What has been happening in the world of Tolkien fandom!

A new poster, interviews, videos, announcements, fan creations, and more!

What has been happening in the world of Tolkien fandom!

I have decided to make this type of post a weekly series, in order to cover all the little things that do not justify a post of their own or that I simply do not have time to write about. Only five more days until we get to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug! And lost has been happening in anticipation of this event. 

After the world-wide The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug fan event, 

there has been an increased flurry of interviews and spoilers circulating throughout the web, with a large focus on two elves who are not actually in the book The Hobbit: Legolas and Tauriel, played  by Orlando Bloom and Evangeline Lilly respectively. They talk about a huge stumbling block for many fans: their presence in the movie. Beyond the break are a list of links to such interviews and articles. 

"Of course, the extreme fans are going to have their very strong and strict principles and thoughts on the truth of this world, but you can’t please all the people. Does Legolas fit in this world? Absolutely. Should he be in this world? Why not?" 

- Orlando Bloom, Entertainment Weekly

Warner Bros. has finally given free reign to interviews, set visits, and plot spoilers!

This news is a few days old, I know, but life is busy. Anyways, if you have not heard, seen, or read any of the following, here is a list of interviews and set tours that contain many, many spoilers, yet, believe me, they are worth seeing.

Yes, even the shooting of The Hobbit movies

We have recently received word that Sir Ian McKellen, Evangeline Lilly, and now Orlando Bloom have all completed their roles. It is a little saddening that this may be the last shooting ever for a movie based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, but not saddening enough to dim my excitement for the upcoming films! Also, here is a short video of Orlando Bloom saying his last farewell. 

An exclusive first look by Entertainment Weekly

Along with an in-depth article about Tauriel, EW has also got its hands on a new photo of this fearsome elf, which you can see beyond the break. In the interview, Evangeline Lilly discusses Tauriel's social status and relationships with other characters. Many are skeptical because she is a non-canon character, so it will be interesting to see how things work out. 

Evangeline Lilly talks about her character

In the latest issue of Total Film, Evangeline Lilly told us that Tauriel is an "absolutely ruthless, deadly killer," quite different from any other character that has been in The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, aside from one or two of the meaner orcs. She is a new addition by Peter Jackson, so many fans are skeptical about this "spontaneous, passionate" elf. It will be interesting to see how she plays out in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. 

What!? Peter Jackson didn't tell us?

Some new footage of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was revealed at CinemaCon in Las Vegas just a few days ago. Little is known concerning the footage by those who were unable to attend CinemaCon. However, Variety has said the following, which, although very little, is the primary source of this post. 

""The Hobbit" director Peter Jackson also appeared in a video with a few brief clips from the "Desolation of Smaug" with Evangeline Lilly and Orlando Bloom appearing. 
Jackson’s matter-of-fact presentation was in sharp contrast with last year’s CinemaCon event when WB’s presentation — including 10 minutes of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" — generated a mixed reaction over the pic’s 48 frames-per-second format."

Hobbit action-figures have just recently hit the stores (such as Toys-R-Us), and are now for sale. There are figures of the dwarves, Bilbo, Gollum, Legolas, and Tauriel, played by Evangeline Lily, who has been confirmed as an elf. She is not a character from the book, but is the creation of the writers and Peter Jackson. In all likelihood, she will not even appear in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and may not be revealed until at least the second film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. To the right is a picture of her from a toy package. The reason she is available for sale is because this release of merchandise was planned well before the official announce of a Hobbit trilogy.