6 Important Things We Know So Far About The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies
It's less than two months to go for what could be Middle Earth's final outing, and fans are holding onto the edges of their computer screens for the next sneak peek of the highly-anticipated blockbuster.
By Samantha Khor — 30 Oct 2014, 11:13 AM — Updated almost 10 years ago
1. Last we saw of Bilbo Baggins and the Company of Thorin Oakenshield, Smaug is heading to the town of Dale in a fit of fury following a showdown with the hobbit and dwarves in Erebor. This December, we are going to find out that Smaug is the least of everyone's problems.
Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield, and his Company of Dwarves have unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his wrath down upon the men, women, and children of Lake-town. Meanwhile, unseen by almost everyone but the wizard Gandalf, the enemy Sauron has returned to Middle-Earth and has sent forth legions of Orcs in an attack upon the Lonely Mountain.
2. Director Peter Jackson has revealed that the climax of The Battle of the Five Armies will feature an epic 45-minute battle scene with legions of dwarves, elves, men, goblins and orcs
Designing and creating the 45-minute fight at the climax of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is much like preparing for an actual full-scale assault. “There’s a lot of logistics that have to be thought through,” says Jackson. “We have dwarves and men and elves and orcs, all with different cultures, with different weapons, and different shields and patterns and tactics.”
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The mega-melee takes place at the foot of the Lonely Mountain as various armies vie for the newly reacquired dwarven treasure of Erebor. Like so much in Jackson’s Middle-earth, it represents filmmaking on the largest possible scale. “Before we could loose the first arrow, we had to design the landscape itself and figure out, ‘Okay, if we have 10,000 orcs, how much room are they going to take up?’ ” Jackson says. “ ‘Are they going to fill up the valley or look like a speck?’ Then we could start drawing the arrows on the schematics.”
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3. Peter Jackson also stated that The Battle of the Five Armies is his favourite out of the entire trilogy, saying that it will be the most "emotional" and "tense" out of all three movies
Jackson said, "By the time we are done with this film, I think it will be the most emotional, the most tense of the three – I think it’s my favorite of the three. Seriously, it’s got a nice thrill and a pace to it. It’s something that, when you get to the end of it, it’s going to feel like the right time to hand over the future of the ring. I was always very much aware of it being a six film set. There was always a sense that one day, long after all this is over, if it’s going to exist in the world it will be as this six film series – that’s how future generations are going to think of them. It starts with The Unexpected Journey and ends with Return of the King."
4. The Company of Thorin Oakenshield may have reached Erebor, but a darker journey awaits the dwarven king-to-be as he struggles to come to terms with his forefathers' legacy
Richard Armitage, who plays Thorin in the Hobbit movies said, "The biggest challenge facing him now is tackling the effect that the gold has on him. He's really going to change so dramatically. I'm kind of looking forward to seeing how that manifests itself."
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"Before he falls, he rises to quite a great height. He achieves everything that he could possibly wish for. And then he falls from that great height. That's going to be his journey in movie three," he added.
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5. Remember when Pippin (played by Billy Boyd) sang the hauntingly beautiful "Edge of Night" in 2003's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King? He may not be appearing in The Hobbit, but Boyd will be performing the end credits song, aptly titled "The Last Goodbye".
"The Last Goodbye" is co-written by Boyd and the film's writers, Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh. No word yet on when the song will be released to the masses, but to refresh your memory, here's a clip of Pippin's song in The Return of the King.
6. Cast and crew from all six films will be present at the world premiere of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in Leicester Square, London on 1 December 2014. Did anyone else get the chills when Richard Armitage said, "Follow us, one last time"?
While we are a little sad to have finally reached the end of the journey through Middle Earth, we can't wait for December to come! In the meantime, feast your eyes on these gorgeous promotional posters.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies opens in cinemas on 18 December 2014.
