It’s just been anounced that Orlando Bloom will join the cast of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, taking on the role he stepped into for the Lord of the Rings trilogy – Legolas. There’s just one problem with that. Legolas wasn’t in The Hobbit.
“Ten years ago, Orlando Bloom created an iconic character with his portrayal of Legolas. I’m excited to announce today that we’ll be revisiting Middle Earth with him once more,” wrote Jackson via Facebook. ”I’m thrilled to be working with Orlando again. Funny thing is, I look older—and he doesn’t! I guess that’s why he makes such a wonderful elf.”
For fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s book, this may come as a bit of a shock. Legolas’ father Thranduil, the Elvenking, appears in The Hobbit but not Legolas himself. But Bloom isn’t the only actor whose character doesn’t appear in the books that’s making an appearance in the movie. Elijah Wood is also reprising his role as Frodo Baggins, although it’s his cousin Bilbo who is the protagonist of this tale.
And, Legolas isn’t the only elf sneaking in The Hobbit film either, Cate Blachett’s Galadriel will also appear. Even though Legolas doesn’t appear in the book, some expect he’ll make his appearance in the Battle of the Five Armies fighting alongside his father.
What are your thoughts Hobbit fans? Is this blasphemy or is it ok that Jackson is helping to bring in a larger audience by recasting these actors?
May 27th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
I think it’s safe to say that only the most diehard Tolkien fans were really upset by Jackson’s changes to LOTR. I trust his vision.
May 27th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Guys, I hate to break it to you, but Bilbo is not Frodo’s cousin. He’s his uncle.
May 27th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
Well, he wasn’t *mentioned* in The Hobbit – but he was the son of Thranduil, the king of the Elves in Mirkwood, so there is an excellent chance that he was *present* when Bilbo and Thorin’s company were “guests” in that realm.
May 27th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
@ Landru: The relationship was not quite that simple. Frodo may have referred to Bilbo as “Uncle”, but Frodo was, in fact, the grandson of one of cousins of Bilbo’s father.
May 27th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
@Landru, actually they are first and second cousins, he just calls him Uncle because Bilbo basically adopted him. If I’m not mistaken…
May 27th, 2011 at 2:27 pm
If virgins would get laid, then they’d have nothing to complain about. Bottom line for normal nerds? It’ll be an entertaining movie, just like the others.
May 27th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Normal nerds? There’s one I haven’t heard before…
May 27th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Haha The ones that can build a computer, have a tan, read a comic and go to a bar.
May 27th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
I guess, that’s not normal nerd behavior…I guess I should just specify, the ones that don’t cry when Batman has nipples or they find out a lightsaber can’t cut through adamantium.
May 27th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
I have my doubts about the padded out two part Hobbit/fill in the gaps approach. I worry this could be Jackson’s Phantom Menace.
May 27th, 2011 at 4:20 pm
Of all the potential cameos of later-introduced LotR characters that could be brought into The Hobbit, Legolas is the one mostly likely to make sense.
May 28th, 2011 at 3:08 am
@ silvanthalas: Well, Galadriel also – she’s been around since the First Age.
May 28th, 2011 at 7:23 am
It’s a smart move. Jackson has made very effort to respect Tolkien yet makes the changes the story needs to make it the screen. It is a canny move to add star power cameos/Easter Egg appearances. But I also trust him to make their appearances make sense in regards to the overall story.
May 29th, 2011 at 9:06 am
I have faith in PJ. A bit of research will tell you why Galadriel will be in the movie along with the wizards Sauruman and Radagast. Frodo can be used for a framing sequence so that’s easily explained and Legoloas could have been by his Father’s side in Mirkwood and at the Battle of Five Armies, no big deal.
May 29th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Need to get some big names in to pull in people who haven’t read the books. Anyone who has seen the LOTR films and not read the books will love that Bloom is in the Hobbit and moves like this will only help the film as they’ll know that the films are related and will want to see more. Really doesn’t bother me at all so long as it’s a good and entertaining film.
May 29th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
And I’d love a Viggo Mortensen cameo or filled out role as Aragorn in The Hobbit movie as well. If I remember his conversation with Eowyn (from the extended LOTR version–far superior to the theatrical) he tells her he’s 88. So 65 years earlier, when The Hobbit takes place, he should be about 23. And we know he and Legolas go way back as friends. Maybe PJ will show us them meeting and fighting together at the Battle of Five Armies. Also, when Gandalf leaves the dwarfs to chase the Necomancer out of Mirkwood he could have joined up with several LOTR-available characters–Elrond, Aragorn, Legolas (perhaps dispatched by the Wood Elves King, his father), the other wizards, maybe even Beorn. There’s a lot of wide open room to use to fill out two movies. Like one reviewer of LOTR wrote: “No movie ever made has been crafted with more respect to the source material.” I think PJ will wow us yet again.
May 30th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
I hate these movies and having Orlando Bloom being there again would make me hate them more.
July 12th, 2011 at 10:01 am
i forbid u jeremy
August 18th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Hi, as a big Hobbit fan, I can’t wait for the Hobbit movies. Especially loved the soundtrack of the trilogy, and then found this on iTunes. The Hobbit – A Cinematic Journey. It’s very like the music from the films, even has a bit of ‘The Omen’ about it. http://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/the-hobbit-a-cinematic-journey/id455831618
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:55 am
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February 19th, 2012 at 6:31 pm
I can understand Galadriel and Legolas being thrown into the Hobbit, but why Frodo? Wouldn’t he be just a child when Bilbo went on his journey?
September 28th, 2012 at 9:03 am
There have been many famous books that have made it to movie that have events that were not in the book put into the movie and visa-versa. Since the reader can only use their imagination to “view” what they are reading, it would clutter the pages and story to put in every single detail of what is happening during the event so we do not know what was happening on the outskirts of the event in the book. It only enhances the story in most cases when the director uses their imagination to envision the rest of the scenario when putting it to film. I do not think it will hurt the original story, I think it will enhance it and give it more substance. I also believe Tolkien would be impressed and flattered by the extension of his Middle Earth family.