Winter is coming and with it comes part two of Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy, The Desolation of Smaug. So in case you didn't rewatch The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey yesterday as I did (it's on HBO Go!), here's some new character posters courtesy of IMP Awards that give a bit of a refresher on some familiar faces, as well as a couple of new ones!
Up top we have the titular Hobbit, a brave little bloke and burglar named Bilbo Baggins. In The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Bilbo was an old man (played by Ian Holm) whose past adventures had yielded him the precious ring he gives to Frodo to kick off that adventure. But in this prequel trilogy, Bilbo is a fresh-faced young Hobbit (played by Martin Freeman). In this second chapter of The Hobbit, this Baggins still has plenty of trials ahead of him.
Next up is Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), the brooding leader of the band of dwarves who has set out on a quest to topple the covetous dragon Smaug and reclaim the Lonely Mountain.
Third is Ian McKellen as the great Gandalf, who plays a sage and sometimes silly sorcerer in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies.
Lord of the Rings' Orlando Bloom returns as the Elven archer and prince Legolas.
And Lee Pace reprises his role of the steely eyed and fabulously adorned Elvenking Thranduil, also known as Legolas's dear old dad. He only appeared briefly in the first Hobbit but promises to have a much bigger role this time around.
The last of the elves in this roster is Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), the chief of Thranduil's guards. While she's not a part of the J.R.R. Tolkien novels, on which the films are based, Tauriel is an addition that Desolation of Smaug co-writer Phillipa Boyens believes is in keeping with the spirit of the Tolkien's unique brand of fantasy.
Finally, Luke Evans joins The Hobbit trilogy as the courageous archer known as Bard the Bowman. Without giving away too much away, we can tell you that Bard is a hell of a shot and the heir of the kingdom of Dale.
Of course with a big band of dwarves and some terrifying beasts also in the cast, we expect more posters should be following soon. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug opens December 13th.
