The Desolation of Smaug anticipation thread [SPOILERS]

[ArathornJax]

I Love the books and they are my first love and to put it bluntly, they are Middle Earth for me. However the movies I enjoy and I'll share why. In my childhood we had a home that was magical to me. It had a.5 acre backyard and the yard was split by a wonderfully large hedge with a path between the hedge and a rail fence on the backside. I played back there for hours with a wooden sword and battle ax and a wooden musket and Kentucky rifle for another era. I ended up getting some lead figures of the dwarves Bilbo and some orcs. I found some spiders and a dragon also. I played many an adventure I made up on the path and had hours of entertainment. Fond memories for me so as PJ plays with his adventures I've decided to kick back and enjoy it for what it is, an adventure into his play of the story. It isn't the story, I knew it when I played and I know it in watching it. It is fun though to see Pj's imagination at play.

Though not part of this movie, the one thing I am hoping will follow the book is Thorin's death scene because his words are needed to be heard in our society/world today and this will be the test for me. IF the scene follows the wording of the book and I cry with Bilbo after their farewell talk, then I will have made a connection to these two opposing and different characters and PJ have done his job. I hope I cry in that scene I. I a weird way, I want to cry at the scene. Just some thoughts. Edit: I also have to hope that they show Fili and Kili giving their lives in defense of Thorin that there is an equal emotion. In the Desolation of Smaug I hope there is a buildup of these relationships. We'll see as I didn't feel a ton of emotion when Thorin as hurt by Azog in the first movie.

[Elentári]

Snippet of news from Benedict Cumberbatch in the LA Times seemingly confirming that Smaug's role has been expanded...

I’ve got to sort my luggage out now and take out the stuff I had from New Zealand. I was over there evolving Smaug [his character in “The Hobbit”] again with new material, and that’s very, very exciting.

[Dave_LF]

Oh to be in showbiz, where every day is spent in a whirlwind of excitement and amazement. In fact, those two words in their various forms may soon need to be retired from the English language altogether, their full allotment of utterances having been consumed by actors speaking on the record (pretty please?).

[Elentári]

The latest (August) issue of German magazine "Cinema" has a feature on The Desolation of Smaug including some SPOILERS...the biggest being that we will potentially see the battle of Dol Guldur in DoS. (This is seemingly also backed up by the fact that there are rumours of a Lego DG set being released this Fall...)

Translation available from Thorinoakenshield.net


ETA: Contraversial quote of the day:

“This story needs estrogens”, Evangeline Lilly jokes.

Also more rumour fodder on the Tauriel/Kili romance:

"And the clumsy attempts of dwarf Kili towards elf Tauriel provide material for discussions."

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Talking spiders!

I don't see that quote as being controversial, particularly since it says "Evangeline Lilly jokes." And if the description of the "romance" is accurate, I think it should not be too bad. Just bad.

[Elentári]

I don't see that quote as being controversial, particularly since it says "Evangeline Lilly jokes."

Sadly, we know that the scriptwriting team (at least, Boyens) really believes this, though...

Yeah "talking spiders"...though we know from the EMPIRE article that apparently only Bilbo will hear them talk, when he has the Ring on.

[Elentári]

Further confirmation that the meeting between Gandalf and Thorin is in???

in an interview with DGA Quarterly magazine PJ is described as being "right at home inside the Middle Earth inn, The Prancing Pony."

The accompanying picture is of Jackson clearly on the Laketown set...so there is the possibility that the journalist might have confused the half-timbered buildings with Bree.

[Elentári]

Just seen this Lego version of the Desolation of Smaug trailer..

http://youtu.be/4VQ6wkvDdyY

Is it weird that I find this more captivating than the real thing that uses CGI?

[sinister71]

Just seen this Lego version of the Desolation of Smaug trailer..

http://youtu.be/4VQ6wkvDdyY

Is it weird that I find this more captivating than the real thing that uses CGI?

I found Beorn to look just as real in the Lego trailer as I did the original trailer they Both look pretty fake to me.

[sinister71]

The latest (August) issue of German magazine "Cinema" has a feature on The Desolation of Smaug including some SPOILERS...the biggest being that we will potentially see the battle of Dol Guldur in DoS.

Honestly I'm hoping someone actually did some research in Jackson's crew and they will include the Battle of Mirkwood, or battle under the trees as it is also known, They could give Legolas and Tauriel Thranduil's role in that battle while he is on the march to the BO5A. It would add just a bit more Tolkien into the films IMO, which wouldn't be a bad thing. That way they could show the destruction of DolGuldur which doesn't actually happen till the war of the ring , in the current time frame of the Hobbit and still be able to get away with it since we do not actually see DolGuldur in LOTR.

As long as they don't give Tauriel Glorfindel's prophecy about the Witch King I'll be happy

[Frelga]

Honestly I'm hoping someone actually did some research in Jackson's crew and they will include the Battle of Mirkwood, or battle under the trees as it is also known, They could give Legolas and Tauriel Thranduil's role in that battle while he is on the march to the BO5A. It would add just a bit more Tolkien into the films IMO, which wouldn't be a bad thing. That way they could show the destruction of DolGuldur which doesn't actually happen till the war of the ring , in the current time frame of the Hobbit and still be able to get away with it since we do not actually see DolGuldur in LOTR.

Oh, I like that!

I mean, if we absolutely must add extra battles to The Hobbit, which I think ranks among the top ten under-appreciated books of all time.

