Say what you want about the classic fantasy novel The Hobbit, but one thing’s for sure: it’s a total sausagefest.
After all, there are no major female characters and the only one I can come up with off the top of my head is Bilbo’s cousin Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, who tries to steal Bag End while Bilbo is away. (There have to be women somewhere in Laketown, but I’m damned if I can remember them.) So, with just that to work with, how can Peter Jackson keep from doing an all-male cast? Well, he’s gonna make up some characters.
Yep, while he’ll be shoehorning in some Lord of the Rings women like Galadriel, he’s also adding some new characters like Itaril, a female elf, described in the casting notice as:
[ITARIL] FEMALE, A WOODLAND ELF, this character is one the Silvan Elves. The Silvan Elves are seen as more earthy and practical. Shorter than other elves, she is still quick and lithe and physically adept, being able to fight with both sword and bow. Showing promise as a fighter at a young age, ITARIL was chosen to train to become part of the Woodland King’s Guard. This is the only life she has ever expected to live, until she meets and secretly falls in love with a young ELF LORD. This role will require a wig and contact lenses to be worn. Some prosthetic make-up may also be required. LEAD. AGE: 17-27. ACCENT – STANDARD R.P.
Rumored to be up for the role? Saoirse Ronan, who played the young murdered girl in Jackson’s The Lovely Bones. Another woman that Jackson will be adding to the story is Frodo’s never-seen mom Primula Brandybuck. (He’s also adding his dad, Drogo Baggins.)
As Frodo was born after the time of the Hobbit, we’ll probably see these two before they get married, but will we get to see them die in a boating accident? And is it just us, or is a boating accident the least fantasy-sounding way to die?
[Bleeding Cool via The Mary Sue]