Peter Jackson’s epic Lord of the Rings films may be getting sequels! Two new live-action movies, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past, are in development. However, many fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books are worried, as both films 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, years after the One Ring was destroyed.
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. When Peter Jackson adapted The Hobbit, he had to significantly expand the original story to create a film trilogy similar in length to The Lord of the Rings. Some of these additions were met with criticism, especially the romantic relationship between Kíli and Tauriel, as it wasn’t part of Tolkien’s established world. Interestingly, many fans don’t know the storyline was initially different, and Jackson had a valid reason for the changes he ultimately made.
Tauriel Was Not Always Intended to Fall in Love With a Dwarf
To improve female representation in the story, the character of Tauriel went through significant changes during the making of the trilogy, more so than characters directly based on the book. A casting call from 2010 for The Hobbit revealed that Tauriel was originally intended to be a character named Itaril, who had several differences from the final version. While the original casting call is no longer available, details have been saved on sites like Planet Tolkien.
I remember reading about an early version of Tauriel – they were developing a character named Itaril first. She was supposed to be one of Thranduil’s guards, not quite a captain yet. What’s really interesting is they already had a romance planned for her, but it wasn’t with Kíli! The initial casting call described her falling for a young Elf Lord from Rivendell – a warrior with a good family background and a bit of a playful side. It’s funny how things change during the filmmaking process, isn’t it?
It’s fascinating to learn that Aidan Turner, who eventually played Kíli, originally auditioned for an Elf Lord role that was ultimately removed from the films. He confirmed this in an interview. Given his appearance – not typically associated with the stockier build and features of Dwarves – it’s easy to picture him as an Elf. Similarly, Saoirse Ronan, previously in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones, was reportedly cast as Itaril before the character was revised and became Tauriel.
Tauriel’s Original Storyline Would Not Have Worked in The Hobbit
An early draft of The Hobbit suggested a rivalry between characters, possibly to maintain a sense of forbidden love between Itaril and an Elf Lord. While this wouldn’t have conflicted with established Tolkien lore—Elves from different regions often fell in love—it would have been largely unimportant to the main story.
The story of The Hobbit primarily centered on Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield’s company of dwarves, making a romantic subplot between two elves feel out of place. Scenes focusing on an elf romance would have likely detracted from the main story and simply added length to the films. Instead, by connecting Tauriel’s story to the dwarves’ quest, Peter Jackson gave her a more important role in their journey to reclaim their homeland.
Tauriel and Kíli shared a connection while he was a prisoner of Thranduil. After Kíli was wounded by an Orc in Lake-town, Tauriel helped him recover, and they fought together in the Battle of the Five Armies. She was devastated when he died fighting Bolg. The romance between Tauriel and Kíli was a strong storytelling choice, as it allowed the writers to explore Kíli’s character more fully and add greater emotional impact to his death than if she had been involved with another Elf.
Some viewers questioned the need for a romance in The Hobbit since it wasn’t in the original book. However, the love story between Aragorn and Arwen was central to The Lord of the Rings, and director Peter Jackson likely hoped to recapture that success. While the romance in The Hobbit didn’t reach the same heights, the way the character Tauriel’s story developed demonstrates Jackson’s skill as a storyteller.
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2026-04-12 06:11