The Hobbit - Presented by Tribute > Gallery > The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug Gallery

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug Gallery

: Actress Evangeline Lilly had been a fan of the books since she was 13 years old, and was fearful that fans of J.R.R. Tolkien would react negatively towards the decision to add a new character not originally from any work by Tolkien. She assured fans, however, that the character feels authentic because it comes from Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh. “They’re not going to create a character that is not true to Tolkien’s world,” she told Access Hollywood.

: The character of Tauriel is not only a newcomer to Peter Jackson’s trilogy, but also to author J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe. The character was created by Jackson and writer/producer wife Fran Walsh to bring female energy to the otherwise male-dominated Hobbit narrative.

: Orlando Bloom reprises his role as Legolas from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He appears in The Desolation of Smaug despite not being present in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit or last year’s An Unexpected Journey. An Elf of the Woodland Realm, he is the son of Elvenking Thranduil and, since Elves are immortal, it was deemed appropriate by Peter Jackson to include him in the Hobbit trilogy.

: After the initiation of his journey, Bilbo becomes more accustomed to the world outside his home in The Shire. He becomes less naïve and more open to the possibilities and splendors of Middle-Earth, despite knowing full well it also brings many life-threatening dangers.

: The 13 dwarves are led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), son of Thrain. The steadfast, outspoken leader of Thorin and Company, he hopes to reclaim Erebor from the dangerous Dragon Smaug after escaping his attack on the Kingdom under the Mountain. When his grandfather, King Thror, was beheaded during the Battle of Azanulbizar by Azog, the leader of the Orc army, Thorin confronted him and cut off his arm. He used the branch of an oak tree as a shield, and thus was born his epithet Oakenshield. After King Thror’s death, Thorin’s father Thrain disappeared in grief and Thorin became King-in-Exile.

: Thorin and Company march on Dale, the city of men south of the Lonely Mountain. It was destroyed by the dragon Smaug, who attacked the city from the Grey Mountains. Beyond the city is the Lonely Mountain, also known as Erebor, which was home to the Dwarfish clan Folk of Durin, also known as the Longbeards. Smaug attacked the Kingdom under the Mountain, killing any dwarf he could find. A small contingent of dwarves managed to escape through a secret passageway. Smaug took the vast treasure of Erebor as his bed, and has been resting there ever since.

: The trilogy welcomes newcomer Evangeline Lilly, who plays Tauriel, the fearless leader of the Elven Guard. A Silvan Elf, she is regarded as being of a much lower order than other Elves featured in Peter Jackson’s Tolkien adaptations, including Elrond, Galadriel, and Legolas. A Woodland Elf of the Mirkwood Forest, her name means “Daughter of Mirkwood.”

: Martin Freeman plays the brave but inexperienced hobbit Bilbo Baggins. He was a home-loving middle-aged hobbit who never left his home of Bag-End in The Shire when he was asked by the great wizard Gandalf to accompany him and a band of Dwarves on a journey that would take him throughout Middle-Earth.

: The wise wizard Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) joins Thorin and Company and aids them in their journey to Erebor. He will help guide them through the varied terrain of Middle-Earth, being mindful of the evils that lurk in the shadows.

: Gandalf leaves Bilbo with Thorin and the dwarves to go off with Radagast to keep an eye on Middle-earth. He enters Dol Guldur, where he discovers the true identity of the Necromancer.