The Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert is a self-described J.R.R. Tolkien fanatic. To help celebrate the impending release of The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies in theaters next week, the comedian invited the dragon Smaug onto his show for an unprecedented interview. And it may be one of the show's highlights before Colbert moves himself into David Letterman's chair on Late Show in 2015.

Smaug made an epic entrance, with the villain and his interviewer discovering quite quickly that they had a lot in common. They bot live in gated communities. And they are both 'fiscal conservatives who sleep on giant piles of money.' In this once-in-a-life-time interview, we also get to learn that Smaug is a huge Rand Paul fan, and often competes with Kelsey Grammar for roles in Hollywood.

Check out the interview courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, who have also released three The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies covers featuring Stephen Colbert dressed as Gandalf, Bilbo and Legolas (which you can also check out below). Then watch as Smaug makes fun of 'that hack Benedict Cumberbatch', complains about other dragons in the business, and quotes There Will Be Blood:

Hobbit Stephen Colbert EW Cover 1
Hobbit Stephen Colbert EW Cover 2
Hobbit Stephen Colbert EW Cover 3