Evangeline Lilly, along with fellow Hobbit actors Martin Freeman and Orlando Bloom, hit the red carpet in Los Angeles last night for the world premiere of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The second installment of The Hobbit series hits the theaters on December 13.
Lilly plays Elf warrior Tauriel in the new film and gives Legolas (Orlando Bloom) a run for his money as far as skills with the bow and arrow go. Lilly’s character didn’t appear in the book, but was instead created by director Peter Jackson to bring in another female to a mostly male cast.
Since there isn’t a lot known about Lilly’s character, thanks to the character not previously existing in Tolkien lore, Lilly provided the following description of Tauriel. “Tauriel is the head of the Elven Guard. She’s a Sylvan Elf, which means she’s of a much lower order than the elves we all became acquainted with in The Lord of the Rings,” Lilly said. “She doesn’t hold the same kind of status that Arwen or Galadriel or Elrond or Legolas do–she’s much more lowly. She sort of goes against the social order of the elves a little bit.”
While a lot of fans are hoping to see a little on-screen romance between Lilly and Bloom, Lilly isn’t giving away any details, but does describe Tauriel and Legolas’s relationship as “significant.” At any rate, from the poster one user shared on Twitter, it looks like the pair will at least woo the audiences with their butt-kicking abilities, even if nothing romantic pans out.
Orlando Bloom and @EvangelineLilly poised for action as Legolas and Tauriel in #TheHobbit: The Desolation of Smaug pic.twitter.com/7pjAvJneZ3
— The Hobbit Movies UK (@HobbitMoviesUK) October 1, 2013
Despite the fact that Tauriel is a newbie as far as the other character are concerned, some people are certainly embracing the Elf and Lilly was even featured in a stamp series for The Hobbit in New Zealand, where the movies were filmed. “I’m on a stamp and coin from Middle-earth. It doesn’t get much cooler than that,” Lilly said. “I have so much love for New Zealand and so I’m honored that she is showing me such love.”
Check out the trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug below.
[Image via YouTube]