mix. Ian McKellen appears to be enjoying his return to the grey days of Gandalf and there’s nothing quite like seeing the Shire again. And a quick look at the picture of Gollum shows what a few years in the CG business can do.

Six months is beginning to look like an awfully long time.

Here they are – get clicking friends,