Yesterday, we showed you the first photo from The Hobbit: There and Back Again, the last movie in director Peter Jackson's Middle Earth trilogy. Today, we have our first look at the second movie, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, arriving in theaters next December. Martin Freeman is seen as Bilbo Baggins, sitting atop of massive pile of gold coins. However, he looks rather distraught, which means the powerful dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch) is probably in the vicinity. Take a look at this image, then read on to see what screenwriter-producer Philippa Boyens had to say about Smaug.

Smaug plays a rather important part in this trilogy, as the fire-breathing obstacle Bilbo and his company must overcome to reclaim the dwarves homeland. Philippa Boyens teased that there is a major battle in the final movie, The Hobbit: There and Back Again.

"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."