The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Information
Director	Peter Jackson Andy Serkis (Second Unit Director)
Writer	Peter Jackson Fran Walsh Philippa Boyens
Producer	Peter Jackson Fran Walsh Carolynne Cunningham Zane Weiner Philippa Boyens (Co-Producer) Eileen Moran (Co-Producer) Alan Horn (Executive Producer) Toby Emmerich (Executive Producer) Ken Kamins (Executive Producer) Caroline Blackwood
Starring	Martin Freeman Ian McKellen Richard Armitage See cast section below for more
Cinematography	Andrew Lesnie
Music	Howard Shore
Studio	New Line Cinema MGM WingNut Films
Distributor	Warner Bros. Pictures
Released	13 December 2013
Country	New Zealand United Kingdom United States
Language	English
Website	TheHobbit.com
IMDB	IMDB Profile

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is the second of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 novel The Hobbit. It was released on 13 December 2013 in North America. It was preceded by An Unexpected Journey in 2012 and will be followed by The Battle of the Five Armies in 2014.

Synopsis

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous forest of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood-elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all — a creature more terrifying than any other; one which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself — the Dragon Smaug.
—Warner Bros.

Plot

At the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree, Gandalf the Grey warns Thorin Oakenshield that someone is trying to have him killed. He persuades Thorin to obtain the Arkenstone to unite the Dwarves, and suggests that a stealthy burglar may be needed to steal the jewel back from Smaug.

Twelve months later, Thorin and his Company are being pursued by Azog and his Orc party down the Carrock following the events of the previous film. After Bilbo informs the group that a bear is also tracking them, Gandalf ushers them along to the home of a skin-changer. Upon their arrival, they are attacked by the same bear; Gandalf reveals that it is the home of Beorn and that he may be able to aid them in their journey. That night, Azog is summoned to Dol Guldur by the Necromancer, and instructs his son Bolg to take over the hunt for Thorin. The next day, Beorn loans his horses to the company so they can reach Mirkwood and hinder the pursuing Orcs. Upon arrival at the forest border, Gandalf discovers Black Speech graffiti imprinted on an old ruin, coinciding with a telepathic message from Galadriel imploring him to investigate the tombs of the Nazgûl (at an unnamed location). Without giving any reason for his sudden departure, Gandalf advises the Company to follow the Elven path though Mirkwood, and to wait for him before entering the Lonely Mountain. But upon losing their way in the forest, the Dwarves are captured by giant spiders. Bilbo, with the help of his new Ring, manages to free them from the webs and names his sword Sting. However, while fighting the attacking spiders, Bilbo drops the Ring, and he begins to learn of the corruption it has on him after brutally killing a crab-like spider to retrieve it.

The Dwarves are captured by the Wood-elves, including Legolas and Tauriel, a captain of the guard. They are to the Elven-king Thranduil's kingdom, and are locked up. During their captivity, a romantic subplot develops between Tauriel and Kíli. While the others are imprisoned, Thorin is given audience with Thranduil, but he refuses Thranduil's aid and is imprisoned as well. Under the cloak of the Ring, Bilbo helps the Dwarves to escape by using empty wine barrels, which are sent floating down the river. Along the way, they are ambushed by Bolg and his Orc party, while the Elves pursue the Dwarves to cease their escape. In the ensuing chaos, Kíli is wounded by a Morgul arrow. Legolas and Tauriel are forced to halt their pursuit of the Dwarves in order to end the Orc onslaught. One captive is imprisoned and questioned by Thranduil. When Thranduil learns that "The One" has returned, he decides to seal off his kingdom to protect it from the impending evil. However, Tauriel leaves to save Kíli, whom she learns has been poisoned by Bolg's arrow, and Legolas accompanies her.

