Elijah Wood's first official photo from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has been released, Digital Spy said.

The actor returns as Frodo Baggins in the upcoming Lord of the Rings prequel from director Peter Jackson.

Martin Freeman and Sir Ian McKellen have also appeared in a new set of photos which have surfaced online as Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Wizard.

Earlier this year, Wood said it was "a gift" to return to New Zealand to film the fantasy project as Frodo.

Freeman, McKellen and Wood will be joined by a large cast including Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Stephen Fry, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ian Holm, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Sylvester McCoy and Christopher Lee. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - the first part of a planned trilogy - will be released on December 14, 2012.