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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Filmboek
Continuing the story begun in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Official Movie Guide, this brand-new Movie Guide takes readers deeper inside the film-making experience to discover what it was actually like being part of the second movie.
Featuring exclusive new interviews with principal cast and crew, from Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens and returning stars such as Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and Ian McKellen, to new cast members Orlando Bloom (Legolas), Evangeline Lilly (Tauriel), Stephen Fry (The Master of Lake-town) and Benedict Cumberbatch, who voices the dragon, Smaug, it is packed full of revealing film-making secrets and fascinating behind-the-scenes information.
Richly illustrated with candid behind-the-scenes photos of the actors, stunning locations and breathtaking creatures and costumes, this entertaining insider’s companion is an indispensable guide to how the filmmakers will continue the journey of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, to the Lonely Mountain of Erebor in the hotly anticipated The Desolation of Smaug.
Featuring exclusive new interviews with principal cast and crew, from Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens and returning stars such as Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and Ian McKellen, to new cast members Orlando Bloom (Legolas), Evangeline Lilly (Tauriel), Stephen Fry (The Master of Lake-town) and Benedict Cumberbatch, who voices the dragon, Smaug, it is packed full of revealing film-making secrets and fascinating behind-the-scenes information.
Richly illustrated with candid behind-the-scenes photos of the actors, stunning locations and breathtaking creatures and costumes, this entertaining insider’s companion is an indispensable guide to how the filmmakers will continue the journey of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, to the Lonely Mountain of Erebor in the hotly anticipated The Desolation of Smaug.
186 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
32 people are currently reading
1772 people want to read
About the author
Brian Sibley
101 books100 followersBrian Sibley is an English writer, broadcaster, and award-winning dramatist.
The author of over 100 hours of radio drama and hundreds of documentaries and features for the BBC, he is best known for his acclaimed 1981 radio adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, co-written with Michael Bakewell, as well as dramatizations of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast novels, and Richard Adams’s Watership Down.
Sibley has also written numerous original plays for radio, presented popular BBC programmes including Kaleidoscope and Talking Pictures, and produced documentaries on figures ranging from Lewis Carroll and Ray Bradbury to Julie Andrews and Walt Disney.
His contributions to broadcasting have earned him accolades such as the Sony Radio Award and the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Adaptation.
In print, Sibley is the author of many acclaimed film “making of” books, including Harry Potter: Film Wizardry, The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy, and Peter Jackson: A Filmmaker’s Journey, as well as companion volumes for The Hobbit films, The Golden Compass, and Disney classics. His literary works range from Shadowlands to children’s books like The Frightful Food Feud and Osric the Extraordinary Owl, with stories appearing in official Winnie-the-Pooh collections.
A noted Disney historian, Sibley has contributed essays to The Walt Disney Film Archives and recorded DVD commentaries for classic films. He is the editor of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fall of Númenor, winner of the Tolkien Society’s Best Book award in 2023.
Sibley has served as President and Chair of The Lewis Carroll Society and is an honorary member of The Magic Circle, the Tolkien Society, and The Children’s Books History Society.
The author of over 100 hours of radio drama and hundreds of documentaries and features for the BBC, he is best known for his acclaimed 1981 radio adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, co-written with Michael Bakewell, as well as dramatizations of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast novels, and Richard Adams’s Watership Down.
Sibley has also written numerous original plays for radio, presented popular BBC programmes including Kaleidoscope and Talking Pictures, and produced documentaries on figures ranging from Lewis Carroll and Ray Bradbury to Julie Andrews and Walt Disney.
His contributions to broadcasting have earned him accolades such as the Sony Radio Award and the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Adaptation.
In print, Sibley is the author of many acclaimed film “making of” books, including Harry Potter: Film Wizardry, The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy, and Peter Jackson: A Filmmaker’s Journey, as well as companion volumes for The Hobbit films, The Golden Compass, and Disney classics. His literary works range from Shadowlands to children’s books like The Frightful Food Feud and Osric the Extraordinary Owl, with stories appearing in official Winnie-the-Pooh collections.
A noted Disney historian, Sibley has contributed essays to The Walt Disney Film Archives and recorded DVD commentaries for classic films. He is the editor of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fall of Númenor, winner of the Tolkien Society’s Best Book award in 2023.