Subsequently, the Company meets a man named Bard, and they bribe him to smuggle them into Lake-town, where the descendants of Dale made their home, and where the Master of the town rules with an iron fist. The group attempts to steal weapons before being captured and in the process learn that Bard is a descendant of Dale's ruler, Girion, who died attempting to kill Smaug with Black Arrows. After Thorin convinces the townfolk and Master that they will share the riches of the recaptured Mountain, the adventurers receive a grand send-off the next morning. The injured Kíli is ordered to stay behind until he gets his strength back; Óin, Fíli and Bofur also remain to tend him in Bard's house.

As the events of Thorin's Company occurs, Gandalf reaches the remote tomb of the Nazgûl and found that they have been revived. He is joined by Radagast the Brown, and it is revealed that the Necromancer cannot be a mere human, as the Nazgûl answer only to one master. Returning to Mirkwood, while sending Radagast to warn Galadriel of their discovery, Gandalf enters the Orc- and Warg-infested Dol Guldur, and is attacked by Azog. While attempting to escape, the Necromancer appears, and, following a duel between the two, Gandalf is captured. With his worst fears realized – that the Necromancer is indeed Sauron – Gandalf watches in horror as the Orc army marches toward the Lonely Mountain.

Once at the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo deciphers the map's cryptic clue and uses moonlight to find the hidden keyhole that opens the secret door into the mountain. Balin then explains Bilbo's real purpose and sends him down to the treasury to locate the Arkenstone. Unfortunately, Bilbo's searching quickly awakens Smaug, who initially finds the Hobbit amusing, but swiftly tires of him and intends to kill him. In Lake-town, Bard hears the rumbling caused by Smaug's awakening and attempts to affix the last Black Arrow to the town's launcher, but is arrested. Óin, Fíli, Bofur, and Bard's daughters, Sigrid and Tilda, are attacked by Bolg's hunting party before Legolas and Tauriel drive them off, with the latter remaining behind to tend to Kíli. Then, in a dream-like state after his medication, Kíli admits his love for Tauriel. After convincing Thorin that they must help Bilbo, the Dwarves enter the Mountain and find themselves and the Hobbit being hunted by Smaug. Tricking the fire-breathing Smaug into rekindling the forges, they attempt to kill the dragon by drowning him in a flood of molten gold. However, Smaug survives, and stumbles out of the mountain determined to make the people of Lake-town suffer for giving aid to the Dwarves, leaving Bilbo horrified at the turn of events.

Scenes

1. The Quest for Erebor**
2. Wilderland
3. The Master Summons
4. A Commander of Legions
5. Queer Lodgings*
6. Last of the Skin-changers
7. Where the Shadows Lie*
8. The Elven-gate**
9. Mirkwood**
10. Flies and Spiders
11. The Woodland Realm
12. The Elvenking
13. King and Captain
14. Feast of Starlight
15. Barrels Out of Bond
16. The High Fells
17. Bard the Bowman
18. The Nature of Evil
19. Smuggled Cargo
20. Lake-town
21. The Master of Lake-town**
22. The World of Men**
23. The Home of Bard
24. "It Is Our Fight"
25. The Prophecy**
26. A Warm Welcome**
27. The Parting of the Company**
28. The Lonely Mountain**
29. A Spell of Concealment**
30. The Hidden Door
31. Son of Thrór*
32. On the Doorstep
33. Kingsfoil
34. The Courage of Hobbits
35. The Enemy Revealed**
36. Inside Information
37. The Black Arrow
38. In the Dragon's Lair
39. Under Arrest
40. Bilbo the Burglar
41. Smaug the Magnificent
42. Orc Attack
43. Confrontations
44. Elvish Medicine
45. Hunter and Hunted
46. "She Walks in Starlight"
47. A Desperate Plan
48. Duel in Lake-town
49. The Forges Relit
50. Smaug the Golden
51. Credits

* denotes a scene only available in the Extended Edition cut of the film.
** denotes a scene which includes extended content only available in the Extended Edition cut of the film.

