CrossBinge
Explore CrossBinge →
The Hobbit adaptations: books & films
Every version of The Hobbit — the books & films, compared across media.
The Hobbit follows Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving hobbit drawn into a perilous quest alongside a company of dwarves seeking to reclaim their mountain home and its dragon-guarded treasure. At its heart is a story of unlikely heroism — a reluctant adventurer who surprises even himself. That same world of high fantasy, dwarves, dragons, and hard-won courage has been told across both the page and the screen, each version finding its own way through Middle-earth.
The Hobbit films
Film
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
After Smaug attacks Laketown, Bilbo and the dwarves must defend Erebor from converging armies of men, elves, and Orcs.
Film
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Bilbo Baggins is swept into an epic quest by Gandalf and thirteen dwarves seeking to reclaim their mountain home from the dragon Smaug.
Film
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Having escaped the Misty Mountains, Bilbo — now carrying the One Ring — and the dwarves press on to reclaim their gold from Smaug.
The Hobbit books
Frequently asked
Is The Hobbit based on a book?
Yes. The Hobbit began as a 1938 fantasy novel following Bilbo Baggins on a quest with a company of dwarves. The three films — The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies — are all adaptations of that story.
How many versions of The Hobbit are there?
This page collects four versions: the original book and three films — An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) — which together adapt the full novel across a trilogy.
Which Hobbit adaptation should I start with?
If you want the complete story in a single volume, the 1938 book The Hobbit covers the full journey from beginning to end. If you prefer film, begin with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), which opens the trilogy with Bilbo's first meeting with Gandalf and the dwarves.