Released just today is the new official trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug to promote the second installment of the The Hobbit trilogy. Hitting theaters on December 13, this upcoming action-adventure will pick up where its predcessor, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, left off and will be subsequently followed by a third and final movie.

Back in action taking on dragons, and goblins, and orcs (oh my!) is a motley collection of undervalued hobbits, dwarves, elves, and a wizard. The cast is full of familiar names including Ian McKellan as Gandalf, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, and the voice of Andy Serkis as Gollum.

Check out the new official trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug right here:

Also included are newcomers to the entire film franchise, though many of whom appeared in the first of the The Hobbit trilogy, including Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Richard Armitage as Thorin, and Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the evil dragon Smaug.

The plot of the movie centers on this undervalued group making a pilgrimage to the Lonely Mountain which has fallen under the greedy and gluttonous domain of the dragon Smaug. While the dwarves stake a claim to the mountain, claiming it’s theirs be hereditary right, Bilbo is charmed by the constant glint and gleam of Smaug’s unparalleled treasure.

The prospect of a third movie indication enough that at least some of the characters make it home alive, but that’s not to say they won’t garner their bumps and bruises along the way.

For those who have seen The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and all others going to see the Desolation of Smaug, let us know if you think the second installment in Peter Jackson’s new triology will live up to the hype, critical acclaim, and box office success of its predecessors? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.