Cast

See also:The Hobbit (film series)#Cast

Actor	Role
Frazer Anderson	Hunter Orc Lake-town resident
Richard Armitage	Thorin
Jim Baltaxe	Lake-town resident
Rodney Bane	Lake-town merchant
Dallas Barnett	"Bill Ferny, Sr."
Aleksandr Beliaev	Lake-town resident
John Bell	Bain
Vivien Bell	Lake-town woman
Manu Bennett	Azog
Terry Binding	Lake-town resident
Nick Blake	Percy
Orlando Bloom	Legolas
Shane Boulton	Ranger (Extended Edition only)
Jed Brophy	Nori
Riley Brophy	Lake-town resident
Adam Brown	Ori
Tony Burton	Lake-town resident
John Callen	Óin
Hong Chin	Lake-town resident
Colleen Cleary	Lake-town resident
John Colbert	Lake-town spy
Peter Colbert	Lake-town spy
Stephen Colbert	Lake-town spy
Trevor Cooper	Lake-town resident
Yvette Cottam	Lake-town resident
Raymond Cox	Lake-town resident
Paul Craze	Lake-town resident
Benedict Cumberbatch	Smaug The Necromancer
David Donaldson	Lake-town musician
Alison Draine	Lake-town woman
Frank Edwards	Dock worker
Greg Ellis	Net mender
Luke Evans	Bard Girion
Martin Freeman	Bilbo Baggins
Gary French	Prancing Pony patron
Stephen Fry	The Master of Lake-town
Ryan Gage	Alfrid
Paul Gaudin	Lake-town resident
Phoebe Gittins	Prancing Pony wench
Tim Gordon	Stallkeeper
Emily Gray	Lake-town resident
Mark Hadlow	Dori
Zackary Hajek	Mirkwood Elf
Craig Hall	Galion
Peter Hambleton	Glóin
Jamie Harrison	Hunter Orc
Ray Henwood	Old fisherman
Chris Hewer	Lake-town resident
Keirryn Hintz	Lake-town resident
Christian Hipolito	Lake-town resident
Kathryn Briggs Hobbs	Lake-town resident
Fataneh Howe	Lake-town resident
John Howe	Lake-town musician
Stephen Hunter	Bombur
Katie Jackson	Betsy Butterbur
Peter Jackson	"Ancestor of Albert Dreary" Lake-town spy (Scenes Deleted)
Norman Kali	Lake-town spy
Eli Kent	Lethuin
Robin Kerr	Elros
William Kircher	Bifur
Kelly Kilgour	Soury
Dean Knowsley	Elven guard Lake-town woman
Simon Leary	Lake-town resident
Alan Lee	Lake-town musician
Evangeline Lilly	Tauriel
Simon London	Feren
Lawrence Makoare	Bolg
Heli Matilainen	Lake-town resident
Simon McArthur	Lake-town resident
Sylvester McCoy	Radagast the Brown
Steve McDonald	Lake-town resident
Evelyn McGee	Lake-town spy
Walter McGinnis	Lake-town guard
Ian McKellen	Gandalf the Grey
Dallas McKinley	Lake-town guard
Carlton McRae	Lake-town resident
Graham McTavish	Dwalin
Cecil Mediano	Lake-town resident
Sebastian Meek	Lake-town woman
Liz Merton	Lake-town resident
Joseph Mika-Hunt	Lake-town resident
Ben Mitchell	Narzug
Mark Mitchinson	Braga
Mike Mizrahi	Thráin (Extended Edition only)
Keith Mole	Lake-town guard
Sarah Morgan	Lake-town resident
James Nesbitt	Bofur
Mary Nesbitt	Tilda
Peggy Nesbitt	Sigrid
Carter Nixon	Lake-town spy
Keith Nolan	Lake-town guard
Dean O'Gorman	Fíli
Stephen O'Neill	Lake-town resident
Jabez Olssen	Fishmonger
Lee Pace	Thranduil
Ivy Padilla	Lake-town resident
Karen Palmer	Lake-town resident
Sarah Peirse	Hilda Bianca
Mikael Persbrandt	Beorn
Wayne Phillips	Lake-town resident
Shane Rangi	Hunter Orc
Daniel Rathbon	Lake-town resident
Adebisi Riwanou	Lake-town resident
Steve Roche	Lake-town musician
Tania Rodger	Lake-town resident
Gabrielle Roque López	Lake-town resident
Brian Sergent	Spider
Kiran Shah	Prancing Pony Hobbit
Antony Sher	Older Thráin (Extended Edition only)
Fiona Simpson	Lake-town resident
Tim Simpson	Lake-town resident
Jeff Slaven	Lake-town resident
Allan Smith	Orc underling
Dianne Smith	Lake-town resident
Matt Smith	"Squint"
Ken Stott	Balin
Jennifer Tebbs	Lake-town resident
Royd Tolkien	Ranger (Extended Edition only)
Mark Trotter	Hunter Orc
Aidan Turner	Kíli
Lee Tuson	Lake-town man
Stephen Ure	Fimbul
Rosalie van Horik	Mirkwood Elf
Peter Vere-Jones	Spider
Manuela Vetters	Laketown resident
Zane Weiner	Lake-town spy
Ruben Werle	Lake-town resident
Richard Whiteside	"Butterbur, Sr." Lake-town guard
Christopher Winchester	Lake-town resident
Meg Winchester	Lake-town resident
Nikki Winchester	Lake-town resident
Min Windle	Hunter Orc
Joe Yabuki	Lake-town resident

