First Look at Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel in 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'

One of the primary complaints some Tolkien die-hards have had with Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit is his willingness to play a little loose with the established canon. The original novel is a sparse, fast read geared towards children, not at all enough to comprise a pair of movies, much less a trilogy. So when it was revealed that Evangeline Lilly (Lost) would be playing an all new character, the elf known as Tauriel, many fans were none too pleased. But they'll just have to get used to seeing her in action, as she'll be a big part of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

The first image of Lilly as Tauriel has been released, and she looks every bit the warrior as her lover in the film, Orlando Bloom as the popular Legolas. Lilly also spilled a few more details to EW about the character, saying that Tauriel is the leader of the Elven Guard, and of lower status than Elrond, Arwen, and the other elves we've met previously. As for her relationship with Legolas, Lilly won't say much other than that it's "significant".

When Lilly first signed on, The Hobbit was being prepped as a two-parter, so one has to wonder if the role has been expanded or altered to accommodate the third film. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug opens on December 13th.