The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (originally known as The Hobbit: There and Back Again) is an upcoming 2014 epic fantasy adventure film and the third and final installment of The Hobbit Film Trilogy. Like its predecessors The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey  and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the film will be produced and directed by Peter Jackson, who also directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Filming took place primarily in New Zealand. The film stars Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug and the Necromancer, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield.

The film will possibly begin with Smaug's attack on Lake-town and continue with Smaug's demise, The Battle of Dol Guldur, The Battle of Five Armies, and the return journey. It has also been thought that there will be some sort of skirmish in the ruins of Dale involving Gandalf and Thranduil (and possibly Tauriel).

On February 28, 2013, it was confirmed there is a new release date for The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies. It has been announced via press, and now mirrors the release dates of Peter Jackson's Middle-earth films, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The film will be released on December 12 in the United Kingdom, and December 17, 2014 in the United States.

Etymology
The films title The Battle of The Five Armies refers to the climatic battle by the same name between the Goblins of Moria, the Men of the Long Lake, the Elves of Mirkwood, the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and the great Eagles.

Synopsis
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town.

Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf, the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain.

As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.

Cast

 * Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins
 * Ian McKellen as Gandalf
 * Richard Armitage as Thorin II Oakenshield
 * Ken Stott as Balin
 * Graham McTavish as Dwalin
 * William Kircher as Bifur
 * James Nesbitt as Bofur
 * Stephen Hunter as Bombur
 * Dean O'Gorman as Fíli
 * Aidan Turner as Kíli
 * John Callen as Óin
 * Peter Hambleton as Glóin
 * Jed Brophy as Nori
 * Mark Hadlow as Dori
 * Adam Brown as Ori
 * Simon Pegg as Dwainive

Significant Cast

 * Billy Connolly as Dain II
 * Orlando Bloom as Legolas
 * Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel
 * Lee Pace as Thranduil
 * Hugo Weaving as Elrond
 * Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
 * Christopher Lee as Saruman
 * Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug/Necromancer
 * Mikael Persbrandt as Beorn
 * Sylvester McCoy as Radagast
 * Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman
 * Stephen Fry as Master of Lake-town
 * Ryan Gage as Alfrid
 * John Bell as Bain
 * Peggy Nesbitt as Sigrid
 * Mary Nesbitt as Tilda
 * Manu Bennett as Azog
 * Lawrence Makoare as Bolg
 * Mark Mitchenson as Braga
 * Jeff Slaven as Laketowner
 * Andy Serkis as Gollum

Rumored

 * Erin Banks as Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
 * Shane Briant as Mayor of Michel Delving
 * Greg Ellis as Net Mender
 * Ian Holm as Old Bilbo
 * Brian Hotter as Otho Sackville-Baggins
 * Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins (Reported to appear at the end of the film, to lead to the LOTR Films)
 * Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee

Trivia

 * The film will be the last film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and related works, as the Tolkien Estate has forbidden any more films from being made for the time being.
 * In Sir Christopher Lee's most recent Christmas Video, he has speculated upon the movie and that Saruman The White will have a lot more screen time in this movie.
 * In an interview with Boyens, there is a reason why the dwarves were split, and she said Bofur needs to see the attack on lake town.
 * In an interview with Richard Armitage, he said the third might be a shorter film and the battle of the five armies cost a lot of blood and tears.
 * The Witch King is going to be featured in this film.