Welcome TheOneRing.net veteran Larry D. Curtis, who joins NextMovie as our regular "Hobbit" gollumnist — Larry will explore Middle-earth and all things halfling as we gear up for the December 14 release of Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" prequel, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey."
It seemed like "The Hobbit" would never come. It's been nine long years since director Peter Jackson delivered "The Return of the King" and won an armful of Oscars — but with last month's teaser released, it's clear the unexpected journey is finally starting.
We've now seen all 13 dwarves and the new Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) — but Jackson's team is still holding a lot back. Here are five characters we can't wait to see... and considering the second half of the film is two whole years away, they might remain a mystery for awhile.
5. The Great Goblin
While not a major character at first glance, this villain becomes a lot more interesting in the hands of Peter Jackson, a guy who loves his monsters. It will be his job to insult, threaten and generally abuse our company of dwarves when they fall into the hands of his Goblins (usually called Orcs in "The Lord of the Rings"). Jackson has cast outrageous comedian Barry Humphries in what is sure to be a special effects-heavy role. Humphries is most famous for his character Dame Edna Everage, a sharp-tongued older woman in cat-eye glasses and purple hair. Fine casting, Jackson and company.
4. Beorn
"Twilight" may feature werewolves... but Jackson will deliver a were bear (and maybe more than one) in the battle against evil forest creatures. An angry, shape-shifting, vegetarian man-bear played by Mikael Persbrandt, a Swedish actor known for playing "tough guy" parts, sounds pretty cool to us. Will the ferocious sights and sound be kept under wrap much longer? Probably.
3. Radagast the Brown
This guy is a wizard like Gandalf and "LOTR" bad guy Saruman the White (Christopher Lee, who will probably be nothing but good and noble in "The Hobbit" films), but while those two are generally serious with an occasional soft moment, Radagast is more likely to be humorous. The character is only mentioned briefly in "The Hobbit" book, but we're sure Jackson has more up his sleeve. The character may function as something of a Dr. Doolittle, talking with the animals of Middle-earth.
2. Bard The Bowman
Rising Star Luke Evans ("Clash of the Titans," "Immortals") may end up being the heartthrob of these films, along with Orlando Bloom returning as Legolas. While some of the dwarves are looking hotter than expected, this is the role most comparable to Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn in "The Lord of the Rings." He is heroic but sensitive, may not get especially close to his razor and has the admirable nobility (and good looks) to make the ladies swoon. So far, his character is a mystery.
1. Smaug
This isn't just a cool dragon in a fantasy movie with an imaginative director, this might be the dragon in all of popular culture. While J.R.R. Tolkien didn't invent the modern version of talking creatures, his flying, fire-breathing creation set the standard for every movie, book, video game and television dragon since. He is capable of savage destruction, but also is able to trade verbal barbs with Bilbo Baggins. It's a solid bet that Jackson will save this guy completely for the second film.
Check out the teaser trailer for "The Hobbit" below:
