With less than a month to go before The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second part of Sir Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy, hits theaters, anticipation couldn’t be any higher. If the little bits and pieces of marketing goodies didn’t get you excited, chances are that the recent extended trailer did the trick. We already knew we were going to be in for another epic adventure, but those three brief minutes showed us just how great the scope and scale is going to be.
As we count down the days to the film’s release, the marketing machine is still in full swing, unleashing various bits of promotional material at a furious pace. Today sees the release of several new stills, which come to us courtesy of Entertainment Weekly.
Included in this batch are peaks at characters such as The Master of Laketown, Thranduil, Legolas, Tauriel, as well as a few more shots of the company’s infamous barrel escape from the woodland elves. They’ve even thrown in the cover of the issue, featuring the gorgeous Evangeline Lilly.
Given that the first batch of awards are right around the corner (Dec. 3rd & 4th), the film should begin screening relatively soon for critics, with the world premiere in Los Angeles believed to be right around the same time. It shouldn’t be too much longer before we start to hear whether or not the film lives up to expectations.
If you remember from the production diaries that were released last year, Jackson and his crew were working on the first film right up until its premiere in Wellington, so I imagine they’re still hard at work putting the finishing touches on the second film even as I write this. With all the craziness that’s to come (Mirkwood, Beorn, Smaug, etc.), you can be sure that it will be worth the wait.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug arrives in theaters on December 13th.
What part are you most looking forward to in the upcoming film? Check out the gallery below and let us know in the comments!
