The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Three-Minute Preview Released

If you were one of the fans tuned into The Hobbit Fan Event on YouTube earlier today, not only did you get to watch the Q&A with cast and crew, but you also got to be the first to see the footage below, which has now been officially released through the movie’s YouTube channel.What follows is a three-minute preview of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second film in the three-movie adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit by Academy Award-winning Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson.It’s been a banner week for the franchise; with about a month left before the release of the second installment, the film got an homage in the form of a Simpsons couch gag this week as well as the release of an Extended edition on Blu-ray and digital download, due out tomorrow but already available via iTunes. With extras which, as consumers of digital-download movies know, is a rarity.The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition will be available as a 5-disc Blu-ray 3D set ($54.98 SRP) that features the Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray versions of the Extended Edition; a 3-disc Blu-ray ($35.99) and a 5-disc DVD ($34.99) The Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD all include UltraViolet which allows consumers to download and instantly stream the Extended Edition in high definition to a wide range of devices including computers and compatible tablets, smartphones, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players.The nearly nine hours of new special features boasts audio commentary with Peter Jackson, director/producer/screenwriter, and Philippa Boyens, co-producer/screenwriter, and “The Appendices,” a multi-part documentary focusing on various aspects of the film and the Trilogy.So check out this preview below and keep your eyes peeled for a good price on the Extended Edition, due out in a couple of hours if you want to head to a 24-hour store and be the first to snag it at midnight.