Sibley has served as President and Chair of The Lewis Carroll Society and is an honorary member of The Magic Circle, the Tolkien Society, and The Children’s Books History Society.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 18, 2022
If you’re going to read a movie guide, official ones like this that have been endorsed by the people behind the film is the only real way to go. Only in these official books will you gets direct input from the actors and crew behind the scenes about their experiences, characters, and thoughts on the project.
While not my favourite I’ve ever read, this certainly taught me some new things about the Hobbit franchise and all the little nuances that went in to making these movies. In this way, I understand now why the inclusion of Tauriel’s character was done and can see the importance of it. I now like the character the a bit better and certainly think Evangeline Lily did the best job of executing the role.
While not my favourite I’ve ever read, this certainly taught me some new things about the Hobbit franchise and all the little nuances that went in to making these movies. In this way, I understand now why the inclusion of Tauriel’s character was done and can see the importance of it. I now like the character the a bit better and certainly think Evangeline Lily did the best job of executing the role.
January 5, 2014
I had some slight misgivings at the first chapter, in which the author reflects upon the unexpected Journey movie premier (shouldn't that belong in the last guide?)
But I quickly became immersed in the production process with the authors skillful usage of actors/crew members quotes, mixed with his own descriptions. There is usually the perfect amount of images, representing whatever he should be introducing. The content covered was incredible- ranging from interviews with actors, to conversations with the food stylist (who is quite quick to point out that she isn't the caterer.) Anyhow, I constantly found myself awake at 3am, pouring over this, in complete awe at the amount of effort and the attention to minute details that goes into the production of this film.
But I quickly became immersed in the production process with the authors skillful usage of actors/crew members quotes, mixed with his own descriptions. There is usually the perfect amount of images, representing whatever he should be introducing. The content covered was incredible- ranging from interviews with actors, to conversations with the food stylist (who is quite quick to point out that she isn't the caterer.) Anyhow, I constantly found myself awake at 3am, pouring over this, in complete awe at the amount of effort and the attention to minute details that goes into the production of this film.
September 13, 2023
I have had this book for a while. I've often flipped through it, but today I sat down and read it/looked at it page by page. In the forward Martin mentions being nervous about Fantasy Flight giving a face to all of his characters. This book was published before the TV show, of course, and while that is true I now have so many of these characters firmly in my head that some of the art was unsatisfactory for that reason. Unfair perhaps, but that is how it goes.
August 8, 2024
i have been thinking about lee pace's "coat hanger shoulders" since 2014
there is something wonky about this book that does partially read like it's supposed to cover the first movie as well though
treating this seriously and putting it towards the reading challenge :)
there is something wonky about this book that does partially read like it's supposed to cover the first movie as well though
treating this seriously and putting it towards the reading challenge :)
December 13, 2025
Very interesting read for anyone wanting to know more about the construction of this film, from actors' opinions to costume design and food design. A highlight was the diva pig who loved the perks of fame.
Read
February 17, 2014 Reading the Movie Guides to the Hobbit films (at least so far) has given me an appreciation of how a rather sparely-written story whose prose style is out-of-date can be translated into a wonder of a modern fantasy tale in a visual format. After seeing The Desolation of Smaug I reread the original novel, realizing several things when I was done. First, the movie series greatly embellishes the story, inserting the plot line involving Azog and expanding the role of Bard, for example. Second, modern themes and tensions are introduced, such as the participation of Tauriel, expanded roles for female characters having been started in the Lord of the Rings movies. Third, the final Hobbit movie is constructed of just 40 pages of the novel and a few sentences in The Fellowship (no, I won't spoil it). It would be the hard-hearted purist who wouldn't appreciated the artistry of Peter Jackson and his talented crew, after reading the Movie Guides, and forgive their expansion of the original Hobbit story.
The only thing to dim my glowing review of the second Movie Guide is, of course, there just isn't enough new material: the guide to An Unexpected Journey covers each of the Dwarves and basics of costuming, sound, sets and so much more. The second guide has pieces about the newly-added characters of Beorn, Bard, Tauriel and Smaug, himself (who is played by an actor!), and interesting background information about the barrel-riding set, Dol Guldur and Wargs but it starts to repeat movie-making areas covered in the first book. If you, like me, are a fan of the expanded versions of the films, there are some references to what will be covered in this additional footage. I am wondering what the third Movie Guide will be like since so much of these books is character-driven.
