ROTFL!!!!!!! 😀 Nice, Ann. Very nice.

I actually LIKED this guy in the book! I think they could have done better. 🙁 Who knows. Maybe he'll be better in the movie.

Beorn is a very good character, and I liked him too. Perhaps there is a chance that he will be much better than how we see him now. If only his hair was black! That would have made it a tad better, (though his beard is quite bothersome).

I agree that that's not at all how how I imagined him. I'm glad that's an illustration and not a photo - we can only hope the artist took a lot of liberty. A couple of things though. I also liked him in the book, but he is supposed to be kinda mysterious and a little scary. Also, that was /exactly/ my reaction when I first saw Thorin ("that's not what he looks like!!!"). I remember first seeing pictures of the dwarves and being really annoyed, but once I'd seen them act I felt a whole lot better. So here's hoping the same for Beorn!

Yes, it is good it's an illustration. 😉 But I have seen photos, and there isn't a real difference sadly. But I'm sure when seeing him act on screen I won't feel so inclined to judge his looks but rather his portrayal of Beorn. I think if he nails it I'll be sold and just learn to accept his looks.

Haha, thanks Jaygee

Yeah I always imagined Beorn with black hair

That's how I was with Elrond. He didn't look anything like I had pictured him in the books. But I've gotten used to him. Thorin looked just like I had imagined him (To my mom, no. She imagined him looking like Trumpkin :P) I always imagined Beorn as being blond, though I imagined him as a black bear. No idea why I thought he was blond and no good reason either. 😛

So... just looked up Benedict Cumberbatch on imdb. His roles in DoS are listed as "Smaug/ The Necromancer", but TABA just has "The Necromancer". I guess that means Smaug is going bye-bye in DoS.

*GASP* So what's TABA gonna be? The battle of the five armies, stuff with the necromancer, and the trip home?

I'm guessing if that's the case with Smaug, that there will be a lot in TABA even if Smaug's death does occur.
My best guess at what would be left would be: Arkenstone trouble, Elves and Men wanting treasure, BoFA, Thorin's death, whatever PJ puts in between the dwarves and Bilbo before he leaves, journey home, auction for Bag End, and perhaps some bridging over for LoTR And I am hoping that we may see Frodo being adopted, also that we may see Balin and Gandalf visit Bilbo (as he's aging) perhaps? ) And somewhere in there perhaps the Battle of Dol Guldor unless it takes place in DoS of course 😉

But I also think Smaug could be present in TABA if perhaps Smaug's death takes place without any talking. Or of course IMDb could be wrong 😉

of course IMDb could be wrong 😉

I certainly agree with that statement. They've been wrong before. I mean, it had SC listed as something in pre-production since, like, VDT....

All I know is, if they're making a WHOLE movie about The Battle of the Five Armies they better make it good. Fili and Kili better die defending Thorin =P

Lets hope they don't plan to make TABA mostly consisting of BoFA that would be pretty pointless 😛
But I agree they must die defending Thorin (I imagine if it was anyone else say Tauriel? you would be VERY upset Ann 😉 )

I agree to be wary of what's on IMDB. They still had Benedict only rumoured as Smaug when UJ came out (supposedly it was supposed to be a secret 😉 ). They might be holding back an official announcement exactly so we don't know whether he dies in DoS or not. Also if there were non-speaking parts, he should still be credited because he's also doing the motion capture (which I think is why he was credited in UJ). Finally, going back on what I just said about not believing IMDB, if they are right, it means that the Necromancer is in TaBa, leading me to suspect the finale of the battle of Dol Guldur will happen in that film (unless...gasp...they have him in the Battle of Five Armies *hopes desperately this is not the case).

[okay, that was a rather messed up, contradictory, speculative post :p Basically it means I have no idea what's going to happen when or how 😉 ]

Haha, no worries, Ajjie. I'm sure we all feel the same way. 🙂

*is pretty much lost because she hasn't read the book*