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"Game of Thrones" had an enormous cast and was filmed in locations all across Europe, from Iceland to Malta. It needed both to do justice to the world and characters described in author George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire," but the complicated logistics almost meant that recasting of B-list and below characters was inevitable.

For example: original Night King actor Richard Brake was replaced by Vladimir Furdik in season 6. Since the Night King's blue-skinned make-up remained the same, this recasting could escape notice. Other actor swaps on "Game of Thrones" were more obvious -- like how Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane was recast not just once but twice.

In both the books and TV series, the Mountain earns his name from his enormous size. He's about eight feet tall and half as wide, and his sword dwarfs many of the men he cuts down with it.

"Game of Thrones" had its share of recastings -- they were inevitable with a production and an ensemble as sprawling as the show had. The series had two Daario Naharises (Ed Skrein and then Michiel Huisman) and three Gregor Cleganes. After season 2, "Game of Thrones" also recast both of the younger Lannister-Baratheon siblings, Myrcella (Aimée Richardson and then future "First Omen" star Nell Tiger Free) and King Tommen (Callum Wharry and Dean Charles Chapman). Even Daenerys Targaryen was played by Tamzin Merchant, not Emilia Clarke, in the unaired (and then remade) "Game of Thrones" pilot.

One "Game of Thrones" recasting might have slipped your notice, though, because both successive actors were buried beneath make-up. That recasting would be the Night King, leader of the undead White Walkers. In seasons 4 and 5, the Night King was played by Welsh actor Richard Brake; you might recognize him as Joe Chill (murderer of Bruce Wayne's parents) from "Batman Begins,...

In Ridley Scott's 2012 sci-fi film "Prometheus," a group of astronauts travel to a distant planet, guided there by a series of ancient cave paintings discovered on Earth. It seems that tall, godlike aliens visited Earth many thousands of years ago and left a map that humanity would eventually be able to follow back to their homeworld. It might have taken us several millennia to develop long-range space travel, but we eventually have the wherewithal to follow the map.

Of course, when the astronauts arrive, they find strange, brutal things they can't understand. The tall godlike aliens, which they nickname Engineers, are all dead, having been killed by a menagerie of genetically engineered critters of their own making. Some unusual evidence leads the astronauts to believe the Engineers were preparing to travel to Earth with a cargo of killer monsters, hoping to seed our planet with them and kill us all.

Dan Martin (Lxxxiv) is an accomplished actor, producer, and writer, known for his dynamic performances and creative storytelling. With a career spanning films and television, Martin has made a significant impact in Hollywood. Notable roles include appearances in “Red” alongside Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren, and “NCIS: Los Angeles.” He has also been involved in the German drama “Tatort” and other international projects.

Beyond acting, Dan Martin has produced and written a range of projects. His work as a producer includes “No L!M!Ts: The Mission” and “Rainbow Bridge: The Story of Peter and Emily,” where he also served as a writer. His directorial debut, “Satanic Verses: A New Era,” showcases his versatility and creative vision.

Martin’s career is not just limited to acting and production; he has also made significant contributions to the fitness world as a CrossFit professional, earning the nickname “The Titan.” His passion for storytelling extends to writing,...

Mumbai, Feb 21 (Ians) Actress Saiyami Kher, who was recently seen in the webseries ‘Faadu’, recently took to her social media to share an action sequence that she filmed with the ‘Game of Thrones’ actor Conan Stevens. Conana played the character of Gregor Clegane in the series.

Sharing the video on her Instagram, she wrote in the caption, “Here is my action audition reel for the universe! Two years ago, I did a film called Wild Dog. Besides Loving the experience of working with the one and only Nagarjuna Garu, I also got to be a part of this incredible action sequence. If you aren’t a Game of Thrones fan, meet the 7 foot 4 inch mountain – Conan Stevens who played a character called Gregor Clegane”.

The scene is from her film with Nagarjuna called ‘Wild Dog’. The actress also shared an interesting anecdote that the scene finally didn’t make the cut because of covid.

The Mountain has shattered a world record.

Hafthor Bjornsson, who played Ser Gregor Clegane, better known as The Mountain, on “Game of Thrones,” has a deadlift world record. He lifted 1,104 pounds (501 kilograms) at Thor’s Power Gym in Iceland on Saturday while livestreaming the historic occasion.

The previous deadlifting record was set by fellow strongman Eddie Hall in 2016 for lifting 500 kilograms, becoming the first man to ever do it.

Bjornsson, who is 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 452 pounds, posted a video of the deadlift on his Instagram, letting out a roar after he drops the weight and finishes. He won the World’s Strongest Man competition in 2018 and has earned third place or higher every year since 2012.

The Mountain was played by two actors, Conan Stevens and Ian Whyte, in early appearances on “Game of Thrones,” then Bjornsson took over the role in season 4 until the finale.

On Instagram, he said,...

Samuel Goldwyn Films is releasing the Indonesian Western Buffalo Boys, today. This film, from director Mike Wiluam, involves a tale of vengeance - after two brothers lose their father. Jamar (Ario Bayu) and Suwo (Yoshi Sudarso) track down their father's killer as their hope for vengeance meets more and more resistance. Buffalo Boys was co-written by Raymond Lee. And, the film also stars: Pevita Pearce (The Sinking of Van Der Wijck), Tio Pakusadewo, Conan Stevens and Reinout Bussemaker. Now, a trailer, film poster and release details are available for fans of international thrillers, or of a new take on the Old West. An early review has mentioned the film blends both drama and comedy. On the martial arts sequences, Panos states: "the action choreography is one the film’s best aspects through the aforementioned combination that also includes elements of absurdity and humor, thus stressing the entertainment the movie offers...

"Let's give our people their justice." Samuel Goldwyn has released an official Us trailer for a western action film titled Buffalo Boys, coming from Indonesia (where it's set), and produced out of Singapore. This just premiered at the Fantasia and New York Asian Film Festivals this fall, and is also this year's Singaporean Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film. This "fun old-school western flick" is about two brothers named Jamar and Suwo who return to the land of Java to avenge their father, a murdered Sultan, after years of exile in America working on the railroads, and being cowboys. But they end up in a fight for their lives. The main cast of Buffalo Boys includes Yoshi Sudarso, Ario Bayu, Pevita Pearce, Tio Pakusadewo, Conan Stevens, Reinout Bussemaker, Zack Lee, and Sunny Pang. Holy hell, this looks badass!! Get a load of this, seriously - the action actually looks clear and kinetic.

In today’s film news roundup, “Buffalo Boys” gets Us distribution, Full Moon Empire buys a library, “Invincible” gets cast and a Liechtenstein-based film fund is announced.

Acquistions

Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired the North American rights to Mike Wiluan’s western “Buffalo Boys,” Singapore’s entry in the foreign-language Academy Awards category, Variety has learned exclusively.

The film stars Yoshi Sudarso, Ario Bayu, Pevita Pearce, Tio Pakusadewo, Conan Stevens and Reinout Bussemaker. “Buffalo Boys” will be released in theaters and VOD on Jan. 11.

The film begins in 19th Century Java as a brutal massacre and the murder of a sultan forces the sultan’s brother and infant sons to flee to the American Wild West. After working the railroads and learning the cowboy way of life, the boys return to their homeland to avenge their father’s death.

“Buffalo Boys” was produced by Mike Wiluan, Huang Junxiang, Tan Fong Cheng,...

Now that Season 7 is over, we have a giant “Game of Thrones”-shaped void in our lives. To help ease the loss, here’s some “GoT” trivia for you. Did you know these popular characters were recast? Ser Gregor Clegane In Season 1, The Hound’s older brother was played by Conan Stevens. When scheduling conflicts with his role as an Orc in “The Hobbit” arose, Stevens was replaced by Ian Whyte for Season 2, who was playing a White Walker. Icelandic actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson took over the role for the remaining seasons. Daario Naharis One of Daenerys’ (Emilia Clarke) love interests,...

‘Giants’ Spotted In Jungle As Conan Stevens Headlined Creature Feature Begins Filming In Bali Principle photography of the camp horror film “Dead Squad” has commenced in the Balinese jungle. Towering Aussie giant Conan Stevens, known for “Game Of Thrones,” is on location to play the mysterious character called ‘Z-13.’ He is joined by the world’s …

The post Cameras Roll On ‘Dead Squad’ first appeared on Hnn | Horrornews.net 2017 - Official Horror News Site...