I am happy I read this book (and its predecessor); I recommend it to fans who want to make a close connection between a much-loved, much-reread book and its film translation: the pictures are fabulous. I am not as diehard a fan, though, as to purchase the Movie Guides: I borrowed them from the library. I await the third Hobbit film and, then, the expanded version set of the entire trilogy.
The only thing to dim my glowing review of the second Movie Guide is, of course, there just isn't enough new material: the guide to An Unexpected Journey covers each of the Dwarves and basics of costuming, sound, sets and so much more. The second guide has pieces about the newly-added characters of Beorn, Bard, Tauriel and Smaug, himself (who is played by an actor!), and interesting background information about the barrel-riding set, Dol Guldur and Wargs but it starts to repeat movie-making areas covered in the first book. If you, like me, are a fan of the expanded versions of the films, there are some references to what will be covered in this additional footage. I am wondering what the third Movie Guide will be like since so much of these books is character-driven.
I am happy I read this book (and its predecessor); I recommend it to fans who want to make a close connection between a much-loved, much-reread book and its film translation: the pictures are fabulous. I am not as diehard a fan, though, as to purchase the Movie Guides: I borrowed them from the library. I await the third Hobbit film and, then, the expanded version set of the entire trilogy.
to-read-nonf
November 10, 2013For those curious about the 'collector's edition' hardback version of the Movie Guide that's being published this year - I asked Brian Sibley about it. Here's his reply:
So it seems that the cover image will be the same (as currently advertised on the HarperCollins website at least), but 'bling' seems to imply that it'll be foiled or sparkly in some way and not a totally unique cover like the LotR hardbacks had.
Just a bit more bling on the dust-jacket I believe, otherwise the same content. The hardback was added because a number of collectors regretted that there wasn't one as there had been for my LOTR books... They will be limited in number, I believe...
So it seems that the cover image will be the same (as currently advertised on the HarperCollins website at least), but 'bling' seems to imply that it'll be foiled or sparkly in some way and not a totally unique cover like the LotR hardbacks had.
November 29, 2013
Another great look into how the film was made, but without giving too much away. I thought the design and presenter was overall better than An Unexpected Journey movie guide - no more of that awful Viner Hand font!
The structure of the chapters could have tighter - I would much rather have one chapter dedicated to costume design with discussion grouped by character/race than having two different chapters that are effectively interviews with two of the designers. But overall, it was an enjoyable, quick but insightful read.
The structure of the chapters could have tighter - I would much rather have one chapter dedicated to costume design with discussion grouped by character/race than having two different chapters that are effectively interviews with two of the designers. But overall, it was an enjoyable, quick but insightful read.
December 12, 2013
Como sucede siempre en estos libros, la guía de La desolación de Smaug está plagada de entrevistas, no solo al director, los guionistas y los actores, sino a todos los miembros de la producción: personal de maquillaje y vestuario, supervisores de dialectos (sí, eso existe), de efectos visuales, artistas conceptuales...
Reseña completa: http://www.alaspapel.com/2013/12/el-h...
Reseña completa: http://www.alaspapel.com/2013/12/el-h...
November 18, 2013
Not as thorough or coherent as the first movie's Official Guide. This one felt more like a series of magazine articles. Doesn't really scratch the Peter Jackson itch that watching the eventual Extended Edition appendices will.
November 10, 2013
Excellent as always. I love that they released this a month in advance. It gives you some idea of what's going to be in the movie, without giving everything away.
January 24, 2014
Enjoy reading his and why things were done.
December 20, 2013
i loved the movie and i thought that it was really interesting to see how it was all accomplished to make the movie happen
March 9, 2014
Yet another wonderful and entertaining movie guide from Brian Sibley! Highly recommended for all fans of The Hobbit!
April 1, 2015
This book is great if you want behind the scenes access for the hobbit movies. I really want to buy the other guides now!
April 10, 2017
I love the movie guides! In my opinion they're better than the movies!! They're just like written versions of the extras, not that I've watched the extras for The Hobbit just yet.
February 22, 2016
Good Book.
Read
September 10, 2016Interesting
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews