Middle-Earth Plunges into War in the New Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Trailer [VIDEO]

The final chapter comes to a head as Middle-Earth's denizens seek to defeat multiple threats at once, including their distrust of each other.

The ominous feeling of dread can certainly be felt in this, the first full length trailer to come out of the Jackson camp since the end of Desolation of Smaug.

Seconds into it we see the anger of the dragon, as the creature incinerates Lake-Town and makes it's residents instant refugees. But if that's not enough, infighting, the certain threat of the building Orc army and the shadowy Necromancer's machinations might just be the final battle the elves, dwarves and humans take on.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies hits theatres December 17th.

The official description:

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.