The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Beyond darkness... beyond desolation... lies the greatest danger of all.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
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Production
Budget
$225 000 000
Revenue
$959 027 992
Director
Scenario
J.R.R. Tolkien
Author
Composer
Producer
Actors
Ian McKellen
Gandalf the Grey
Martin Freeman
Bilbo Baggins
Richard Armitage
Thorin Oakenshield
Benedict Cumberbatch
Smaug / Sauron
Orlando Bloom
Legolas
Evangeline Lilly
Tauriel
Lee Pace
King Thranduil
Luke Evans
Bard / Girion
Short description
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug continues the journey of Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield as they press eastward toward the Lonely Mountain. Having survived the early stages of their quest, they face new perils along the way, including the shape-shifter Beorn and a swarm of giant spiders in the forest of Mirkwood. Captured by the wood elves and later escaping, the company reaches Lake-town and finally the mountain itself, where the dragon Smaug guards the dwarves' former treasure. The expedition tests both the courage of its members and the bonds between them.
Peter Jackson directed the film, the second instalment of his trilogy adapting J.R.R. Tolkien's novel and the thirteenth of the fifteen films he has directed, following The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and preceding The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. He wrote the screenplay with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, and produced with Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham. Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf, Martin Freeman as Bilbo, and Richard Armitage as Thorin, with Benedict Cumberbatch voicing Smaug, Orlando Bloom as Legolas and Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel among a credited cast of 66.
Released in December 2013, the film runs 161 minutes and was made for about 225 million US dollars, going on to take roughly 959 million dollars worldwide. It holds a 7.8 rating on IMDb from around 751,000 votes and a 7.6 on TMDB from some 14,592 votes; critics gave it 6.9 out of 10 across 251 reviews, placing it below the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- Robert Kazinsky was cast as Fili, and several scenes were even filmed with him, but then, about a month after filming began, he left the project and returned to England for personal reasons. Ultimately, the role went to Dean O'Gorman.
- Orlando Bloom is two years older than Lee Pace, who plays his father, King Thranduil.
- To prepare for the role of Tauriel, Evangeline Lilly received training in fencing and archery, as well as the Elvish language.
- Evangeline Lilly confessed that she has been a fan of Tolkien's novels since the age of 13.
- Peter Jackson appears in a cameo role at the very beginning of the film, walking by while chewing a carrot.
- Benedict Cumberbatch himself suggested reading the Necromancer's speech backwards to make it sound scarier.
- During a midnight showing of the film in São Paulo, Brazil, one of the speakers in the cinema broke after Smaug's first roar.
- While preparing for the role of Smaug, Benedict Cumberbatch studied iguanas and Komodo dragons in the reptile house of the London Zoo.
- Digital processing of Smaug's scales took a week.
- The throne of the Elven king is adorned with a pair of antlers from large deer.
- Artist Alan Lee appears in the film as one of the musicians, in the scene where several dwarves and Bilbo leave the Lake-town.
- The role of the Necromancer could have gone to Nathaniel Lees.
- Radagast and Bolg are mentioned only once in the book. In the film, they are among the main characters.
- Originally, the film was intended to cover the decades between the events of 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings,' but such filming proved impossible. The reason was a conflict of rights holders: Tolkien Enterprises owns the rights only to 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings.' A plot based on J.R.R. Tolkien's drafts would fall under the jurisdiction of his son, Christopher Tolkien, and his organization, the Tolkien Estate. Thus, filming an apocryphal film would require acquiring expensive rights, and Christopher Tolkien is also known as a staunch opponent of film adaptations.
- The love triangle between Kili, Tauriel, and Legolas was not present in the footage shot in 2011. These scenes were added at the studio's request during reshoots in 2012.
- Legolas has a nosebleed after the battle with Bolg. He was never previously injured in the 'Lord of the Rings' film trilogy.
