Desolation of Smaug Story Tidbits, New Tauriel Image

The cover story for German magazine Cinema has provided a few spoilers for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug that will hit theaters on December 13. As translated by ThorinOakenshield.net, the article provides a little bit on insight on the story that Peter Jackson and company is crafting for the trilogy. While a lot of it could be inferred from the book itself, Jackson isn't sticking 100% to the novel and he is mixing in The Lord of the Rings Appendices giving him plenty of opportunity to surprise. Below are choice quotes from the article. The image to the left of Tauriel and Legolas is courtesy of Entertainment Weekly.

A greedy dragon, a rather testy skinchanger, a river ride full of action and the battle of the White Council against the Necromancer of Dol Guldur: Middle-earth fans should be prepared for something big;

Hardcore fans will find the revelation of the Necromancer (Benedict Cumberbatch as CGI shadow) as witch master Sauron just in a couple of sentences in the book. And according to Tolkien the pale orc Azog doesn’t survive the Battle of Azanulbizar (in the beginning of “The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey”), while Jackson definitively turns him into Thorin Oakenshield’s arch enemy now. Orcs invading Esgaroth on the other hand was completely invented by Peter Jackson. Just like Tauriel – this young, only 300 years old elf which will add a bit of femininity to the male dominated story.

“This story needs estrogens”, Evangeline Lilly jokes. And Peter Jackson adds: “Thanks to characters like Tauriel we will discover more about the life in Mirkwood, which is completely different from Rivendell.” But the Silvan pointy-eared beauty is not supposed to be a mere copy of Arwen from the old trilogy. After all the people of the wood elves is a lot more dangerous and suspicious than Elrond and his companions. “We are like ninjas from the undergrowth.” (Lilly)

One climax of the new trilogy, which over 2000 actors and extras worked on, is the death of the dragon. Whether Smaug’s fall will end part 2 however is yet unknown. Certain is that the Battle of the Five Armies will play the center role in “The Hobbit – There and Back Again”.