Deviations from the source material

The film covers the seventh through twelfth chapters of The Hobbit with a few elements added from the Appendices from The Lord of the Rings. While it generally follows the story, a number of liberties were still taken:

• Thorin's encounter with Gandalf at the Prancing Pony in which the Wizard urges him to take back Erebor was not a chance meeting as it was in Tolkien's writings, but rather orchestrated by Gandalf himself.
• Instead of crossing Mirkwood's Enchanted River by boat, Bilbo and the Dwarves climb on vines that extend across the river. This scene is only seen in the Extended Edition of the film.
• In the book, Thorin was captured separately before the rest of the Company and kept captive in his own room (where he was treated and fed well) when he wouldn't reveal his purpose for being in Mirkwood. The other Dwarves weren't told he was there.
• Thranduil guesses the purpose of the Company's mission was to retake Erebor, and tries to make a deal with Thorin. In the book, he is oblivious to this.
• Thranduil at first allowed the other Dwarves to move about freely within his halls, but he finally locked them up, each to his own cell, because they were being obnoxious and insulting in the book. In the film, they are immediately locked up.
• Neither Legolas nor Tauriel appear in the book. Indeed, the latter character is a creation of the filmmakers.
• Bilbo hides the Dwarves in the barrels (with no tops) while the chief guard and Galion the butler were asleep, and he launches them into the river himself. In the book, the Elves themselves later pushed the barrels (which they thought were empty; they were also covered with lids) through the trapdoor and opened the portcullis at the water-gate to let the barrels into the river.
• In the book, the portcullis was a grate lowered down across the opening (the water-gate) that let the stream from the cave flow out into the river. In the film, the portcullis was a side-swinging type, and it wouldn't have kept anybody inside the cave because it was outside on the river.
• There is a pursuit by the Elves after the Dwarves' escape from the Elvenking's Halls (where the Elves did not yet know how the Dwarves had escaped), and the pack of Orcs who were pursuing the Company in the previous film catch up and attack as the barrels float down the river. The Elves then counterattack the Orcs.
• Kíli is struck with a Morgul arrow by Bolg during the barrel escape when trying to open the water-gate, and it slowly saps his strength through the rest of the film. He is ultimately healed by Tauriel (who uses athelas to do so) in Lake-town, where his health had become critical. No such incident occurs in Tolkien's works.
• Bard meets the Dwarves on the river, and Balin convinces him to smuggle the Company into Lake-town in the barrels. In the book, Raft-elves intercepted the barrels and made them into a raft they steered down the river to Long Lake where Men in boats pulled it into Lake-town with the undiscovered Dwarves still inside and Bilbo (still wearing his Ring) invisibly riding along.
• In addition to Bain, Bard has two other children: daughters Sigrid and Tilda. He is also revealed to be a widower.
• The Master of Lake-town has a majordomo in the film: Alfrid. He frequently informs the Master of various goings-on in the town, particularly the rumors of people plotting to possibly unseat him from his position of power - Bard, in particular. In the book, the Master had various aides who were unnamed and only briefly mentioned.
• Due to his worsening condition, Thorin refuses to let Kíli go up to the Mountain with the rest of the Company. Fíli and Óin opt to stay behind to look after him. Additionally, Bofur gets left behind after oversleeping. All thirteen Dwarves went up to the Mountain in the book.
