Watch the gloomy first trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies


For a franchise that kicked off its first installment with a wacky dwarf dinner party, Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy has taken a rather dark turn.
The new trailer for the third and final installment, The Battle of the Five Armies, finds Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) reflecting on the struggles of his journey so far. "One day I'll remember. Remember everything that happened," he says, as the trailer cuts to a montage of armies that include men, elves, and orcs. "The good, the bad. Those who survived, and those that did not."
This trailer promises "the defining chapter of the Middle-Earth saga" — a high bar for a franchise with an installment that earned no less than 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Can the final entry in the Hobbit trilogy live up to the hype? We'll find out when The Battle of the Five Armies hits theaters in December. --Scott Meslow
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
-
Zohran Mamdani: the young progressive likely to be New York City's next mayor
In The Spotlight The policies and experience that led to his meteoric rise
-
The best film reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Creativity and imagination are often required to breathe fresh life into old material
-
'More must be done'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read