A dancing slider teaser for Nacho Vigalondo’s Colossal and its city-wrecking monster has been revealed ahead of the film’s April 7th release. Also: preview pages from Spectral: Ghosts of War, Erika Ervin (Ahs: Freak Show) joins the Dead Squad cast, a Wizard World website update, Havenhurst release details, and a Scared to Death trailer.

Watch the New Slider Teaser for Colossal: “An unapologetic party girl dreams of a fresh start only to discover a mysterious and fantastical connection between herself and a city-wrecking monster on the other side of the globe.”

Written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo, Colossal stars Anne Hathaway, Dan Stevens, Jason Sudeikis, Tim Blake Nelson, and Austin Stowell. Following its time on the big screen at Sundance, Colossal will be released in theaters on April 7th by Neon.

If interested in reading a review of Colossal from our very own Heather Wixson, visit:

http://dailydead.

What is growing inside of Lou (Natasha Lyonne)? Danny Perez’s Antibirth can be yours on Blu-ray and DVD beginning February 7th. Also in today’s Horror Highlights: The Field Guide to Evil crowdfunding campaign, a clip from Friday’s episode of Paranormal Lockdown, Volumes of Blood trailer and poster, and the poster for Dead Squad.

Antibirth Blu-ray / DVD Release Details: Press Release: “Hard-drinking, pill-popping, bong-ripping Lou (Natasha Lyonne, Orange in the New Black) and her best friend Sadie (Chloë Sevigny, Boys Don’t Cry, American Horror Story) spend their days adrift in a druggy haze. But one wild night out becomes a bad trip that never ends when Lou wakes up with symptoms of an unexplained, highly abnormal pregnancy. Who — or what — is growing inside of her? Making its Blu-ray and DVD debut February 7th, 2017 from Scream Factory, in conjunction with IFC Midnight, Anitbirth also includes psychedelic clips, storyboards,...

Tagline: "All You Need is Dead." A few details are emerging for Dominik Hauser's Dead Squad. The film is currently in pre-production, in Bali, Indonesia. The film will star: Conan Stevens, Jonathan Looper, Ryan Sobolski and many more. The film will be a throwback to the classic films of the '80s. As well, the story involves a jungle river rafting trip, a lost city and a whole host of mysterious monsters. The film's concept poster and early story are hosted here. The early concept poster shows strong horror elements. The tagline "All you Need is Dead" haunts as creatures loom in the bottom of the frame. Looking like a scorched skull, ruins lay in the center nose-piece of the icon. A blood red title promises blood, while the blackness beckons you in. This graphic is a good one and offers viewers' a first visual glimpse, of the film.

Brothers Trailer. Karan Malhotra‘s Brothers (2015) movie trailer stars Akshay Kumar, Sidharth Malhotra, Jackie Shroff, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Conan Stevens. Brothers‘ plot synopsis: “Akshay plays David Fernandes, a school teacher who quits his job to become a full time mixed martial arts fighter to raise money for his ailing daughter. Sidharth Malhotra plays Akshay’s younger brother Monty Fernandes, who seems resentful of Akshay’s talent and feels overshadowed by him. He fiercely declares “David jaisa kabhi nahi bann sakta,” when called ‘incompetent’ by his alcoholic father Jackie Shroff. The two finally come face to face in the fighting ring and are pitted against each other in a tension-packed fight to the finish.”

Warrior was a great film from beginning to end. If Brothers can capture that film’s feel, tone, and magic all the while placing its own spin on the film, it could be good. Brothers has big shoes to fill.

Few minor characters on Game of Thrones have made as much of an impact (sorry) as Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane, the villainous Lannister henchman who, in Sunday night's memorable trial by combat, showed exactly why everyone's been whispering his name in fear for four seasons.

Here are a few things to know about Hafthór Björnsson, the Icelandic strongman who brought the Mountain to life.

He is literally one of the strongest men in the world.

At 6'9" and over 400 pounds, Björnsson has put his physique to the test in various strongman competitions. After previously finishing in third place in the World's Strongest Man competition,...

