Peter Jackson has edited the upcoming issue of Empire - on newsagents' shelves next week - and to celebrate, there will be an ever-so-tantalising drip feed of Hobbity goodness here on EmpireOnline.com. Yesterday, there was Jackson himself and the subscribers' cover; today, there's a behind-the-scenes shot that proves why Richard Armitage is the king.
The finale finds the Dwarves, led by Armitage’s Thorin Oakenshield, reclaiming the vast wealth of their mountain home of Erebor, but all is definitely not going to go smoothly. In taking back the mountain, they unleashed the terrifying dragon Smaug, who has flown off to attack the humans of the nearby Lake-town after realising that they helped the dwarves.
That’s not all that Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and his comrades have to worry about, because an ancient enemy has returned in force to Middle-earth. The clash with Smaug is just one part of the battle, with the Necromancer (also known as Sauron) unleashing his Orc hordes against our heroes. Bilbo and the rest must fight for their lives as five great armies go to war. Can the forces of good defeat the massed power of evil? Okay, smartarse, we know the** Lord Of The Rings** trilogy still happens...
The new issue is chock-full of **The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies **details, as well as a huge amount more from Jackson himself and his career. Watch this space (and spaces near it) to find out more, and remember that the movie itself is out on December 12.