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‘The Hobbit’: New production diary revealed

With the Dec. 14 release date of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" fast approaching, director Peter Jackson's on-set production diaries keep on coming.

The "Lord of the Rings" director's latest video features highlights from the cast and crew's recent trip to San Diego's legendary Comic Con, where they showed off 12 minutes of footage from the movie and took questions from fans. As evidenced by the diary, the New Zealand-based filmmaker and actors Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins), Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield), and Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins) were greeted warmly by fans of Middle Earth. Wizards and dwarves being a big hit a comic book convention? Who would have guessed?!

See more: 'The Hobbit' trailer and cast

After Comic Con, the production diary then heads back to New Zealand to document the final days of principal photography on "The Hobbit," which took place earlier this month. After a grueling 266 day shoot, it's clear that the cast and crew are at once elated and saddened to be at the end of this journey, but there are still many months of post-production work to be done. In addition to Jackson's emotional send-off to the production staff and actors, the video includes a first real look at the set for the city of Dale and the character of Radagast the Brown (Sylvester McCoy), which both figure heavily into the second "Hobbit" film, "There and Back Again."

See more: Elijah Wood talks returning to Middle Earth for 'The Hobbit'

Watch the eighth production diary for "The Hobbit" for yourself below:

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is due in theatres on Dec. 14, while the sequel "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" will hit cinemas a year later on Dec. 13, 2013. Expect many more production diaries between now and then.