You can't really blame Bronn for not wanting to go up against the Mountain — have you seen that guy? He's huge!Of course, it depends which guy you're talking about. In season one of Game of Thrones, Ser Gregor Clegane was played by Conan Stevens — he was the one who shocked us at the King's Hand tournament when he shoved a wooden lance through the throat of Ser Hugh one day, and then sliced off the head of his own mare and nearly killed Ser Loras the next. Only through the intervention of his little brother, Sandor Clegane — the Hound — was he stopped. And it's amazing that Sandor even stepped up, considering his burned face came at the hand of his giant brother. Littlefinger related their "lovely little tale of brotherly love" to Sansa thusly: "The Hound was just a pup, 6 years old, maybe. Gregor, a few...

During his panel at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo, Manu Bennett (Spartacus, Arrow) talked about how he managed to inject more humane aspects to his villainous character Azog in the new Hobbit trilogy, as well as Arrow's latest shocker and more. Bennett spoke in great detail about how he had originally auditioned to play the great white orc Azog in Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy but ultimately lost the role to a fellow Spartacus actor Conan Stevens. Fans of the second season may remember Stevens as the massive German warrior who winds up getting his face sliced completely off by the title character. Stevens had already filmed all of Azog's scenes in full costume but Jackson wasn't satisfied with not being able to show more emotions on the villain's face. With only three...

We posted a motion poster for you last week that gave some of the details of the Blu-ray/DVD release of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, but now, thanks to the lovely folks at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, we have the full deets for you, including info on the very cool limited collector’s edition packaging, and some enticing clips to remind you of the awesomeness of the movie:

Trailer: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Available April 8

Clip: The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug – You Have No Right: Available April 8

Clip: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – It Is Our Fight: Available April 8

Clip: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Your World Will Burn: Available April 8

Clip: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – I Found Something: Available April 8

Clip: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Into the Barrels: Available April 8

Continue The Epic Adventure When “The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug,...

If you don’t give and get spring baskets of goodies every year, maybe it’s time to start a new tradition, because Warner Bros. has announced that The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will be released as a 3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet Combo Pack on April 8, and nothing says “Happy Spring!” like dwarves and dragons.

To celebrate, Warner Bros Online has released this very cool 30-second motion poster:

Motion Poster: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Blu-ray Release

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is available 4/8/14 on 3D Blu-Ray at the WB Shop http://bit.ly/GetTheHobbitTDOS

The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.

Isn’t that description adorable? Ooo, a magical ring, I wonder what that’s all about?!

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,...

Games of Thrones producers have inexplicably replaced Ed Skrein in the role of mysterious mercenary Daario Naharis with Michiel Huisman.

Michiel Huisman Lands Role Of Daario

It’s unknown why Skrein will no longer inhabit the role of Daario, but trailers for Game of Thrones Season 4 show Huisman in the part and looking quite different that his predecessor. Skrein, with his devilish smile and long golden hair, played Daario as a flamboyant and passionate man, as well as an impossibly skilled assassin. In shots of the dark, curly-haired Huisman in the part, it looks like Daario is going to be even more toned down than the blue-haired version in the books for the foreseeable future.

Huisman, who stars as Liam McGuinnis on Nashville, is set to play a major part in the fourth season of Game of Thrones and to return for the HBO series’ fifth season as well. Alongside...

So. You say you are a fan of pillaging villages and wearing hats with horns? Then we have a giveaway for you! We have 3 DVDs and posters for Vikingdom, starring Dominic Purcell, Craig Fairbass, and Conan Stevens. Based on Viking mythology, Eirick (Dominic Purcell) battles from hell and beyond to retrieve the mystical artifact, Odin's Horn, before Thor and his army can unleash its powers to conquer the world.As you are well aware by now, I do not usually make my skill testing questions that hard because everyone deserves a fair crack at winning. And I keep the rules simple. One entry per household for U.S. residents only (I don't like it either, living in Canada, but it bears repeating; if any other distributors want...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Vikingdom will be laying waste to your home video collection in just a couple of weeks and right now we have your chance to score a copy on us along with a poster without having to attack, besiege, or bludgeon anyone. Cool huh?

