The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

 is the first part of The Hobbit film series.

Summary
Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome 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 Oakenshield. 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.

Synopsis
For full synopsis see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey/Synopsis

Production Notes
Like the Lord of the Rings films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was filmed back to back with The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies.

On March 21, 2011, principal photography for The Hobbit films began and ended on July 6, 2012. Pick-ups for the film were filmed in July 2012 as well. Work on the film was expected to be completed on November 26

Other Media
Two albums were made and released on December 11, 2012.: Neil Finn's song, Song of the Lonely Mountain was featured in both the credits and the soundtrack.
 * The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
 * The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Special Edition

Books
There was also several tie-in novels that revolved around behind the scenes and additional information about the characters