- In the book, after the battle with the spiders, Bilbo tells his companions about the Ring he found, but this does not happen in the film.
- In the book, the dwarves and Bilbo managed to escape from the elves' fortress unnoticed, in sealed barrels, and were not pursued by orcs.
- In the book, all 13 dwarves and the hobbit set off for Erebor. In the film, several were forced to stay in Esgaroth.
- In the book, Beorn meets his guests at his home in his usual form, with Gandalf and Bilbo arriving first, and then, gradually, in pairs – the dwarves. This was at Gandalf's request, as Beorn was reclusive and a crowd of dwarves could have greatly angered him. In the theatrical version of the film, the dwarves burst into his dwelling, closing the door in front of the host rushing inside in the form of a bear, and the next morning they talk to Beorn as if nothing had happened. However, in the director's cut of the film, you can see a scene that almost completely corresponds to the book.
- When Thranduil almost notices Bilbo, you can see that he is wearing contact lenses.
- When the spiders attack the group in the forest, Bilbo Baggins puts on the ring and hears what the spiders are saying. At one point, he takes off the ring, but continues to hear the spiders.
- As Bilbo first runs into the Hall of Kings through the archway, Smaug collapses tapestries over it. With a change of shot, Bilbo is already running away from them far from the entrance.
- When Smaug ignites the furnaces with his fiery breath, the wooden objects on the floor remain intact.
- Legolas's clothing changes from scene to scene: in the Woodland Realm he is in elven armor, during the chase after the dwarves – in a green cloak, then during the interrogation of the orc he is again in armor. When Legolas meets Tauriel, he is once again in a green cloak.
- At the 18-19 minute mark, during Gandalf’s conversation with the werewolf, changes in shots from a close-up to a wide shot reveal differences in the courtyard scene's set design, specifically: a goat prop is easily noticeable, sometimes standing still, sometimes disappearing, and then reappearing; the piglet behind Gandalf is sometimes closer, sometimes further away; and the same is true for other members of the court.
- At the moment Bilbo throws off the barrels, there are 13 of them, but when Bard puts the barrels on his boat and forces them to hide inside, there are 14.
- Jeff Brodie starred in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (2012) and "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" (2013) as Nori. And his son, Sadwyn Brodie, starred as Eldarion in "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003).
- Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch filmed during breaks from shooting the series "Sherlock" (2010). Stephen Fry played Sherlock's brother, Mycroft, in the film "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" (2011), and Christopher Lee played Sherlock in "Sherlock Holmes and the Star of the Operetta" (1991), Sir Henry Baskerville in "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1959), and Mycroft in "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes" (1970), in which Robert Stephens starred as Sherlock (who also voiced Aragorn on BBC radio).
- According to screenwriter Philippa Boyens, Tauriel is an original character written specifically for the film: "We created her to bring a female energy into the film. And we believe that is absolutely in the spirit of Tolkien."
- Initially, Doug Jones was supposed to play King Thranduil, but Peter Jackson decided to cast Lee Pace instead, having become a fan of his after watching "Push" (2006).
- The actors of this film – Cate Blanchett, Martin Freeman, Lee Pace, Orlando Bloom, Richard Armitage, and Benedict Cumberbatch – were included in Empire magazine’s “100 Sexiest Movie Stars” list in 2013, according to its readers.
- When Benedict Cumberbatch was a child, his father, actor Timothy Carlton, read "The Hobbit" to him at bedtime.
- Gloin is deeply offended when his bearded wife is mistaken for his brother. In the film "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002), Gloin's son, Gimli, mentions that female dwarves are often mistaken for men due to facial hair.
- In the scene at the 145th minute, Bilbo falls from a collapsing stone platform and rolls across the floor. During the final turn, it’s noticeable that his sword bends upon contact with the ground. This is clearly a 'rubber' prop used for fall stunts.
- The film is based on the novella 'The Hobbit, or There and Back Again' (1937) by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