To enter for your chance to win, just send us an E-mail Here including your Full Name And Mailing Address. We’ll take care of the rest.

Directed by Yusry A. Halim, the flick stars Dominic Purcell of "Prison Break," Conan Stevens of The Hobbit trilogy, Craig Fairbrass, Jon Foo, and Natassia Malthe.

Synopsis

Based on Viking mythology, a forgotten King Eirick (Dominic Purcell) battles from hell and beyond to retrieve the mystical artifact, Odin’s Horn, before Thor and his army can unleash its powers to conquer the world.

Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!

Got news? Click here to submit it!

Dance with the Techno-Viking in our comments section below!

The new flick Vikingdom will be laying waste to your home video collection in just a couple of weeks, so hide your precious DVDs and pray these badass digital warriors don't start hacking and pillaging your man or woman cave.

Directed by Yusry A. Halim, the flick stars Dominic Purcell of "Prison Break," Conan Stevens of The Hobbit trilogy, Craig Fairbrass, Jon Foo, and Natassia Malthe.

Synopsis

Based on Viking mythology, a forgotten King Eirick (Dominic Purcell) battles from hell and beyond to retrieve the mystical artifact, Odin’s Horn, before Thor and his army can unleash its powers to conquer the world.

Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!

Got news? Click here to submit it!

Dance with the Techno-Viking in our comments section below!

This isn’t much of a spoiler, but we might as well label it as so just in case you’re on total lockdown from any information regarding Game of Thrones’ upcoming fourth season. While his role has been known for a while, there are aspects of Haftor Julius Bjornnson’s casting that hint at things to come. You wouldn’t be able to guess what Season 4 has in store for him, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be spoiled to the fact there is something coming that will involve him. So if you can, close your eyes so you don’t see Bjornsson all done up in costume as The Mountain.

Bjornnson posted the photo of himself to his Instagram, giving fans of Game of Thrones a good look at the latest interpretation of Ser Gregor Clegane Aka The Mountain That Rides Aka the older brother of Sandor Clegane.

"Game of Thrones" fans can get their first look at Season 4's version of the character of The Mountain -- played by Hafthor Julius Bjornsson. The Icelandic actor posted a photo in costume via Instagram.

Related: First look at Red Viper and Ellaria Sand (and Bjornsson)

The character of Gregor Clegane, known as the Mountain because of his intimidating size, has previously been played by two other actors, Conan Stevens (in Season 1) and Ian Whyte (in Season 2). The Mountain did not appear in 2013's Season 3.

Note: Gregor Clegane is a notoriously awful person and will not likely have such a nice smile in "Game of Thrones."

Season 4 of "Game of Thrones" will air on HBO in the spring of 2014.

Unsheathe thy blade and swill thy mead, for we have a giveaway! Courtesy of Universal Pictures UK, you can win a copy of Vikingdom on DVD. Are the gods in your favour? Enter and find out!

Unleashed upon the UK on 26th December via DVD and Blu-ray, Yusry A. Halim's Vikingdom is an adrenaline-fueled, high octane adventure that's sure to blast you out of your Christmas Day food coma.

From a time when the gods walked among men and kings became the stuff of legends, comes a feast of visual effects, myths, and true historical events. Released on DVD and Blu-ray on 26 December 2013, from Universal Pictures (UK) and Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production entity of Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Vikingdom stars Dominic Purcell of "Prison Break," Conan Stevens of The Hobbit trilogy, Craig Fairbrass, Jon Foo, and Natassia Malthe.

To celebrate the release of Vikingdom, we have a copy on DVD to give away!

As he promised, Peter Jackson has released the final video production diary for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and it’s all about the soundtrack process. We get to see the concert hall where the recording took place (and where the Beatles once performed) and we get to see Peter Jackson‘s bare feet propped up on a table again (apparently it’s his preferred viewing pose) and so much more:

Featurette: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Production Diary 14

Be looking for our review of the soundtrack for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug next week.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchette, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Ken Stott, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ian Holm, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Conan Stevens, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans,...

Film: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"; Cast: Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Manu Bennett, Dean O'Gorman, Graham McTavish, Peter Hambleton, Mikael Persbrandt, Adam Brown, William Kircher, Jed Brophy, Conan Stevens, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow, Billy Connolly, Stephen Fry; Director: Peter Jackson; Rating: *** 1/2 - The Desolation of Smaug' - an exciting visual opus.

