Bilbo Baggins had played Frodo in the BBC radio series 20 years earlier. The movies omit the 17-year gap between Bilbo's 111th birthday and Frodo's departure from the Shire, as a result Bilbo mentions in Rivendell that he was unable to revisit the Lonely Mountain before his retirement. In Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" film series, a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings", the young Bilbo is portrayed by Martin Freeman while Ian Holm reprises his role as an older Bilbo in "" (2012) and "" (2014). The International Astronomical Union names all colles (small hills) on Saturn's moon Titan after characters
The Quest of Erebor receptive to meeting the Hobbit. The story serves several purposes for readers. Since "The Hobbit" is written almost entirely from the perspective of Bilbo Baggins and contains little that he does not directly experience or at least witness, "The Quest of Erebor" provides additional insight into the events during and preceding the story. It provides an explanation of why Gandalf wished to include Bilbo in Thorin's business, and why the Dwarves were willing to accept him. This assists in placing "The Hobbit" on a more equal footing with "The Lord of the Rings"; as "The Hobbit" is essentially a children's