"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" has wrapped up its filming of principal photography this week.  Peter Jackson announced the good news, saying,    "We made it! Shoot day 266 and the end of principal photography on The Hobbit. Thanks to our fantastic cast and crew for getting us this far, and to all of you for your support! Next stop, the cutting room. Oh, and Comic Con!"

Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf the Grey in the film,  also recently commented on the film, saying,    "A lot of people weren't even born when we were filming ‘Lord of the Rings' and only know the movies from watching them on DVD…. They'll see Middle-earth on the big screen in ‘The Hobbit', and I guarantee there will be a lot of minds blown wide apart."  No doubt that loyal fans will certainly enjoy the film, but what about those who were worried about the expanded roles of the Legolas and Galadriel characters? In response to those concerns, Jackson said,  "In the movie we want these characters to have story lines and a little more substance than they do in the book. Almost everything we're doing is from Tolkien somewhere, whether it's in the [original 'Hobbit'] book or the subsequent development that wasn't published in ‘The Hobbit' itself."

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey " will be released December 14, 2012. 

Countdown to the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, with the iPhone Movie Countdown Clock App.