Evangeline Lilly Joins Cast of ‘The Hobbit’

In a post over on his Facebook page over the weekend, Peter Jackson revealed that Lost‘s Evangeline Lilly has joined the cast of The Hobbit. Lilly will be playing the role of the Woodland Elf, Tauriel.

Here’s what Peter Jackson had to say about the new addition to the cast:

Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character—the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Her name means ‘daughter of Mirkwood’ and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! (No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas.) What is not a secret is how talented and compelling an actress Evangeline is; we are thrilled and excited she will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan Elf to life.

Additionally, Jackson revealed in the post that Australian comedian and actor Barry Humphries will be taking on the role of the Goblin King.

I’m also highly excited that Barry Humphries will be portraying the Goblin King, in much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum. Barry is perhaps best known for his business and social connections as the long-time manager of Dame Edna Everage. He has also been an ardent supporter of the rather misunderstood and unfairly maligned Australian politician, Sir Les Patterson. However, in his spare time, Barry is also a fine actor, and we’re looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves.

Lilly and Humphries will be joining Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellan, Christopher Lee, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving and Andy Serkis as confirmed stars for the film adaptation of The Hobbit.

The first of the movies, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, is due out in theaters December 14, 2012, with the second installment, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, following a year later on December 13, 2013.

While you’re here, check out Peter Jackson’s first video blog from the set of The Hobbit.

Image credit: Jean Baptiste Lacroix/FilmMagic