While the arrival of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ is just around the corner with a scheduled theater release date of December 14th, movie heads behind the J.R.R. Tolkien adapted franchise have fans turning their focus to a newly released first image from the second installment,‘The Desolation of Smaug’.

The first look features Bilbo Baggins positioned around mounds of gold with a frightened look that many surmise is due to the fire-breathing dragon named Smaug towering over him. Fans won’t get to see how this scene plays out until the Peter Jackson directed movie hits theaters on December 13, 2013, but the dragon’s early arrival already has many Hobbit lovers already wondering what ground the third installment will cover. Luckily screenwriter and producer Philippa Boyens has spilled some details behind the story. “The dragon is a huge, wonderful, amazing part of the story, but it doesn’t end there. Everyone can suspect there’s a rather large battle in film three.” By the sounds of it there is a lot to look forward to.

Check out the first image from The Hobbit’s The Desolation of Smaug below and tell us what you think.