The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
“Beyond darkness… beyond desolation… lies the greatest danger of all.“
Lee Pace as Thranduil
Directed by Peter Jackson
Written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, J.R.R. Tolkien
Release Date: December 13, 2013
Also starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage
Genre: Adventure | Drama | Fantasy
Synopsis
The Dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf have successfully escaped the Misty Mountains, and Bilbo has gained the One Ring. They all continue their journey to get their gold back from the Dragon, Smaug.
Trivia & Facts
• Orlando Bloom is two years older than Lee Pace who plays his father, King Thranduil.
• Originally Doug Jones was meant to play King Thranduil, but Peter Jackson cast Lee Pace, of whom he was a big admirer since watching Pace’s film The Fall.
• Both Lee Pace and Luke Evans have been the lead in a fantasy epic directed by Tarsem Singh.
• Thranduil, the father of Legolas, first appeared in the Hobbit book simply as “The Elven King” with no mention of his real name. Is it only in The Lord of the Rings, when Legolas first appears in the books, that he is identified as the Son of Thranduil of Mirkwood. When Legolas enters Lothlorien in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Haldir greets him in Elvish as “Legolas Thranduillion.”
Memorable Quotes
Coming soon.
Quotes About The Film
“The Hobbit was also a fantastic experience. It’s just mind-blowing how beautiful it is. Peter Jackson has the sort of imagination that no one else has.”
“Elves are some sort of angel warriors, they live in harmony with nature: but their forest is dark and corrupted by the dragon, for this reason my character has a dark soul.”
“The make up for the elves is easier than the one for the dwarves, it only requires an hour and a half: contact lens, wig, pointed ears. But I have a very uncomfortable crown, especially for the fighting scenes.”
“Thranduil wants to control his realm and stay isolated from the rest of the world, while Legolas wants to commits himself. This is a very typical father/son relationship.”
“He’s thought and killed a lot; he’s taken life a lot and survived a lot of battles and he’s sad, he’s hurt because in a Buddhist way he’s not immune to the suffering, and it changes who he is.”
“He’s not a happy elf, not a nice elf.”
“When Thorin comes through again and I catch him trying to disturb a sleeping dragon I’m determined to stop him … [Thranduil] doesn’t want to be his friend, he just wants people to kneel in front of him.”
“I don’t understand it, but even though I’m two years younger than Orlando, we really do look like father and son in a kind of weird, Elvish way.”
“One of my favourite things in the film is the way that Elves are described as never dying. Whereas the doom of Men is that there is a finite point and purpose to their lives, the doom of the Elves is that they’re immortal and live on and on through time and change. When we meet Thranduil in The Hobbit he is incredibly old and wise; but he is also fading.”
“He is cold and tough. Tough like a diamond. He is a dark and tricky character who – whilst loving his Elves deeply – is also striking and formidable, mercurial and mischievous. He is an Elf with dungeons – that tells you a lot!”
“Ask me what has been the biggest challenge in playing this role and I’d have to say it’s been walking up the stairs to my throne in the gold robe. I don’t think that there is a single take where I’m not treading on it and falling over. It is less than impressive when you are trying to look calm and regal and you keep tripping on your frock!”
“These 13 dwarves come through my woods; I’m not going to let them go wake up a dragon. It’s like, ‘No, kids, we’re going to keep you here!’ You don’t wake up a dragon unless you know how to kill it, and they don’t.”
Photo Gallery
Coming soon.
External Links
– IMDB Page
– Official website
– Official blog
– Official facebook
– Official twitter