Friday, September 23, 2011

Lilly About Why Tauriel Was Created

New Zealand's 3 News spoke with Evangeline Lilly about her upcoming work in The Hobbit films as Sylvan elf Tauriel that was a creation by the writers of the movie and not based on a character from the novel. In the brief quotes she provides a valid theory on why the character was created. (via TOR)
She says, "The Hobbit didn't include female characters at all. I can see why additional characters were needed to round out the story as an adaptation, especially female characters.

"I am very concerned that people will watch and I'll be the black mark on the film. I know how adamant the purists are and I'm one of them."

36 comments:

  1. I don't need to watch the movie for you to be the "black mark" of the movie you already are! If you or Jackson or anybody else wants to make a movie based on a book and include women and rounding out the storyline then here's a newsflash write your own book and leave perfection well enough alone!

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    1. Yes, it is true about "write your own book thing"...but adding more female characters would appeal to a wider audience, giving so-called "eye candy" to the guys and hey, we need females in films like this to make female fans such as myself seem a bit more credited. Besides, I'm sure the nice people who made the movie stressed about a million times that the film is an ADAPTION :) so no harm done.

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    2. You can't be serious.

      I'm a girl and a long-term Tolkien fan (I was named after a Silmarillion character). I have never been remotely offended by or disinclined to enjoy Tolkien's works for not having "enough" women in them.

      I'm not so petty that I'm going to turn down a fantastic work of art because there is a disproportionate number of male to female characters.

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    3. She's too much of a mary-sue, that's the problem. If there's one thing I hate more than anything, it's a mary-sure. Not only that, but the love story they've added makes it seem like this is another one of those terrible Hollywood love triangles...

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  2. I like Evangeline Lilly. I also like LOTR both as books and films, but this... this is a BIG mistake. We don't need female characters in Hobbit, if Tolkien didn't put them there. For God's sake, Hollywood, what is so wrong with staying close to the original work?!

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  3. Hell, I'm a feminist and I don't want to see them mess with the story like this. I really don't care if people who are unfamiliar with the story want to see women in it...Most of the people going to see this film will be Tolkein diehards and we want the story AS WRITTEN BY THE PROFESSOR!

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    1. It's an ADAPTION for heaven's sake.

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  4. So in the various scenes where there are townspeople, like when they are fleeing Smaug, there should be no women? There were no women characters in the book because Tolkien didn't write about them, doesn't mean they weren't there in his mind, just not important to write about. Should there only be men Elfs at the dinner the Dwarfs intrude? What about the women in the shire? It's not like she's going to be in the whole movie, her scenes will probably be less than 15 minutes in what will probably be 5 hours film.

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  5. Agreed, I only hope that they really do limit her time in the story and film, and not add her to the group. I do like that they added a female character but I personally don't like lily as an actress. Like others here, I'm terrified that their attempt to "round out" the story is just going to destroy a great film because they've assembled an amazing cast so far. Peter did such a good job with the LOTR it will be just plain crushing if he ruins the franchise now.

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  6. As long as they don't try to make her out to be some Warrior princess (like they did with Arwen in the first 3 movies) I'm fine with it.

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  7. Will definitely suck to see this fake character + I find Evangeline Lily extremely annoying. Double bummer!!

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    1. Not cool bro, not cool.
      The character isn't fake, she just wasn't created by Tolkien.
      How did you, by any chance, find Evangeline Lily annoying? What did she do to you that was so terrible you must hate her part at all costs?

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    2. She's too much of a mary-sue, that's what's annoying. It feels as though everything that has to do with the silven elves is now directed towards her. It seems like such a big step to take b/c I doubt that Tolkien would ever write a mary-sue, doesn't matter if it is female or not.

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    3. She's too much of a mary-sue, that's what's annoying. It feels as though everything that has to do with the silven elves is now directed towards her. It seems like such a big step to take b/c I doubt that Tolkien would ever write a mary-sue, doesn't matter if it is female or not.

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  8. If they felt the need to add a female character, they very well could have written Arwen into the plot. I mean, she's already a part of the story, and fans love the character, not to mention Liv Tyler. Although I like Evangeline Lily, I think this was a terrible move on the writers' and producers' part and see no reason why they couldn't have stuck as close to the book as possible. I agree with some of the others: I hope her part is very small.

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  9. I don't see how this could be met with such negativity. I think it's a perfectly fine idea to add a woman to the storyline however short (and I'm sure it will be short). Considering they are adding more of Legolas' character although he is not in The Hobbit either. I wholeheartedly trust anything that Peter Jackson does and I have no doubt she will be a great addition.

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  10. When you consider how drastically LOTR differed from the books (IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS) and how successful that adaptation was (in terms of fan/purist reception), I think we can trust PJ's sensibility when dealing with The Hobbit. I have full faith that he will do just as wonderful a job with these movies as he did with the first three, and anyone who will critique the changes made before seeing how everything goes together should reassess their reactions. LOTR was greatly changed, and still awesome: the same will be true for The Hobbit.

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    1. After watching LOTR, I was convinced Jackson never actually read the books...Cliff notes, maybe, but not the books. If that was his vision of LOTR, then he is a man I would not want to know because he has no sense of beauty.

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  11. I'm fine with this Tauriel character as long as there aren't any central plot points or turning points revolving around her. I'm fine if she's mentioned- if she's there and taking part in things-- but god, don't make her be some sort of savior, or something. I have faith that Jackson will make the right decisions regarding her, but uhg. I'm nervous. This is coming from a woman-- so I'm not hating on her just to be sexist.

