The celebrations of Tolkien Week continue, and after getting a handful of new images on Monday to kick things off, along with a promise of a brand new trailer from Peter Jackson that is set to arrive at midday today, almost a dozen new hi-res images have made their way online, giving us a brilliant look at the characters, which are expected to have been taken from the trailer, itself.

Jackson returns behind the camera to take us back to Middle-earth for the first film in a trilogy this December, which will continue the same time next year, and finish off in the summer of 2014.

“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.”

Martin Freeman takes the lead as the young Bilbo Baggins, and is joined by a host of new and familiar faces, headed up by Andy Serkis, Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Sylvester McCoy, and Christopher Lee.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will begin the trilogy this coming 14th December in regular and IMAX 3D, and will be followed by The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug on 13th December, 2013, and finally The Hobbit: There and Back Again on 18th July, 2014. For now, here are the excellent new images, which you can click to enlarge, and be sure to come back a little later on for when the new trailer hits. Enjoy.