“Where does your journey end?” The ominous question kicks off the first official trailer for Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the continuation of his planned Hobbit trilogy that will be in theaters later this year.
The Hobbit 2 trailer, shared on the movie’s official Facebook page, reminds us that overwhelmed Hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and his traveling compatriots are on a quest to reclaim their homeland and – in the process – slay a dragon. And we get a look at that dragon, Smaug, in the clip’s closing seconds.
Beyond that, the Hobbit 2 trailer is packed with goodies, from the usual blend of epic action scenery to the appearances of familiar faces (Legolas!) and new heroes (Tauriel!) The cinematography and scale of this clip seem a lot closer to Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy than anything in An Unexpected Journey … possibly because Jackson’s series starter was limited to the Shire and played, I thought, to a younger audience. The director worked to expand his vision to three films, and the Desolation trailer shows how he plans to beef up this trilogy and, hopefully, deliver on the thrills and excitement of the Rings movies.
In addition to Smaug, we also get a quick look at the giant spiders of the Mirkwood forest, a lengthy fight sequence involving roaring rapids (and a waterfall), and shots of Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) involved in battle. The Desolation of Smaug falls into last year’s Hobbit slot, opening on Dec. 13. The trilogy will conclude the following year with There and Back Again.
You can also see the international trailer below:
UPDATE! Find out what The Hobbit 2 cast thinks of your reactions to the trailer in
