Almost a decade after the critical and commercial success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy on film, director Peter Jackson journeyed back to Middle-earth to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's children's novel The Hobbit to the big screen in 2012.
Expanding The Hobbit lore into three parts allowed for more creative freedom to create new characters and scenarios written especially for the films. Here are five notable instances of the key changes made in the movies.
Related: Peter Jackson: "I Didn't Know What The Hell I Was Doing" When Directing The Hobbit
Azog, as One of the Main Antagonists
Azog the Defiler terrorises Thorin Oakenshield and his company throughout the three movies, seeking revenge after the dwarf-king cuts off his arm in a previous battle.
While Azog is as fearsome in the books as he is in the movies, fans note that in the original timeline, he had been long dead before the events of The Hobbit. His son Bolg could have taken on the villain role instead and led the goblin army in The Battle of the Five Armies.
The Introduction of Tauriel
Undeniably, The Hobbit was a product of its time and thus dominated by male characters. Hence, the filmmakers felt the need to create Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), a female character “completely within the spirit of Tolkien.”
While Tauriel is highly skilled in combat and overt operations, audiences are likely to remember her more as the heroine of a tragic romance with the fallen dwarf, Kili, as well as the subject of Legolas’s unrequited interest.
Related: 7 Sexiest Characters in The Hobbit Trilogy
Legolas in The Hobbit
In The Desolation of Smaug, Legolas (Orlando Bloom) makes his presence known by capturing the dwarves in Mirkwood and aiding Thorin and company in the third movie.
While Legolas is not mentioned in the source material at all, Jackson believes that the author would have included Legolas in the story if he had the chance: “As far as Tolkien is concerned, he would have been part of that structure within the Woodland Realm. And we needed characters within the Woodland Realm to drive the story.”
Related: How Well Do You Know J.R.R Tolkien's Middle-earth?
An Expanded Role for Radagast the Brown
Radagast the Brown, who played a more significant role in The Hobbit movie trilogy, was welcomed by fans upset by his absence in the LOTR films.
One of the five wizards of Middle-earth, the nature-loving Radagast, was only mentioned in passing as Gandalf’s “good cousin” and did not play a key role in the book's events. In the movie (portrayed by Sylvester McCoy), he gets more exposure as a wise and courageous, albeit eccentric and comical, wizard whose curiosities led to Gandalf uncovering the mystery of Dol Guldur.
Convening the White Council
Speaking of the dark fortress, another key difference in The Hobbit films is the appearance of Saruman (Christopher Lee) and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), who were also not mentioned in the book. In An Unexpected Journey, the two join Gandalf and Elrond, the lord of Rivendell, to convene the White Council and discuss the looming evil in the woods.
Similar to the addition of Legolas, bringing in the White Council delivers the fan service while attempting to strengthen the plot connection between The Hobbit and LOTR trilogies.
Related: The Rings of Power Star Discusses Whether Galadriel Truly Considered Joining Sauron
The movie trilogies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and the series The Rings of Power are available to stream on Prime Video.
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