Another exciting week has come and gone!

An earthquake in New Zealand that troubled creatures of both land and air, more interviews of actors and the equally important behind-the-scenes sound-mixers and editors, and even a new poster!

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Production Dairy #14

Behind the scene of the musical score of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug!

So... A lot of stuff has happened this week

Most importantly the world-wide opening of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug! (A review is coming soon, so don't worry.) But that is certainly not all. Go beyond the break to check out the latest reviews, interviews, spoilers, and much, much more! 

Listen to 30 second previews, 60 second samples, and a few entire songs! 

First of all, Entertainment Weekly has 30 second samples of all 29 tracks from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug soundtrack. However, Water Tower Music has upped it an entire level, and you can now listen to 60 second samples either on SoundCloud or using an interesting little gadget beyond the break. And that is not all! You already know about Ed Sheeran's I See Fire (now available on iTunes), but did you know that if you visit the official website for The Hobbit Film Trilogy the song A Feast of Starlight plays in the background? On a side note, a new TV Spot for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has been released, and I have posted it beyond the break. 

UPDATE: You can also listen to 90 second samples. (I've updated the gadget so that it now plays 90 seconds of each song instead of 60 seconds.)

With closing credits song I See Fire by Ed Sheeran

The score mentioned above is now for sale on iTunes (listen to it for free here) and there is also an interesting interview with the British songwriter and singer, Ed Sheeran, who did the song. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Special Edition will be released on December 10th. The tracks are listed beyond the break, and you can pre-order it at Amazon.com. 

Update: Peter Jackson recently wrote a lengthy Facebook post about Ed Sheeran's song, linked here. There is also a music video of Ed Sheeran singing I See Fire, which you can watch here.  

Update #2: Ed Sheeran talks about his experience working with Peter Jackson in this exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly. 

Tons of new posters, stills, and more!

Instead of publishing five or more posts about these images and forcing you to give my blog four or five extra pageviews, I will collect all the most recent posters, stills, artwork, and other pictures in one place, where you can view them at your leisure. Included are five photoshoots, seven stills, seven posters, and the new artwork for the soundtrack of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. 

The Hobbit takes precedence in New Zealand

From Fairfax NZ News: "The public has essentially lost access to Wellington's Town Hall while the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra records the score for the second Hobbit movie." 
Among other things, the Town Hall now has increased security, there is no public access, and those who have business there will receive an escort! 

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra will record the soundtrack for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Working with soundtrack composer Howard Shore, the NZSO will record the music in the Wellington Town Hall, most likely in September. The first ever piece written by Howard Shore recorded by the NZSO was for The Fellowship of the Ring back in 2001. We hope that they will once again do an excellent job!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Soundtrack is now available on Rolling Stone! Listen to its entirety, select individual songs, and pause it at will, all for the first time. Listen to it here

Howard Shore's soundtrack for the upcoming Hobbit movie has finally become available for pre-order, but it will not be released until December 11, 2012. Regular edition and also a special edition are available. It is not cheap, listed at over twenty dollars, but it will be worth every cent.