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The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Hobbit:
Desolation of Smaug Ideas

Legomir
Rivendell

Feb 9 2013, 9:25pm

Post #1 of 13 (6459 views)
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Desolation of Smaug Ideas Can't Post

Hi all!

This is my first post here, though I have been lurking around for years, so if this topic doesn't belong here or has already been done, feel free to say so.

Anyway, seeing as I loved An Unexpected Journey just as much as I loved the original trilogy, I've been thinking about what I think will happen in the next one, The Desolation of Smaug. Things kind of expanded and now I have a very, very long (probably too long) idea of how things might turn out. Of course it will probably end up being completely different, but still, I decided that it would be fun to post it here and see if anybody has anything to say. So here it is:

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Azog takes control of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains following the death of the Great Goblin. He seeks revenge on Thorin Oakenshield and wants to take their case to Mount Gundabad to raise an army to take over the Lonely Mountain.
Meanwhile, the company of Thorin travels to the hall of Beorn, a skin-changer. Beorn welcomes the group, and verifies their story by traveling to the slope of the mountain with his kin and seeing Azog and his army traveling to Gundabad.
In the fortress of Dol Guldur, the Necromancer, actually Sauron, sends his servants, the Nazgul, across the land to build up his army, readying themselves for the conquest of Middle-Earth. Nazgul agents spread across the world. Around the Desolation of Smaug, a raid of Orcs is heard of by the guard of Lake-Town, including Bard. Bard and his men try to stop the raid but the Orcs are recruited by the Nazgul and all of the guards are killed except for Bard. Bard returns to Lake-Town and tells the Master that something is going on with the Orcs and that they need to ensure that Smaug himself will not be recruited. However, the Master dismisses him; nobody knows that the Master and his servant Alfrid are being paid off by Bolg, the leader of the Dol Guldur Orcs.
Radagast arrives at Beorn’s Hall and tells Gandalf and Beorn that they need to stop the Necromancer before his darkness spreads across Middle-Earth. Gandalf decides to go with him to find evidence for the White Council to declare war, parting ways with Thorin’s company in an emotional farewell. The company is directed towards the now-dangerous Mirkwood Forest. The company is anxious without Gandalf, but enter the forest nonetheless.
Gandalf, Beorn, and Radagast travel to The High Fells, where the men of the North once trapped all of the Nazgul. They find all of the graves empty, and find traces of dark magic that only Sauron could have summoned. This is their proof. Gandalf has Radagast send birds to all of their allies across Middle-Earth, hoping to stop the evil before it has a chance to start. The birds go to Lothlorien, Rivendell, Isengard, Thranduil’s Hall, and Lake-Town. Galadriel and Elrond agree to send forces right away. Saruman considers stopping all of this, but determines that the Necromancer’s powers could be given to him if he was defeated, and so he sends forces. Thranduil and the Master both refuse, Thranduil because he does not want to get involved, and the Master because of Bolg. Thranduil’s refusal greatly angers his son, Legolas, who decides to take some forces anyway, including Tauriel.
Meanwhile, Bilbo faces his fears in the dark forest. The company encounters an enchanted river that puts anyone who wades in it to sleep. Fili and Kili manage to get a boat from the banks, but Bombur falls into the river and is put to sleep. During the night, they protect Bombur’s body, and notice many dark things around them. Eventually, trying to find their bearings, they send Bilbo up a tree. Bilbo breaks the canopy of the forest and finds the view beautiful.
That night, giant spiders attack and capture the Dwarves, bringing them to their lair at the base of the ancient fortress of Dol Guldur. Bilbo barely manages to escape with the aid of his mysterious Ring, and travels after the spiders to rescue his friends. When he arrives at Dol Guldur, so do the armies of the White Council. Immediately, a battle is raged. The Necromancer has already amassed a powerful army and they fight not only with the Elven armies but also with Beorn’s men and many of Radagast’s animals. During the chaos of battle, the Necromancer feels a mysterious energy from below (the Ring), and sends Bolg to investigate.
Bilbo rescues the Dwarves and battles the spiders, killing each of them bravely. He decides to name his sword Sting because of the endeavor. However, Bolg arrives and the company is forced to retreat. Bolg’s father is Azog, and he knows of the vendetta against Thorin. As such, he takes an Orc army to pursue them.
Meanwhile, the White Council army is almost defeated but manages to break into Dol Guldur and defeat the Nazgul, who flee with the Necromancer. In a stunning display of power, Galadriel uses her magic to actually crumble the fortress, destroying all within.
The White Council parts ways following the battle, believing that they have purged the world of darkness once more. Saruman steals several sacred objects, including a Palantir, from the ruins and returns to Isengard. Gandalf, however, is not happy with the lack of a body for the Necromancer, and decides to continue investigating alongside Radagast.
