The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013): Cast, Plot and Ending
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), directed by Peter Jackson, is the second film in the Hobbit trilogy. It runs 161 minutes, reached US theaters on 13 December 2013 and grossed $959 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. It is the fifth main film in release order and the third in chronological order, sitting between The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
The Desolation of Smaug follows Bilbo Baggins and thirteen dwarves as they travel toward the Lonely Mountain to win back the dwarf homeland from the dragon Smaug. The film opens directly after the fight with the orc Azog and his hunters at the end of the first Hobbit film. Gandalf leads Thorin Oakenshield's company to the home of Beorn, a man who can turn into a bear, and Beorn shelters them for the night.
Meanwhile, a hidden evil called the Necromancer orders Azog to prepare for war, and Azog hands the hunt for Thorin to his son Bolg. Beorn then guides the company to the edge of the dark forest of Mirkwood and warns them to keep to the path. That warning sets up the rest of the story, because the road to the mountain runs through elf lands, a lake town and a dragon's hoard, and every stage tests the company in a different way.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Soundtrack and Score
Howard Shore composed the score for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and the album, "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack", was released by Decca Records on December 6, 2013. It is a score album with 28 tracks, and Shore is credited for the score alone, so the film's music comes down to his orchestral work and one featured song.
Which song is in The Desolation of Smaug? The answer is "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran, a song written for the film. It plays over the first section of the end credits, straight after the film's closing cliffhanger, so it is the first piece of music you hear once the story stops.
The music at a glance:
Score: Howard Shore, on the Decca Records album released December 6, 2013
Featured song: "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran (written for the film)
If you are comparing the music across the saga, the score is the part to follow, since Shore is the composer credited here. For the scores and songs of every film in the series, see the lord of the rings soundtrack page on Cinvibe.
Desolation of Smaug Plot Summary (Full Spoilers)Spoilers
The full plot of The Desolation of Smaug runs from Mirkwood to the Lonely Mountain and ends with the dragon airborne. After the stay with Beorn, the company strays from the path in Mirkwood and is caught by giant spiders. Bilbo frees the dwarves using the ring, which has begun to show a darker influence on him. Wood-elves led by Tauriel and Legolas kill the spiders and take the dwarves to King Thranduil, who imprisons Thorin after a tense confrontation.
Bilbo then helps the dwarves escape down a river in barrels, and the elves and Bolg's orcs chase them. This is the film's best known set piece, and it ends with Kili wounded by an orc arrow. Away from the chase, Gandalf and Radagast find the tombs of the Nazgul empty and learn that the Nine have been called to Dol Guldur.
The company reaches Lake-town, where the bargeman Bard smuggles them in, and the Master agrees to help in return for a share of the treasure. Kili stays behind with Fili, Oin and Bofur to recover. Bilbo, Thorin and the others continue to the mountain, where Bilbo finds the hidden door into the Lonely Mountain and goes in to find the Arkenstone. Instead, he wakes the dragon Smaug by accident.
Bard plans to use his ancestor's black arrow against the dragon but is arrested by the Master. Tauriel and Legolas defeat Bolg's orcs in Lake-town while Bolg escapes. Gandalf goes alone into Dol Guldur, where the Necromancer overpowers him and is revealed to be Sauron.
Back in the mountain, Bilbo and the dwarves relight the forge and use Smaug's fire to melt a giant golden statue in a trap. Smaug survives, rises out of the gold, and flies off to burn Lake-town while Bilbo watches in despair.
When Was The Desolation of Smaug Released?
The Desolation of Smaug opened in US and UK theaters on 13 December 2013 and in Australia on 26 December 2013, according to The Numbers and TMDB. The December slot matched the first Hobbit film, which opened on 14 December 2012, and the closing film followed in December 2014.
The film is rated PG-13 in the US, 12A in the UK and M in Australia. Its place in the saga is fifth by release and third by story, because the Hobbit films are set before the lord of the rings timeline of the original trilogy begins.
