A deadly dragon, a treasure to rival Bill Gates’ fortune and a brand-spankin’ new female elf played by Evangeline Lilly. How can we not be excited for the second of three Hobbit movies? Here we break down everything you need to know to make your movie-going experience even more magical with special bonus info at the bottom of the page.
Not for small children
Though the The Hobbit is one of the most beloved kids’ books of all time, the second movie installment in 3-D is quite scary. The Orcs are really frightening, not to mention those horrid spiders! Children and arachnophobes beware — prepare to cover your eyes if you don’t want creepy-crawly nightmares.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug book vs. movie
A ginger-elf named Tauriel
Though a controversial move, the filmmakers decided to add an extra dose of estrogen to the testosterone-laden story by creating an all new character, Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly).
One of the screenwriters, Philippa Boyans, discussed Tauriel with the Los Angeles Times saying, “We’re not trying to create a warrior princess or a character that you might find, for example — and in saying this, I’m not denigrating them — in a video game. This wasn’t about creating a character that didn’t feel truthful. She’s an elf of the world of Middle-earth.”
What do we think about this stray from the Tolkien book? We think adding more women to any story is awesome! Luckily, the fiery elf will also appear in The Hobbit: There and Back Again, set to release in December 2014.
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Are there extra scenes after the credits?
At the end of last year’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, there was a scene teasing the dragon Smaug. While we didn’t get to see his entire monstrous body, just seeing his blood-red colored eye was exciting enough. Unfortunately, we’re here to tell you not to wait through the credits this time as there are no extra scenes! We were shocked.
Benedict Cumberbatch isn’t just Smaug’s voice
The actor is Smaug! To bring the raucous reptile to life, director Peter Jackson used motion-capture technology to reproduce more than just the Star Trek actor’s voice — he also lent his movements and facial expressions to the CG dragon, giving him an eerie, yet engaging, human essence.
What do Smaug and Bill Gates have in common?
They’re both billionaires. Forbes.com celebrates Smaug as No. 2 on its 2013 list of richest fictional characters (he’s right behind Scrooge McDuck). They estimate the dragon’s net worth to be $54.1 billion. Bill Gates is reportedly worth $67 billion. If only Bilbo Baggins could convince the fire-breather to donate some of his gold to charity.
Bonus info!
The film is 2 hours, 41 minutes long. If you know you’re going to need a bathroom break, check out the RunPee app. Not only does it tell you when to go during The Desolation of Smaug, it also tells you what happens while you’re gone. Gotta love technology!
Take a look below at this exciting infographic that reveals many other secrets about the savage beast, Smaug.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug opens in theaters Nov. 22.
Hobbit 2 Infographic courtesy of Alex Hillsberg, Ruby Media Corp
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