The Hobbit: New Pics From An Unexpected Journey AND There And Back Again

Entertainment Weekly has published the first official photo from the third Hobbit film, The Hobbit: There And Back Again. (Click on image for a larger version.)

It shows Orlando Bloom reprising his role as Legolas along with the Laketown warrior Bard the Bowman, (Luke Evans). Peter Jackson explains what the elf is doing in the film (when he’s not in the book).

“He’s Thranduil’s son, and Thranduil is one of the characters in The Hobbit,” said Peter Jackson. “And because elves are immortal it makes sense Legolas would be part of the sequence in the Woodland Realm.”

Of the Bard writer/producer Philippa Boyens says: “Bard is an interesting character, but [in the book] he’s kind of a random character who comes in after the fact. We take more time introducing him. We know from what follows that he was a father, so we explore that. I don’t think we take liberties, because it’s all there in the storytelling.”

Entertainment Weekly has also published another image through its Facebook page from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, showing Gandalf facing off against the Goblin King.