Desolation of Smaug Ending ExplainedSpoilers
The Desolation of Smaug ends on a deliberate cliffhanger: Smaug is loose, Gandalf is a prisoner and an army is on the march. In my opinion, this is the most abrupt ending of the six main films, and it is built that way on purpose, because the dragon's escape is the hinge between the second and third Hobbit films.
Here is what happens. The dwarves' plan to trap Smaug in the forge fails, since he survives the melted gold and rises out of it. He flies toward Lake-town, and Bilbo watches him go, realizing what he has set loose by waking him. The closing film begins with the dragon's attack on the town, so the cut falls in the middle of a single sequence rather than at a natural close.
The second thread is Dol Guldur. Gandalf enters alone and is overpowered by the Necromancer, who is revealed to be Sauron. Benedict Cumberbatch plays both Smaug and the Necromancer, a casting choice that links the two villains in one performer. Gandalf is then held prisoner and sees Azog's orc army marching toward the mountain.
Why does the Sauron reveal matter? For a viewer who knows the one ring story, it names the Dark Lord of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring as the hidden evil behind this adventure. It could be argued that this gives the film a second, larger thread beside the quest itself. Perhaps that is the point: the dwarves are fighting for a mountain, while Gandalf has glimpsed a far larger war. The payoff arrives in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
Where Was The Desolation of Smaug Filmed?
The Desolation of Smaug was filmed in New Zealand and at Pinewood Studios in the UK. Principal photography on this film and the first Hobbit film wrapped in July 2012, mainly around New Zealand and at Pinewood Studios.
Additional shooting for this film and the third film began in New Zealand in May 2013 and lasted about 10 weeks. The production was shot simultaneously in 3D at 48 frames per second.
Desolation of Smaug Trivia
These are the production facts that set The Desolation of Smaug apart from the rest of the saga.
The film was shot simultaneously in 3D at 48 frames per second.
Principal photography on this film and the first Hobbit film wrapped in July 2012, mainly around New Zealand and at Pinewood Studios.
Additional shooting for this film and the third film began in New Zealand in May 2013 and lasted about 10 weeks.
Benedict Cumberbatch provided the voice and motion capture for Smaug and also played the Necromancer.
Drones, known as unmanned aerial vehicles, were used for some shots.
Ed Sheeran wrote and recorded the end credits song I See Fire, released on iTunes on 5 November 2013.
Howard Shore composed and conducted the score, performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
Facts
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) has a runtime of 161 minutes. TMDB, checked 2026-11-03
No. Smaug is a Hobbit character and does not appear among the top 15 billed cast of any of the three Lord of the Rings films. Benedict Cumberbatch voices him in The Desolation of Smaug, where he is also credited as Sauron through the Necromancer role. The dragon belongs to the Lonely Mountain story, which takes place before the events of the original trilogy.
How long are all three Hobbit movies?
In their theatrical cuts the three Hobbit films run 474 minutes in total: 169 minutes for An Unexpected Journey, 161 minutes for The Desolation of Smaug and 144 minutes for The Battle of the Five Armies. That is just under eight hours. The 161 minute figure for The Desolation of Smaug is the theatrical runtime.
Is Gerard Butler in The Hobbit?
No. Gerard Butler is not among the top 15 billed cast of The Desolation of Smaug. The film's billed cast is led by Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage, with Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug.
Which Hobbit movie is considered the best?
The first film, An Unexpected Journey, earned the most of the three at the worldwide box office, ahead of The Desolation of Smaug at $959 million and The Battle of the Five Armies. Which one is best is a matter of taste, and our own ordering is on the lord of the rings movies ranked page.
Where can you watch The Desolation of Smaug?
As of 3 November 2026, the film streams on HBO Max in the US, on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in Australia, according to JustWatch data on TMDB. It can also be rented or bought on services including Apple TV and YouTube. Availability changes often, so the where to watch lord of the rings page carries the latest check.
How much did The Desolation of Smaug make at the box office?
The Desolation of Smaug grossed $959 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, on a $250 million budget, according to The Numbers. Of that, $258 million came from the US and Canada and $701 million from international markets.