Meanwhile, Bilbo watches as the company is captured by Legolas and Tauriel, who are returning home to Thranduil’s Hall. Thranduil, already furious at Legolas, locks the Dwarves in the dungeons until they reveal their quest. Bilbo manages to infiltrate the Hall and hides out for a while. He is eventually captured by Tauriel, but she does not turn him in. Instead, she guesses that the Dwarves are trying to defeat Smaug, and Bilbo confirms it. She had heard the White Council speaking of the dangers of Smaug and the Necromancer, and so she helps Bilbo free the Dwarves. They drug Galion, the butler, and hide the Dwarves in wine-barrels before sending them bobbing down the river. Thranduil is furious when he learns of this, and sends his men to find them.
Gandalf and Radagast travel to the Desolation and are disturbed to learn that Bilbo and the others have not made it to Lake-Town yet. Gandalf discovers that the Master of Lake-Town is in league with the Orcs and is providing shelter for them (including one Nazgul). The two are forced to flee, but are caught and taken by the nomadic Orcs. During all of this, Azog and his Orcs plead their case to the leaders of Mount Gundabad, who refuse to aid him, citing the recent defeat of the Necromancer as proof that the Orcs will never rise, despite their being millions of them.
As the company travels down the river, they are attacked from the banks by Bolg and his men. The group barely manages to escape when the Orcs become engaged in a fight with Thranduil’s elves. The company eventually manages to make it to Lake-Town, and they are rescued by Bard.
Bard presents the company to a massive gathering in the Town Square, and they are treated like celebrities. Thorin is celebrated as the returning King Under the Mountain. However, while the others are in a ceremonial dinner, Bilbo and Bard get to know each other outside. Bard reveals that he is related to the line of Girion, a line of kings who lived in Dale, the now-abandoned city in the shadow of Erebor. All that is left of their line is the Black Arrow, which has been passed down. Bard hopes to pass it down to his young son, Bain. It is then that they discover the group of Orcs, including Bolg, who has arrived. They are planning an assassination attempt on Thorin, via poison by Alfrid. Bard defeats the Orcs and sends them fleeing, while Alfrid is caught and interrogated by the guard (the Master denies knowing anything about it).
Alfrid reveals that the Nazgul and some of the other Orcs have travelled to the Lonely Mountain and are trying to get inside to recruit Smaug to the Necromancer’s cause. Bilbo, recalling his talk with Tauriel, convinces the company to leave immediately. Using the map, they cross the Desolation of Smaug and find the secret door by solving the riddle.
Bilbo volunteers to use his Ring to sneak inside and find out about what their standings against Smaug are. When Bilbo goes inside, the Nazgul and the Orcs attack Thorin and his men, causing a skirmish on the side of the mountain.
Inside the Mountain, Bilbo finds himself in a conversation with the newly awake Smaug. The two talk and Smaug tries very hard to find Bilbo. Eventually, Bilbo steals a golden cup to bring back to the Company. Absolutely furious at the theft, Smaug leaves the Treasure Chamber and bursts out of the Mountain, flying around it, trying to find the thief. This causes chaos in Lake-Town, as they see the dragon.
The battle between the company and the Orcs is interrupted when Smaug attacks the side of the mountain. The Orcs are all killed, Bolg and the Nazgul barely manage to escape. The company survives by rushing into the Hidden Entrance and hiding as Smaug crushes it.
Still furious, Smaug flies across the Desolation and starts to destroy Lake-Town. Bard fights hard to save his son, Bain, and gets him to safety on the shore, before returning to try and fight Smaug. In the chaos, the Master of Lake-Town is killed as he tries to row across the lake with all of his gold.
Inside the mountain, Bilbo realizes that Lake-Town is being attacked, and also that he is the only person who knows about Smaug’s weakpoint. The company reluctantly abandons their inspection of all the treasure (and Thorin’s obsession with the Arkenstone) and they find the exit to the Mountain. From Ravenhill, an outpost on the slope of the mountain, they manage to summon a raven. Bilbo tells the raven about the weak spot and the raven flies into Lake-Town, avoiding all of the fire and devastation. The raven finds Bard and tells him about Smaug’s weakness.
Bard travels through the chaos and destruction and climbs to the tallest tower (the Town Hall) while it is collapsing and manages to fire his Black Arrow into Smaug’s chest, killing him and making him crash-land into the water in the pool at the center of the Town Square.
The next morning, Bard is congratulated by his people, and they decide to restore Dale and crown him king, hoping that the kingdom can prosper like it did in the old days. Meanwhile, Thorin, Bilbo, and the others go inside the mountain to try and find the Arkenstone and restore the Kingdom under the Mountain. Bilbo is confident that their quest is over and he will return home soon.
Unknown to all of them, Azog and the others in Mount Gundabad are wakened when they find that the Necromancer, Bolg, the Nazgul, and all of the Orcs left in the army have arrived (with Gandalf and Radagast as their hostages, as having a wizard could be useful) and plan to unite the armies to conquer Middle-Earth, starting with the Lonely Mountain and Dale.