If the first instalment of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" was visually splendid, then "The Desolation.

It’s here it’s here it’s finally here! The premiere we’ve been waiting for, for just about a year now. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug hits theaters today, and to celebrate, we have one more clip and poster for your Middle-earth enjoyment. Feast your eyes:

Clip: The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug – Your World Will Burn

Orcs. Ugly as ever.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchette, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Ken Stott, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ian Holm, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Conan Stevens, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, Barry Humphries and Benedict Cumberbatch hits the theaters on December 13 – Today.

It’s finally The Week! The week of the premiere of Part Two of the Hobbit trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, throughout the land, in a variety of formats and venues. To help ramp up the squee factor, we have the tenth TV spot and a nice interview featurette with star Martin Freeman who talks about why the movie isn’t just for geeks (though obviously we are welcome):

Featurette: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Martin Freeman on the Themes

TV Spot: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – #10

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchette, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Ken Stott, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ian Holm, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Conan Stevens, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, Barry Humphries and...

Depending on when you’re reading this, only just over one week separates us from the sure wonder of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Do you have your ticket yet? Will you be seeing it in IMAX High Frame Rate 3D? RealD 3D? Digital 3D? Standard format? So many choices.

Here’s an easy choice for you: to watch, or to not watch, Peter Jackson‘s latest Production Diary for the movie. Watch, obviously. My favorite part is near the end, with Jackson doing some fun fantastic camera work:

Featurette: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Production Diary 13

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchette, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Ken Stott, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ian Holm, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Conan Stevens, Orlando Bloom,...

If your day needs more clips from The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, we're happy to oblige. And if you're trying to avoid clips in advance of its release on December 13, what are you doing on this page? brightcove.createExperiences(); brightcove.createExperiences(); brightcove.createExperiences(); brightcove.createExperiences();The film continues Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and the dwarf company’s journey to the Smaug-ruled ruins of Erebor as our pint-sized heroes (and Ian McKellen’s Gandalf) meet new potential allies and continue to flee from those nasty Orc villains.Obviously we’ve met the main gang, so the fun here will be encountering new – and new / old friends – such as Evangeline Lilly’s warrior elf Tauriel, Lee Pace's Elvenking Thranduil and Orlando Bloom’s Legolas. With the likes of Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, Dean O’Gorman, Luke Evans, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens and Stephen Fry also in the cast, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug...

Last night was the world premiere of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second in The Hobbit trilogy of films. In celebration of the premiere, over 30 screenshots have been released, along with some behind the scenes pics, all for us to relish until we finally get the Regular People premiere on December 13. These screen shots are an absolute visual feast.

Following the pics, take a look at our first chance to see Smaug in full; on the side of an Air New Zealand plane. Hobbit design company Weta had to create the dragon for the airline, since there’s no single shot that shows the entire dragon. Cool.

Featurette: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Air New Zealand: Smaug Has Landed

If you must see all things Hobbit, here’s over an hour’s worth of coverage of the “black carpet” premiere. Nothing actually happens until about 12 minutes in,...

Some of you may have approached this long holiday weekend with a certain amount of dread, but hopefully it hasn’t turned out to be as terrifying as a newly wakened ancient dragon. Compare and contrast your situation with those one presented in the latest TV spot for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug:

TV Spot: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – #9

Hopefully yours has been and continues to be a dragon-free weekend.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchette, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Ken Stott, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ian Holm, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Conan Stevens, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, Barry Humphries and Benedict Cumberbatch is scheduled to hit the theaters on December 13.

Genre: Fantasy | Adventure

Director: Peter Jackson

Writers: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Run Time: 184 minutes plus approx. 556 minutes of bonus features

Movie Synopsis:

The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome Dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the Wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of 13 Dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild, through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins, Orcs and deadly Wargs, as well as a mysterious and sinister figure known only as the Necromancer.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the Goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the...

It’s a near-perfect storm of big sci-fi entertainment wonderfulness today, isn’t it, friends? The big Who anniversary of course, and the premiere of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and even though there’s no Grimm or Dracula tonight, we still, thank Syfy, have Haven. And what else? How about tickets now on sale for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug?

