Peter Jackson and his Tolkien crew at WingNut Films are bringing things full circle with The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. While the film itself is expected to bridge the gap between the prequel series and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the end credits will perform the same function in a very symbolic way.
Actor Billy Boyd, best known as Pippin Took in the Lord of the Rings films, is performing the traditional end titles song for The Battle of the Five Armies. Fans remember Boyd's haunting performance of "Edge of Night" in The Return of the King that underscored a particularly heavy moment. That same song was recently used in the Five Armies trailer to great effect.
The news broke when Warner Bros. posted its annual list of films and filmmakers for awards season, which includes "For Your Consideration" recommendations for about 20 cast and crew. The song Boyd performs for the end titles of Five Armies is called, fittingly, "The Last Goodbye." Boyd co-wrote the track with Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh, who have produced and written all of the Jackson/Tolkien movies along with Jackson himself. The song serves as more than just the capper at the end of The Hobbit; it's also a grand farewell from the filmmakers to the world of Middle-Earth and their 16+ year history in it.
"I wanted the song to be a goodbye to all the fans who have been part of this amazing journey and to the whole world of Tolkien as it has been told in the cinema for our generation," said Boyd in a statement. "No one knows the world of Tolkien better than Peter, Fran and Philippa, and I feel incredibly touched and honored to be asked to write and perform this song, and to be at the start and end of these beautiful, historic stories. To once again work so closely with them has been one of the true honors of my working life."
"The Last Goodbye" will be available as part of the Five Armies soundtrack when it releases on December 16, 2014. The soundtrack is on sale as a preorder now.
