The first official image from The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, has been released via Entertainment Weekly.

(Thanks to the folks over at Middle-Earth News for the heads up)

In a scene that appears to take place in the ruins of Dale (during the titular Battle), Gandalf the Grey (Ian Mckellen) and Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans), look anxiously up towards an out-of-frame mystery.

Who or what could they be looking at? What is happening?

At the same time, although I doubt this is a shot directly from the film (but rather, a photograph taken on set during the actual filming), one can perceive how gritty and intense the overall atmosphere grips the entire image.

The actors’ expressions, the set, the (presumed) orcs in the background … oh yes, this is going to be a magnificent conclusion to the Trilogy.

Oh and remember, a teaser trailer (posted about on Peter Jackson’s own Facebook page, here) is very close.

It’s a strong possibility (though nothing has yet been confirmed) that we shall be seeing a teaser trailer for the film next week (perhaps on Tuesday, July 22nd) – before the event at Comic Con on Saturday, 26th July.

The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) has already rated a teaser with a 12A, and a running time of 1 minute 48 seconds.

The pointers are all there and if so, expect also (prior to the teaser’s release) an official poster too.

But for the moment, just stare and admire at this image …

These are exciting times we’re heading into. Enjoy the waiting while it lasts, considering this is our last venture of experiencing a new Middle-earth film (so far) 😀

What does everyone else think?