And to celebrate, we have a new TV spot for the movie, this time with a lot of looks at new-to-the-franchise character Tauriel, played by Evangeline Lilly (Lost). After that we have a helpful infographic that, if studied consistently between now and December 13, will enable you to accurately identify each of the 13 dwarves:

TV Spot: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – #8

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchette, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish,...

We’ve been spending a lot of energy on the countdown to Saturday for a certain TV show, but there’s another countdown going on; the countdown to Thursday, November 21, when tickets go on sale for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Then it’s only three more weeks til the premiere!

To celebrate, we have five new character posters, the seventh TV spot with some teeny bits of glorious new footage, and an absolutely hiliarious and charming Hobbit-inspired featurette from Air New Zealand:

TV Spot: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – #7

You’ll have to look quick to see the cameo by Sylvester McCoy (Radagast the Brown) in this Air New Zealand featurette, but you’ll have no trouble spotting Dean O’Gorman (Fili).

Featurette: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Just Another Day in Middle-Earth #airnzhobbit

New Zealand is definitely on my Someday If the Stars Align list; it is absolutely gorgeous.

The completely terrifying and absolutely gorgeous dragon Smaug, voiced by the excellent Benedict Cumberbatch, kicks off the latest TV spot for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which also includes several nice long looks at some equally terrifying and maybe less gorgeous giant spiders. Here’s an even better look at them in the latest Facebook banner:

Now for that TV spot:

TV Spot: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – #6

That’s right, kids, don’t forget to pick up your opening night tickets this Friday!

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchette, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Ken Stott, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ian Holm, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Conan Stevens, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, Barry Humphries and Benedict Cumberbatch is scheduled to hit...

One month and one day! Only one month and one day until the premiere of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug! Today, to celebrate, we bring you the fifth TV spot for the movie, along with a gorgeous new banner.

TV Spot: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – #5

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchette, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Ken Stott, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ian Holm, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Conan Stevens, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, Barry Humphries and Benedict Cumberbatch is scheduled to hit the theaters on December 13.

Monday’s fan event for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has been a launching point for so much Hobbit-y goodness that we just had to take a breath. Ready to dive in again, today we bring you the new, gorgeous, theatrical poster, and a music video from Ed Sheeran, “I See Fire”, which looks to be, to The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, what “Song of the Lonely Mountain” was to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:

Featurette: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Music Video: I See Fire

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchette, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Ken Stott, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ian Holm, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Conan Stevens, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, Barry Humphries and Benedict Cumberbatch...

If you were able to watch today’s Fan Event for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, you saw a massively great new trailer with lots of new footage, as well as a new production video for the movie, plus a great live Q&A session with Peter Jackson and some of the stars, including Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Orlando Bloom, and Richard Armitage.

If you missed the event, no worries; you can watch the trailer and production video below, and then click on the link for the entire session.

Trailer: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Official Sneak Peek

Featurette: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Production Diary 12

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s the link to the replay of the Q&A session; we’re not sure how long it will remain available, so watch it sooner rather than later. Come On, December!

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,...

Now that we’re in the month before Premiere Month for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, all sorts of hobbit-ish, dwarfish, elvish wonderfulness is headed our way. There’s today’s fan event, of course, but we also have a new TV spot and seven – count ‘em, seven! – just-released character posters. Better check it all out before the fan event, and definitely before December:

TV Spot: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – #4

And here are the gorgeous character posters:

Remember, advance tickets go on sale November 21…

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchette, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Ken Stott, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ian Holm, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Conan Stevens, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, Barry Humphries and Benedict Cumberbatch is scheduled to...

New footage! Cast interviews! Today! The press release below gives some of the information about today’s fan event for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, but the main thing you need to know is that, if everything goes right, you can watch it right here on this post at 5pm Eastern, 2pm Pacific, at the link directly below this paragraph. We are advised by Warner Publicity that the link will automatically update from PreState, to live video and finally to VOD after the event.

If the link isn’t working, we’re told you should be able to watch by clicking here or here.

