Of course we all know the climax of the Hobbit trilogy will likely be a great showdown between one Azog the defiler and one Thorin Oakenshield at the Battle of Five Armies. I predict it will play out in four major beats:

A: Thorin will attack Azog at the opportune time, laying down a few real good hits, severely wounding Azog but the battle will turn in Azog's favor. Kili and Fili will see Thorin is ultimately outmatched against the towering Azog and is in mortal danger.

B: The pair heroically attack Azog, taking Azog's focus away from a badly battered and, perhaps, wounded Thorin. The pair lay down several more good hits on the pail orc before he tragically takes them out for good. Then Azog taunts our dwarven king Thorin who has witnessed the demise of his two friends.

C: Thorin goes into utterly-fuming-rage-mode unlike anything we've ever seen from him before. By this point Bolg has taken notice of the situation. (Enter slow-motion accompanied by Howard Shore's epic percussion style battle music) In a second wind, the wounded Thorin rises to his feet and ferociously and desperately attacks the wounded Azog with everything he has, killing Azog in epic fashion (a crowd cheering moment)

D: Enter Bolg. He arrives too late and attempts to avenge Azog's death. Thorin amazes us by now taking on Bolg, laying down a few good hits (Shore's epic battle percussion continues) but the fight proves too difficult for the battered and exhausted Thorin and Bolg tragically takes out the Dwarven King (Enter somber and sad violin motifs) Our company notices, runs in and completely destroys Bolg, no contest. (perhaps another crowd cheering moment)

END EPIC FIGHT SCENE. Thoughts?

...it is pretty likely that Thorin will end up being the one to kill Azog. Personally, I'd like to see Azog get killed in DoS by whomever (and preferably early on), but if we must suffer that damned anachronism until the Bo5A, I'd rather see Dain kill him (since it is Dain who kills Azog in the book), or at least Dain in tandem with Thorin.

As for the other characters, I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that PJ will stick with the book with regard to Bolg killing Thorin, and Beorn killing Bolg. Fili and Kili, I'm guessing that either Azog or Bolg will kill them, probably as they attempt to rescue Thorin.

I really don't see what all this hate for Azog is... I mean, yes he should be dead but who cares. He's a menacing orc and a good villain. Lurtz, by comparison, was so one dimensional. And he takes up very little screen time in An Unexpected Journey. And he speaks in his native tongue. How cool is that!

i think Azog is a way better villain than Lurtz who was pretty one dimensional, he just took orders from Saruman. Azog on the other hand has a rich history with the dwarves and is the king of a legion of orcs in mount gundabad! He rides a white warg which is just bad ass and yes i love that he speaks in his native tongue. -Btw i couldn't get enough of his guttural laughs and cries of anger that he made at the end of AUJ!

I don't know if some people have not read the source material or if some folks are so loyal to PJ that they just don't care.

Not having a go at you, I just find it fascinating, all the different criteria and reasons people have for deeming things "acceptable" in the adaptations.

Personally, I feel that keeping Azog alive is WAY more of a deviation than including Legolas. To me it makes perfect sense that we would encounter Thranduil's son at some point either during the "stay" in Mirkwood, or at the Bo5A. Azog, on the other hand, should have been killed 142 years before the story even started. Just knowing that about Azog really pulls me out of the film. Every time I see him onscreen, all I can think is "You're DEAD!!! Go away already!!!"

this cretin is going to end up with more air time than Saruman, Sauron or Smaug if it keeps on like this.

In my opinion the reviews speak for the movie quite well - AUJ was mediocre and I am worried DOS will also be mediocre at best.