Peter Jackson's two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is well into its lengthy production - and being one of the more savvy directors about how to use digital media, Jackson is keeping fans chomping at the bit with strategic releases of promotional materials.

Recently some official Hobbit images hit the Web, including looks at Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellen returning as Gandalf, and even looks at new supporting character, such as the dwarf brothers Nori, Ori and Dori.

Today we have another slew of Hobbit images to share - this new crop includes looks at four more supporting characters and a nice photo that was snapped on-set of Bilbo Baggins in a scene with a certain Elf King that fans of the Lord of the Rings series should recall ;-).

For those who don't yet know, here is the synopsis for The Hobbit:

The Hobbit” follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), 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 (Ian McKellen), Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). 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 (Andy Serkis).

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.

Now on to the images:

Continuing with our "meet the dwarves" segment, here the images and synopsis for Oin (John Callen) and Gloin (Peter Hambleton), courtesy of Yahoo Movies:

Distant cousins of Thorin Oakenshield, these two doughty Northern Dwarves join the Company out of a sense of loyalty to their kin, and also because they have a substantial sum of money invested in the venture. Along with Bombur, Gloin is the only other married Dwarf in the Company (there being a shortage of female dwarves in general). His wife is an acclaimed beauty with a particularly fine beard. Gloin is the proud father of a young son, Gimli, who will go on to become part of the famous Fellowship of the Ring.

Oin (John Callen) and Gloin (Peter Hambleton) in The Hobbit

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Next up, Check out two of the younger Dwarves, Fili (Dean O'Gorman) and Kili (Aidan Turner), courtesy of MSN:

Two of the youngest Dwarves, Fili and Kili have been born into the royal line of Durin and raised under the stern guardianship of their uncle, Thorin Oakensheild. Neither has ever travelled far, nor ever seen the fabled Dwarf City of Erebor. For both, the journey to the Lonely Mountain represents adventure and excitement. Skilled fighters, both brothers set off on their adventure armed with the invincible courage of youth, neither being able to imagine the fate which lies before them.

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Finally, check out this behind-the-scenes snapshot of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and Elf King Elrond (Hugo Weaving) having their fateful encounter, courtesy of Stranger to the Light:

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As always, there have been a few voices around the Web who aren't satisfied with the look of the characters in The Hobbit (believe me they do exist). That said, it's hard not to have faith in these two films considering that it's Peter Jackson back at the helm, with even more advanced filmmaking technology at his disposal, aided by the creative input and vision of none other than Guillermo del Toro, not to mention an award-winning team of creative minds. The cast isn't too shabby either, might I add.

All things considered, "So far, so good," seems like a safe attitude to have about The Hobbit. Definitely one of the THE big movie event to look forward to in 2012. (Which is saying alot, considering how awesome next year will be in terms of movies.)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will arrive in (2D and 3D) theaters on December 14th 2012.

The Hobbit: There and Back Again is set to follow a year later on December 13th, 2013.

Sources: Yahoo Movies, MSN, Stranger to the Light