    But Peter Jackson stated she'll be a 'true Silvan elf.' I hope he pays attention to all the nit-picky details about the different races of elves with a statement like that...

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  12. You people need to chill. Yes it would be quite an offense to write in a new female character among the main party. But adding in a minor, named character among the various peoples the party encounters is no big deal. After all in the real Middle Earth on this journey there would have been chicks roaming around in the background that just didn't get mentioned in the narrative.

    Besides, have you SEEN Evangeline Lilly? She's like bacon -- she'd make anything better.

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  13. People, chill out. It's Peter Jackson. I'm sure he knows what he's doing.

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  14. Ι am a big fan of the books AND the LOTR movie trilogy.
    When Frodo saved by Arwen in FOTR,this scene was sooooo good...If you want him,come and claim him!In the book the savior was Glorfindel,a male elf.So chill out people...Peter loves and respects Tolkien.Me too,but i am dying for strong
    and beautifull female elven characters!

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  15. In fact, Tolkien REWROTE The Hobbit three times in order to more effectively bridge it with The Lord of the Rings.

    Peter Jackson is simply doing the same with the film adaptations.

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  16. Small role = fine. Large role = rubbish. With so many changes: the lack of beardedness with the dwarves (where is Thorin's?), some of the weapons looking ridiculous (Thorin's sword was supposed to be a sister to Gandalf's), and adding random female characters to "round out the story", I'm considering waiting till the movie comes out on dvd to see it. Seems PJ is fiddling with the essence of what characters are, not just changing the story a little bit.

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    1. you claim to understand "the essence of the characters", may i remind you, thorin's lineage shaved their beards after Moria to acknoledge their shame

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  17. The majority of people watching this movie WILL NOT have read the Hobbit. LOTR was such a massive success that there's no way only readers of the books made up the ticker-buying audience. They won't know that Tauriel isn't a character from the book - and they won't care. I've read it and I don't particularly care. I will judge the movie on it's own merits. Fan boys need to get a grip and realise that'll never get the movie they'd make. The removal of Tom Bombadil inmproved LOTR if anything so quit whining and live with it. Movie audiences (and this is a movie, not a book) expect male-female interaction. This (as LOTR was) will be an interpretation - not a homage. Suck it up.

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  18. Mr Jackson changed the storyline of LOTR in some quite remarkable ways. The worst of these was painting Aragorn as someone who had 'lost the drive'. Utter nonsense, and germinal to the story. Replacing Glorfindel, who by the way 'existed in both realms', thereby having power to defy the witch kings, is bad, but not destructive to the story. Jackson's biggest error in LOTR was missing the 'scouring of the shire, which contains the very important message that you can save it, but not get the benefit yourself.
    Lets hope these things are not repeated.

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  19. Hmm. I don't know. I quite liked Arwen both in the LOTRs books and movies, so I guess having another female like her wouldn't be too bad. Just as long as her character doesn't take anything away from the core plot and elements.

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  20. I think Peter Jackson should just make movies of lousy books and leave Tolkien alone. His version of LOTR was an abomination. He destroyed the strengths of Galadriel and Eowyn and tried unsuccussfully to make Arwen a strong, important woman in the movie. Total fail...including the casting of the untalented Liv Tyler. He had gollum take the Elven waybread and crumble it over Sam to turn Frodo against him. Really??? Gollum couldn't even touch the waybread...and why would you create that particular storyline? Also, how does Frodo get into The Hobbit...he hasn't even been born!!! Jackson is a joke and I wish the BBC had made the movies.

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    1. Obviously you know more about filming then he does, did you create the best movie trilogy of all time?

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  21. It is absolutely ridiculous that the think they can write the Hobbit better than Tolkien himself. No offense to Evangeline Lily, she didn't choose to have that character made, and if it was offered to me I'd take it too, but I'm really disappointed in the writers for pulling this crap again. They almost ruined Helms deep with Liv Tyler, and now they're just going to add this unnecessary subplot? I'm a feminist myself and I actually find it insulting that seem to think I can't appreciate an amazing, world renown story like the hobbit unless they add some kind of female warrior figure.

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  22. I'm sure Peter Jackson didn't decide on his own to include women in The Hobbit. The studio execs would be the ones to 'blame' for that. They want to appeal to women, so just like in LOTR when they put in Liv Tyler, they're throwing in Evangeline Lilly. It's not about keeping true to the book, it's about making money ... it's always about money. Sad, but true. Thank God they didn't add a female dwarf for the party of adventurers -- take out Gloin and replace with Gloina!

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  23. They add female characters where none were originally intended because that's what women want. The studio execs want more bums in more theatre seats to make more money -- adding female characters will do that. I wish the women out there would say 'Stop it!' But, face it, we're all going to see it women or not, so they'll make their money in the end.

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  24. What's with all the negativity? I think this character has tons of potential.

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  25. Come on, guys, we have Luthien, we have Finduilas, we have Eowyn, we have Elwing, we have Varda, we have Arwen, we have Galadriel, we have Morwen, we have Lalaith, we have Míriel Serinde... Fuck, i think that in Tolkien's Universe have a loooot of womens...

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  26. I think you guys might enjoy this: http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2013/12/26/85546-video-asks-who-the-ell-is-tauriel/

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