[Elentári]

Honestly I'm hoping someone actually did some research in Jackson's crew and they will include the Battle of Mirkwood, or battle under the trees as it is also known, They could give Legolas and Tauriel Thranduil's role in that battle while he is on the march to the BO5A. It would add just a bit more Tolkien into the films IMO, which wouldn't be a bad thing. That way they could show the destruction of DolGuldur which doesn't actually happen till the war of the ring , in the current time frame of the Hobbit and still be able to get away with it since we do not actually see DolGuldur in LOTR.

As long as they don't give Tauriel Glorfindel's prophecy about the Witch King I'll be happy

Yeah, I could live with that (the Battle of Mirkwood) but NOT the WiKi prophecy...I wouldn't even want it transferred to Galadriel, as others else where have mooted.

Unfortunately, though, it seems as though Legolas and Tauriel will definitely be going to Laketown after the Orcs, and not only that, but Tauriel will be using Elven magic to heal a human girl - at least, I take it that's what the quote about "resuscitating a human girl with a burst of liquid Elvish" means?

[sinister71]

Oh, I like that!

I mean, if we absolutely must add extra battles to The Hobbit, which I think ranks among the top ten under-appreciated books of all time.

Thanks It just I'm of the mindset they should include as much Tolkien in these films as possible. I have always found IMO that when Jackson stuck to what Tolkien wrote his films were much better than when they uses the material Jackson himself made up. Some people like it but I'm not one of them Plus since it is obvious they are going to have to show something of DolGuldur since the necromancer is currently occupying it and is in Mordor for the LOTR films. This way it keeps the Necromancer away from the BO5A and gives us a battle to conclude that story with as most people want plus it is part of Tolkien's world. Although the BO5A and the siege of DolGuldur may happen around the same time if it plays out that way BUT even if it does it's a WIN WIN situation IMO

[Elentári]

So the DoS "Annual" is published today...

Bexlin on TORn has published a scan of Beorn as a bear, and also the page describing some new locations for DoS.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86158434@N02/9626490833/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86158434@N ... /lightbox/

The paragraph about Beorn's cabin confirms that Bilbo and the Dwarves will be chased into Beorn's place, rather than arriving as they do in the book.

[Elentári]

Plot spoilers for DoS from the above mentioned Annual...

[Passdagas the Brown]

Plot spoilers for DoS from the above mentioned Annual...

Hi Elentári. Could you possibly quote those plot spoilers here? I unfortunately cannot access the TORN forums.

Thanks.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

None of that particularly bothers me, in and of themselves. I'll have to see how they play out.

One thing that I find a bit tiresome is this idea that the changes from the source material are more in The Hobbit films (at least as seen so far) than they were in LOTR. I honestly don't believe that to be true. In fact, I think there might have been more in AUJ that stayed truer to the source material than in any of the three LOTR films.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Plot spoilers for DoS from the above mentioned Annual...

Hi Elentári. Could you possibly quote those plot spoilers here? I unfortunately cannot access the TORN forums.

Thanks.

I'm tempted to say "you don't want to know" since I know how you will react, but here it is:

- The company is chased to Beorn's house by Beorn himself (Beorn doesn't like dwarves, but when he discovers they're running from Azog he helps them instead).
- 'Beorn is the last shape-shifter in the whole of Middle-earth. Most of his kind were killed by Azog, so when Beorn finds out that The Company are fleeing from Azog, he agrees to help them.'
- Beorn tells Gandalf that the rumours of 'a great evil' in Dol Guldur are true, which is what makes Gandalf decide to go there himself and leave Thorin & co to face Mirkwood alone.
- Thranduil has ordered that his elves are not to leave the forest, and they're not to have anything to do with any other race (especially the dwarves).
- When Thorin & co are captured, Thranduil guesses they're going to the Lonely Mountain and will release the dwarves to go on their way, for a promise of a cut of the gold. But Thorin refuses, so he imprisons them.
- Legolas isn't as set in his ways as his Dad.
- Tauriel is at odds with Thranduil and doesn't understand, or agree with, his segregation. She's 'very headstrong' and 'doesn't always follow orders'.
- Tauriel is 'quite unlike other Elves' and it's hinted that she quite likes the dwarves (or is, at least, intrigued by them).
- The wood elves give chase through the forest when the dwarves escape in barrels, but don't follow them out of the forest.
- Except for Tauriel, who does follow then to Lake-town (defying Thranduil) and Legolas who decides to follow Tauriel (because he's 'very protective of her').
- Bilbo may get separated at some point in the escape.
- Bard discovers the dwarves as they wash up in their barrels (because he's a 'great hunter and often spends his time in the hills around the river leading from Mirkwood into the Long Lake'), and eventually decides to trust them and take them to Lake-town.
- Bard has three children: Bain, Sigrid and Tilda (which explains the 'injured girl' in the piece above and is possibly part of his motivation for helping the dwarves?)
- Gandalf may do some of the following in Dol Guldur: unlock a gate; see things that aren't really there/things appear other than they are; cast a spell making it look like there's more than one of him; cast a protection spell; have to work out where to walk as there are trick stones that lead to traps.
- Lastly, there's a suggestion that Smaug is also looking for the Arkenstone.

[Passdagas the Brown]

Meh. Nothing that hasn't already been hinted at, or isn't consistent with what one would expect from PJ's adolescent tendencies.

My expectations are so incredibly low at this point, that I may just be pleasantly surprised.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Nah, you'll be happily outraged.