If you took in our expansive coverage of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in the last issue (you know, the one with the five collectible covers), you’ll have read Peter Jackson talking about the challenge of one of the trilogy’s biggest elements: Smaug the dragon. Well, you’ll get a glimpse – but only a glimpse – in Journey, and now the latest TV spot features a fragment of that. Take a look above.

With Smaug voiced (and to an extent performed) by Benedict Cumberbatch, the huge beast is going to take a lot of effects work. Jackson and his Weta experts are refining the creature’s look, so don’t expect to see the final product until he’s ready to make an appearance.

Bilbo and co are now so close to release that we can almost smell the pipe weed, and positive reviews of the movie have begun to creep online. Exciting times!

With Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm and Elijah Wood among the sprawling ensemble, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey finally hits on December 13. Like Gandalf, you may expect our review when you see it.