THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG first trailer

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has a first official teaser trailer

Peter Jackson once again brings us to the world of Middle Earth in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The second film in Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, this movie looks to amp up the action a bit while hitting some notes fans of the book have been waiting to see for a long time. Plus, Legolas is back, so there’s that!

Check out the first teaser trailer after the jump:

Middle Earth looks a bit more colorful than we’ve seen in previous films, That said, let’s hope a handful of new characters paired up with ones we’ve grown to love will help elevate The Desolation of Smaug to be more enjoyable and a little less tiresome than the first outing.

Here’s an official synopsis for the film if you’re not familiar with the source material:

The second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

Jackson has been getting some flack for stretching one book, The Hobbit, into three films, and critics of his decision feel 10 or so hours of screen time is far too much. The flip side of the coin is that fans of the first movie can’t get enough and are happily awaiting their return to Middle Earth.

In the meantime, for those who need more, Collider got their hands on some beautiful looking hi-res images for our viewing pleasure that are worth a look:

Returning to the series for a more substantial role in The Desolation of Smaug is fan-favorite Legolas. This time around he may have a love interest in the form of created character Tauriel played by Evangeline Lilly, and Lilly hinted as much recently.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug stars  Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Fry, William Kircher, Sylvester McCoy, Graham McTavish, Michael Mizrahi, and James Nesbitt.

The film hits theaters December 13th.