Radagast-Aiwendil
Gondor


Feb 9 2013, 10:44pm

Post #2 of 13 (5412 views)
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Some interesting ideas [In reply to] Can't Post

However:
"Unknown to all of them, Azog and the others in Mount Gundabad are wakened when they find that the Necromancer, Bolg, the Nazgul, and all of the Orcs left in the army have arrived (with Gandalf and Radagast as their hostages, as having a wizard could be useful) and plan to unite the armies to conquer Middle-Earth, starting with the Lonely Mountain and Dale."

Please don't give PJ ideas in terms of weakening Gandalf. Chances are we'll already see him being carried away from the battle of Dol Guldur by *the great and mighty Galadriel* (Can you tell I'm bitter about this?), and that is bad enough, though I would just about forgive them. But not if anything else along those lines happened.

"These are Gundabad Wargs! They will outrun you!"

"THESE are Rhosgobel Rabbits! I'd like to see them try...."



(This post was edited by Radagast-Aiwendil on Feb 9 2013, 10:45pm)


Legomir
Rivendell

Feb 9 2013, 11:05pm

Post #3 of 13 (5356 views)
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You have a point [In reply to] Can't Post

The last thing I'd want the movies to do would be to weaken Gandalf. I was just trying to think of something to happen to him imbetween Dol Guldur and the Battle of Five Armies, because I do not recall Tolkien writing about that (though it's been a while since I've read the books). I haven't thought much about Film Three but it would probably involving some form of aweomse wizardy escape with the two wizards.


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Feb 9 2013, 11:12pm

Post #4 of 13 (5390 views)
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There are a few ideas there that I could do without... [In reply to] Can't Post

Jackson probably will place one or more of the Nazgul at Dol Guldur; I'm pretty much resigned to it.

I think that Jackson has other ideas about Bard and how he relates to the Master of Lake-town. The Master, knowing that Bard is a descendant of Girion, may view him as a rival from the start.

