Casting update: Evangeline Lilly joins The Hobbit

eter Jackson took to Facebook on Sunday 19th June to announce that Evangeline Lilly and Barry Humphries have joined the cast of The Hobbit.

Lilly, best known for her work as Kate on Lost, has signed on to play a new character, a woodland elf called Tauriel. Jackson explained that her name means ‘daughter of Mirkwood’. Unfortunately, that is the only piece of information we’re getting on. However, Jackon did explain that the character will not have a romantic connection to Legolas.

Humphries, meanwhile, the man most famous for his comedy character Dame Edna Everage, will play the Goblin King. He will be filmed “in much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum,” Jackson explained.

This casting news is hot on the heels of the recent announcement that Luke Evans and Benedict Cumberbatch had joined the cast. Evans is signed up as Bard while Cumberbatch will voice the dragon, Smaug.

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is out 14th December 2012
• The Hobbit: There and Back Again is expected December 2013
• www.facebook.com/PeterJacksonNZ