War is brewing in the world of The Hobbit.
The new trailer for the third and final film in Peter Jackson's trilogy, The Battle of Five Armies, has been released.
It shows the franchise is not planning on bowing on quietly, with plenty of scenes of fiery destruction.
It also shows moments from the 45-minute climax of the film, a major war which plays out at the bottom of the Lonely Mountain and sees a number of armies fighting for their right to the treasure of Erebor.
Watch the trailer below:
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Oscar-winner Jackson, who also directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, told Entertainment Weekly that designing and creating the footage was a feat in itself.
"There's a lot of logistics that have to be thought through," he said.
"We have dwarves and men and elves and orcs, all with different cultures, with different weapons, and different shields and patterns and tactics."
Jackson has warned that the 45 minute battle scene won't get boring.
"We have a rule that we're not allowed to go more than two or three shots of anonymous people fighting without cutting back to our principal characters," Jackson said.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is scheduled for release on December 11.
- nzherald.co.nz and agencies
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