I don't see Bilbo and the dwarves being brought anywhere near the Necromancer's fortress. We already know that there is footage of Legolaas and Tauriel capturing the company following the spider attack. It seems to me that the party remains in the northern end of the forest throughout this part of the film.

Likewise, Gandalf should be kept busy in the south at least until after the company escapes from Thranduil's dungeons and reaches Lake-town. Tolkien places the White Council's attack on Dol Guldur at about the same time as the escape from the Wood-elves. I can see Jackson pushing it back a bit, but not moviing it to an earlier point.

There is no indication that there was ever a palantir at Dol Guldur and there should already be one present in Isengard; however, I can imagine this being altered by Peter Jackson. I don't think that Tauriel actively helps the company to escape unless she only pretends to be suprised at finding the cells empty.

Isn't Azog the leader of the Gundabad Orcs (as opposed to it being Bolg in the book)? I don't think that there is anyone there who could refuse him or out-rank him.

We may indeed see Smaug's attack on Esgaroth at the end of DoS; however, I think that the film may leave Thorin and Company waiting in the dark for the dragon's return. In my opinion, their exploration of the Mountain's interior will be kept for the third movie.

'There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world.' - Gandalf the Grey, The Fellowship of the Ring


IdrilofGondolin
Rohan

Feb 9 2013, 11:32pm

Post #5 of 13 (5344 views)
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There is a Nazgul at Dol Guldur [In reply to] Can't Post

His name is Kamal. Sauron sends him there once the Dark Tower is re-established.


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Feb 9 2013, 11:35pm

Post #6 of 13 (5353 views)
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Gandalf after Dol Guldur... [In reply to] Can't Post

This depends on when Jackson stages the taking of the fortress. If he holds with Tolkien's timeline then Gandalf can either try to track the Necromancer's movements after he flees the tower or he can try to learn something from what is left behind. If the attack comes much later then Gandalf might start to head back north almost immediately to check on Bilbo and the dwarves.

'There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world.' - Gandalf the Grey, The Fellowship of the Ring


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Feb 9 2013, 11:39pm

Post #7 of 13 (5322 views)
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Yes, but that is much later... [In reply to] Can't Post

That happens long after the events of The Hobbit. Doesn't count unless that is one of Jackson's changes. Of course, we do know that Radagast had an encounter with the Witch-king. We just don't know if he or any other of the Nazgul are still there.

'There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world.' - Gandalf the Grey, The Fellowship of the Ring


The White Wizard
The Shire


Feb 10 2013, 1:02am

Post #8 of 13 (5289 views)
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Agree [In reply to] Can't Post

I agree. I would hate to see more weakenings of Gandalf. They really get on my nerves. I would have been okay with it if Tolkien had written them that way. He didn't, though, so I really wish PJ hadn't done them. The one that annoys me the most is the one where the Witch-King defeats Gandalf at Minas Tirith in ROTK.

True courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one.


Roheryn
Tol Eressea

Feb 10 2013, 10:18am

Post #9 of 13 (5186 views)
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Welcome! [In reply to] Can't Post

Nice to have you delurked, and thanks for sharing your DOS thoughts. I'm pleased to find another poster who likes AUJ as much as the LOTR trilogy. Smile

I'm impressed at your detailed thoughts...I agree about the ending point; I do think it will end with the death of Smaug, followed by some short sequence to set up the suspense for TABA (to make the non-book-readers realize there really is a good reason for having a third movie). PJ ended FOTR, TTT, and now AUJ with battle sequences that are fully resolved, followed by a short bit that sets the stage for the next movie. I can't see he'd change things for DOS. Thus, the only battle sequence that would make sense is the one with Smaug, and ending with Smaug's death (thus fully resolving the battle sequence). However, someone else raised the point that this battle will be fought with our current heroes very firmly out of sight, which makes this hypothetical climax (at least from our viewpoint at the moment) rather less interesting.


