Galadriel and Saruman both appear in The Hobbit movie franchise, despite not having roles in J.R.R. Tolkien’s book — and there’s a good explanation for that. While The Lord of the Rings movies make a few significant changes to Tolkien’s source material, they’re considered more faithful adaptations of his work than The Hobbit films. Despite each of The Hobbit movies making around $1 billion at the worldwide box office (via The Numbers), they’re often criticized for their approach to the book.
Given the decision to turn one novel into three feature-length films, The Hobbit being different from Tolkien’s novel isn’t all that surprising. But the alterations and additions receive a lot of attention, and one point of contention is the inclusion of characters who appear in The Hobbit movies but not Tolkien’s book. Among these characters are Galadriel and Saruman, with Cate Blanchett and Christopher Lee both reprising their roles. Jackson has both characters reappear in his second trilogy, and while this diverges from the book, it actually fits with Tolkien’s greater lore.
Galadriel & Saruman Were Part Of The Hobbit’s Expansion
Peter Jackson’s Trilogy Had A Lot Of Space To Fill
The decision to adapt Tolkien’s 1937 book as three separate films is part of what went wrong with The Hobbit, as the source material doesn’t really lend itself to an expansion. Bilbo Baggins’ adventure is fairly straightforward, and there isn’t much emphasis on the battle sequences or greater politics in the novel. But Jackson’s trilogy needs to add such things, as filling out three films using just one 300-page book is no easy feat. This is why Galadriel and Saruman appear in the trilogy, despite their absence in the original story.
Adding Galadriel and Saruman makes sense beyond simply filling the movies’ runtimes.
These characters are part of the expansion effort — and they’re among the better additions to the films, considering they’re at least pulled from Tolkien’s writings. Some characters in The Hobbit trilogy were invented solely for the films, so drawing a few from the legendarium feels tame by comparison. And in terms of Warner Bros. building a fantasy franchise around Middle-earth, adding Galadriel and Saruman makes sense beyond simply filling the movies’ runtimes. It also improves the connection between Jackson’s projects, adding to The Hobbit‘s appeal.
Galadriel & Saruman Helped Prove Connectivity To Lord Of The Rings
Peter Jackson Was Keen On Bringing Back Members Of The Original Cast
Given the mainstream success of The Lord of the Rings movies, it’s no surprise that Jackson would want to play up their connection to The Hobbit trilogy. The director was clearly eager to bring back members of the original Lord of the Rings cast, even adding Orlando Bloom’s Legolas to the story. Having Blanchett and Lee make appearances allows for even more continuity between Jackson’s two series, helping him to build out a proper fantasy universe based on The Lord of the Rings. Additionally, these familiar characters played by well-known stars undoubtedly prove a draw for fans of the prior films.
Galadriel’s inclusion has the added benefit of attaching another female character to The Hobbit‘s roster, too — something the book is fairly short on. With The Lord of the Rings boasting heroines like Arwen and Éowyn, it makes sense for The Hobbit trilogy to lean further into that strength. And we know that Jackson wanted to make the gender divide more equal (via Slate), so including Galadriel is a means of addressing the source material’s absence of women. The same can be said of Tauriel’s introduction.
Galadriel & Saruman In The Hobbit Does Fit Tolkien’s LOTR Canon
Both Characters Are Where The Legendarium Says They Should Be
Although Galadriel and Saruman don’t feature in The Hobbit novel, it doesn’t go against Tolkien’s canon to include them in the films. The author’s writings in his appendices and Unfinished Tales reveal the details of both characters’ whereabouts during The Hobbit‘s timeline. And Jackson works them into his story without diverging from Tolkien’s history. The author’s legendarium confirms that both are part of the White Council when Bilbo’s journey unfolds, thus making sense of their involvement in the Dol Guldur story.
So, while some of the additions to expand The Hobbit movies are unpopular, Galadriel’s and Saruman’s roles shouldn’t raise any eyebrows. For Tolkien fans, they offer a glimpse of his greater lore, showing aspects of Middle-earth’s history that wouldn’t otherwise be put on-screen. And for those unfamiliar with the legendarium, they give the Lord of the Rings characters a backstory that wouldn’t otherwise be obvious. Either way, The Hobbit trilogy benefits from their inclusion, even if it marks a distinct change from the source material.
Source: The Numbers, Slate
The Hobbit
- Created by
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Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro
- First Film
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
- Latest Film
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The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- Cast
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Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Orlando Bloom
Summary
The Hobbit film series is a fantasy adventure trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit. Set 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, the films follow Bilbo Baggins’ quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. The series grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide and is known for its elaborate visuals and epic storytelling.
