Film spoilers ahoy!

Christopher Lee has already spoken somewhat about his larger role in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. So we know that the White Council has a role to play, and we’ve always assumed that this will involve a quick trip down the road to Dol Guldur to have a chat with Sauron and his best buddies. Continue reading “Set pic: see Elrond in his armour at Dol Guldur”

Gandalf and Radagast at Dol Guldur We know that The Necromancer has a big role to play in The Desolation of Smaug. But just how big will it be? Will Dol Guldur be a relatively minor affair involving only Gandalf and his fellow wizards? Or will other key actors of The Hobbit be somehow drawn into the struggle in the south of Mirkwood?

In this feature, Ringer Captain Salt assembles what we know already form various actor blog posts, video logs and magazine articles and tries to tie it all together. Continue reading “Analysing the role of The Necromancer in The Hobbit”

If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.

Courtesy of Ringer narflet on the TORn messageboards, here is a cool summary of all the plot hints and twists that are revealed in the movie tie-in book The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Annual 2014.

Fair warning, these ARE plot spoilers. Keep away if you prefer surprises!

What do you make of it all? And if you like what you see, remember you can order your copy of the book from Amazon. Continue reading “Hobbit spoilers from The Desolation of Smaug annual!”

Dol Guldur from An Unexpected Journey. Several strongholds of elves and men are besieged while Frodo and Sam are trudging laboriously through Mordor to Mount Doom. In particular, Lothlórien repels three such assaults before Galadriel and Celeborn finally lead a counter-offensive against Dol Guldur.

“…the assaults were driven back; and when the Shadow passed, Celeborn came forth and led the host of Lórien over Anduin in many boats. They took Dol Guldur, and Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits, and the forest was cleansed.” Appendix B, Lord of the Rings.

That last sentence has often puzzled; people wonder exactly how Galadriel might have accomplished such a task. More, why is she doing now what ought to have been accomplished when the White Council drove Sauron from Dol Guldur years before? Continue reading “Dol Guldur’s destruction. Why Galadriel succeeds where the White Council fails.”

If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.

Philippa Boyens. Photo: KENT BLECHYNDEN/Fairfax NZ
Philippa Boyens. Photo: KENT BLECHYNDEN/Fairfax NZ
At the New York Premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Vulture spoke to Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson about the absence of Gandalf’s backstory from the film. In particular, they delved into why there’s no insight into why Gandalf assists the Dwarf company, and how he obtained the map and key of Thrain. Read on below the cut for some spoilery answers that hint at what we can anticipate for The Desolation of Smaug. Continue reading “The Hobbit and Gandalf’s backstory”