Peter Jackson’s iconic Lord of the Rings films may be getting sequels with The Hunt for Gollum and Shadows of the Past. However, many Tolkien fans are worried because both new movies will have to significantly change the original stories. The Hunt for Gollum will be based on a very short section of the book, and Shadows of the Past will retell parts of the story from the perspective of the hobbits revisiting familiar places after the Ring has been destroyed.
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, though it was on a smaller scale. When Peter Jackson made the Hobbit films, he had to significantly expand the original, shorter book to create a trilogy similar in length to The Lord of the Rings. Some of these additions were debated by fans, especially the romantic relationship between Kíli and Tauriel, as it wasn’t part of Tolkien’s established world. What many fans don’t realize is that this storyline went through several changes, and Jackson had a valid reason for the final version we see in the movies.
Tauriel Was Not Always Intended to Fall in Love With a Dwarf
To improve the number of female characters, Tauriel went through significant changes during the making of the movies, more so than characters directly based on the book. A casting call from 2010 for The Hobbit revealed that Tauriel wasn’t always named Tauriel; originally, a character named Itaril was planned for the role, and she had some important differences from the final version. While the original casting call is no longer available, information about it has been saved on sites like Planet Tolkien.
Similar to Tauriel, Itaril was initially envisioned as one of King Thranduil’s guards, before becoming captain. The writers planned a love story for her from the beginning, but it wasn’t with Kíli. Instead, the character was intended to secretly fall for a young Elf Lord from Rivendell – a skilled warrior with a noble background and a witty personality, as described in the casting details.
It’s fascinating to learn that Aidan Turner – who later became known for playing Kíli – originally auditioned for an Elven role that ultimately didn’t make it into the films. He confirmed this in an interview, and it’s easy to see him as an Elf despite his later portrayal of a Dwarf, given his build and features don’t quite fit the typical dwarvish look. Similarly, Saoirse Ronan, who previously worked with Peter Jackson on The Lovely Bones, was reportedly cast as Itaril before the character evolved into Tauriel.
Tauriel’s Original Storyline Would Not Have Worked in The Hobbit
An early draft of The Hobbit explored making Itaril’s feelings for the Elf Lord forbidden by creating a rivalry between them. While this approach wouldn’t have conflicted with Tolkien’s established lore—Elves from different regions often fell in love—it would have been ultimately unimportant to the main story.
In The Hobbit, the story mainly followed Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield’s dwarves, making it difficult to naturally include a romantic relationship between two elves. Scenes focusing on an Elven romance would have likely felt like detours that didn’t contribute to the central plot and simply added length to the films. Instead, by connecting Tauriel’s story to the dwarves’ journey to regain their home, Peter Jackson gave her a much more important role.
Tauriel and Kíli shared a connection while he was held captive by Thranduil. After Kíli was wounded by an Orc in Lake-town, Tauriel cared for him, and they fought together in the Battle of the Five Armies. She was deeply saddened by his death, which occurred during the battle with Bolg. The romance between Tauriel and Kíli was a strong story choice because it allowed for more development of Kíli’s character and added greater emotional impact to his death than if Tauriel had been involved with another Elf.
Some viewers questioned the need for romance in The Hobbit because it wasn’t in the original book. However, the love story between Aragorn and Arwen was central to The Lord of the Rings, so director Peter Jackson likely hoped to achieve a similar impact. While the romantic subplot in The Hobbit didn’t reach the same heights as in The Lord of the Rings, the way Tauriel’s story developed demonstrates Jackson’s skill as a filmmaker.
2026-07-28 17:36