Ruxendil_Thoorg
Tol Eressea


Feb 10 2013, 4:26pm

Post #10 of 13 (5153 views)
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Hi Legomir! [In reply to] Can't Post

Thanks for posting your ideas at length. I like posting theories too and I enjoy the chance to discuss these kinds of thoughts.

I've enjoyed going through your ideas and have embedded my comments within.



In Reply To
Hi all!

This is my first post here, though I have been lurking around for years, so if this topic doesn't belong here or has already been done, feel free to say so.

Anyway, seeing as I loved An Unexpected Journey just as much as I loved the original trilogy, I've been thinking about what I think will happen in the next one, The Desolation of Smaug. Things kind of expanded and now I have a very, very long (probably too long) idea of how things might turn out. Of course it will probably end up being completely different, but still, I decided that it would be fun to post it here and see if anybody has anything to say. So here it is:

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Azog takes control of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains following the death of the Great Goblin. He seeks revenge on Thorin Oakenshield and wants to take their case to Mount Gundabad to raise an army to take over the Lonely Mountain.
Meanwhile, the company of Thorin travels to the hall of Beorn, a skin-changer. Beorn welcomes the group, and verifies their story by traveling to the slope of the mountain with his kin and seeing Azog and his army traveling to Gundabad.
In the fortress of Dol Guldur, the Necromancer, actually Sauron, sends his servants, the Nazgul, across the land to build up his army, readying themselves for the conquest of Middle-Earth. Nazgul agents spread across the world. Around the Desolation of Smaug, a raid of Orcs is heard of by the guard of Lake-Town, including Bard. Bard and his men try to stop the raid but the Orcs are recruited by the Nazgul and all of the guards are killed except for Bard. Bard returns to Lake-Town and tells the Master that something is going on with the Orcs and that they need to ensure that Smaug himself will not be recruited. However, the Master dismisses him; nobody knows that the Master and his servant Alfrid are being paid off by Bolg, the leader of the Dol Guldur Orcs.


You're probably right about the Master perceiving Bard as a rival. I think your idea of having Bard the sole survivor of an Orc attack to be a good one. You may be on the right track about Alfrid. Why else would that character be invented? He's probably going to commit some kind of big treachery.


