Peter Jackson has changed the title of the third Hobbit film.

The New Zealand filmmaker has renamed the third instalment from The Hobbit: There And Back Again to The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies.

"There And Back Again felt like the right name for the second of a two-film telling of the quest to reclaim Erebor, when Bilbo's arrival there, and departure, were both contained within the second film. But with three movies, it suddenly felt misplaced - after all, Bilbo has already arrived 'there' in the Desolation Of Smaug," he wrote on his Facebook page.

"When we did the premiere trip late last year, I had a quiet conversation with the studio about the idea of revisiting the title. We decided to keep an open mind until a cut of the film was ready to look at.

"We reached that point last week, and after viewing the movie, we all agreed there is now one title that feels completely appropriate. And so: The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies it is," he explained.

Peter added: " As Professor Tolkien intended, There And Back Again encompasses Bilbo's entire adventure, so don't be surprised if you see it used on a future box-set of all three movies."

Martin Freeman will reprise his role as Bilbo Baggins alongside Sir Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom and Luke Evans in the third film, which will be released in December.

Peter also gave an update on the post-production of the third and final instalment.

"It's been a nice quiet time for us... It will soon be time to step into the light. Expect to see and hear much about The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies in the coming months. It'll be a fun year!" he added.