Worldwide Fan Event For “The Hobbit: The Desolation Of

Smaug” Set For November 4, 2013 Fans Get Chance to Meet New Stars Joining the Trilogy, Catch an Exclusive First Look at Footage from “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” and Participate in a Live Q&A with...

Update: The (probably) final piece of poster art for The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug has made its debut online and we've added that in just below. As planet cinema gears up for the next part of Bilbo and co's adventures and Smaug prepares for a solid desolating, The Hobbit's marketing should begin to hit overdrive. These mighty new one-sheets showcase the main characters. {New Mega Massive Hobbit Posters}The film continues Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and the dwarf company’s journey to the Smaug-ruled ruins of Erebor as our pint-sized heroes (and Ian McKellen’s Gandalf) meet new potential allies and continue to flee from those evil Orc villains.And there's more from us! An in-depth breakdown of the Desolation Of Smaug trailer and four - count 'em - Hobbit covers adorning the new issue of Empire. brightcove.createExperiences(); With the first film's team returning and Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly,...

Good news, impatient fans of the Shire. Although The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition won’t be released on Blu-ray and DVD until November 5, you can actually download and watch it now, including 13 minutes of extra film footage that extends individual scenes, on iTunes.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition on iTunes includes exclusive early access to nearly nine hours of new special features as part of iTunes Extras, including “The Appendices Part 7 – A Long-Expected Journey: The Chronicles of The Hobbit” and The Appendices Part 8 – Return to Middle-Earth”.

The Appendices is a multi-part chronological history of the filming of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, covering pre-production in the various departments of the film in the months leading up to the start of principal photography, the boot camp training for the main cast, the work done on set chronologically through the three shooting blocks and in the world of its digital effects.

This is the latest poster for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The poster focuses on the elf characters in the film, including Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), and Thranduil (Lee Pace). Here are some interesting observations about the poster that were pointed out by The One Ring,

This is a very elf/Mirkwood oriented poster. The figure holding the tall spear at the bottom appears to be a Mirkwood elf such as those we saw fighting on the watchtower in trailer #2, and Azog seems to be at the tail-end of the line of silhouetted orcs and goblins at the very bottom. But is that Bolg at the front? It is a tall figure, and the weapon shape seems right, and so does the armour including the greaves protecting the shins. So, maybe we will see Bolg after all in Dos? With his absence from the Lego sets,...

Most of us are used to seeing Iron Man or Loki attack Thor, but in the case of the low-budget fantasy epic Vikingdom, actor Dominic Purcell is tasked with that enormous challenge, made even more daunting because this interpretation of Thor is played by the seven-foot-tall Conan Stevens...

...and he’s a very angry, very red-headed version of the God of Thunder.

Purcell plays a forgotten king, Eirick, who has returned from the dead to lead an army against the mighty Thor, who has grown tired of the humans and their attempt to replace the Greek pantheon with Christianity. Talking with Purcell, he seems to be acutely aware of what kind of movie he’s in and fully expects to fall victim to a few arrow shots from critics.

DC: Was your father Norwegian? Is that right? Did you grow up with more of an awareness of Norse mythology because of his background?...

Only two months and two days until the premiere of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug! Today we have the third TV spot, and I’m happy to report that unlike so many other movies’ TV spots, every one so far has included new footage and at least a wee bit more in the way of lines. I just checked to make sure, and you’ll be able to as well, since TV spots 1 and 2 are included after the new, number 3.

But first, make sure to note the announcement at the end of the new spot:

TV Spot: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – #3

That’s right, mark your calendars, kids – advance ticket sales begin November 21!

TV Spot: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – #1

TV Spot: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – #2

Now if only all the TV spots could be as long as the second one. Ah well, just...

In actuality we greet these first TV spots for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug with greatful ears as well as eyes, because oh how we adore Benedict Cumberbatch‘s voice as Smaug. We get that and so much more in these wonderful gifts to fans. Enjoy, friends, and prepare:

TV Spot: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – #1

TV Spot: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – #2

And because we love it so much, here’s that first official trailer again:

Trailer: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Official #1

These are only the first two TV spots of what are sure to be many, and don’t you worry, we’ll have them all here on SciFiMafia.com.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchette, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Ken Stott, Mikael Persbrandt,...