We are just days away from the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which means…of course, it’s time to already start talking about the sequel, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Originally set as two films, the Hobbit series was stretched into a third earlier this summer, increasing the excitement (and the box office revenue) for Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-Earth.  Entertainment Weekly was able to grab the exclusive for the first image from the film, which features a very scared Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), presumably locking eyes with the dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch).

Now that we know where this is heading for the second film, you may be wondering, what’s the idea for the third? Based on some 120 pages of appendices written by J.R.R. Tolkien, the third film will feature the Battle of Five Armies, guaranteeing that both trilogies end with massive battles. Just how we like them.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug hits theaters on December 13th, 2013, with The Hobbit: There and Back Again following on July 18th, 2014.

Source: EW.com.