With just under two months until the theatrical release of THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES, we have a look at the final poster for the final chapter in the final film adaptation of THE LORD OF THE RINGS saga from Peter Jackson (assuming he doesn’t make another film based on THE SILMARILLION or another obscure appendix by J.R.R. Tolkien). In keeping with the tagline that this is “the defining chapter”, the poster pulls out all the stops and showcases a tease of the epic battles to come.
While many, including myself, have criticized Peter Jackson‘s self-indulgent (Lucasian?) use of CGI in the film, THE HOBBIT trilogy stands to be the most expensive film production of all time. The Associated Press is reporting that the production budget on the three films combined came out to be $745 million, tripling the cost of THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. Back in 2007, the proposed budget for the two-film adaptation set to be helmed by Guillermo Del Toro was set at $150 million. My how money can get away from you. Good thing the first two movies have grossed $2 billion globally.
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES is likely not going to garner a Best Picture Oscar but hopefully it brings a satisfying conclusion to the films and one that shows that even though you can go there and back again, you don’t always have to. The film stars Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Stephen Fry, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, and Orlando Bloom and hits theaters on December 17th.