Evangeline Lilly and Barry Humphries join The Hobbit

With the smashing success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, director Peter Jackson returns to Middle-Earth with the two-part film, The Hobbit, where Bilbo Baggins undertakes a quest to regain the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the dragon Smaug.

Jackson has just announced two new cast members, Lost star Evangeline Lilly and British comedic actor Barry Humphries, also known as Dame Edna Everage.

“Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character – the Woodland Elf, Tauriel,” Jackson wrote on his Facebook page. “Her name means ‘daughter of Mirkwood’ and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! (No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas.) What is not a secret is how talented and compelling an actress Evangeline is; we are thrilled and excited she will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan Elf to life.”

He went on to mention that Humphries is a fine actor, and that he was “also highly excited that Barry Humphries will be portraying the Goblin King, in much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum. Barry is perhaps best known for his business and social connections as the long-time manager of Dame Edna Everage.”

Some of the actors from Lord of the Rings will reprise their roles in two-part prequel, including Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. Andy Serkis will play Gollum to Christopher Lee’s Saruman, and Hugo Weaving is still Elrond. Actor Ian Holm returns as the older Bilbo Baggins, while Martin Freeman will play the younger hobbit.

Currently filming in New Zealand, the first of the two-part series will be titled The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, released December 14, 2012, and the second installment will be called The Hobbit: There and Back Again, released December 13, 2013.