In Reply To
Radagast arrives at Beorn’s Hall and tells Gandalf and Beorn that they need to stop the Necromancer before his darkness spreads across Middle-Earth. Gandalf decides to go with him to find evidence for the White Council to declare war, parting ways with Thorin’s company in an emotional farewell. The company is directed towards the now-dangerous Mirkwood Forest. The company is anxious without Gandalf, but enter the forest nonetheless.
Gandalf, Beorn, and Radagast travel to The High Fells, where the men of the North once trapped all of the Nazgul. They find all of the graves empty, and find traces of dark magic that only Sauron could have summoned. This is their proof. Gandalf has Radagast send birds to all of their allies across Middle-Earth, hoping to stop the evil before it has a chance to start. The birds go to Lothlorien, Rivendell, Isengard, Thranduil’s Hall, and Lake-Town. Galadriel and Elrond agree to send forces right away. Saruman considers stopping all of this, but determines that the Necromancer’s powers could be given to him if he was defeated, and so he sends forces. Thranduil and the Master both refuse, Thranduil because he does not want to get involved, and the Master because of Bolg. Thranduil’s refusal greatly angers his son, Legolas, who decides to take some forces anyway, including Tauriel.
Meanwhile, Bilbo faces his fears in the dark forest. The company encounters an enchanted river that puts anyone who wades in it to sleep. Fili and Kili manage to get a boat from the banks, but Bombur falls into the river and is put to sleep. During the night, they protect Bombur’s body, and notice many dark things around them. Eventually, trying to find their bearings, they send Bilbo up a tree. Bilbo breaks the canopy of the forest and finds the view beautiful.
That night, giant spiders attack and capture the Dwarves, bringing them to their lair at the base of the ancient fortress of Dol Guldur. Bilbo barely manages to escape with the aid of his mysterious Ring, and travels after the spiders to rescue his friends. When he arrives at Dol Guldur, so do the armies of the White Council. Immediately, a battle is raged. The Necromancer has already amassed a powerful army and they fight not only with the Elven armies but also with Beorn’s men and many of Radagast’s animals. During the chaos of battle, the Necromancer feels a mysterious energy from below (the Ring), and sends Bolg to investigate.
Bilbo rescues the Dwarves and battles the spiders, killing each of them bravely. He decides to name his sword Sting because of the endeavor. However, Bolg arrives and the company is forced to retreat. Bolg’s father is Azog, and he knows of the vendetta against Thorin. As such, he takes an Orc army to pursue them.
Meanwhile, the White Council army is almost defeated but manages to break into Dol Guldur and defeat the Nazgul, who flee with the Necromancer. In a stunning display of power, Galadriel uses her magic to actually crumble the fortress, destroying all within.
The White Council parts ways following the battle, believing that they have purged the world of darkness once more. Saruman steals several sacred objects, including a Palantir, from the ruins and returns to Isengard. Gandalf, however, is not happy with the lack of a body for the Necromancer, and decides to continue investigating alongside Radagast.
Meanwhile, Bilbo watches as the company is captured by Legolas and Tauriel, who are returning home to Thranduil’s Hall. Thranduil, already furious at Legolas, locks the Dwarves in the dungeons until they reveal their quest. Bilbo manages to infiltrate the Hall and hides out for a while. He is eventually captured by Tauriel, but she does not turn him in. Instead, she guesses that the Dwarves are trying to defeat Smaug, and Bilbo confirms it. She had heard the White Council speaking of the dangers of Smaug and the Necromancer, and so she helps Bilbo free the Dwarves. They drug Galion, the butler, and hide the Dwarves in wine-barrels before sending them bobbing down the river. Thranduil is furious when he learns of this, and sends his men to find them.


We part ways here about Tauriel helping Bilbo rescue the Dwarves. That deviation diminishes Bilbo's achievement from the book in doing it solo. So if it turns out that way I for one will be disappointed. I have an alternate theory about this but I won't go into it here in your thread.

BTW there's been chatter (and evidence?) about there being Legos or action figures showing Tauriel and Legolas fighting spiders (I haven't seen it though). You didn't account for that in your post.



In Reply To
Gandalf and Radagast travel to the Desolation and are disturbed to learn that Bilbo and the others have not made it to Lake-Town yet. Gandalf discovers that the Master of Lake-Town is in league with the Orcs and is providing shelter for them (including one Nazgul). The two are forced to flee, but are caught and taken by the nomadic Orcs. During all of this, Azog and his Orcs plead their case to the leaders of Mount Gundabad, who refuse to aid him, citing the recent defeat of the Necromancer as proof that the Orcs will never rise, despite their being millions of them.


Not sure about having Azog being subordinate to "leaders of Mount Gundabad". Isn't it simpler to have Azog the supreme leader of MtG? I imagine he left a regent in his place while out searching for Thorin.



In Reply To
As the company travels down the river, they are attacked from the banks by Bolg and his men. The group barely manages to escape when the Orcs become engaged in a fight with Thranduil’s elves.


Similar to how they escaped from Orcs thanks to the intervention of the Rivendell knights/hunters in AUJ. I presume the similarity is intentional.