• In the Extended Edition of the film, Gandalf encounters a gaunt, bewildered Thráin II while investigating Dol Guldur. He somewhat heals the Dwarf's insanity, and Thráin helps guide him through the fortress, also revealing that his father's ring had been entrusted to him and had ultimately been cut from his finger and taken from him by Azog during the Battle of Azanulbizar. Thráin is ultimately swallowed up by Sauron just before the Dark Lord reveals himself to Gandalf. This is evidently a reworking of the encounter of the two that took place in T.A. 2850 made to fit into the film trilogy's events, though Thráin does not give Thrór's Map and Erebor's Back Door key to Gandalf in the film (having done so on a previous, unseen occasion), nor does Gandalf not ever realise the Dwarf's identity during the meeting.
• In the book, the last rays of the setting sun on Durin's Day reveal the keyhole to the secret door into the Lonely Mountain, as predicted by the runes on the map. In the film, the light of the moon reveals the keyhole after the sun has set.
• Bard is imprisoned toward the end of the film, purely because the Master sees him as a threat.
• Bolg's Orc pack arrives in Lake-town to ambush the remaining Dwarves, but are foiled by the arrival of Legolas and Tauriel. They retreat once they realize Thorin has already reached the Mountain.
• Bilbo has only one audience with Smaug, and does not take a gold cup from him. He also takes his Ring off not long after the Dragon detects his presence.
• Smaug seems fully aware of Thorin and Company's presence, as well as Sauron's impending attack on the Dwarves.
• The climax of the film is an involved battle between Thorin's Dwarves and Smaug inside of the Lonely Mountain, in which they ultimately try (unsuccessfully) to drown the beast in molten gold after re-lighting the forges. In the book, the Dwarves never see the Dragon at all; by the time they head downstairs to the Dragon's lair, Smaug is long gone (in fact, although they don't know it at that point, he's already dead).

Gallery

See also: Category:Images from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Pictures from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Bilbo fights the spiders of Mirkwood   Bilbo and Sting   Barrels Out of Bond   Bilbo in the Lonely Mountain   Tauriel   Legolas confronts Thorin and Company   Gandalf in Dol Guldur   Dale in ruins   Bilbo and the butterflies in the canopy of Mirkwood

See also

• The Hobbit (film series)
  • An Unexpected Journey
  • The Battle of the Five Armies
• Images from The Desolation of Smaug
• The Desolation of Smaug posters
• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug soundtrack:
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Special Edition
• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug tie-in books:
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Chronicles: Art & Design
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Official Movie Guide
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Visual Companion
  • Children's books:
    • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Sticker Book
    • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: The Movie Storybook
    • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Ultimate Sticker Collection
    • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Activity Book
    • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Annual 2014

External links

• TheHobbit.com (official website)
• TheHobbitBlog.com (official blog)
• Peter Jackson's Facebook page