New images from The Hobbit

Eager Lord of the Rings fans can get their first taste of The Hobbit movie with a couple of photos unveiled by Empire magazine.

One image shows Ian McKellen in the role of Gandalf, the second shows Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. A few days ago, director Peter Jackson announced Evangeline Lilly (Lost) had joined the cast of the two-part film.

In an interview with the magazine, Jackson said, "I’m exactly the same filmmaker as I was ten years ago. I’m trying to nail the same thing that I did before. I’m just telling the story."

Currently filming in New Zealand, the first of the two-part prequel will be titled The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, released December 14, 2012, and the second instalment will be called The Hobbit: There and Back Again, released December 13, 2013.

Some of the actors from Lord of the Rings will reprise their roles in The Hobbit, including Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. Andy Serkis will play Gollum to Christopher Lee’s Saruman, and Hugo Weaving is still Elrond. Actor Ian Holm returns as the older Bilbo Baggins, while Martin Freeman stars as the younger hobbit.