In Reply To
The company eventually manages to make it to Lake-Town, and they are rescued by Bard.
Bard presents the company to a massive gathering in the Town Square, and they are treated like celebrities. Thorin is celebrated as the returning King Under the Mountain. However, while the others are in a ceremonial dinner, Bilbo and Bard get to know each other outside. Bard reveals that he is related to the line of Girion, a line of kings who lived in Dale, the now-abandoned city in the shadow of Erebor. All that is left of their line is the Black Arrow, which has been passed down. Bard hopes to pass it down to his young son, Bain. It is then that they discover the group of Orcs, including Bolg, who has arrived. They are planning an assassination attempt on Thorin, via poison by Alfrid. Bard defeats the Orcs and sends them fleeing, while Alfrid is caught and interrogated by the guard (the Master denies knowing anything about it).
Alfrid reveals that the Nazgul and some of the other Orcs have travelled to the Lonely Mountain and are trying to get inside to recruit Smaug to the Necromancer’s cause. Bilbo, recalling his talk with Tauriel, convinces the company to leave immediately. Using the map, they cross the Desolation of Smaug and find the secret door by solving the riddle.
Bilbo volunteers to use his Ring to sneak inside and find out about what their standings against Smaug are. When Bilbo goes inside, the Nazgul and the Orcs attack Thorin and his men, causing a skirmish on the side of the mountain.
Inside the Mountain, Bilbo finds himself in a conversation with the newly awake Smaug. The two talk and Smaug tries very hard to find Bilbo. Eventually, Bilbo steals a golden cup to bring back to the Company. Absolutely furious at the theft, Smaug leaves the Treasure Chamber and bursts out of the Mountain, flying around it, trying to find the thief. This causes chaos in Lake-Town, as they see the dragon.
The battle between the company and the Orcs is interrupted when Smaug attacks the side of the mountain. The Orcs are all killed, Bolg and the Nazgul barely manage to escape. The company survives by rushing into the Hidden Entrance and hiding as Smaug crushes it.
Still furious, Smaug flies across the Desolation and starts to destroy Lake-Town. Bard fights hard to save his son, Bain, and gets him to safety on the shore, before returning to try and fight Smaug. In the chaos, the Master of Lake-Town is killed as he tries to row across the lake with all of his gold.
Inside the mountain, Bilbo realizes that Lake-Town is being attacked, and also that he is the only person who knows about Smaug’s weakpoint. The company reluctantly abandons their inspection of all the treasure (and Thorin’s obsession with the Arkenstone) and they find the exit to the Mountain. From Ravenhill, an outpost on the slope of the mountain, they manage to summon a raven. Bilbo tells the raven about the weak spot and the raven flies into Lake-Town, avoiding all of the fire and devastation. The raven finds Bard and tells him about Smaug’s weakness.


Not the thrush? But we already have been introduced to the thrush in AUJ, why omit it now? I can't support that.



In Reply To

Bard travels through the chaos and destruction and climbs to the tallest tower (the Town Hall) while it is collapsing and manages to fire his Black Arrow into Smaug’s chest, killing him and making him crash-land into the water in the pool at the center of the Town Square.


Smaug is too large for that, isn't he? Why not into the Lake, as written?


In Reply To
The next morning, Bard is congratulated by his people, and they decide to restore Dale and crown him king, hoping that the kingdom can prosper like it did in the old days. Meanwhile, Thorin, Bilbo, and the others go inside the mountain to try and find the Arkenstone and restore the Kingdom under the Mountain. Bilbo is confident that their quest is over and he will return home soon.


Ha! I see what you did there, echoing Bilbo's optimism at the end of AUJ.



In Reply To
Unknown to all of them, Azog and the others in Mount Gundabad are wakened when they find that the Necromancer, Bolg, the Nazgul, and all of the Orcs left in the army have arrived (with Gandalf and Radagast as their hostages, as having a wizard could be useful) and plan to unite the armies to conquer Middle-Earth, starting with the Lonely Mountain and Dale.


I like the idea of trying to link the Necromancer to the Bo5As by way of Gundabad. Capturing both Gandalf and Radagast as hostages, not sure about that one but I can keep an open mind. I like the idea of ending DOS on a bit of a downer note, like SW: Empire Strikes Back's ending with the capture of Han Solo, was that what you were going for here?

I think your idea would be simplified by having Azog were the supreme leader of Gundabad. In that capacity, he could still submit to the Necromancer. Having a higher leadership of Gundabad seems an unnecessary complication as I mentioned above. You would have to introduce more Orcs. There has been no announcement of any additional Orcs as Gundabad Orc leaders.

