Continuing the onslaught of movies with high expectations is Peter Jackson's The Hobbit. This movie isn't a sequel, but actually a totally different story that pre-dates the events of The Lord of the Rings by many decades. Some of the characters we all grew to love will be seen with many new ones. The "Ring" is part of the story, but isn't the story. Coming in December it's sure to be a crowd pleaser, but expect to hear many a cry when the movie ends as the second part won't hit theaters until December 2013. Just like with The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson filmed the entire movie at one time; but is editing each part in succession.
I was a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings and look forward to watching them all again this Fall in preparation for my return to Middle Earth.