Next to "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1," "The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies" will be the most anticipated film of the winter season.

The latest Middle Earth picture comes on the heels of two box office success and has a tremendous amount to live up to.

Director Peter Jackson opted for expanding the original source material for the new trilogy and that has created a series of new plot threads and storylines to keep track of.

Here are the answers to the five major questions that the last installment in the trilogy has to take on:

Who Is the Necromancer?

This is obviously and easier question. Anyone that followed the films know that he is Sauron, the villain from the original trilogy. But what the audience does not completely know is how he actually came to be fully and, more importantly, what his fate will be at the end of this film. The conclusion of the trilogy could certainly end on a sour note (as the prequel Star Wars movies did) with Sauron returning to power.

However, anything could actually happen. Maybe Sauron is actually defeated and comes back in greater form. After all, he is not in the actual book and his revival was added into this trilogy to link it directly with the original films.

What Happens to Thorin Oakenshield?

Bilbo may be the star of the show, but Thorin's journey mirrors that of Aragorn's at the heart of the story. Both narratives follow the journey of two men attempting to come to terms with their respective responsibilities as royalty. Aragorn wants to escape from it while Thorin is obsessed with occupying his role as the Dwarf King.

Those familiar with the book know what is in store for Thorin and those that followed the original movies can deduce that his absence is no coincidence. Thorin actually dies in this film. And it is probably going to be one of the highlights of the trilogy.

One question that lingers, however, is how Jackson will work it into the narrative. In the book, Thorin's death becomes the moment of reconciliation between Bilbo and Thorin as the latter finally recognizes the hobbit's worth. But that beat was already established at the end of the first film, so it may be a tricky hurdle to overcome for the screenwriters.

Who Kills Smaug the Dragon?

Another question that fans know the answer to.

And anyone that watched the second film will undoubtedly know what the answer is as well. Bard was destined to finish what his kin could not and will use the black arrow to kill the dragon.

Moving on.

What Happens to Gollum?

This is one that fans will have to wait for. Gollum's role in the original book has already been fulfilled and he would presumably have nothing else to do in this new movie. But Gollum is a fan favorite. And so is actor Andy Serkis. There is always a chance that he makes a cameo return.

How Many Endings Does This Movie Have?

Another equally apt question would be "How long will this film be?" Jackson has yet to crack the three-hour mark with any of his new Hobbit films, but anyone that followed the original trilogy and even the first two installments knows one thing about Jackson -- he likes to get progressively longer. "The Desolation of Smaug" came in at 161 minutes, making it the shortest one to date. But the first three Lord of the Rings movies all came in at three or more hours in their original cuts. There is certainly a big chance this one also exceeds the three-hour mark.

But as per the question about endings, it will be interesting to see how Jackson wraps this one up. Does he give it the good old one epilogue after another in the vein of "Return of the King?" Or does he leave it as a big cliffhanger to lead into "The Fellowship of the Ring?"

These questions will be aptly answered in full when the movie is released Dec. 17.

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