Warner Bros. released a series of 20 images from their upcoming movie, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," the first installment of the "The Hobbit" trilogy.
The images were released via an iOS app. Promotional tie-ins have now become a new marketing strategy for movie studios. Movies were previously promoted through game or viral videos.
The application is full of "behind-the-scenes media, story information, a ton of character images and production stills and even the famous map of Middle Earth," Collider said.
You can glimpse the first image of American actor Lee Pace ("Soldier's Girl," "Pushing Daisies"), who plays the character of Elvish king Thranduil and is Legolas' father. The character of Legolas is played by Orlando Bloom.
The new images focus mainly on Bilbo Baggins' quest accompanied by a band of Hobbits. The new banner for the film was also unveiled in the app. Looking at the banner, Bleeding Cool predicts that the film might end with Bilbo and his band of Hobbits hiding in the trees as they try to escape the wolves, but are caught in the forest fire.
Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving and Andy Serkis star in movie.
"The Hobbit" is a trilogy of films. The second movie titled, "Desolation of Smaug," will be released Dec. 13, 2013, and the final version, "There and Back Again" will hit the big screen on July 18, 2014.
"The Hobbit" opens to theatres Dec. 14.