Also you didn't explain why Bolg is at Dol Goldur, how he ended up in charge there. You didn't mention anything about how the key and map ended up with Gandalf, and about any kind of backstory with Thrain meeting up with Gandalf. You didn't include anything about Gandalf fighting with a berzerk Dwarf in a ruined setting, as shown in some trailers. Unless you include those elements then your idea seems incomplete, IMO.

You didn't mention much about Beorn. There's been interviews in which the actor said that he would be involved in some kind of torture scene. As you seem to be striving for something comprehensive, your idea ought to account for that somehow, IMO.

In summary I enjoyed reading your detailed and in-depth thoughts and much of it makes sense to me. I parted ways with you in some instances. Generally I would like to see more up-to-date information incorporated into your plot summary, based on news that has been announced, evidenced by leaked footage or merchandising, or mentioned in cast interviews, or otherwise. Thanks for your good effort.

A bag is like a hole that you can carry with you.

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Legomir
Rivendell

Feb 10 2013, 5:00pm

Post #11 of 13 (5138 views)
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Thank you, everyone! [In reply to] Can't Post

It's cool to have so many people respond to my first forum post ever! I've liked the responses I've gotten so far, and so I'll go into a bit more detail.

There are probably a lot of differences between my ideas and the things that have been leaked about the movie so far, simply because I have been trying very hard (with varying degrees of success) to not pay attention to those things. I was pretty young when I saw The Lord of the Rings and knew nothing about them, not reading the books until the week after ROTK came out. I've been trying to redo that.

Some of the ideas were inspired by the 2003 Hobbit video game that I loved when it came out. That is where things like "Tauriel helping Bilbo free the Dwarves" came from, because when she was first announced that was the first thing I thought of.

Also, it has been a long time since I read the book, so the whole "raven instead of thrush" thing is more of a typo than me trying to change anything. Azog having superiors at Mount Gundabad was something I thought of to justify him not marching to Erebor right away, though I'm sure there are other ways to deal with that. Smaug falling into the pool in the middle of Lake-Town seemed like a neat image, and I always pictured that pool being big (and technically it is in the lake as written).

Also, any timeline problems with the Battle of Dol Guldur is mostly accidental. Looking at things, it just seemed to make sense narratively, plus I liked the idea of the Necromancer sensing something (which fans know is the Ring, but maybe others don't) and sending people after him. Plus, in the earlier trilogy, didn't Peter Jackson change the timeline of things to? I seem to remember the timeline in the Appendicies saying that the Battle of Helm's Deep happened at the same time as Frodo, Sam, and Gollum at the Black Gate?

Again, thanks for all the responses!


nhui06
Rivendell

Feb 11 2013, 5:11pm

Post #12 of 13 (5068 views)
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Good effort. [In reply to] Can't Post

Very detailed story. Not sure about the whole orcs buying the Master of Lake-town angle. I can see the Master just being a coward but not in line of the orcs (no reason to).

Based on previous descriptions of Bolg, he is suppose to be the jailor for Dol Guldur, so I think both Bolg and Azog are agents for the Necromencer, and their connection will be revealed in DOS. Perhaps Azog will rally all the goblins from the Misty Mountains to join at Dol Guldur.

The storyarc about Legolas and Tauriel is interesting. I can see them saving the dwarves from a second attack of the spiders than capturing them. Not sure what role Legolas will have other than a cameo; perhaps PJ does not want Legolas to be too much of a hero in the Hobbit.

Believe it or not, I am most curious about how they will incorporate Thrain into the story, and what role Smaug will play in DOS.


Clifton8
The Shire

Feb 11 2013, 6:03pm

Post #13 of 13 (5176 views)
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Thrain [In reply to] Can't Post

I agree. The scene or flashback of Gandalf finding Thrain and the map and key is crucial for the second film.

Excellent thoughts and kudos to the original poster...

 
 

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