The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Needed New Characters Says Evangeline Lilly

"I am very concerned to this day that people will watch, and I'll be the black mark on the film. I know how adamant the purists are and I'm one of them! That said, upon reading The Hobbit again, as an adult, I can see why additional characters were needed to round out the story as an adaptation - especially female characters! The The Hobbit didn't include female characters at all and was a very linear story, a book for children, really. What [they] have done is all in perfect keeping with J.R.R. Tolkien's world, while adding a third dimension to an otherwise very two-dimensional story."

" With every film, you have to educate yourself on the material and it's often things you don't know a lot about. Right now I'm studying Elvish and having conversations with people about learning how to be an archer, a swordsperson and how to fight like an elf instead of a gritty convict. I will be in and out of New Zealand for the course of a year. For me it's perfect because I want to have time to spend with my family and relax and focus on my writing. This role gives me a framework within which to do that because I'm not working all the time but I'm working enough."